ML15230A444
| ML15230A444 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Watts Bar  |
| Issue date: | 08/24/2015 |
| From: | Dion J Watts Bar Special Projects Branch |
| To: | James Shea Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Jeannie Dion, 415-1349 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML15230A425 | List: |
| References | |
| TAC MF6609 | |
| Download: ML15230A444 (18) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 August 24, 2015 Mr. Joseph W. Shea Vice President, Nuclear Licensing Tennessee Valley Authority 1101 Market Street, LP 3R-C Chattanooga, TN 37 402-2801
SUBJECT:
WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 1 - INDIVIDUAL NOTICE OF CONSIDERATION OF ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR HEARING (TAC NO.
MF6609)
Dear Mr. Shea:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has forwarded the enclosed "Notice of Consideration of Issuance of Amendment to Facility Operating License and Opportunity for a Hearing," to the Office of the Federal Register for publication.
This notice relates to your license amendment request dated August 13, 2015. The proposed amendment would revise a current License Condition (Section 2.F) regarding the Fire Protection Program and propose a new License Condition (Section 2.1) regarding a fire protection requirement for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (WBN), Unit 1. Section 2.F is the license condition associated with fire protection and defines the basis for the NRC's approval of the Fire Protection Program that is applicable to the operation of WBN Unit 1. The proposed amendment would update the fire protection license condition, Section 2.F, to reflect dual-unit operation and the Fire Protection Program that would be in effect should WBN Unit 2 receive an operating license. Section 2.1 is a new License Condition associated with fire protection requirements to ensure the fire detection monitoring panel in the main control room meets the designated standards or is tested and found suitable for the specified purpose.
J. Shea If you have any questions, please contact me at 301-415-1349 or by email at Jeanne.Dion@nrc.gov.
Sincerely, C,:M~:
Watts Bar Special Projects Branch Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-390
Enclosure:
Notice of Consideration cc w/encl: Distribution via Listserv
ENCLOSURE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE
[7590-01-P]
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-390; NRC-20YY-XXXX]
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit No.1 Application and Amendment to Facility Operating License Involving Proposed No Significant Hazards Consideration Determination AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: License amendment request; opportunity to comment, request a hearing and petition for leave to intervene.
SUMMARY
- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of a license amend request for the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (WBN), Unit 1. The proposed amendment would revise a current License Condition (Section 2.F) regarding the Fire Protection Program and propose a new License Condition (Section 2.1) regarding a fire protection requirement for WBN Unit 1. The NRC proposes to determine that this request involve no significant hazards consideration.
DATES: Comments must be filed by [INSERT DATE- 30 DAYS FROM DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER]. A request for a hearing must be filed by
[INSERT DATE- 60 DAYS FROM DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods (unless this document describes a different method for submitting comments on a specific subject):
- Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID <INSERT: NRC-20YY-XXXX>. Address questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-3463; e-mail: Carol. Gallagher@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document.
- Mail comments to: Cindy Bladey, Office of Administration, Mail Stop: OWFN H08, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
For additional direction on obtaining information and submitting comments, see "Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments" in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeanne A. Dion, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
Telephone: 301-415-1349; e-mail: Jeanne.Dion@nrc.gov SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments A. Obtaining Information Please refer to Docket ID <INSERT: NRC-20YY-XXXX> when contacting the NRC about the availability of information for this action. You may obtain publicly-available information related to this action by any of the following methods:
- Federal rulemaking Web Site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for
Docket ID <INSERT: NRC-20YY-XXXX>.
- NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS):
You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select "ADAMS Public Documents" and then select "Begin Web-based ADAMS Search." For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The application for amendment, dated August 13, 2015, is available electronically under ADAMS Accession No. ML15225A344.
- NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC's PDR, Room 01-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
B. Submitting Comments.
Please include Docket ID <NRC-20YY-XXXX> in your comment submission.
The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact information that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your comment submission. The NRC will post all comment submissions at http://www.regulations.gov as well as enter the comment submissions into ADAMS. The NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove identifying or contact information.
If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove such information before making the comment submissions available to the public or entering the comment into
II. Introduction The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is considering issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License No. NFP-90, issued to Tennessee Valley Authority (the licensee), for operation of the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (WBN), Unit 1 located in Spring City, Tennessee.
The proposed amendment would revise a current License Condition (Section 2.F) regarding the Fire Protection Program and propose a new License Condition (Section 2.1) regarding a fire protection requirement for WBN Unit 1. Section 2.F is the license condition associated with fire protection and defines the basis for the NRC's approval of the Fire Protection Program that is applicable to the operation of WBN Unit 1. The proposed amendment would update the fire protection license condition, Section 2.F, to reflect dual-unit operation and the Fire Protection Program that would be in effect should WBN Unit 2 receive an operating license (OL). Section 2.1 is a new License Condition associated with fire protection requirements to ensure the fire detection monitoring panel in the main control room (MCR) meets the designated standards or is tested and found suitable for the specified purpose.
Before issuance of the proposed license amendment, the Commission will have made findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's regulations.
The Commission has made a proposed determination that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration. Under the Commission's regulations in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.92, this means that operation of the facility in accordance with the proposed amendment would not ( 1) involve a significant increase in the
probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated; or (2) create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated; or (3) involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety. As required by 10 CFR 50.91 (a), the licensee has provided its analysis of the issue of no significant hazards consideration, which is presented below:
- 1. Does the proposed change involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated?
Response: No.
The overall effect of the licensing of WBN Unit 2, on the safe operation of WBN Unit 1, is being assessed by the reviews the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) documents in Supplemental Safety Evaluation Reports (SSERs). This proposed change is limited in scope and will align the Ols for WBN Unit 1 and WBN Unit 2, so that the Fire Protection Program may be managed by a common document, the WBN Unit 1/Unit 2 Fire Protection Report (FPR). Because this proposed change is administrative in nature, no accident analysis conclusions made in the WBN Unit 1 UFSAR [Updated Final Safety Analysis Report] are affected. The proposed change revised the WBN Fire Hazards Analysis (FHA) but did not result in any adverse effects or any adverse effects on any component required for a fire safe shutdown.
Therefore, the proposed change does not involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated.
The proposed change adds a requirement to ensure the fire detection monitoring panel in the MCR meets appropriate design standards or is tested and found suitable while not effecting any plant structures, systems, or components (SSCs). The change does not affect plant operations, any design function or an analysis that verifies the capability of an SSC to perform a design function. Because no plant equipment or method of evaluation are affected by this change, the proposed amendment does not change any of the previously evaluated accidents in the updated final safety analysis report (UFSAR).
No accident analysis conclusions made in the WBN Unit 1 UFSAR are affected. The proposed change does not revise or affect the Fire Hazards Analysis (FHA) or any component required for a fire safe shutdown.
Therefore, the proposed change does not involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated.
- 2. Does the proposed change create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated?
Response: No.
The overall effect of the licensing of WBN Unit 2, on the safe operation of WBN Unit 1, is being assessed by the reviews the NRC documents in SSERs.
This proposed change is limited in scope and does not result in any adverse effects on the FHA or any component required for a fire safe shutdown. In addition, no accident analysis conclusions made in the WBN Unit 1 UFSAR are affected. Based on this, the proposed amendment will not alter the requirements or function for systems required during accident conditions.
Therefore, the proposed changes do not create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated.
The proposed change adds a requirement to ensure the fire detection monitoring panel in the MCR meets appropriate design standards or is tested and found suitable and does not change any design function, operation of an SSC, performance of testing or maintenance of an SSC. This proposed change is limited in scope and does not revise or affect the FHA or any component required for a fire safe shutdown. In addition, no accident analysis conclusions made in the WBN Unit 1 UFSAR are affected. Based on this, the proposed amendment will not alter the requirements or function for systems required during accident conditions.
Therefore, the proposed change does not create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated.
- 3. Does the proposed change involve a significant reduction in the margin of safety?
Response: No.
This proposed change is associated with the implementation of WBN's Fire Protection Program for two-unit operation as approved in NRC SSERs. Because the proposed amendment is administrative in nature (updates a condition of the WBN Unit 1 OL), implementation of the amendment will not affect the manner in which safety limits or limiting safety system settings are determined nor will there be any effect on those plant systems necessary to assure the accomplishment of protection functions.
Therefore, the proposed changes do not involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety.
This proposed change adds a requirement to ensure that the fire detection monitoring panel in the MCR either meets the appropriate designated
standards or has been tested and found suitable for the specified purpose.
Implementation of the amendment (the addition of a license condition to the WBN Unit 1 OL) will not affect the manner in which safety limits or limiting safety system settings are determined nor will there be any effect on those plant systems necessary to assure the accomplishment of protection functions.
Therefore, the proposed change does not involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's analysis and, based on this review, it appears that the three standards of 10 CFR 50.92(c) are satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff proposes to determine that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration.
The Commission is seeking public comments on this proposed determination. Any comments received within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice will be considered in making any final determination.
Normally, the Commission will not issue the amendment until the expiration of 60 days after the date of publication of this notice. The Commission may issue the license amendment before expiration of the 60-day period provided that its final determination is that the amendment involves no significant hazards consideration. In addition, the Commission may issue the amendment prior to the expiration of the 30-day comment period should circumstances change during the 30-day comment period such that failure to act in a timely way would result, for example, in derating or shutdown of the facility. Should the Commission take action prior to the expiration of either the comment period or the notice period, it will publish in the Federal Register a notice of issuance. Should the Commission make a final No Significant Hazards Consideration Determination, any hearing will take place after issuance. The Commission expects that the need to take this action will occur very infrequently.
Ill. Opportunity to Request a Hearing and Petition for Leave to Intervene Within 60 days after the date of publication of this notice, any person(s) whose interest may be affected by this action may file a request for a hearing and a petition to intervene with respect to issuance of the amendment to the subject facility operating license. Requests for a hearing and a petition for leave to intervene shall be filed in accordance with the Commission's "Rules of Practice for Domestic Licensing Proceedings" in 10 CFR Part 2. Interested person(s) should consult a current copy of 10 CFR 2.309, which is available at the NRC's PDR, located at 01 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland 20852. NRC regulations are accessible electronically from the NRC Library on the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/. If a request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene is filed by the above date, the Commission or a presiding officer designated by the Commission or by the Chief Administrative Judge of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, will rule on the request and/or petition; and the Secretary or the Chief Administrative Judge of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will issue a notice of a hearing or an appropriate order.
As required by 10 CFR 2.309, a petition for leave to intervene shall set forth with particularity the interest of the petitioner in the proceeding, and how that interest may be affected by the results of the proceeding. The petition should specifically explain the reasons why intervention should be permitted with particular reference to the following general requirements: (1) the name, address and telephone number of the requester or petitioner; (2) the nature of the requester's/petitioner's right under the Act to be made a party to the proceeding; (3) the nature and extent of the requester's/petitioner's property, financial, or other interest in the proceeding; and (4) the possible effect of any decision or order which may be
entered in the proceeding on the requester's/petitioner's interest. The petition must also identify the specific contentions which the requester/petitioner seeks to have litigated at the proceeding.
Each contention must consist of a specific statement of the issue of law or fact to be raised or controverted. In addition, the requester/petitioner shall provide a brief explanation of the bases for the contention and a concise statement of the alleged facts or expert opinion which support the contention and on which the petitioner intends to rely in proving the contention at the hearing. The requester/petitioner must also provide references to those specific sources and documents of which the petitioner is aware and on which the petitioner intends to rely to establish those facts or expert opinion. The petition must include sufficient information to show that a genuine dispute exists with the applicant on a material issue of law or fact. Contentions shall be limited to matters within the scope of the amendment under consideration. The contention must be one which, if proven, would entitle the petitioner to relief.
A requester/petitioner who fails to satisfy these requirements with respect to at least one contention will not be permitted to participate as a party.
Those permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding, subject to any limitations in the order granting leave to intervene, and have the opportunity to participate fully in the conduct of the hearing.
If a hearing is requested, the Commission will make a final determination on the issue of no significant hazards consideration. The final determination will serve to decide when the hearing is held. If the final determination is that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration, the Commission may issue the amendment and make it immediately effective, notwithstanding the request for a hearing. Any hearing held would take place after issuance of the amendment. If the final determination is that the amendment request involves a
significant hazards consideration, then any hearing held would take place before the issuance of any amendment.
IV. Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)
All documents filed in NRC adjudicatory proceedings, including a request for hearing, a petition for leave to intervene, any motion or other document filed in the proceeding prior to the submission of a request for hearing or petition to intervene, and documents filed by interested governmental entities participating under 10 CFR 2.31 S(c), must be filed in accordance with the NRC E-Filing rule (72 FR 49139, August 28, 2007). The E-Filing process requires participants to submit and serve all adjudicatory documents over the internet, or in some cases to mail copies on electronic storage media. Participants may not submit paper copies of their filings unless they seek an exemption in accordance with the procedures described below.
To comply with the procedural requirements of E-Filing, at least ten (10) days prior to the filing deadline, the participant should contact the Office of the Secretary by e-mail at hearing.docket@nrc.gov, or by telephone at 301-415-1677, to request (1) a digital identification (ID) certificate, which allows the participant (or its counsel or representative) to digitally sign documents and access the E-Submittal server for any proceeding in which it is participating; and (2) advise the Secretary that the participant will be submitting a request or petition for hearing (even in instances in which the participant, or its counsel or representative, already holds an NRC-issued digital ID certificate). Based upon this information, the Secretary will establish an electronic docket for the hearing in this proceeding if the Secretary has not already established an electronic docket.
Information about applying for a digital ID certificate is available on the NRC's public Web site at http://www. nrc. gov/site-help/e-submittalslgetting-started. html. System requirements
for accessing the E-Submittal server are detailed in the NRC's "Guidance for Electronic Submission," which is available on the NRC's public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html. Participants may attempt to use other software not listed on the Web site, but should note that the NRC's E-Filing system does not support unlisted software, and the NRC Meta System Help Desk will not be able to offer assistance in using unlisted software.
If a participant is electronically submitting a document to the NRC in accordance with the E-Filing rule, the participant must file the document using the NRC's online, Web-based submission form. In order to serve documents through the Electronic Information Exchange System, users will be required to install a Web browser plug-in from the NRC's Web site.
Further information on the Web-based submission form, including the installation of the Web browser plug-in, is available on the NRC's public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html.
Once a participant has obtained a digital ID certificate and a docket has been created, the participant can then submit a request for hearing or petition for leave to intervene.
Submissions should be in Portable Document Format (PDF) in accordance with NRC guidance available on the NRC's public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html. A filing is considered complete at the time the documents are submitted through the NRC's E-Filing system. To be timely, an electronic filing must be submitted to the E-Filing system no later than 11 :59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date. Upon receipt of a transmission, the E-Filing system time-stamps the document and sends the submitter an e-mail notice confirming receipt of the document. The E-Filing system also distributes an e-mail notice that provides access to the document to the NRC's Office of the General Counsel and any others who have advised the Office of the Secretary that they wish to participate in the proceeding, so that the filer need not serve the documents on those participants separately. Therefore, applicants and
other participants (or their counsel or representative) must apply for and receive a digital ID certificate before a hearing request/petition to intervene is filed so that they can obtain access to the document via the E-Filing system.
A person filing electronically using the NRC's adjudicatory E-Filing system may seek assistance by contacting the NRC Meta System Help Desk through the "Contact Us" link located on the NRC's public Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html, by e-mail to MSHD.Resource@nrc.gov, or by a toll-free call to 1-866-672-7640. The NRC Meta System Help Desk is available between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, excluding government holidays.
Participants who believe that they have a good cause for not submitting documents electronically must file an exemption request, in accordance with 10 CFR 2.302(g), with their initial paper filing requesting authorization to continue to submit documents in paper format.
Such filings must be submitted by: (1) first class mail addressed to the Office of the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff; or (2) courier, express mail, or expedited delivery service to the Office of the Secretary, Sixteenth Floor, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff.
Participants filing a document in this manner are responsible for serving the document on all other participants. Filing is considered complete by first-class mail as of the time of deposit in the mail, or by courier, express mail, or expedited delivery service upon depositing the document with the provider of the service. A presiding officer, having granted an exemption request from using E-Filing, may require a participant or party to use E-Filing if the presiding officer subsequently determines that the reason for granting the exemption from use of E-Filing no longer exists.
Documents submitted in adjudicatory proceedings will appear in NRC's electronic hearing docket which is available to the public athttp://ehd1.nrc.gov/ehd/, unless excluded pursuant to an order of the Commission, or the presiding officer. Participants are requested not to include personal privacy information, such as social security numbers, home addresses, or home phone numbers in their filings, unless an NRC regulation or other law requires submission of such information. However, a request to intervene will require including information on local residence in order to demonstrate a proximity assertion of interest in the proceeding. With respect to copyrighted works, except for limited excerpts that serve the purpose of the adjudicatory filings and would constitute a Fair Use application, participants are requested not to include copyrighted materials in their submission.
Petitions for leave to intervene must be filed no later than 60 days from (INSERT DATE OF PUBLICATION IN FEDERAL REGISTER]. Requests for hearing, petitions for leave to intervene, and motions for leave to file new or amended contentions that are filed after the 60-day deadline will not be entertained absent a determination by the presiding officer that the filing demonstrates good cause by satisfying the following three factors in 10 CFR 2.309(c)(1 ): (i) the information upon which the filing is based was not previously available; (ii) the information upon which the filing is based is materially different from information previously available; and (iii) the filing has been submitted in a timely fashion based on the availability of the subsequent information.
For further details with respect to this amendment request, see the application for amendment dated August 13, 2015, which is available for public inspection at the NRC's PDR, located at One White Flint North, Room 01-F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland 20852. Publicly available documents created or received at the NRC are accessible electronically through ADAMS in the NRC Library at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
If you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, contact the PDR's Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr.resource@nrc.gov.
Attorney for licensee: General Counsel, Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, 6A West Tower, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902 NRC Branch Chief: Jessie F. Quichocho Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 24th day of August 2015.
8eanne A Dion Project Manager, Watts Bar Special Projects Branch, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
J. Shea If you have any questions, please contact me at 301-415-1349 or by email at Jeanne.Dion@nrc.gov.
Sincerely, IRA/
Jeanne Dion, Project Manager Watts Bar Special Projects Branch Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-390
Enclosure:
Notice of Consideration cc w/encl: Distribution via Listserv DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC RidsNrrLABClayton Resource LPWB r/f RidsNrrPMWattsBar1 Resource RidsAcrsAcnw_MailCTR Resource RidsRgn2MailCenter Resource RidsNrrDorlDpr Resource RidsNrrPMWattsBar2 Resource RidsNrrDorllpwb Resource ADAMS Accession Nos.: LTR (NRR-106) ML15230A444 FRN (ADM-012) ML15230A464 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPWB/PM NRR/DORL/LPWB/LA NRR/DORL/LPWB/BC NRR/DORL/LPWB/PM NAME JDion BClayton JQuichocho JDion DATE 08/20/2015 08/21/2015 08/21/2015 08/24/2015 OFFICIAL AGENCY RECORD