ML20076C880
| ML20076C880 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 07/15/1991 |
| From: | Hernan R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20076C885 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9107250055 | |
| Download: ML20076C880 (8) | |
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i 7590-01 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION GPU NUCLEAR CORPORATION DOCKET NO. 50-289 NOTICE 01 CONSIDERATION OF ISSUANCE OF AMENDMEh'T TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE, PROPOSED NO SIGNIFICANT HAZARDS CONSIDERATION DETERMINATION, AND OPPORTUNITY FOR HEARING The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is considering issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License No. DPR-50, issued to GPU Nuclear Corporation (the licensee), for operation of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit No. I located in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
The amendment would temporarily raise the license limit for primary-to-secondary leakage f rom 0.1 gpm to 0.2 gpm. The licensee has requested temporary relief from this limit because of a slow but steady increase in the primary-to-secondary leak rate over the past 16 months during the current, uninterrupted operating cycle.
If the current limit were reached, a plant shutdown would be required. The limit would be raised for a 2-month period.
The licensee requested expeditious review of this request because the apparent leak rate could reach the current limit as early as July 31, 1991.
The plant is scheduled to shut down for maintenance and refueling on September 27, 1991.
The licensee has judged it to be undesirable to enter a major l
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4 2-unplanned shutdown only 2 months before a planned extensive shutdown period.
Extensive testing of the once Through Steam Generators (OTSGs) will be conducted during the planned outage period.
Before issuance of the proposed license amendment, the Commission will have made findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act) and the Commission's regulations.
The Commission has made a proposed determination that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration. Under the Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 50.92, this means that operation of the facility in accordance with the proposed amendment would not (1) involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated; or (2) create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated; or (3) involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety.
As required by 10 CFR 50.91(a), the licensee has provided its analysis of the issue of no significant hazards consideration, which is presented below:
GPU Nuclear Corporation has determined that this I.icense Amendment request poses no significant hazards as defined in 10 CFR 50.92 in that operation of TMI-1 in accordance with the proposed amendment will not:
1.
Involve a significant increase in the probability of occurrence or consequences of an recident previously evaluated.
Changing the leak rate limit above baseline from 0.1 gpm to 0.2 gpm does not challenge the integrity of the OTSG-tubes because of the stable nature of tube cracks expected during normal operation if they exist. The consequence of a tube rupture is bounded by the previous analysis in the THI-1 FSAR for a double ended tube rupture.
. As a result, tube integrity is unaffected. Thus there is no increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated.
2.
Create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated.
OTSG tube rupture and an MSLB accident are the only accidents requiring consideration by this change.
Increasing the leak rate limit from 0.1 gpm to 0.2 gpm will not affect the structural integrity of the tubes. No other tube failure mechanisms are created by this change. This change revises an administrative restriction on plant operation and does not affect any safety system. Therefore, the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated is not created.
3.
Involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety.
The plant license precludes operation in excess of 0.1 gpm above the baseline leak rate.
If after shutting dowa the source of leakage cannot be located, it is permitted to re-establish a new baseline under these circumstances.
However, under no circumstance may the leakage limit of I gpm (TS Section 3.1.6.3) be exceeded for both steam generators.
This TSCR does not change the 1 gpm limitation. Also, the observed leakage is believed to be from multiple sources and not indicative of rapid tube failure, based on the current leak rate trend.
Therefore, there is no significant reduction in the margin of safety.
The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's analysis and, based on this review, it appears that the three standards of 10 CFR 50.92(c) are satisfied.
Therefore, the NRC staff proposes to determine that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration.
The Commission is seeking public comments on this proposed determination.
Any comments received within fifteen (15) days after the date of publication of this notice will be considered in making any final determination. The Commission will not normally make a final determination unless it receives a request for a hearing.
. Written comments may be submitted by mail to the Regulatory Publications Branch, Division of Freedom of Information and Publications Services, Office ( '
Administration, U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, and should cite the publication date and page number of this FEDERAL REGISTFR notice. Written comments may also be delivered to Room P-223, Phillips Buildica, 7920 Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Copies of written comments received may be examined at the NRC Public Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC 20555.
The filing of requests for he:. ring and petitions for leave to intervene is discussed below.
By August 19, 1991
, the licensee may file a request for a hearing with respect to issuance of the amendmert to the subject facility operating license and any person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding and who wishes to participate as a party in the proceeding must file a written request for hearing and a petition for leave to intervene.
Requests for a hearing and petitions for leave to intervene shall be filed in accordance with the Commission's " Rules of Practice for Domestic Licensing Proceedings" in 10 CFR Part 2.
Interested persons should consult a current copy of 10 CFR 2.714 which is available at the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC 20555 and at the Local Public Document Room located at Government-Publications Section, State Library of Pennsylvania, Walnut Street and Commonwealth Avenue, Box 1601, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105.
If a request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene is filed by the above date, the Commission or an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, designated by the Commission or by the Chairman of the Atomic Safety and LicensinF Board
. Panel, will rule on the request and/or petition; and the Secretary or the designated Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will issue a notice of hearing or an appropriate order.
As required by 10 CFR 2.714, a petition for leave to intervene shall set forth with particularity the interest of the petitioner in the proceeding, and how that interest may be affected by the results of the proceeding.
The petition should specifically explain the reasons why intervention should be permitted with particular reference to the following f actors:
(1) the nature of the petitioner's right under the Act to be made a party to the proceeding; (2) the nature and extent of the petitioner's property, financial, or other interest in the proceeding; and (3) the possible effect of any order which may be entered in the proceeding on the petitioner's interest. The petition should also identify the specific aspect (s) of the subject matter of the proceeding as to which petitioner wishes to intervene.
Any person who has filed a petition for leave to intervene or who has been admitted as a party may amend the petition without requesting leave of the Board up to fifteen (15) days prior to the first prehearing conference scheduled in the proceeding, but such an amended petition must satisfy the specificity requirements described above.
Not later than fifteen (15) days prior to the first prehearing conference scheduled in the proceeding, a petitioner shall file a supplement to the petition to intervene which murt include a list of the contentions which are sought to be litigated in the matter.
Each contention must consist of a specific statement of the issue of law or fact to be raised or controverted.
In addition, the petitioner shall provide a brief explanation of the bases of
. the contention and a concise statement of the alleged facts or expert opinion which support the contention and on which the petitioner intends to rely in proving the contention at the hearing. The petitioner must also provide references to those specific sources and documents of which the petitioner is aware and on which the petitioner intends to rely to establish those facts or expert opinion.
Petitioner must provide sufficient information to show that a genuine dispute exists with the applicant on a material issue of law or fact.
Contentions shall be limited to matters within the scope of the amendment under consideration. The.eatention must be one which, if proven, would entitle the petitioner to relief. A petitioner who fails to file such a supplement which satisfies these requirements with respect to at least one contention will not be permitted to participate as a party.
Taost permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding, subject to any limitations in the order granting leave to intervene, and have the opportunity to participate fully in the conduct of the hearing, including the opportunity to present evidence and cross-examine witnesses.
If the amendment is issued before the expiration of 30-days, the Commission will make a final determination en the issue of no significant hazards consideration.
If a hearing s requested, the final determination will serve to decide when the hearing is held.
If the final determinatica is that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration, the Commission may issue the amendment and make it effective, notwithstanding the request for a hearing. Any hearing held would take place after issuance of the amendment.
i 7
If the final determin& tion is that the amendment request involves a significant hazards consideration, any hearing held would take place before the issuance of any amendment.
Normally, the Commission will not issue the amendment until the expiration of the 15-day notice period.
However, should circumstances change during the notice period, such that failure to act in a timely way would result, for example, in derating or chutdown of the facility, the Commission may issue the license amendment before the expiration of the 15-day notice period, provided that its final determination is that the amendment involves no significant hazards consideration. The final determination will consider all public and State comments received.
Should the Commission take this action, it will publish in the FEDERAL REGISTER a notice of issuance. The Commission expects that the need to take this action will occur very infrequently.
A request for a hearing or a petition for leave to intervene must be filed with the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, Attention:
Docketing and Services Branch, or may be delivered to the Commission's Public Jacument Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20555, by the above date. Where petitions are filed during the last ten (10) days of the notice period, it is requested that the petitioner promptly so inform the Commission by a toll-free telephone call to Western Union at 1-(800) 325-6000 (in Missouri 1-(800) 342-6700).
The Western Union operator should be given Datagram Identification Number 3737 and the following message addressed to Mr. John F. Stolz:
petitioner's name and telephone number; date petition was mailed; plant name; and publication date and page number of this FEDERAL REGISTER notice.
A copy of the petition should also i
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be sent to the Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, and to Ernest L. Blake, Jr., Esquire, Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge, 2300 N Street, NW., Washington, DC 20037, attorney for the licensee.
Montimely filings of petitions for leave to intervene, amended petitions, supplemental-petitions and/or requests for hearing will not be entertained absent a determination by the Commission, the presiding officer or the presiding Atomic -
Safety _and Licensing Board that the petition and/or request should be granted based upon a balancing of the factors specified in 10 CFR 2.714(a)(1)(i)-(v) and 2 714(d).
For further details with respect to this action, see the application for amendment _ dated July 9, 1991, which is available for publ.s inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW.,
Washington, DC-20555, and at the Local Public Document Room, Government Publications Section,= State Library of Pennsylvania, Walnut Street and Commonwealth Avenue, Box 1601, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105.
-Dated at Rockville,_ Maryland, this 15th day. of July, 1991.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[
L Ronald W. Hernan, Senior Project'Panager Project Directorate I-4 Division of Reactor Projects - I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation i
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