ML20237A981
| ML20237A981 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Pilgrim |
| Issue date: | 12/09/1987 |
| From: | Varga S Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | BOSTON EDISON CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20237A984 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8712150381 | |
| Download: ML20237A981 (10) | |
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7590-01 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of
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Boston Edison Company
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Docket No. 50-293 (Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station)
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EXEMPTION I.
Boston Edison Company (the licensee) is the holder of Facility Operatina 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 megawatts thermal.
The license provides, among other thinos, that it is subject to all rules, regulations and Orders of the Nuclear Regulatory Comission (the Comission or NRC) now or hereafter in effect.
The facility j
consists of a boiling ' water reactor located at the licensee's site in Plynouth, Massachusetts.
The facility is currently shutdown for refueling and modifications.
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II.
Section 50.54(q) of 10 CFR Part 50 requires a licenzee authorized to operate a nuclear power reactor to follow and maintain in effect emergency plans which meet the standards of 10 CFR 50.47(b) and the requirements of Appendix E to 10 CFR Part EO.
Section IV.F.3 of Appendix E requires that each licensee at each site shall exercise with offsite authorities such that the State and incel government emergercy plans for each operatino reactor site are exercised biennially, with full or partial participation-8712150381 871209 g
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7590-01
. by States and local governments, within the plume exposure pathway Emergency Planning Zore (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 presant an undue risk to the public health and safety, and are consistent with the comen defftnse and security, and (21 present speciel 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 efforts to comply with the regulation.
III.
By letter dated September 17, 19C7, the licensee requested a one-time exemption from the schedular requirements of Section IV.F.3 of Appendix E.
i The last biennial emergency preparedness exercise was a full participation exercise conducted at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station on September 5,1985.
The licensee requests that an exemption be granted to allow the next biennial exercise to be deferred from 1987 to the second quarter of 1988 l
The licensee states that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the local I
governments within the EPZ and the two emergency reception center comunities J
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.. 7590-01 are in the process, with the assistance of the licensee, of implementing nunerous improvements in their offsite emergency preparedness programs.
These improvements include revision of the energency plans of the local governments and the Commonwealth, the development of associated procedures, the development i
and implementation of training prograns for officials and emergency personnel, and the uperading of Emergency Operation Centers.
The licensee expects the work to continue through early 1988. The licensee has informed the NRC that in view of these extensive ongoing efforts > the Commonwealth and the local govern-ments have indicated that they are not able to fully participate in an exercise durino calender year 1987.
i The activities to upg-ade offsite emergency planning and preparedness are in response to a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) evaluation of the adequacy of offsite preparedness at Pilgrim.
On September 5, 1986, FEMA informed the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that it was undertaking a self-initiated review of its September 29, 1982 Interim Finding on offsite emergency preparedness for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station because of concerns raised during meetings in the spring of 1986 and information received subsequent to those meetings from local officials, the Commonwealth, and other interested parties.
Based on a review of the overall state of offsite emergency preparedness for Pilgrim. FEMA concluded, in an Interim Finding issued on August 4, 1987, that offsite radiological einergency planning and preparedness for Massachusetts was inadequate to protect the health and safety of the public in the event of an accident at the' Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station.
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- 7590-01 The August 4, 1987 Interim Findinq superseded the previous Interim Finding of September 29, 1982.
FEMA identified six areas of major concern during the course of its review:
Lack of evacuation plans for public and private schools and daycare centers.
Lack of a reception center for people evacuating to the north.
Lack of identifiable public shelters for the beach population.
Inadequate planning for the evacuation of the special needs population.
Inadequate planning for the evacuation of the transport dependent population.
Overall lack of progress in planning and apparent diminution in emergency preparedness.
j Boston Edison is assistir:g the Commonwealth and the local authorities in the improvement of their emergency response programs.
These efforts have included an updated evacuation time estimate study and traffic management plan, a study to identify public shelters for protecting the beach population, and the identification of and provision for the special needs and transportation
- dependent populations within the EPZ.
In addition, the licensee is providing professional planners to assist the local governments and the commonwealth in upgrading their plans and in the development of a new training program for off-site emergency response personnel.
Some training has been conducted to date and trainir.g will continue after the development of the new training program has been completed.
Onsite emergency preparedness has been evaluated by the NRC during inspections and exercises including the most recent onsite exercise conducted
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on December 10, 1986.
The 1986 exercise included partial participation by the Commonwealth.
The NRC inspection repnrt for the 1986 exercise documented that Boston Edison's energency response actions were adequate to provide protective measures for the health and safety of the public.
The licensee has held quarterly onsite drills in March, June and August 1987 The NRC inspection findings and the licensee's traininq drills provide assurance that the licensee has maintained a satisfactory capability to respond to an emergency at Pilgrim.
In addition, the licensee conducted its annual onsite exercise December 9,1087 This exercise tested the current level of onsite emeroency preparedness at Pilgrim and included limited participation by the Commonwealth.
Since the last full participation biennial exercise at Pilgrim (in September 1985), the Commonwealth has participated on a limited basis with the licensee in the December 1986 exercise and the cuarterly onsite drills in 1987.
The March and June 1987 drills also included limited participation by several of the towns within the EP2.
The towns within the EPZ have also
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cooperated in the full scale siren test conducted by FEMA in September 1986.
The Commonwealth has also participated in full participation exercises at the Yankee Nuclear Power Station in June 1986 and at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Generating Station on December ?, 1987.
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.,. 7590-01 IV.
The requested exemption is a temporary one and is necessary because ongoing emergency preparedness efforts will not be completed before parly 1988.
The licensee has made a good faith effort +.o comply with the regulation
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by assistino 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 preclude the conduct of a meaningful and effective full participation exercise in 1987.
This situation constitutes the special circumstances described in 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(v).
Further, the NRC staff believes that the public health and safety will be better served by the conduct of a full participation exercise following the completion of efforts to improve the Commonwealth and local government emergency response programs.
The NRC has required, and will continue to require, that the Pilgrim plant remain shut down until the emergency preparedness issues are dealt with to the satisfaction of the NRC.
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 addressed by the NRC staff before restart is epproved.
For these reasons, the Comission has thus determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, the exemption requested by the licensee's letter dated September 17, 1987, 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.
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7590-01
, Acco rdingly, 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 June 30, 1988."
Pursuent to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that the granting of this Exemption will have no significant impacc on the environment
( 52 FR46693 ), December 9, 1987. A copy of the licensee's request for exemption dated September 17, 1987 is available for public inspection at the Comission's Public Document Room,1717 H Street, NW, Washington, D.C. and at the Plymouth Public Library,11 North Street, Plymouth, Massachusetts 02360.
Copies may be obtained upon written request addressed to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission, Washington, D.C. 20555 Attention: Director, Division of Reactor Projects I/II.
This Exemption is effective upon issuance.
Dated at Bethesda, Maryland this jay of December 1987.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION even ar ector j
Division of Reacto ojects - 1/II
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Office of Nuclear Reactor Reactor q
7590-01 7
l Accordingly, the Commission hereby approves the following exemption:
"The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station is exenpt from the requirements of 10 CFR 50, Appendix E, Section IV.F.3 for t.he conduct of an offsite full participation emergency preparedness exercise in calendar year 1987, provided that 1
this exercise be conducted prior to June 30, 1988."
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that the granting of this Exemption will have no significant impact on the environment
( 52 FR 46693 ), December 9, 1987. A copy of the licensee's request for exemption dated September 17, 1987 is available for public inspection at the Comission's Public Document Room,1717 H Street, NW, Washington, D.C. and at i
i the Plymouth Public Library, 11 North Street, Plymouth, Massachusetts 02360.
Copies may be obtained upon written request addressed to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555, Attention: Director, Division of Reactor Projects I/II.
This Exemption is effective upon issuance.
Dated at Bethesda, Maryland this day of December 1987.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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Steven A. Varga, Director Division of Reactor Projects - I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Reactor
- See previous concurrence OFC
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DATE :ll/ /87
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7590-01
' 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 emeraency preparedness exercise in calendar year 1987, provided that this exercise be conducted prior to June 30, 1988 "
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.39, the Commission has determined that the granting of this Exempt n will have no significant impact on the environment
(
FR
), De mber
, 1987 A copy of the licenspe's request for exenstion dated Sept ber 17, 1987 is available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Doc
.nt Room, 1717 H Street, NW, Washington, D.C. and at the Plymouth Public Librar 11 North Street, Plymouth, Massachusetts 02360 Copies may be obtained upon ur ten request addressed to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission, Washington,
.C. 20555, Attention:
Director, Division of Reactor Pro.4ects I/II.
This Exemption is effective upon iss ce.
Dated at Bethesda, Maryland this da of December 1987 s
FOR THE N LEAR REGULATORY C0ffiISSION Stevan A. Varqa, D ector Division of Reactor n,fects - I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Reactor
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7590-01 Accordingly, the Commission hereby approves the following exemption:
"The Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station is exempt from the
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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."
Pursuan to 10 CFR 51.32, the Comission has determined that the granting of this Exemptio will have no significant impact on the environment
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, 1987.
A copy of the licensee's reouest for l
exemption dated September 1987 is available for public inspection at the Comission's Public Document Roo.
1717 H Street, NW, Washington, D.C. and at the Ply.outh Public Library, 11 North treet, Plymouth, Massachusetts 02360.
Copies may be obtained upon written reque addressed to the U.S. Nuclear i
Regulatory Comission, Washington, D.C. 20555, ttention:
Director, Division of Reactor Projects I/II.
This Exemption is. effective upon issuance.
j Dated at Bethesda, Maryland this day of November 1987.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Stevan A. Varga, Director Division of Reactor Projects - I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Reactor OFC
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DATE:11/18/87
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0FFICIAL RECORD COPY j