ML17303B197

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AP1000 Renewal Exemption Request - Staff Response Letter
ML17303B197
Person / Time
Site: 05200006
Issue date: 02/14/2018
From: Frank Akstulewicz
NRC/NRO/DNRL
To: Easterling R
Westinghouse
habib don/ 415-1035
Shared Package
ML17265A099 List:
References
Download: ML17303B197 (6)


Text

February 14, 2018 Mr. Rick Easterling, Vice President Technical Services and Licensing Westinghouse Electric Company Nuclear Power Plants 1000 Westinghouse Drive Cranberry Township, PA 16066

SUBJECT:

AP1000 REACTOR DESIGN CERTIFICATIONGRANTING IN PART AND DENIAL IN PART OF REQUEST FOR EXEMPTIONS RELATED TO THE DURATION OF THE AP1000 DESIGN CERTIFICATION

Dear Mr. Easterling:

By letter dated December 2, 2016, Westinghouse Electric Company (Westinghouse) requested three exemptions relating to renewal of the AP1000 Design Certification (DC), which will expire on February 27, 2021, under current regulations. The requested exemptions would extend the period for which the AP1000 DC is able to be referenced by a combined license (COL) applicant from 15 to 20 years, resulting in a new expiration date of February 27, 2026. The proposed exemptions would also defer by 5 years the time period during which Westinghouse could submit and the staff could accept Westinghouses renewal application. Under the requested exemption, this time period would occur between February 27, 2023, and February 27, 2025.

The purpose of this letter is to provide the results of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staffs review of these exemption requests. An enclosure to this letter presents a summary of the staffs review.

The staff is granting to Westinghouse an exemption from Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 52.57(a) to defer by 5 years the time period during which Westinghouse could submit and the staff could accept Westinghouses renewal application for the AP1000 DC.

The regulations in 10 CFR 50.12, Specific exemptions, state that the Commission will only consider granting an exemption in cases when special circumstances are present. The Westinghouse request asserted that special circumstances allowed in 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii) and (iii) are present. The staffs review concluded that special circumstances set forth in 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii) are present in this instance in that . . . application of the regulation in the particular circumstances would not serve the underlying purpose of the rule or is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the rule. Therefore, the Commission may grant this exemption.

As described in the enclosure, the staff is denying the exemption requests from 10 CFR 52.55(a) and 10 CFR Part 52, Appendix D, Part VII, Duration of this Appendix, that would have generically extended the period during which the current AP1000 DC could be referenced by future COL applicants. The 15-year duration of a DC established by 10 CFR 52.55(a) and 10 CFR Part 52, Appendix D, Part VII, address when a COL applicant

R. Easterling may reference the AP1000 design. These regulations pertain to future COL applicants ability to reference the AP1000 design certified by NRC rulemaking, and exemptions from them require consideration of the particular special circumstances of the interested person (i.e., the COL applicant), pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR 50.12(a). Special circumstances related to the ability to reference the DC do not pertain to Westinghouse, as it is not a prospective COL applicant. Such exemptions would need to be requested by and granted to a specific COL applicant based on a demonstration of its particular special circumstances.

If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Donald Habib of my staff at 301-415-1035.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Francis M. Akstulewicz, Director Division of New Reactor Licensing Office of New Reactors Docket No.52-006

Enclosure:

Staff Evaluation Westinghouse Request for Exemptions Related to the Duration of the AP1000 Design Certification cc: See next page

ML17265A099 - Package *via email NRO-002 OFFICE PM:NRO/DNRL/LB4 LA: NRO/DNRL/LB4* BC: NRO/DNRL/LB4 OGC*

NAME DHabib RButler JDixon-Herrity KRoach DATE 1/18/18 1/18/18 1/19/18 1/25/18 OFFICE D:NRO/DNRL NAME FAkstulewicz DATE 2/14/18 DCWG - AP1000 Mailing List (Revised 12/20/2017) cc:

Paul M. Bessette Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004 Mr. Barton Z. Cowan, Esquire Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC 600 Grant Street, 44th Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Mr. Eugene S. Grecheck Vice President Nuclear Support Services Dominion Energy, Inc.

5000 Dominion Blvd.

Glen Allen, VA 23060 Page 1 of 3

DCWG - AP1000 Mailing List Email pshastings@generationmpower,com (Peter Hastings) agaughtm@southernco.com (Amy Aughtman) amonroe@scana.com (Amy Monroe)

APH@NEI.org (Adrian Heymer) awc@nei.org (Anne W. Cottingham) benjamja@westinghouse.com Bill.Jacobs@gdsassociates.com (Bill Jacobs) collinlj@westinghouse.com (Leslie Collins)

CumminWE@Westinghouse.com (Edward W. Cummins) cwaltman@roe.com (C. Waltman) david.hinds@ge.com (David Hinds) david.lewis@pillsburylaw.com (David Lewis) easterr@westinghouse.com (Rick Easterling) ecullington@earthlink.net (E. Cullington) eddie.grant@excelservices.com (Eddie Grant) erg-xl@cox.net (Eddie R. Grant) fbelser@regstaff.sc.gov George.Madden@fpl.com (George Madden)

George_Stramback@Charter.net (George Stramback) james1.beard@ge.com (James Beard) jannina.blanco@pillsburylaw.com (Jannina Blanco) jerald.head@ge.com (Jerald G. Head) jflitter@regstaff.sc.gov jim@ncwarn.org (Jim Warren) john.elnitsky@pgnmail.com (John Elnitsky)

Joseph_Hegner@dom.com (Joseph Hegner) jrappe@nuscalepower.com (Jodi Rappe) kinneyrw@dhec.sc.gov (Ronald Kinney)

KSutton@morganlewis.com (Kathryn M. Sutton) kuylerr@westinghouse.com (Ray Kuyler) kwaugh@impact-net.org (Kenneth O. Waugh) lchandler@morganlewis.com (Lawrence J. Chandler) maurerbf@westinghouse.com (Brad Maurer) media@nei.org (Scott Peterson)

MSF@nei.org (Marvin Fertel) nirsnet@nirs.org (Michael Mariotte) nscjiangguang@sina.com (Jiang Guang)

Nuclaw@mindspring.com (Robert Temple) patriciaL.campbell@ge.com (Patricia L. Campbell) paul.gaukler@pillsburylaw.com (Paul Gaukler)

Paul.Jacobs@fpl.com (Paul Jacobs)

Paul@beyondnuclear.org (Paul Gunter) pbessette@morganlewis.com (Paul Bessette)

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DCWG - AP1000 Mailing List Raymond.Burski@fpl.com (Raymond Burski)

Rebecca.Smith-Kevern@nuclear.energy.gov (Rebecca Smith-Kevern) rgrumbir@gmail.com (Richard Grumbir)

Richard.Orthen@fpl.com (Richard Orthen) ritterse@westinghouse.com (Stanley E. Ritterbusch)

RJB@NEI.org (Russell Bell) robert.kitchen@pgnmail.com (Robert H. Kitchen) rong-pan@263.net (Pan Rong) sabinski@suddenlink.net (Steve A. Bennett) sara@cleanenergy.org (Sara Barczak) shudson@regstaff.sc.gov (Shannon Hudson) sisk1rb@westinghouse.com (Rob Sisk) stephan.moen@ge.com (Stephan Moen) stephen.burdick@morganlewis.com (Stephen Burdick)

Steve.Franzone@fpl.com (Steve Franzone)

Tansel.Selekler@nuclear.energy.gov (Tansel Selekler) timothy.beville@nuclear.energy.gov (Timothy Beville) tomccall@southernco.com (Tom McCallum)

TomClements329@cs.com (Tom Clements) trsmith@winston.com (Tyson Smith)

Vanessa.quinn@dhs.gov (Vanessa Quinn) vijukrp@westinghouse.com (Ronald P. Vijuk) weave1dw@westinghouse.com (Doug Weaver) whorin@winston.com (W. Horin) x2gabeck@southernco.com (Gary Becker)

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