ML20195D796

Informs That Licensee 980114 Request for Exemption from Requirements of General Design Criterion 56 for Edwin I Hatch Nuclear Plant,Unit 2 Found Acceptable & No Exemption from GDC-56 Required

ML20195D796
Person / Time
Site:	Hatch
Issue date:	11/16/1998
From:	Olshan L NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Sumner H SOUTHERN NUCLEAR OPERATING CO.
References
TAC-M93402, TAC-MA0640, TAC-MA640, NUDOCS 9811180162
Download: ML20195D796 (4)

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION o WASHINGTON, D.C. 30086-0001 November 16, 1998

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Mr. H. L. Sumner, Jr.

Vice President - Nuclear Hatch Project Southem Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.

Post Office Dox 1295 Birmingham, Alabama 35201-1295

SUBJECT:

DESIGN COMPLIANCE WITH GENERAL DESIGN CRITERION 56, EDWIN 1.

HATCH NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 2 (TAC NO. MA0640)

Dear Mr. Sumner:

In a letter dated January 14,1998, you requested an exemption from the requirements of General Design Criterion 56 (GDC-56) for the Edwin 1. Hatch Nuclear Plant, Unit 2 (Hatch ,

' Unit 2) reactor building-to-suppression chamber vacuum relief system design. By letter dated October 19,1998, you withdrew the request for an exemption.

The NRC staff addressed this issue in an August 14,1997, memorandum, " Response to Task Interface Agreement [TIA)95-010 - Acceptability of a Single Passive Component to Meet Containment isolation Requirements (TAC No. M93402)." This TIA response was placed in the NRC's Public Document Room by memorandum dated January 30,1998, " Distribution of Cooper TIA Respense to the Public Document Room." The TIA response states that the configuration of the reactor building-to-suppression chamber vacuum relief system at Cooper Nuclear Station is similar to that for many older boiling water reactors with Mark I containments, including Hatch Unit 2.- The TIA response concluded that the safety risk from this design is low and that a safety enhancement backfit would not be cost-beneficial. The TIA response also noted that the GDC of Appendix A to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Reaulations. Part 50, are not applicable to plants with construction permits that were issued prior to May 21,1971. Hatch Unit 2 is the only plant with this configuration with a construction permit issued after May 21, 1971; therefore, GDC-56 applies to Hatch Unit 2. Therefore, by letter dated January 14,1998, you requested an exemption from GDC-56 for Hatch Unit 2.

- During discussions between your staff and the NRC staff, it was recognized that although GDC-56 gives examples of acceptable configurations, it also states other configurations could be found

. acceptable on some other defined basis. Your October 19,1998, letter provides this "other defined basis" and commits to placing this basis in the Hatch Unit 2 Final Safety Analysis Report. Since the staff, in its TIA response, has concluded that the des!gn is acceptable and GDC-56 I

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H. L. Sumner, Jr. November 16, 1998 )

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states that designs can be found acceptable on some other defined basis, the staff concludes that the Hatch Unit 2 reactor building-to-suppression chamber relief system design is acceptable and no exemption from GDC=56 is required.

Sincerely, ORIGINAL SIGNED BY:

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Leonard N. Olshan, Senior Project Manager l Project Directorate 11-2 l Division of Reactor Projects - 1/11 j Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-366 cc: See next page Distribution:

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H. L. Sumner, Jr. 2-states that designs can be found acceptable on some other defined basis, the staff concludes that the Hatch Unit 2 reactor building-to-suppression chamber relief system design is acceptable and no exemption from GDC-56 is required.

Sincerel ,

Leonard N. Olshan, Senior Project Manager i Project Directorate 11-2 l Division of Reactor Projects - 1/11 Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-366 cc: See next page L

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L Edwin 1. Hatch Nuclear Plant l ,

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cc:

Mr. Ernest L. Blake, Jr. Charles A. Patrizia, Esquire Shaw, Pittman, Potts . Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker and Trowbndge 10th Floor 2300 N Street, NW. 1299 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC. 20037 Washington, DC 20004-9500 Mr. D. M. Crowe Chairman Manager, Licensing Appling County Commissioners Southem Nuclear Operating County Courthouse Company, Inc. Baxley, Georgia 31513 P. O. Box 1295

- Birmingham, Alabama 35201-1295 Mr. J. D. Woodard j Executive Vice President Resident inspector Southem Nuclear Operating Plant Hatch Company, Inc.

11030 Hatch Parkway N. P. O. Box 1295 Baxley, Georgia 31531 Birmingham, Alabama 35201-1295 Regional Administrator, Region 11 Mr. P. W. Wells U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission General Manager, Edwin I. Hatch Atlanta Federal Center Nuclear Plant 61 Forsyth Street, SW, Suite 23T85 Southem Nuclear Operating Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Company, Inc.

U.S. Highway 1 North Mr. Charles H. Badger P. O. Box 2010 Office of Planning and Budget Baxley, Georgia 31515 Room 610 270 Washington Street, SW. Mr. R. D. Barker Atlanta, Georgia 30334 Program Manager l Fossil & Nuclear Operations '

Harold Reheis, Director Oglethorpe Power Corporation Department of Natural Resources 2100 East Exchange Place i 205 Butler Street, SE., Suite 1252 P. O. Box 1349 Atlanta,' Georgia 30334 Tucker, Georgia 30085-1349 Steven M. Jackson Senior Engineer- Power Supply Municipal Electric Authority L of Georgia 1470 Riveredge Parkway, NW l Atlanta, Georgia 30328-4684 L

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