ML20114B848

Exemption from Requirements of 10CFR50.48(c) to Extend Deadline for Completion of Fire Protection Mods Not Requiring Plant Shutdown Until 861130

ML20114B848
Person / Time
Site:	Hatch
Issue date:	01/16/1985
From:	Case E Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	GEORGIA POWER CO.
Shared Package
ML20114B850	List: ML20114B848
References
TAC-43754, TAC-43755, TAC-47143, TAC-48071, TAC-48072, TAC-48748, TAC-48749, TAC-57415, TAC-57416, TAC-61626, TAC-61627, NUDOCS 8501290561
Download: ML20114B848 (5)

Text

-

1 7590-01 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of

)

)

GEORGIA POWER COMPANY, ET AL

)

Dockets Nos. 50-321

)

and 50-366 (Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant,

)

Units Nos. I and 2)

)

EXEMPTION-I.

The Georgia Power Company (GPC or the licensee) and three other co-owners are the holders of Facility Operating Licenses Nos. DPR-57 and NPF-5 which authorize operation of the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 (Hatch or the facilities) at steady state reactor power levels not in excess of 2436 magawatts thermal for each unit. The facilities are boiling i

water reactors located at the licensee's site in Appling County, Georgia.

The licenses are subject to all rules and regulations of the Nuclear Regulatory Comission (the Commission).

I II.

Subsection (c) of 10 CFR 50.48 requires that fire protection modifications for which plant shutdown is not required (other than alternate l

shutdown capability) be completed nine months after the effective date of i

l Appendix R.

For the items covered by this exemption, the licensee was able totakeadvantageofthe"tollingprovision," subsection (c)(6),thereby commencing the nine-month period upon issuance of the staff Safety Evaluation dated April 18, 1984. The deadline for these modifications was therefore January 18, 1985.

85012go561850116 DR A OCK 0500032 p

7590-01 In a submittal dated September 4, 1984, supplemented by letters dated October 2, 1984, October 19, 1984, October 26, 1984, and December 20, 198a, the licensee requested an exemption from the schedular requirements of 10 CFR 50.48(c) which would extend the deadline from January 18, 1985, to November 30, 1986, for installation of fire protection modifications in certain areas of Units 1 and 2 for which plant shutdown is not required in order to install the modifications. The proposed exemption is needed since the licensee has ine'!cated that the installation of the non-outage related fire protection modifications in these areas of Units 1 and 2 cannot be completed on the schedule stated in 10 CFR 50.48(c) for the following reasons:

(1) The magnitude of the overall fire protection enhancement program at plant Hatch is large and has a projected cost of 25 million dollars (excluding the alternate shutdown system for the control room / cable spreading room fire).

(2) Currently, extensive redesign and modifications of safe shutdown related equipment and cables is underway in response to equipment qualification, operational safety enhancement and plant reliability i

improvement projects. These projects are interdependent with the fire protection program and the design for Appendix R cableway barriers must, in many cases, follow the final design of the equipment qualification project.

(3) Design sequences of the Appendix R modifications are complex and the final bill of materials and specifications for the bidding of installation contracts cannot proceed until the design is near its l

l I

7590-01

- final stages.

Following design, implementation must await rerouting of cables from Appendix R or equipment qualification modifications.

The first of these reasons, the overall extent and cost of the fire protection program at Hatch, is not by itself an acceptable basis for extension of the schedule. Based on the information provided, the Hatch program is comensurate with programs at other facilities both in extent and cost. This Exemption is therefore not based on this factor. The second and third reasons, having to do with the interrelationship between non-outage-related and outage-related work and the inability to perfonn certain tasks before a final design has been completed, are acceptable bases on which a schedule

~

extension can be granted.

The licensee indicated that in each area for which schedular exemptions are requested, the vulnerable systems will be protected by one of the following means:

(1) a fire watch; (2) automatic fire detection and fire suppression systems; (3) complete, nonrombustible fire barriers or e combination of (2) and (3).

In those locations where a fire watch will be provided, an individual will be present to detect and respond to any fire emergency. This provides reasonable assurance that a fire will be discovered in its initial stages before significant damage occurs and will be suppressed manually by either the fire watch or the plant fire brigade. Under these circumstances, fire damage will be limited, and no loss of safe shutdown capability should occur.

l

7590-01,

In several locations, the licensee has proposed to install a complete

. noncombustible fire barrier to protect one shutdown division.

If a fire were to occur,.the existing fire detection systems or a plant operator would

+

detect a fire and summon the fire brigade. One shutdown division would be 1

protected by the barrier until fire extinguishment was effected.

Consequently, the Comission's staff has reasonable assurance that safe shutdown could be achieved and maintained via the undamaged shutdown division.

i Based on the considerations discussed above, the Comission concludes that the licensee has provided reasonable and acceptable interim post-fire safe shutdown capability or interim fire protection measures to support the exemption request.

,III.

Accordingly, the Comission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12(a), an exemption as requested by the licensee's letter of September 4, i

1984, and supplemented by letters dated October 2, 1984, October 19, 1984, October 26, 1984, and December 20, 1984,' is authorized by law and will not endanger life or property or the common defense and security and is otherwise l

in the public interest. The Comission hereby grants an exemption from the i

requirements of 10 CFR 50.48(c) to extend the deadline for completion of fire protection modifications not requiring plant shutdown at the Edwin I.

Hatch Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, until November 30, 1986, for each Unit.

i

7590-01

, Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that the issuance of the exemption will have no significant impact on the environment (50 FR 2113).

This Exemption is effective upon issuance.

FOR NUCLEAR REGU RY COMMISSION

'0%

Edson G. Case, Acting Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Dated at Bethesda, Maryland this 16th day of January 1985.

4 f

e v

w