ML20087B192
| ML20087B192 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Beaver Valley |
| Issue date: | 07/26/1995 |
| From: | Varga S NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | DUQUESNE LIGHT CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20087B166 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9508070341 | |
| Download: ML20087B192 (6) | |
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7590-01 j,(t,i.hyD
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f, ~ NUCLEAR REGULATORY C0pe4ISSION y,
In the Matter of
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DUQUESNE LIGHT COMPANY
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OHIO EDISON COMPANY-
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PENNSYLVANIA POWER
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COMPANY
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THE CLEVELAND ELECTRIC
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ILLUMINATING COMPANY
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THE TOLEDO EDISON COMPANY
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(Beaver Valley Power Station,
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Docket Nos. 50-334 and 50-412 Units 1 and 2)
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EXEMPTION Q
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I.
Duquesne Light Company, et al. (the licensee), is the holder of Operating License Nos. DPR-66 and NPF-73, which authorize operation of the Beaver Valley Power Station, Unit Nos. I and 2, at steady state reactor core power levels not in excess of 2652 megawatts thermal (per unit). The licenses P
provide, among other things, that the licensee is subject to all rules, regulations and orders of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) now or hereafter in effect.
The facilitjos are two pressurized water reactors located at the licensee's site,in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.
l II.
SectIon50.54(o)of10CFRPart50requiresthatprimaryreactor containments for water cooled power reactors be subject to the requirements of Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50. Appendix J contains the leakage test 1
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requirementsy?'sch'edules,andacceptancecriteriafortestsoftheleaktight integrity for the primary reactor containment and systems and components which penetrate the containment.
Section III.D.2(b)(ii) of Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50 requires that an overall air lock Type B test shall be perfonned on air locks opened during periods when containment integrity is not required by the plant's Technical Specifications at the end of such periods at not less than P, (the calculated peak containment internal pressure related to the design basis accident and qw ag specified either in the technical specification or associated bases). Thel ;cy;"v@;;
-Qg overall air lock Type B tests are intended to detect local leaks and mea' T%j.T'
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leakage across each pressure-containing or leakage-limiting boundary of t'he: ]h air locks.
III.
By letter dated February 4, 1994, the licensee requested an exemption to the requirements of Section III.D.2(b)(ii) of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J.
The proposed exemption would permit local leak rate testing to be substituted for an overall air lock leakage test where the design permits. The exemption f
would be apsdicable te only those air lock components which are designed to be i
localleakaisratetested.atapressureofatleastP,. The leakage rate of e
each component would then be measured and verified to be within acceptable limits (i.e., containment leakage would be limited such that offsite radiation i
exposures will not exceed the guidelines of 10 CFR Part 100 in the event of a design basis accident.)
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'The licensee presented information in support of its request for an exemption from the requirements of Section III.D 2(b)(ii) of Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50. The proposed exemption would allow maintenance to be performed on the air lock that could affect its sealing capability without requiring performance of the overall air lock leakage test. The licensee indicated that performance of the overall air lock test is very time consuming and results in additional occupational radiation exposure. The proposed a
exemption would allow local leakage testing to be substituted for the overall r
air lock leakage test when the design of the components permits local l'ea '
'4 rate testing at a pressurt of at least P,.
A leakage rate would then be
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measured in accordance with the requirements of Appendix J.
The typical air lock components which could be tested in this manner are components such as the o-ring seals on the personnel air lock door (s), the mechanical penetrations for the 18-inch escape hatches, and the equalizing valves located on each of the air lock doors.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, the Commission may, upon application by any interested person or upon its own initiative, grant exemptions from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50 when (1) the exemptions are authorized by law, will not present an undue risk to public health or safety,
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andarecoighsten'twiththecommondefenseandsecurity;and(2)whenspecial
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circumstancesarepr$sent. Special circumstances are present whenever, according to 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii), " 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...."
The underlying purpose of the airlock Type B testing is to ensure that each l
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containment" air lock will perform its safety function as part of the H
v v-containment to control offsite radiation exposure resulting from a design basis accident. The proposed local leakage testing is sufficient to achieve the underlying purpose of the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J, Section III.D.2(b)(ii) because it provides adequate assurance of the continued leak-tight integrity of the air lock (s). As a result, the application of the regulation in the particular circumstances is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the rule.
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With respect to the requirements of 10 CFR 50.12(a)(1), the NRC staff f0 l
has concluded that the requested action is authorized by law in that no.
prohibition of law exists which would preclude the activities which would
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authorized by the exemption.
In addition, for the reasons discussed above, the NRC staff has determined that the requested exemption does not present an undue risk to the public health and safety, is consistent with the common defense and security and that there are special circumstances present, as specified in 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii).
V.
Based on the above, the NRC staff finds the requested exemption, to allow lodal leak rate testing to be substituted for an overall air lock
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leak' age test % re the design permits, acceptable. Accordingly, the
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Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR Part 50.12(a), the requested 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 finds that the special circumstances as required by 10 CFR Part 50.12(a)(2)(ii) are present.
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1 An exaIsiption is,hereby granted from the requirements of Section III.D.2(b)(ii) of Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50, which requires an overall leakage test of air locks opened during periods when containment integrity is not required by the plant's Technical Specifications at the end of such periods at a pressure of not less than P,.
Local leak rate testing shall be substituted for the overall leakage test whenever this exemption is utilized.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that granting of this exemption will have no significant impact on the quality of the human
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environment (60 FR 30611).
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This exemption is effective upon issuance.
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FORTHENUCLEARREGULATORYCOPMISSJ
>m; a Steven A.
arga,.Dir tor Division of Reactor ojects - I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Dated at Rockville,JulyMaryland this 26th day of 1995 9
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An exemption is hereby granted from the requirements of Section III.D.2(b)(ii) of Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50, which requires an overall leakage test of air locks opened during periods when containment integrity is not required by the plant's Technical Specifications at the end of such periods at a pressure of not less than P,.
Local leak rate testing shall be substituted for the overall leakage test whenever this exemption is utilized.
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Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that granting of this exemption will have no significant impact on the quality of the human environment (60 FR 30611).
This exemption is effective upon issuance.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 1
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/s/
s Steven *A. Varga, Director' Division of Reactor Projects'- I/II Offjce' of Nuclear Reai: tor Regulation Dated at Rockville, Maryland 1
this 26th day of July 1995 4
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