ML20153E677

Exemption from Requirements of 10CFR55.59(c)(2), Subsections (IV) & (V), & 10CFR55.59(c)(3)(i) Items a Through AA, Eliminating Requirements for Certain Lecture Subjs & Manipulation Exercises

ML20153E677
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	08/31/1988
From:	Varga S Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	GENERAL PUBLIC UTILITIES CORP.
Shared Package
ML20153E670	List: ML20153E667 ML20153E677 ML20153E686
References
NUDOCS 8809060385
Download: ML20153E677 (5)

Text

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. i 7590-01 tlNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY C0 m !SSION In the Matter of GPU NUCLEAR CORPORATION Docket No. 50-320 (ThreeMileIslandNuclearStation Unit 2)  ;

i EXEMPTION t

l 1.

GPU Nuclear Corporation, Metropolitan Edison Company, Jersey Central Power

- and Light Company and Pennsylvania Electric Company (co11ective1, 3 the licensee) are the holders of Facility Operating License No. DPR-73, which had authorized a operation of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station. Unit 2 (TNI-2) at power levels up to 2772 regawatts thermal. The facility, which is located in Londonderry  !

Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, is a pressurized water reactor previously used for the concercial generation of electricity. 3 r

By Order for Modification of License, dated July 20, 1979, the licensee's authority to operate the facility was suspended and the licensee's authority was limited to maintenance of the facility in the present shutdown cooling mode [

(44FR45271). By further Order of the Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor >

L Regulation, dated February 11, 1980, a new set of formal license requirements was imposed to reflect the post-accident condition of the facility and to assure the continued maintenance of the current safe, stable, long term cooling l

i i condition of the facility (45 FR 11292). The license provides, among other things, that it is subject to all rules, regulations and Orders of the [

Coenission now or hereafter in effect.

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II.

By letter dated December 28. 1987, which discussed Revistor 3 of the TMI-2 Licensed Operator Requalification Progran, the licensee requested exer.ptiens frce requirernents of 10 CFR 55.59. 'Requalification." Specifically, the licensee requested exempticn from the requirerents of 10 UR 55.59(c)(2).

Lectures, subjects (iv)ard(v). Subsection (2) to 10 0.59(c) requires that the operator requalification progran centain preph:..ied lectures on a regular and continuirs tasis ttrcushout the license period ir, areas wherc emphasis in sccpe and depth of cov(rege is reeded. Nine topics are listed in the regulaticrs. The licensee has requested e>enption free. topics (iv) Plart prctecticnsystersand(v)Engineeredsafetysystems.

The Itcer.see has also requested esenption fron, 55.59(c)(3). On-the-Job Training, subsecticn (i), iten:s (A) through (AA). The regulations require under 55.50(c)(3) that the requalificatien program fr-lude on-the-fet training so that each licensed operator naripulates the plant centrols and each licensed stnict crerator either ranipulates the centrcls or directs the activities of individuals durirg plant control ranipulations. The ranipulation rest censist of a set of specified ranipulations corresponding to various plant evoluttens applicable to the plant design. Section10CFR55.59(c)(3)(1)(A)through(AA) specifies the various plant evolutions for which all operators will tt required to ranipulate the facility contmls arrually or in scoe cases biannually during the terr. of the licensed operator's or senior operator's k x l

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license. They can be performed at the plant or on a simulator. The manipulations required include plant startup, plant shutdown, manual control of feedwater, loss of coolant events, turbine trip, reactor trip, and loss of electric power.

III.

TMI-2 is currently in a post-accident, cold shutdown, long-tern cleanup mcde, with sufficient decay heat removal assured by direct heat loss from the reactor coolant system to the reactor building atmosphere. The licensae is presently engaged in defueling the damaged reactor, decontaminating the facility and readying the plant for long-term storage. The requirements to maintain safety related systems have been deleted from the TMI-2 operating license. The present unconventional configuration of the TMI-2 plant does not allow the conventional evolutions normcl to an operating facility.

The licensee has requested exemption from the requirement to include preplanned lectures in the requalification program throughout the individual's license period on Plant Protection Systems and Engineering $afety Systems.

The Reactor Protection and the Engineering Safety Features Actuation System constitute the Plant Protection Systems at TMI-2. Both of these systems have been disabled. The Reactor Protection System is currently used only for plant monitoring, The monitoring capability of the portions of the system that are still functioning are addressed in the "Plant Instrumentation and Control Systems" lecture.

s There currently is no requirement in the TMI-2 license to maintain the the Engineered Safety Features Actuation System and no training on this system is included in the requalification program.

The licensee has also requested that they be exempted from control manipulations required by 10 CFR 55.59(c)(3)(1), subsections (A) through (AA). In lieu of the requirements to perfom the specific manipulations required by the regulations, the licensee has included in the TMI-2 Licensed Oper6 tor Requalificatien Training Program abncmal and emergency evolutions that are applicable to TMI-2 in its current condition. These evolutions provide a more neaningful requalification training program for the TMI-2 licensed operators. The licensce believes that the current requalification program, which specifies completion of specific evolutions through the plant drill progran;, satisfies the intent of the regulation.

Verification by an NRC subject matter expert has confirmed that exemptions to the requirements of 10 CFR 55.59(c)(2) and 10 CFR 55.59(c)(3)(1) are appropriate and relevant to the present condition of TMI-2.

!Y.

Accordingly, the Coninission has determined that pursuant to 10 CFR 55.11, these exemptions are authorized by law, will not endanger life or property

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property and are otherwise in the public interest.

Accordingly, the Corsnission hereby grants exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 55.69(c)(2), sabsections (iv) and (v), and 10 CFR Part 55.59(c)(3)(1) items (A)through(AA),

Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Comission has determined that granting of this exemption will have no significant impact on the environment (53 FR 33562).

This exemption is effective as of the date of issuance.

FOR THE NUCLEAR EGULATORY COMMISSION

. en . a' t Division of Reactor Pr j cts I/II Office of Nuclear Reac Regulation Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 31st day of August,1988.

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