ML20012C474
| ML20012C474 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | South Texas  |
| Issue date: | 03/14/1990 |
| From: | Holahan G Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | HOUSTON LIGHTING & POWER CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20012C475 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9003220007 | |
| Download: ML20012C474 (3) | |
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sf, 7590-01 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION i
In the Matter of HOUSTON LIGHTING & POWER Docket No. 50-498
--(South Texas Project, Unit 1)
EXEMPTION 1.
The Houston Lighting & Power Company, et al. (the licensee) is the holder of Facility Operating License No. NPF-76, which authorizes operation of the South Texas. Project. Unit 1 (STP-1) at a steady-state power level'not in excess of 3800 megawatts thermal. The facility is a pressurized water reactor located at the licensee's site in Matagorda County, Texas. The license
-provides, among other things, that it is subject-to all rules, regulations, and orders of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) now or-hereafter in effect.
II.
Section III.D.3 of Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50, states that " Type C. tests
-shall be performed during each reactor shutdown for refueling but in no case
- r - at intervals greater than 2 years."
III.
[
By letter dated January 30, 1990, the licensee requested a one-time o8
- C' exemption from the requirements of Section III.D.3 of Appendix 0, as these Nu requirements apply to conducting Type C tests on containment isolation valves
_ff each refueling outage. The acceptability of the one-time exemption request is occ Q
addressed below.
, IV.
The licensee's request for a one-time exemption from the requirements of Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50 Section III.D.3 is based on the brief time interval (six mcnths) between completion of the STP-1 first refueling outage in October 1989 and the second refueling outage scheduled for April 1990.
Because of this short time between the first and second refueling outages, and the demonstration of containtent leakage integrity provided by the recent successful Type C tests, the licensee states that appropriate special circumstances as specified in 10 CFR 50.12 exist for relief from the burden of performing Type C tests at the second refueling cutage.
The purpose of the rule regarding the Type C testing is to ensure that kakage through ccntainment does not exceed allowable limits by testing at intervals oct to. exceed two years. Testing at intervals of up to two years for Type C tests is consistent with the intent of the rule. The success of the recent tests at South Texas and the fact that an exemption would allow the tests to be conducted at the end of 18 months (which is within the two year interval specified in the regulation) is an acceptable basis for deferring the Type C tests from the second to the third refueling outage. Thus, t!.e application of the regulation in this particular circumstance is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50.
V.
Based on the above, we conclude that granting a cne-time exemption from the 10 CFR Appendix J,Section III.D.3, Type C test frequency will not adversely affect containment integrity. Therefore, the licensee's request is granted.
Accordingly, the Comission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12(a), the one-time exemption requested by the licensee's letter dated January 30, 1990, as discussed above, (1) is authorized by law and will not endanger life or property or the comon defense and security, and is-otherwise inthepublicinterestand(2)pursuantto50.12(a)(2)(ii),specialcircumstances are present for this one-time exemption in that application of the regulation in this particular circumstance is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50.
The requested one-time exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J, Section III.D.3 involving the containment leak rate Type C test frequency is hereby granted.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Comission has determined that the granting ofthisexemptionwillhavenosignificantimpactontheenvironment(March 14, 1990,55FR9518).
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day of March 1990.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION N
Gary-M. Holahan, Acting Director Division of Reactor Projects - III, IV, V and Special Projects Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
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