ML050960541
| ML050960541 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | LaSalle  |
| Issue date: | 04/22/2005 |
| From: | Sands S NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD3 |
| To: | Crane C Exelon Generation Co |
| SANDS S, NRR/DLPM, 415-3154 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML050960546 | List: |
| References | |
| TAC MC4496, TAC MC4497 | |
| Download: ML050960541 (16) | |
Text
April 22, 2005 Mr. Christopher M. Crane, President and Chief Nuclear Officer Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555
SUBJECT:
LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2, ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENTS RE: REQUEST FOR AMENDMENT TO TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS TO ELIMINATE REQUIREMENTS FOR HYDROGEN RECOMBINERS AND HYDROGEN/OXYGEN MONITORS USING THE CONSOLIDATED LINE ITEM IMPROVEMENT PROCESS (TAC NOS. MC4496 AND MC4497)
Dear Mr. Crane:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Commission) has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 172 to Facility Operating License No. NPF-11 and Amendment No. 158 to Facility Operating License No. NPF-18 for the LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2, respectively. The amendment consists of changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) in response to your application dated September 15, 2004.
The amendments delete the Technical Specification (TS) requirements to maintain hydrogen recombiners and hydrogen/oxygen monitors and related Surveillance Requirements (SR). The revised Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 50.44, "Combustible Gas Control for Nuclear Power Plants," eliminated the requirements for hydrogen recombiners and relaxed safety classifications and licensee commitments to certain design and qualification criteria for hydrogen and oxygen monitors.
A copy of the Safety Evaluation is also enclosed. The Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's biweekly Federal Register notice.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Stephen P. Sands, Project Manager, Section 2 Project Directorate III Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-373 and 50-374
Enclosures:
- 1. Amendment No. 172 to NPF-11
- 2. Amendment No. 158 to NPF-18
- 3. Safety Evaluation cc w/encls: See next page
April 22, 2005 Mr. Christopher M. Crane, President and Chief Nuclear Officer Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555
SUBJECT:
LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2, ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENTS RE: REQUEST FOR AMENDMENT TO TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS TO ELIMINATE REQUIREMENTS FOR HYDROGEN RECOMBINERS AND HYDROGEN/OXYGEN MONITORS USING THE CONSOLIDATED LINE ITEM IMPROVEMENT PROCESS (TAC NOS. MC4496 AND MC4497)
Dear Mr. Crane:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Commission) has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 172 to Facility Operating License No. NPF-11 and Amendment No. 158 to Facility Operating License No. NPF-18 for the LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2, respectively. The amendment consists of changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) in response to your application dated September 15, 2004.
The amendments delete the Technical Specification (TS) requirements to maintain hydrogen recombiners and hydrogen/oxygen monitors and related Surveillance Requirements (SR). The revised Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 50.44, "Combustible Gas Control for Nuclear Power Plants," eliminated the requirements for hydrogen recombiners and relaxed safety classifications and licensee commitments to certain design and qualification criteria for hydrogen and oxygen monitors.
A copy of the Safety Evaluation is also enclosed. The Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's biweekly Federal Register notice.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Stephen P. Sands, Project Manager, Section 2 Project Directorate III Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-373 and 50-374
Enclosures:
- 1. Amendment No. 172 to NPF-11
- 2. Amendment No. 158 to NPF-18
- 3. Safety Evaluation DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC PDIII-2 R/F SSands OGC, GHill (4), T5C3 DHills, RIII TBoyce, O-12H PCoates GSuh ACRS, T2E26 Package: ML050960546 Amendment: ML050960541 TS Pages: ML051170012 Nrr-058 OFFICE PM:LPD3-2 LA:LPD3-2 DLPM:LPM SC:LPD3-2 NAME SSands PCoates WReckley GSuh DATE 04/21/05 04/21/05 04/21/05 04/21/05 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
LaSalle County Station Units 1 and 2 cc:
Site Vice President - LaSalle County Station Regional Administrator Exelon Generation Company, LLC U.S. NRC, Region III 2601 North 21st Road 801 Warrenville Road Marseilles, IL 61341-9757 Lisle, IL 60532-4351 LaSalle County Station Plant Manager Illinois Emergency Management Exelon Generation Company, LLC Agency 2601 North 21st Road Division of Disaster Assistance &
Marseilles, IL 61341-9757 Preparedness 110 East Adams Street Regulatory Assurance Manager - LaSalle Springfield, IL 62701-1109 Exelon Generation Company, LLC 2601 North 21st Road Document Control Desk - Licensing Marseilles, IL 61341-9757 Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Warrenville, IL 60555 LaSalle Resident Inspectors Office 2605 North 21st Road Senior Vice President - Nuclear Services Marseilles, IL 61341-9756 Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Phillip P. Steptoe, Esquire Warrenville, IL 60555 Sidley and Austin One First National Plaza Vice President of Operations - Mid-West Chicago, IL 60603 Boiling Water Reactors Exelon Generation Company, LLC Assistant Attorney General 4300 Winfield Road 100 W. Randolph St. Suite 12 Warrenville, IL 60555 Chicago, IL 60601 Vice President - Licensing and Regulatory Chairman Affairs LaSalle County Board Exelon Generation Company, LLC 707 Etna Road 4300 Winfield Road Ottawa, IL 61350 Warrenville, IL 60555 Attorney General 500 S. Second Street Springfield, IL 62701 Chairman Illinois Commerce Commission 527 E. Capitol Avenue, Leland Building Springfield, IL 62706 Robert Cushing, Chief, Public Utilities Division Illinois Attorney General's Office 100 W. Randolph Street Chicago, IL 60601
LaSalle County Station Units 1 and 2 Director - Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Associate General Counsel Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Manager Licensing - Dresden, Quad Cities and Clinton Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555
EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC DOCKET NO. 50-373 LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNIT 1 AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 172 License No. NPF-11
- 1. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:
A. The application for amendment filed by the Exelon Generation Company, LLC (the licensee), dated September 15, 2004 , complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I; B. The facility will operate in conformity with the application, the provisions of the Act, and the regulations of the Commission; C. There is reasonable assurance (I) that the activities authorized by this amendment can be conducted without endangering the health and safety of the public, and (ii) that such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I; D. The issuance of this amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public; and E. The issuance of this amendment is in accordance with 10 CFR Part 51 of the Commission's regulations and all applicable requirements have been satisfied.
- 2. Accordingly, the license is amended by changes to the Technical Specifications as indicated in the enclosure to this license amendment and paragraph 2.C.(2) of the Facility Operating License No. NPF-11 is hereby amended to read as follows:
(2) Technical Specifications and Environmental Protection Plan The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A, as revised through Amendment No. 172, and the Environmental Protection Plan contained in Appendix B, are hereby incorporated in the license. The licensee shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications and the Environmental Protection Plan.
- 3. This license amendment is effective as of the date of its issuance and shall be implemented within 120 days of the date of issuance.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
/RA/
Gene Y. Suh, Chief, Section 2 Project Directorate III Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Attachment:
Changes to the Technical Specifications Date of Issuance: April 22, 2005
EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC DOCKET NO. 50-374 LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNIT 2 AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 158 License No. NPF-18
- 1. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that:
A. The application for amendment filed by the Exelon Generation Company, LLC (the licensee), dated September 15, 2004, complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I; B. The facility will operate in conformity with the application, the provisions of the Act, and the regulations of the Commission; C. There is reasonable assurance (I) that the activities authorized by this amendment can be conducted without endangering the health and safety of the public, and (ii) that such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I; D. The issuance of this amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public; and E. The issuance of this amendment is in accordance with 10 CFR Part 51 of the Commission's regulations and all applicable requirements have been satisfied.
- 2. Accordingly, the license is amended by changes to the Technical Specifications as indicated in the enclosure to this license amendment and paragraph 2.C.(2) of the Facility Operating License No. NPF-18 is hereby amended to read as follows:
(2) Technical Specifications and Environmental Protection Plan The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A, as revised through Amendment No. 158, and the Environmental Protection Plan contained in Appendix B, are hereby incorporated in the license. The licensee shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications and the Environmental Protection Plan.
- 3. This license amendment is effective as of the date of its issuance and shall be implemented within 120 days of the date of issuance.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
/RA/
Gene Y. Suh, Chief, Section 2 Project Directorate III Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Attachment:
Changes to the Technical Specifications Date of Issuance: April 22, 2005
ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NOS. 172 AND 158 FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NOS. NPF-11 AND NPF-18 DOCKET NOS. 50-373 AND 50-374 Replace the following pages of the Appendix "A" Technical Specifications with the enclosed pages. The revised pages are identified by amendment number and contain marginal lines indicating the area of change.
Remove Pages Insert Pages 3.3.3.1-3 3.3.3.1-3 3.3.3.1-4 3.3.3.1-4 3.6.3.1-1 3.6.3.1-1 3.8.1-1 3.8.1-1 3.8.7-1 3.8.7-1 5.5-2 5.5-2
SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO. 172 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-11 AND AMENDMENT NO. 158 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-18 EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-373 AND 50-374
1.0 INTRODUCTION
By application dated September 15, 2004, Exelon Generation Company, LLC (the licensee),
requested changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) for Lasalle County Station, Units 1 and 2, (ADAMS Accession No. ML042660189). The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staffs proposed no significant hazards consideration determination was published in the Federal Register on February 1, 2005 (70 FR 5243). The proposed changes would delete the TS requirements associated with hydrogen recombiners, and hydrogen and oxygen monitors.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has revised Section 50.44, Standards for Combustible Gas Control System in Light-Water-Cooled Power Reactors, of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR). The amended standards eliminated the requirements for hydrogen recombiners and relaxed the requirements for hydrogen and oxygen monitoring.
In letters dated December 17, 2002, and May 12, 2003, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)
Technical Specification Task Force (TSTF) proposed to remove requirements for hydrogen recombiners and hydrogen and oxygen monitors from the standard technical specifications (STS) (NUREGs 1430 - 1434) on behalf of the industry to incorporate the amended standards.
This proposed change is designated TSTF-447.
The NRC staff prepared this model safety evaluation (SE) for the elimination of requirements regarding containment hydrogen recombiners and the removal of requirements from TSs for containment hydrogen and oxygen monitors and solicited public comment (67 FR 50374, published August 2, 2002) in accordance with the Consolidated Line Item Improvement Process (CLIIP). The use of the CLIIP in this matter is intended to help the NRC to efficiently process amendments that propose to remove the hydrogen recombiner and hydrogen and oxygen monitor requirements from TS. Licensees of nuclear power reactors to which this model applies were informed (68 FR 55416; September 25, 2003) that they could request amendments conforming to the model, and, in such requests, should confirm the applicability of the SE to their reactors and provide the requested plant-specific verifications and commitments.
2.0 BACKGROUND
Regulatory Issue Summary 2000-06, Consolidated Line Item Improvement Process for Adopting Standard Technical Specification Changes for Power Reactors, was issued on
March 20, 2000. The CLIIP is intended to improve the efficiency of NRC licensing processes.
This is accomplished by processing proposed changes to the STS in a manner that supports subsequent license amendment applications. The CLIIP includes an opportunity for the public to comment on proposed changes to the STS following a preliminary assessment by the NRC staff and finding that the change will likely be offered for adoption by licensees. The NRC staff evaluates any comments received for a proposed change to the STS and either reconsiders the change or proceeds with announcing the availability of the change for proposed adoption by licensees. Those licensees opting to apply for the subject change to TS are responsible for reviewing the staff's evaluation, referencing the applicable technical justifications, and providing any necessary plant-specific information. Each amendment application made in response to the notice of availability would be processed and noticed in accordance with applicable rules and NRC procedures.
The Commissions regulatory requirements related to the content of TSs are set forth in 10 CFR 50.36. This regulation requires that the TSs include items in five specific categories. These categories include: 1) safety limits, limiting safety system settings and limiting control settings,
- 2) limiting conditions for operation (LCO), 3) surveillance requirements, 4) design features, and
- 5) administrative controls. However, the regulation does not specify the particular TS to be included in a plants license.
Additionally, 10 CFR 50.36(c)(2)(ii) sets forth four criteria to be used in determining whether an LCO is required to be included in the TS. These criteria are as follows:
- 1. Installed instrumentation that is used to detect, and indicate in the control room, a significant abnormal degradation of the reactor coolant pressure boundary.
- 2. A process variable, design feature, or operating restriction that is an initial condition of a design-basis accident or transient analysis that assumes either the failure of or presents a challenge to the integrity of a fission product barrier.
- 3. A structure, system, or component that is part of the primary success path and which functions or actuates to mitigate a design-basis accident or transient that either assumes the failure of or presents a challenge to the integrity of a fission product barrier.
- 4. A structure, system or component which operating experience or probabilistic risk assessment has shown to be significant to public health and safety.
Existing LCO and related surveillances included as TS requirements which satisfy any of the criteria stated above must be retained in the TSs. Those TS requirements which do not satisfy these criteria may be relocated to other licensee-controlled documents.
As part of the rulemaking that revised 10 CFR 50.44, the Commission retained requirements for ensuring a mixed atmosphere, inerting Mark I and II containments, and providing hydrogen control systems capable of accommodating an amount of hydrogen generated from a metal-water reaction involving 75 percent of the fuel cladding surrounding the active fuel region in Mark III and ice condenser containments. The Commission eliminated the design-basis loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) hydrogen release from 10 CFR 50.44 and consolidated the requirements for hydrogen and oxygen monitoring to 10 CFR 50.44 while relaxing safety
classifications and licensee commitments to certain design and qualification criteria. The Commission also relocated without change the hydrogen control requirements in 10 CFR 50.34(f) to 10 CFR 50.44 and the high point vent requirements from 10 CFR 50.44 to 10 CFR 50.46a.
3.0 EVALUATION The ways in which the requirements and recommendations for combustible gas control were incorporated into the licensing bases of commercial nuclear power plants varied as a function of when plants were licensed. Plants that were operating at the time of the Three Mile Island (TMI), Unit 2 accident are likely to have been the subject of confirmatory orders that imposed the combustible gas control functions described in NUREG-0737, Clarification of TMI Action Plan Requirements, as obligations. The issuance of plant specific amendments to adopt these changes, which would remove hydrogen recombiner and hydrogen and oxygen monitoring controls from the TSs, supersede the combustible gas control specific requirements imposed by post-TMI confirmatory orders.
3.1 Hydrogen Recombiners The revised 10 CFR 50.44 no longer defines a design-basis LOCA hydrogen release, and eliminates requirements for hydrogen control systems to mitigate such a release. The installation of hydrogen recombiners and/or vent and purge systems required by 10 CFR 50.44(b)(3) was intended to address the limited quantity and rate of hydrogen generation that was postulated from a design-basis LOCA. The Commission has found that this hydrogen release is not risk-significant because the design-basis LOCA hydrogen release does not contribute to the conditional probability of a large release up to approximately 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> after the onset of core damage. In addition, these systems were ineffective at mitigating hydrogen releases from risk-significant beyond design-basis accidents. Therefore, the Commission eliminated the hydrogen release associated with a design-basis LOCA from 10 CFR 50.44 and the associated requirements that necessitated the need for the hydrogen recombiners and the backup hydrogen vent and purge systems. As a result, the staff finds that requirements related to hydrogen recombiners no longer meet any of the four criteria in 10 CFR 50.36(c)(2)(ii) for retention in TSs and the existing TS requirements may, therefore, be eliminated for all plants.
3.2 Hydrogen Monitoring Equipment Section 50.44(b)(1), the STS, and plant-specific TSs currently contain requirements for monitoring hydrogen. Licensees have also made commitments to design and qualification criteria for hydrogen monitors in Item II.F.1, Attachment 6 of NUREG-0737 and Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.97, Instrumentation for Light-Water-Cooled Nuclear Power Plants to Assess Plant and Environs Conditions During and Following an Accident. The hydrogen monitors are required to assess the degree of core damage during a beyond design-basis accident and confirm that random or deliberate ignition has taken place. If an explosive mixture that could threaten containment integrity exists during a beyond design-basis accident, then other severe accident management strategies, such as purging and/or venting, would need to be considered.
The hydrogen monitors are needed to implement these severe accident management strategies.
With the elimination of the design-basis LOCA hydrogen release, hydrogen monitors are no longer required to mitigate design-basis accidents and, therefore, the hydrogen monitors do not meet the definition of a safety-related component as defined in 10 CFR 50.2. RG 1.97 recommends classifying the hydrogen monitors as Category 1. RG 1.97, Category 1, is intended for key variables that most directly indicate the accomplishment of a safety function for design-basis accident events and, therefore, are items usually addressed within TS. As part of the rulemaking to revise 10 CFR 50.44, the Commission found that the hydrogen monitors no longer meet the definition of Category 1 in RG 1.97. The Commission concluded that Category 3, as defined in RG 1.97, is an appropriate categorization for the hydrogen monitors because the monitors are required to diagnose the course of beyond design-basis accidents. Hydrogen monitoring is not the primary means of indicating a significant abnormal degradation of the reactor coolant pressure boundary. Section 4 of Attachment 2 to SECY-00-0198, Status Report on Study of Risk-Informed Changes to the Technical Requirements of 10 CFR Part 50 (Option 3) and Recommendations on Risk-Informed Changes to 10 CFR 50.44 (Combustible Gas Control), found that the hydrogen monitors were not risk-significant. Therefore, the staff finds that hydrogen monitoring equipment requirements no longer meet any of the four criteria in 10 CFR 50.36(c)(2)(ii) for retention in TS and, therefore, may be relocated to other licensee-controlled documents. However, because the monitors are required to diagnose the course of beyond design-basis accidents, each licensee should verify that it has, and make a regulatory commitment to maintain, a hydrogen monitoring system capable of diagnosing beyond design-basis accidents.
The elimination of Post-Accident Sampling System requirements from some plant-specific TSs (and associated CLIIP notices) indicated that during the early phases of an accident, safety-grade hydrogen monitors provide an adequate capability for monitoring containment hydrogen concentration. The staff has subsequently concluded that Category 3 hydrogen monitors also provide an adequate capability for monitoring containment hydrogen concentration during the early phases of an accident.
3.3 Oxygen Monitoring Equipment (for applicable plants)
STS and plant-specific TSs currently require oxygen monitoring to verify the status of the inert containment. Combustible gases produced by beyond design-basis accidents involving both fuel-cladding oxidation and core-concrete interaction would be risk-significant for plants with Mark I and II containments if not for the inerted containment atmospheres. If an inerted containment was to become de-inerted during a beyond design-basis accident, then other severe accident management strategies, such as purging and venting, would need to be considered. The oxygen monitors are needed to implement these severe accident management strategies. Oxygen concentration also appears extensively in the emergency procedure guidelines/severe accident guidelines of plants with inerted containment atmospheres.
With the elimination of the design-basis LOCA hydrogen release, the oxygen monitors are no longer required to mitigate design-basis accidents and, therefore, the oxygen monitors do not meet the definition of a safety-related component as defined in 10 CFR 50.2. RG 1.97 recommends that, for inerted containment plants, the oxygen monitors be Category 1 which is intended for key variables that most directly indicate the accomplishment of a safety function for design-basis accident events. As part of the rulemaking to revise 10 CFR 50.44, the
Commission found that Category 21, as defined in RG 1.97, is an appropriate categorization for the oxygen monitors, because the monitors are required to verify the status of the inert containment. Oxygen monitoring is not the primary means of indicating a significant abnormal degradation of the reactor coolant pressure boundary. Oxygen monitors have not been shown by a probabilistic risk assessment to be risk-significant. Therefore, the staff finds that oxygen monitoring equipment requirements no longer meet any of the four criteria in 10 CFR 50.36(c)(2)(ii) for retention in TSs and, therefore, may be relocated to other licensee-controlled documents.
However, for plant designs with an inerted containment, each licensee should verify that it has, and make a regulatory commitment to maintain, an oxygen monitoring system capable of verifying the status of the inert containment. In addition, separate requirements for primary containment oxygen concentration will be retained in TSs for plant designs with an inerted containment. The basis for retention of this requirement in TSs is that it meets Criterion 2 of 10 CFR 50.36(c)(2)(ii) in that it is a process variable, design feature, or operating restriction that is an initial condition of a design basis accident or transient analysis that either assumes the failure of or presents a challenge to the integrity of a fission product barrier. This is based on the fact that calculations typically included in Chapter 6 of Updated Final Safety Analysis Reports assume that the primary containment is inerted, that is, oxygen concentration
< 4.0 volume percent, when a design basis LOCA occurs.
[The deletion of the requirements for the hydrogen recombiner and hydrogen and oxygen monitors resulted in numbering and formatting changes to other TS, which were otherwise unaffected by this proposed amendment. The NRC staff has confirmed that the related changes are appropriate and do not affect the technical requirements.]
4.0 VERIFICATIONS AND COMMITMENTS As requested by the staff in the notice of availability for this TS improvement, the licensee has addressed the following plant-specific verifications and commitments.
4.1 Each licensee should verify that it has, and make a regulatory commitment to maintain, a hydrogen monitoring system capable of diagnosing beyond design-basis accidents.
The licensee has verified that it has a hydrogen monitoring system capable of diagnosing beyond design-basis accidents. The licensee has committed to maintain the hydrogen monitors within its specified Technical Requirements Manual. The licensee has committed to implement this amendment within 120 days of issuance.
1 While discussing the designation of the oxygen monitors as Category 2, the NRC acknowledged in the final rule (68 FR 54123) that the monitors need not be qualified in accordance with 10 CFR 50.49. The amended rule implements performance-based requirements for hydrogen and oxygen monitors to be functional, reliable, and capable of continuously measuring the appropriate parameter in the beyond-design-basis accident environment.
4.2 For plant designs with an inerted containment, each licensee should verify that it has, and make a regulatory commitment to maintain, an oxygen monitoring system capable of verifying the status of the inert containment. (for applicable plants)
The licensee has verified that it has an oxygen monitoring system capable of verifying the status of the inert containment. The licensee has committed to maintain the oxygen monitors within its Technical Requirements Manual. The licensee has committed to implement this amendment within 120 days of issuance.
The NRC staff finds that reasonable controls for the implementation and for subsequent evaluation of proposed changes pertaining to the above regulatory commitments are provided by the licensees administrative processes, including its commitment management program.
Should the licensee choose to incorporate a regulatory commitment into the emergency plan, final safety analysis report, or other document with established regulatory controls, the associated regulations would define the appropriate change-control and reporting requirements.
The staff has determined that the commitments do not warrant the creation of regulatory requirements which would require prior NRC approval of subsequent changes. The NRC staff has agreed that NEI 99-04, Revision 0, Guidelines for Managing NRC Commitment Changes, provides reasonable guidance for the control of regulatory commitments made to the NRC staff.
(See Regulatory Issue Summary 2000-17, "Managing Regulatory Commitments Made by Power Reactor Licensees to the NRC Staff," dated September 21, 2000.) The commitments should be controlled in accordance with the industry guidance or comparable criteria employed by a specific licensee. The staff may choose to verify the implementation and maintenance of these commitments in a future inspection or audit.
5.0 STATE CONSULTATION
In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the Illinois State official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendments. The State official had no comments.
6.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
The amendments change a requirement with respect to the installation or use of a facility component located within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20. The NRC staff has determined that the amendments involve no significant increase in the amounts, and no significant change in the types, of any effluents that may be released offsite, and that there is no significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure. The Commission has previously issued a proposed finding that the amendments involve no significant hazards consideration, and there has been no public comment on such finding (70 FR 5243). Accordingly, the amendments meet the eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared in connection with the issuance of the amendments.
7.0 CONCLUSION
The Commission has concluded, based on the considerations discussed above, that: (1) there is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by operation in the proposed manner, (2) such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations, and (3) the issuance of the amendments will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.
Principal Contributor: S. Sands, NRR Date: April 22, 2005