ML20211N067
| ML20211N067 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palo Verde  |
| Issue date: | 02/19/1987 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20211N059 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8702270433 | |
| Download: ML20211N067 (3) | |
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'.j WASHING TON, D. C. 20655 UNITED STATES g
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 5\\..../
SAFETY EVALUATION OF REQUEST FOR EXTENSION OF CONSTRUCTION PERMIT NO. CPPR-143 PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT 3 DOCKET N0. 50-530
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Construction Pemit No. CPPR-143 for Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 3 was issued on May 25, 1976, to the Arizona Public Service Comsany, Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District, Soutiern California Edison Company, El Paso Electric Company, Public Service Company of New Mexico and Arizona Electric Power Cooperative. The Construction Permit was subsequently amended to delete the Arizona Electric Power Cooperative as a co-owner and to include as co-owners the Los Angeles Department of hater and Power, and Southern California Public Power Authority.
The lattst date for completion of construction of this facility, as stated in the permit, is November 1, 1986. By letter dated September 8,1986, the Arizona Public Service Company (APS) filed a request for extension of the latest construction completion date for Palo Verde. Unit 3 to December 31, 1987.
2.0 EVALUATION 4
The permittee's letter of September 8, 1986, states that good cause exists for the delay in the completion of construction of Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 3 because of the following factors.
i 1.
Palo Verde, Units 1, 2 and 3 have been constructed on a sequential schedule. Acts beyond the control of the permit holder have resulted in delays in construction, testing and operations of Units 1 and 2.
To assure safety in those Units, modifications and delays impacting the sequential schedule for completion of Unit 3 have resulted.
l 2.
Although, at the current time, basic construction of Palo Verde, Unit 3 is substantially complete, and preoperational testing is at an advanced stage, additional time will be required for completion in a safe manner. Unit 3 is expected to be' ready for fuel load toward the end of the first quarter of 1987.
Additionally, APS states that extension of the latest date for completion of Palo Verde. Unit 3 to December 31, 1987, will preclude the need for reouesting further amen & rents of CPPR-143 if there should be any slippage in the expected Unit 3 fuel load date due to unforeseen circumstances.-
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. The alternatives to grantine the requested extension of construction pemit CPPR-143 are (1) the denial of any extension or (2) the granting of an extension for a shorter period of time than requested.
1.
The denial of any extension would prevent the ccmpletion and force the abandonment of Palo Verde, Unit 3.
The consequences of such action would be severe economic losses to the joint applicants and their respective investors and customers.
It would also result in the loss of substantial generating capability which would have to be replaced ultimately by construction of other generating facilities.
2.
The granting of an extension for a shorter period of time than that requested might result in the need for a further amendment of CPPR-143 in the event unforseen circumstances result in a delay of Palo Verde, Unit 3 readiness for fuel load. The provision of some allowance for unforeseen circumstances is considered prudent.
3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDEPATION Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that extending the construction completion date until licensing is completed will have no significant impact on the environment (52 FR 4694) since no additional construction impacts on the environment will be created over those previously evaluated in the Final Environmental Statement and its Supplement (NUREG-0036).
4.0 CONCLUSION
S The NRC staff has reviewed the information provided in the Arizona Public Service Company's submittal. Based on that review, the staff concurs with the pemittees as to the reasonableness of time estimated for the delay.
Therefore, in accordance with 10 CFR 50.55b, the staff concludes that the factors discussed above were beyond the control of the permit holder and constitute good cause for granting the reauested extension.
As a result of the staff's review of the Final Safety Analysis Report to date, and considering the nature of the delays, the staff has identified l
no areas of significant safety consideration in connection with the exten-sion of the construction completion date for the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 3.
The only change proposed by the permittees to the existing construction permit is an extension of the latest constructit. completion date. This extension will not allow any work to be performed involving new safety information of a type that was not considered by previous Commission safety reviews of the facility and that is not already(allowed by the existing construction pemit. Therefore, the staff finds that 1)thisactiondoes l
not involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of l
an accident previously evaluated, does not create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any previously evaluated and does l
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1.
- not involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety; (2) there is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by the requested extension of the construction corpletion date; and (3) good cause exists for issuance of an order extending the construction completion date. Accordingly, the NRC staff has concluded that this action does not involve a significant hazards consideration. For these reasons the staff concludes that issuance of an Order extending the latest construction completion date for the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 3, as set forth in CPPR-143, to December 31, 1987 is reasonable and should be authorized.
Principal Contributor: Michael J. Davis, PBD7 Date of Issuance:
February 19, 1987
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