ML20034B982

Exemption from Requirements of 10CFR50,App J,To Allow Facility to Discontinue Performance of Primary Reactor Containment Leakage Testing While in Defueled lay-up Condition

ML20034B982
Person / Time
Site:	Rancho Seco
Issue date:	04/26/1990
From:	Holahan G Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	SACRAMENTO MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT
Shared Package
ML20034B979	List: ML20034B978 ML20034B982
References
NUDOCS 9005010262
Download: ML20034B982 (3)

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION-In the Matter of-SACRAMENTO MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT Docket No.'STN 50-312 (RanchoSecoNuclearGenerating Station)

EXEMPTION t

1.

By letter dated October 20, 1989, the' Sacramento Municipal Utility District-(SMUD, the license) owner and operator of the Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating-Station, requested an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J due to the defueled condition of.the plant. Rancho.Seco is a pressurized water reactor located in Sacramento County California. Appendix J of 10 CFR Part 50 requires licensees of nuclear power reactors-to perform primary containment leakage testing.

II.

The requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J do not. allow-licensees to discontinue the performance of primary reactor containment leakage testing when contair.:nent integrity is not required due to plant condition. According to-the licensee's Technical Specifications, Section 3.6 and 3.8, containment integrity is not required when the reactor vessel is defueled and all the' fuel is removed from the reactor building and stored in the Spent Fuel Pool.

j The licensee ceased power operations at Rancho Seco on June 7, 1989, and completed defueling the reactor vessel on December 8, 1989, with all fuel stored

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in the. spent fuel pool. The request for-an exemption from performing primary reactor containment testing per 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J is based on the above punt conditions and-the licensee's intent to not resume power operations at Rancho Seco. This exemption shall continue in effect only so long as:the facility is maintained in its current condition and no fuel is placed in the reactor; it does not relieve the licensee from compliance with the test requirements of_10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J in the event of any future operation of Rancho Seco.

The proposed-exemption'does not affect the risk of facility accidents due to the defueled condition of the plant. With the reactor vessel defueled and all fuel stored in the spent fuel pool, there are no longer any creditable design basis accidents associated with the reactor building.

Requiring the performance

'I of containment leakage tests when containment integrity is not required does not serve the underlying purpose of the rule; however,-performance of the tests would result in undue hardship and cost.

For these reasons, the staff. finds that the requested exemption is acceptable.

III.

Accordingly, the Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12(a)(1), this exemption is authorized by law, will not present an undue risk to the public health and safety, and is consistent with the common defense and security. The Commission further determines that special circumstances, as provided in 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii), are present to justify the exemption. The

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I referenced special circumstances pertain to exemptions to regulations which do not alter the underlying purpose.of the regulations. Due to Rancho Seco's defueled condition, containment integrityfis not required. Therefore the-exemption cannot alter the underlying purpose of.the requirement to maintain containment leak tightness.

Accordingly, the Comission hereby grants an exemption as described in Section II above from compliance with the requirements of Appendix J, of-10 CFR

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Part 50. The licensee may discortinuo primary containment leakage testing' l

l while the facility is in a defueled condition.

Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission hes determined that the granting L

of this exemption will have no significant impact on the quality of the human environment March 5,1990,(55FR7796).

This exemption is effective upon issuance.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGul.ATORY COMMISSION W

Gary M. Holahan, Acting Director-l Division of Reactor Projects III, IV, Y and Special Projects Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Date at Rockville'prilMaryland this 26 day of A

, 1990.

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y' UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMM15510N i

SACRAMENTO MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT j

DOCKET NO. 50-312.

i ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT i

i AND-FINDING 0F NO~SIGNIFICANT IMPACT l

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'I The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission (the Comission) is ' con'idering s

1 issuance of an exemption from the requirements of-10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J totheSacramentoMunicipalUtilityDistrict(SMUD,:the' licensee)forthe-Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station located in Sacramento County, California.

ENVIRONMEt[TALASSESSMENT:

Identification of Proposed Action:

l The proposed action would grant an exemption from the requirements.to perform primary containment leakage testing per 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J.

By letter dated October 10, 1989, the licensee requested an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J.

l The Need for the Proposed Action:

The requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J do-not allow licensees to

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l discontinue the performance of primary reactor containment leakage testing when containment integrity is not required due to plant condition.- According to the licensee's Technical Specifications, containment integrity is not required when the reactor vessel is defueled and all the fuel is removed from the reactor building and stored in the Spent Fuel Pool.

The licensee ceased power operations at Rancho Seco on June 7, 1989 and-completed defueling the reactor vessel on December 8, 1989, with all fuel stored in the Spent Fuel Pool. The request for an exemption from performing primary reactor containment testing per 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J is based on

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2-t the above plant conditions and the licensee's intent to not resun power operations at Rancho Seco.

Environmental Irpact of the proposed Action:

The proposed exemption does not affect the risk of fac'ility accidents due to the defueled condition of the plant. With the reactor vessel defueled and all fuel stored in the Spent Fuel Pool, there are no longer any creditable design basis accidents associated with the reactor building. The post-accident radiological releases will'not differ from those determined previously, and the proposed exemption does not otherwise affect facility radiological effluents, or any significant occupational exposures. With regard to: potential non-radiological effluents, the proposed exemption does not affect plant non-radiological effluents and has no other adverse environmental impact.

Therefore, the Commission concludes there are no measurable radiological or

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non-radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed exemption.

Since the Commission has concluded there is no measurable environmental impact associated with the proposed exemption, any alternative either will have no environmental impact or will have a greater environmental impact. The principal alternative to the exemption would be to require the performance of the containment leakage tests.

Such action would not enhance the protection of the environment and would result in unnecessary-drain of licensee and Commission resources.

Alternative Use of Resources:

This action does not involve the use of resources not considered previously in the Final Environmental Statement for the Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station.

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'b Agencies and Persons Consulted:

The NRC staff reviewed the licensee's request and did not' consult other agencies or persons.

Finding of No Significant Impact:

The Comission has determined not' to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed exemption.

Based upon the environmental assessment, the NRC staff concludes ~that the proposed action will not have's significant effect on the quality of the human environment.

For details with respect to this action, see the licensee's submittal-i dated October 20, 1989, which is available for public inspection at the i

Comission's Public Document Room, Ge man Building 2129'l Street, N.W.,

I Washington, D.C. and at the local public document room for Rancho Seco at-the Martin Luther King Regional Library, 7430 24th Street Bypass, Sacramento, California 95813.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (j

I c.-

Harry Rood, Acting Director Project Directorate V-Division of Reactor Projects - III, IV, Y and Special Projects Office-of Nuclear Reactor Regulation j

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 26 day of February, 1990 i

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