ML20154D312
| ML20154D312 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Pilgrim |
| Issue date: | 05/11/1988 |
| From: | Butler W Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | BOSTON EDISON CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20154D317 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8805190148 | |
| Download: ML20154D312 (8) | |
Text
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7590-01 UNITED STATE 3 0F AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY CCPMISSION In the Matter of Boston Edison Company
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Docket No. 50-293 (Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station)
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EXEMPTION 1.
Boston Edison Company (the licensee) is the holder of Facility Operating License No. DPR-35 which authorizes operation of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station (the facility) at steady-state reactor power levels not in excess of 1998 negawatts thermal.
The license provides, among other things, that it is subject to all rules, regulations and Orders of the Nuclear Regulatory Comission (the Conniss',cn or NRC) now or hereafter in effect.
The facility consists of a boiling water reactor located at the licensee's site in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The facility is currently shutdown for refueling and mudifications.
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i II.
Section 50.54(q) of 10 CFR Part 50 requires a licensee authorized to operate a nuclear power reactor to follow and maintain in effect emergency plans which treet the standards of 10 CFR 50.47(b) and and the requirements of Appendix E to 10 CFR Part 50.
Section IV.F.3 of Appendix E requires that each 1
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. 7590-01 licensee at each site shall exercise with offsite authorities such that the State and local government emergency plans for each operating reactor site are exercised biennially, with full or partial participation by States and local governments, within the plume exposure pathway Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ).
The NRC may grant exemptions from the requirements of the regulations which, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12(a) are (1) authorized by law, will not pret.ent an undue risk to the public health and safety, and are consistent with the connon defense and security, and (2) present special circumstances.
Section 50.12(a)(2)(v) of 10 CFR describes the special circumstances in that the exemp-tion would provide only temporary relief from the applicable regulation and the licensee has made good faith f.fforts to comply with the regulation.
111.
1 By letter dated September 17, 1987, the licensee requested a one-tirre exerrption from the schedular requirements of Section IV.F.3 of Appendix E.
The last biennial emergency preparedness exercise was a full participation exercise conducted at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station on September 5,1985.
The licensee requested that an exemption be granted to allow the next biennial exercise to be deferred from 1987 to the second quarter of 1988.
The licensee stated that the Connonwealth of Massachusetts, the local governments within the EPZ and the two emergency reception center corrnunities
s 7590-01 were in the process, with the assistance of the licensee, of implementing numerous improvements in their offsite emergency preparedness programs.
These improvements included revision of the emergency plans of the local governments and the Commonwealth, the development of associated procedures, the development and implementaticn of training programs for officials and emergercy personnel, and the upgrading of Emergency Operation Ct.nters.
The licensee expected the work to continue through early 1988.
The licensee informed the NRC that in view of the extensive ongoing efforts, the Commonwealth and the local govern-ments indicated that they were not able to fully perticipate in an exercise during calendar year 1987.
On December 16, 1987, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission published a Federal Register notice approving the exemption stipulating that the exercise be conoucted prior to June 30, 1988.
By letter dated April 14, 1958, the licensee reouested en extension of the June 30, 1988 exemption deadline to per-mit conduct of the exercise prior to the end of 1938. The licensee stated that substantial progress has been made to improve emergency preparedness since the original exemption request; however, the extensive emergency planning efforts have taken longer than anticipated.
The licensee has requested an extension of the exemption for the same special circumstances as existed at the tine of the original exemption request.
Boston Edison is assisting the Commonwealth and the local authorities in the impro+ement of their emergency response programs.
These efforts have included an updated evacuation time estimate study and traffic management plan,
. 7590-01 a study to identify public shelters for protecting the beach population, and the identification of and provision for the special needs and transportation dependent population.' hithin the EPZ. The Comonwealth has forwarded draf ts of the emergency plans for the five EPZ towns and two reception center comunities to FEMA for informal technical review.
The licensee states that preparation of emergency plan implementing procedures is in process; draft procedures have been approved for one of the towns.
A new training program for offsite emer-gency response personnel has been developed and training is being conducted.
These efforts are extensive and the licensee states they will not be read'
.w an exercise until late 1988.
Onsite emergency preparedness has been evaluated by the NRC during inspec-tions and exercises including the most, recent onsite exercise conducted on December 9, 1987.
The 1987 exercise included partial participation ty the Comonweal th.
The NRC inspection report for the 1987 exercise documented that Boston Edison's emergency response actions were adequate to provide protective measures for the health and safety of the public.
The NRC inspection findings ano the licensee's training drills provide assurance that the licensee has maintained a satisfactory capability to respond to an emergency at Pilgrim.
i Since the last full participation biennial exercise at Pilgrim (in September 1985), the Comonwealth has participated on a limtied basis with the licensee in the December 1986 exercise, the quarterly onsite drills in 1987 ano the December 1987 exercise.
The March and June 1987 drills also included limited participation by several of the towns within the EPZ. The tcwns within
1 i 7590-01 the EPZ have also cooperated in the full scale siren test conducted by FEPA in September 1986.
The Ccmmonwealth has also participated in full participation exercises at the Yankee Nuclear power Station in June 1986 and at the Vermont I
...kee Nuclear Generating Station on December 2, 1987.
IV.
l The requested exemption extension is a temporary one and is necessary because ongoing emergency preparedness efforts will not be completed before late 1988.
lhe licensee has made a good faith effort to comply with the reg-ulation by assisting in the ongoing improvements to the Commonwealth and local offsite emergency response programs.
The extensive efforts required to upgrade the offsite plans, implement the changes and conduct training precluoed the con-duct of a meaningful and effective full participation exercise before June 30, 1988.
This situation constitutes the special circumstances described in 10 CFR 5s.12(a)(2)(v).
In grar. ting the original exemption, the NRC stated its belief that the public health and safety would be better served by the conduct of a full participation exercise following the completion of efferts to improve the Commonwealth and local government emergency response programs.
The emer-gency preparedness efforts are still not complete, thus, the NRC continues to believe that a full participation exercise should await completion of the plan-ning efforts, l,
> 7590-01 The Pilgrim plant is presently shutdown.
The determination whether to restart the Pilgrim plant will involve an evaluation by the NRC of the status of the resolution of the emergency planning issues identified by FEMA.
The safety of the resumption of plant operation will be acoressed by the NRC staff before restart is approved.
For these reasons, the Commission has thus determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, the exemption extension requested by the licensee's letter dated April 14, 1988, as discussed above, 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.
Accordingly, the Commission hereby approves the following exemption:
"The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station is exempt from the requirements of 10 CFR 50, Appendix E,Section IV.F.3 for the conduct of an offsite full participation emergency preparedness exercise in calendar year 1987, provided that this exercise be conducted prior to the end of 1988 "
4 Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission h;d determined that the granting of this Exemption extension would have no significant impact on the environment (52FR46693, December 9,
1987).
A copy of the licensce's request for exemption extension dated April 14, 1988 is available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, 1717 H Street, NW, Washington, DC and at the Plymouth Public Library,11 North Street, Plynouth, Massachusetts 02360.
Copies may be obtained upon written request addressed to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Washington, DC 20555, Attention:
Director, Division of Reactor Projects 1/11.
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4 t 7590-01 This Exemption extension is effective upon issuance.
DatedatRockville.Marylandthis{TV a
Q ay of May 1988.
k FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Walter R. Butler, Acting Director Division of Reactor Projects - I/11 Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 1
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EXEMPTION - PILGRIM NUCLEAR POWER STATION Distribution:
Docket 50-293 &
NRC PDR LPOR PD I-3 Reading PEPB Reading T. Murley/J. Sniezek F. Miraglia C. Rossi S. Varga B. Boger R. Wessman D. Mcdonald M. Rushbrook OGC - 15E-18 E. Jordan J. Partlow T. Barnhart (4)
ACRS (10)
GPA/PA ARM /LFMB F. Congel, RI R. Bellamy, RI JTWiggins, RI WDTravers, NRR Rosemary Hogan, NRR JPStohr, DREP/NRR F. Kantor, PEPB/NRR l
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