ML090920421

Renewed Operating License for Unit 1 (NPF-068)

ML090920421
Person / Time
Site:	Vogtle
Issue date:	06/03/2009
From:	Leeds E Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Southern Nuclear Operating Co
Ashley, D J, NRR/DLR/RPB1, 415-3191
References
Download: ML090920421 (7)

Text

SOUTHERN NUCLEAR OPERATING COMPANY, INC.

GEORGIA POWER COMPANY OGLETHORPE POWER CORPORATION MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC AUTHORITY OF GEORGIA CITY OF DALTON, GEORGIA DOCKET NO. 50-424 VOGTLE ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT, UNIT 1 RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Renewed License No. NPF-68

1. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission or the NRC) has found that:

A. The application for renewal of the license filed by the Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. acting for itself, Georgia Power Company, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, and City of Dalton, Georgia (the Owners), 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; and all required notifications to other agencies or bodies have been duly made; B. Construction of the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Unit 1 (the facility) has been substantially completed in conformity with Construction Permit No. CPPR-108 and the application, as amended, the provisions of the of the Act and the regulations of the Commission; C. Actions have been identified and have been or will be taken with respect to (1) managing the effects of aging during the period of extended operation on the functionality of structures and components that have been identified to require review under 10 CFR 54.21(a)(1); and (2) time-limited aging analyses that have been identified to require review under 10 CFR 54.21(c), such that there is reasonable assurance that the activities authorized by the renewed operating license will continue to be conducted in accordance with the current licensing basis, as defined in 10 CFR 54.3, for the facility, and that any changes made to the facilitys current licensing basis in order to comply with 10 CFR 54.29(a) are in accordance with the Act and the Commissions regulations; D. The facility will operate in conformity with the application, as amended, the provisions of the Act, and the regulations of the Commission (except as exempted from compliance in Section 2.D below);

Renewed Operating License No. NPF-68

E. There is reasonable assurance: (i) that the activities authorized by this operating license 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 (except as exempted from compliance in Section 2.D. below);

F. Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.* (herein called Southern Nuclear) is technically qualified and, together, Southern Nuclear and the Owners are financially qualified to engage in the activities authorized by this license in accordance with the Commission's regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I; G. The Owners have satisfied the applicable provisions of 10 CFR Part 140, "Financial Protection Requirements and Indemnity Agreements," of the Commission's regulations; H. The issuance of this license will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public; I. After weighing the environmental, economic, technical, and other benefits of the facility against environmental and other costs and considering available alternatives, the issuance of this Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-68, subject to the conditions for protection of the environment set forth in the Environmental Protection Plan attached as Appendix B, is in accordance with 10 CFR Part 51 of the Commission's regulations and all applicable requirements have been satisfied; J. The receipt, possession, and use of source, byproduct and special nuclear material as authorized by this license will be in accordance with the Commission's regulations in 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, and 70.

2. Based on the foregoing findings and the Partial Initial Decision and the Concluding Partial Initial Decision issued by the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board on August 27 and December 23, 1986, respectively, regarding this facility and satisfaction of conditions therein imposed, and pursuant to approval by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at a meeting held on March 12, 1987, Facility Operating License No. NPF-61, issued on January 16, 1987, is superseded by Facility Operating License No. NPF-68, hereby issued to Southern Nuclear, Georgia Power Company (GPC), Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, and City of Dalton, Georgia (the licensees) to read as follows:

A. This license applies to the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Unit 1, a pressurized water reactor and associated equipment (the facility) owned by GPC, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, and City of Dalton, Georgia, and operated by Southern Nuclear. The facility is located in Burke Southern Nuclear succeeds Georgia Power Company as the operator of Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Unit 1. Southern Nuclear is authorized by the Owners to exercise exclusive responsibility and control over the physical construction, operation, and maintenance of the facility.

Renewed Operating License No. NPF-68

County, Georgia, on the west bank of the Savannah River approximately 25 miles south of Augusta, Georgia, and is described in the Final Safety Analysis Report, as supplemented and amended, and in the Environmental Report, as supplemented and amended; B. Subject to the conditions and requirements incorporated herein, the Commission hereby licenses:

(1) Southern Nuclear, pursuant to Section 103 of the Act and 10 CFR Part 50, to possess, manage, use, maintain, and operate the facility at the designated location in Burke County, Georgia, in accordance with the procedures and limitations set forth in this license; (2) Georgia Power Company, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, and City of Dalton, Georgia, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Part 50, to possess but not operate the facility at the designated location in Burke County, Georgia, in accordance with the procedures and limitations set forth in this license; (3) Southern Nuclear, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Part 70, to receive, possess, and use at any time special nuclear material as reactor fuel, in accordance with the limitations for storage and amounts required for reactor operation, as described in the Final Safety Analysis Report, as supplemented and amended; (4) Southern Nuclear, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, and 70 to receive, possess, and use at any time any byproduct, source and special nuclear material as sealed neutron sources for reactor startup, sealed sources for reactor instrumentation and radiation monitoring equipment calibration, and as fission detectors in amounts as required; (5) Southern Nuclear, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, and 70, to receive, possess, and use in amounts as required any byproduct, source or special nuclear material without restriction to chemical or physical form, for sample analysis or instrument calibration or associated with radioactive apparatus or components; (6) Southern Nuclear, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, and 70, to possess, but not separate, such byproduct and special nuclear materials as may be produced by the operation of the facility authorized herein.

C. This license shall be deemed to contain and is subject to the conditions specified in the Commission's regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I and is subject to all applicable provisions of the Act and to the rules, regulations, and orders of the Commission now or hereafter in effect, and is subject to the additional conditions specified or incorporated below.

Renewed Operating License No. NPF-68

(1) Maximum Power Level Southern Nuclear is authorized to operate the facility at reactor core power levels not in excess of 3625.6 megawatts thermal (100 percent power) in accordance with the conditions specified herein.

(2) Technical Specifications and Environmental Protection Plan The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A, as revised through Amendment No. 155 and the Environmental Protection Plan contained in Appendix B, both of which are attached hereto, are hereby incorporated into this license. Southern Nuclear shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications and the Environmental Protection Plan.

(3) Southern Nuclear Operating Company shall be capable of establishing containment hydrogen monitoring within 90 minutes of initiating safety injection following a loss of coolant accident.

(4) Deleted (5) Deleted (6) Deleted (7) Deleted (8) Deleted (9) Deleted (10) Mitigation Strategy License Condition The licensee shall develop and maintain strategies for addressing large fires and explosions and that include the following key areas:

(a) Fire fighting response strategy with the following elements:

1. Pre-defined coordinated fire response strategy and guidance

2. Assessment of mutual aid fire fighting assets

3. Designated staging areas for equipment and materials

4. Command and control

5. Training of response personnel (b) Operations to mitigate fuel damage considering the following:

1. Protection and use of personnel assets

2. Communications

3. Minimizing fire spread

4. Procedures for implementing integrated fire response strategy

5. Identification of readily-available pre-staged equipment

6. Training on integrated fire response strategy Renewed Operating License No. NPF-68

7. Spent fuel pool mitigation measures (c) Actions to minimize release to include consideration of:

1. Water spray scrubbing

2. Dose to onsite responders (11) Additional Conditions The Additional Conditions contained in Appendix D, as revised through Amendment No. 154, are hereby incorporated into this license. Southern Nuclear shall operate the facility in accordance with the Additional Conditions.

D. The facility requires exemptions from certain requirements of 10 CFR Part 50 and 10 CFR Part 70. These include (a) an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 70.24 for two criticality monitors around the fuel storage area, and (b) an exemption from the requirements of Paragraph III.D.2(b)(ii) of Appendix J of 10 CFR 50, the testing of containment air locks at times when containment integrity is not required.

The special circumstances regarding exemption b are identified in Section 6.2.6 of SSER 5.

An exemption was previously granted pursuant to 10 CFR 70.24. The exemption was granted with NRC materials license No. SNM-1967, issued August 21, 1986, and relieved GPC from the requirement of having a criticality alarm system. GPC and Southern Nuclear are hereby exempted from the criticality alarm system provision of 10 CFR 70.24 so far as this section applies to the storage of fuel assemblies held under this license.

These exemptions are authorized by law, will not present an undue risk to the public health and safety, and are consistent with the common defense and security. The exemptions in item b and c above are granted pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12. With these exemptions, the facility will operate, to the extent authorized herein, in conformity with the application, as amended, the provisions of the Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission.

E. Southern Nuclear shall fully implement and maintain in effect all provisions of the Commission-approved physical security, training and qualification, and safeguards contingency plans including amendments made pursuant to provisions of the Miscellaneous Amendments and Search Requirements revisions to 10 CFR 73.55 (51 FR 27817 and 27822) and to the authority of 10 CFR 50.90 and 10 CFR 50.54(p).

The plan, which contains Safeguards Information protected under 10 CFR 73.21, is entitled: Southern Nuclear Operating Company Security Plan, Training and Qualification Plan, and Safeguards Contingency Plan, with revisions submitted through May 15, 2006.

F. GPC shall comply with the antitrust conditions delineated in Appendix C to this license.

Renewed Operating License No. NPF-68

G. Southern Nuclear shall implement and maintain in effect all provisions of the approved fire protection program as described in the Final Safety Analysis Report for the facility, and submittals dated July 2, August 4 and 13, October 10 and 24, November 5, and December 19, 1986, and January 2, 1987, as approved in the SER (NUREG-1137) through Supplement 5 subject to the following provision:

Southern Nuclear may make changes to the approved fire protection program without prior approval of the Commission, only if those changes would not adversely affect the ability to achieve and maintain safe shutdown in the event of a fire.

H. Deleted.

I. The Owners shall have and maintain financial protection of such type and in such amounts as the Commission shall require in accordance with Section 170 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, to cover public liability claims.

J. The Updated Safety Analysis Report supplement, as revised, submitted pursuant to 10 CFR 54.21(d), shall be included in the next scheduled update to the Updated Safety Analysis Report required by 10 CFR 50.71(e)(4) following the issuance of this renewed operating license. Until that update is complete, Southern Nuclear may make changes to the programs and activities described in the supplement without prior Commission approval, provided that Southern Nuclear evaluates such changes pursuant to the criteria set forth in 10 CFR 50.59 and otherwise complies with the requirements in that section.

K. The Updated Safety Analysis Report supplement, as revised, submitted pursuant to 10 CFR 54.21(d), describes certain future activities to be completed prior to the period of extended operation. Southern Nuclear shall complete these activities no later than January 16, 2027, and shall notify the NRC in writing when implementation of these activities is complete and can be verified by NRC inspection.

L. All capsules in the reactor vessel that are removed and tested must meet the test procedures and reporting requirements of American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E 185-82 to the extent practicable for the configuration of the specimens in the capsule. Any changes to the capsule withdrawal schedule, including spare capsules, must be approved by the NRC prior to implementation. All capsules placed in storage must be maintained for future insertion. Any changes to storage requirements must be approved by the NRC, as required by 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix H.

Renewed Operating License No. NPF-68

M. This license is effective as of the date of issuance and shall expire at midnight on January 16, 2047.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

\RA\

Eric J. Leeds, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosures:

1. Attachment 1 - DELETED

2. Appendix A - Technical Specifications

3. Appendix B - Environmental Protection Plan

4. Appendix C - Antitrust Conditions

5. Appendix D- Additional Conditions Date of Issuance: June 3, 2009 Renewed Operating License No. NPF-68