ML20072R247
| ML20072R247 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Davis Besse  |
| Issue date: | 03/19/1991 |
| From: | Boger B Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | TOLEDO EDISON CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20072R250 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9103220352 | |
| Download: ML20072R247 (5) | |
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of
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TOLEDO EDISON COMPANY Docket No. 50-346 CENTERIOR SERVICE COMPANY AND CLEVELAND ELECTRIC ILLUMINATING COMPANY i
(Davis-'BesseNuclearPowerStation)
EXEMPTION I.
Toledo Edison Company (Toledo Edison), Centerior Service Company and
-ClevelandLlectricIlluminatingCompany(thelicensee)aretheholdersof Facility Operating License No. NPF-3 which authorizes operation of the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station (DBNPS).
The license provides, among other things, that the-licensees are subject to a11' rules, regulations, ard orders of the Comission now or hereafter in effect. The facility is a pressurized water reactor located on the licensecs' site located in Ottawa County, Ohio.
The revision to 10 CFR Part 55, " Operators' Licenses," which became effective on May 26, 1987, established requirements for the administration of operating tests on nuclear power plant simulators. These regulations, in conjunctionwith10CFR50.54(1-1), require facility licensees to use i
simulation facilities when administering operat hs tests for initial licensing and requalification. These regulations further require that a certified or
- NRC-approved simulation facility'must be used to administer operating tests af ter May 26,1991.
By letter dated November 5,1990, Toledo Edison requested an exemption from the schedular requirements for certification of a plant-referenceo simulator.
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The licensee intends to comply with 10 CFR 55.4Mb) by certifyin; e-plant-referenced simulttor. Section 55.45(b)(2)(iii) of 10 CFR Part 55 requires that facility licensees proposing to use a simulation facility consisting solely of a plant-referenced simulator submit Form NRC-474,
" Simulation facility Certification," no later than 46 months after the effective date of this rule, that is, by March 26, 1991. On November 5, 1990, Toledo Edison requested an exemption from this filing requirement to allow for the subuittal of form NRC-474 af ter March 26, 1991, but no later than Septenber 1,1991.
On September 5,1986, Toledo Edison's purchase order for a plant-referenced simulator was accepted by the simulator vendor.
It was expected
- that the simulator would be operational by December 1988. On July 13, 1988, Toledo Edison advised the NRC that the simulator installation would be delayed until December 31, 1989, because manpower was diverted from the simulator project to support operations during the 18-month-outage and restart effort following the June 9,1985, DBNPS Loss-of-Feedwater Event and the 1986 bargaining unit strite.
Following this notification, additional delays on the simulator occurred-due to problems the vendor encountered during sof tware development and integration. These delays resulted in the further I
postponement of the simulator installation until after the fifth refueling outage.
Toledo Edison decided to upgrade the simulator to reflect the fif th refueling outage modifications before making it available for training.
These modifications required both simulator hardware and software changes.
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3 These changes were necessary due to 93 plant modifications and the resulting modifications made to the DBNPS Control Room. They included extensive changes made to the Auxiliary feedwater System, the Steam and Feedwater Rupture Control System, Feed and Bleed Cooling, and resolutions of numerous human engineering deficiencies identified from the Detailed Control Room Design Review. This upgrade was planned to be complete-by December 1990 and the simulator was planned to be delivered by January 10,1991.
After reassembly and on-site _ testing, Toledo Edison plans to install selected sixth refueling outage upgrades before releasing _the simulator for training. The selected changes include the rearrangement of a major percentage of control _ room annunciators, relocation of several important switches, and the
-addition of an alternate makeup system injection line to the reactor coolant system. These changes are considered necencry to avoid a negative impact on training.
Installation of these modifications is precluded by post simulator delivery reassembly and on-site testing until May 1991. Toledo Edison proposes to submit form NRC-474 after the sixth refueling outage upgrades are installed and tested.-
Toledo Edison proposes to comply with 10 CFR 55.45(b) for DBNPS'by
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certifying a plant referenced simulator by September 1,1991. During the i
proposed exemption period, from May 26,1991 until certification of the sipulator, no initial-or requalification operating tests are scheduled.
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The Comission has determined, pursuant to 10 CFR 65.11, that this exemption is authorized by law and will no'c endanger life or property and is otherwise in the public interest.
Furthomore, the Comission has determined,
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pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12(a), that special circumstances of 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(v) are applicable in that the exemption would provide only temporary relief from the applicable regulation and the licensee has made good faith efforts to 4
- comply with the regulation. This exemption grants a temporary relief period of 5 months from the March 1991 date for submittal of the DBRPS simulation facility certification.
Good faith efforts to comply with toe regulation were made as follows:
(1) On September 5.-1986, Toledo Edison entered into contract for the procurement of a plant-referenced simulator by December 1988.
(2)-OnNovember 24, 1987, Toledo Edison requested clarifications of the simulator requirements via a conference call with the NRC.
(3) In. letters dated June 1,1988 and July 13, 1988, Toledo Edison advised the NRC of a delay to December 31, 1989, for simulator installation.
(4)-_0n September 1,1989, Toledo Edison submitted an operator examination schedule including a planned simulator certification date of March 26, 1991.
-(5).During a conference call on June 7,-1990, Toledo Edison informed the NRC that they were considering installing the sixth refueling outage upgrades prior to certifying the DBNPS simulator and that this would delay the submittal of Form NRC-474 until af ter March 26, 1991.
(6) Toledo Edison plans to certify the'0BNPS simulator before conducting any operating tests after May 26, 1991.
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5-IV.
The Commission hereby grants an exemption f rom the schedular requirements of10CFR55.45(b)(2)(iii)forsubmittalofFormNRC-474,"SimulationFacility Certification." This exemption is effective until September 1,1991.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.21, 51.32, and 51.35, an environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact has been prepared and published in the Federal Register on March 13,1991(56FR10579). Accordingly, based upon the environmental assessment, the Commission has determined that the issuance cf this amendment will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment.
The licensee's exemption request dated November 5, 1990 is available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, 2120 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. and at the University of Toledo Library, Document Department, 2801 Bancroft Avenue. Toledo, Ohio 43606.
This exemption is effective upon issuarce.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION N
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Bruce A. Boger, Director Division of Reactor Projects Ill/IV/V Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 19th day of March 1991.
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