ML17300A443

Application to Amend CPPR-143,Paragraph 3.A,extending Latest Completion Date from 861101 to 871231

ML17300A443
Person / Time
Site:	Palo Verde
Issue date:	09/08/1986
From:	Haynes J ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE CO. (FORMERLY ARIZONA NUCLEAR
To:
Shared Package
ML17300A442	List: ML17300A441 ML17300A443
References
TAC-62799, NUDOCS 8609120045
Download: ML17300A443 (12)

Text

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of )

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ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE ) Docket No. STN 50-530 COMPANY, et. al- )

) (Construction Permit (Palo Verde Nuclear ) No. CPPR-143)

Generating Station, Unit 3)

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REQUEST FOR EXTENSION OF THE LATEST COMPLETION DATE FOR CONSTRUCTION PERMIT NO. CPPR-143 Pursuant to 10 CFR Section 50.55(b) and 50.90, Arizona Public Service Company (APS), on its own behalf and on behalf of the other )oint owners of Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station (PVNGS) Unit 3, Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District, El Paso Electric Company, Southern California Edison Company, Public Service Company of New Mexico, and Southern California Edison Power Authority (hereinafter collectively referred to as "Joint Applicants" ) requests an amendment of Construction Permit No.

CPPR-143 (CPPR-143) extending the latest date for completion of construction of PVNGS Unit 3 from November 1, 1986, to December 31, 1987.

In support of this Request, APS states as follows:

l. On May 25, 1976, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued CPPR-143 authorizing the construction of PVNGS Unit 3.

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Paragraph 3.A. of such permit specified the latest date for completion of Unit 3 to be November 1, 1986.

2. It now appears that Unit 3 will not be ready for fuel loading by November 1, 1986, even though APS is making every effort to complete such Unit as expeditiously as possible in a manner consistent with APS'edication to design and construct a safe and reliable unit which meets the commitments made in the PVNGS Final Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) and the requirements of the NRC. The delay in completion of Palo Verde Unit 3 beyond November 1, 1986, is due to the following factors:

2.1 PVNGS Units 1, 2 and 3 have been constructed on a sequential schedule with planned minimum and maximum spacings between units of one and two years respectively. Because of this sequential schedule, delays encountered in the completion of Units 1 and 2 have impacted the construction schedule of Unit 3~

-2.2 Construction of Unit 3 is currently estimated to be about 99%

complete. The premperati.onal testing program for Unit 3 is currently in progress. It is expected that Unit 3 will be ready for fuel load toward the end of the first quarter of 1987.

2.3 Extension of the latest date for completion of Unit 3 to December 31, 1987, is requested in order to obviate the need for further amendments of CPPR-143 if there should be any slippage in the expected Unit 3 fuel load date due to unforeseen circumstances.

3. The extension of the latest completion date of Unit 3 will not result in a significant environmental impact.

3.1 The environmental impacts associated with the construction of Unit 3 were evaluated by NRC staff's Final Environmental Statement (FES) issued in September, 1975 (NUREG-75/078) and Final Supplement to the FES (FES Supplement) issued in February, 1976 (NUREG-0036) for the PVNGS construction permit stage.

3.2 Since the proposed amendment involves extending the construction permit, there are no radiological impacts associated with such action. Impacts, if any, are nonmadiological in character.

3.3 Since the c'onstructio'n'f Units 1 and 2 and all common facilities serving Units 1, 2 and 3 has been completed and the construction of Unit 3 is almost complete, virtually all of the construction impacts associated with the construction of PVNGS discussed in the FES and FES Supplement have already occurred.

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3.4 The preoperational testing (and other work incidental thereto) which remains to be done for Unit 3 will take place within the facility and will not result in impacts to previously undisturbed areas.

3.5 There are no new environmental impacts associated with the requested extension- The extension would, however, involve a continuation for a limited period of time of some community and traffic impacts and use of additional groundwater for construction purposes. Such impacts were previously evaluated in the FES and FES Supplement.

3.6 The total number of workers currently engaged in Unit 3 work is about 1450; in contrast, the peak PVNGS work force was about 8700'workers. The impacts on the community and traffic from the continued employment of the current Unit 3 work force during the extension period will not differ from those previously evaluated and will not be significant since the size of the remaining work force is less than the peak PVNGS work force for which the community has already made satisfactory adjustments.

3.7 Groundwater withdrawals associated with the remaining work on Unit 3 throughout the 14~onth extension period is expected to be less than 493 acre-feet. Such withdrawals are less than would be required if Unit 3 were operated during the extension period and less than 10X of the amount of annual

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groundwater withdrawals permissible under the Type I Non-Irrigation Permit issued for PVNGS by the Arizona Department of Water Resources pursuant to the Arizona Groundwater Management Code (Arizona Revised Statutes,45-401

~et ee .). The withdrawal of 493 acre-feet during the extension period is not expected to have a significant impact upon the level of the groundwater table.

3e8 Based upon the foregoing, the requested extension of CPPR-143 will not have a significant environmental impact, will not involve any different impacts than those previously evaluated nor involve a significant change in such impacts.

4. The alternatives to granting the requested extensi.on of constructs.on CPPR-143 are (i) the denial of any extension or (ii) the grant of an extension for a period of time shorter than requested.

H 4.1 The denial of any extension would prevent the 'completion and force the abandonment of Unit 3. The consequences of such action would be severe economic losses to the )oint applicants and their respective investors and customers. It would also result in the loss of substantial generating capability which would have to be replaced ultimately by construction of other generating facilities which would entail significant unreviewed environmental impacts.

4.2 As previously stated, the extension of CPPR-143 to December 31, 1987, is requested to obviate the need for further amendments of CPPR-143 in the event unforeseen circumstances result in a delay of the readiness of Unit 3 for fuel load beyond the first quarter of 1987, as currently planned. The provision of some allowance for unforeseen circumstances is only prudent, and since an extension to December 31, 1987, will not result in significant environmental impacts, there is no rational basis for granting an extension for a shorter period.

5. Accordingly, the joint applicants request that paragraph 3.A.

CPPR-143 be amended to change the latest completion date of Unit 3 to December 31, 1987, and in connection therewith that a finding of no significant impact be made and published by the NRC staff in accordance with 10 CFR 51.32 to 51.35, inclusive.

Respectfully submitted, ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY Jerry G. 'nes Vice President, Nuclear Production On behalf of the Joint Applicants Dated: September 8, 1986

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STATE OF ARIZONA )

) san COUNTY OF MARICOPA)

I, Jerry G. Haynes, represent that I am Vice President, Nuclear Production of Arizona Nuclear Power Project, that the foregoing document has been signed by me on behalf of Arizona Public Service Company with full authority to do so, that I have read such document and know its contents, and that to the best of my knowledge and belief, the statements made therein are true and correct.

Jer y G. Hayn s Sworn to"before me this~. day of , 1986.

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Notary Public My,Commission Expires:

'My Commlsslon'Expires Apr0 6, 1957

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