ML20237G376
| ML20237G376 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Brunswick  |
| Issue date: | 08/27/1987 |
| From: | Varga S Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | CAROLINA POWER & LIGHT CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20237G380 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8709020225 | |
| Download: ML20237G376 (5) | |
Text
.
7590-1 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMISSION In the Matter of
)
CAROLINA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY, et al.
Docket Nos. 50-325 and 50-324 (Brunswick Steam Electric Plant,
)
Units 1and2)
)
EXEMPTION I.
Carolina Power & Light Company (the licensee) is the holder of Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-71 and DPR-62, which authorize operation of the Brunswick Steam Electric Plant, Units 1 and 2, respectively (Brunswick or the facilities). The licenses provide, among other things, that the facilities are subject to all rules, regulations and Orders of the Nuclear Regulatory Comission (the Comission) now or hereafter in effect.
The facilities are boiling water reactors located at the licensee's site in Brunswick County, North Carolina.
II.
Section 50.48 of 10 CFR Part 50 requires that licensed operating reactors be subject to the requirements of Appendix R of 10 CFR Part 50. Appendix R scontains the general and specific requirements for fire protection programs at licensed nuclear facilities. On February 17, 1981, the fire protection rule for nuclear power plants, 10 CFR 50.48 and Appendix R became effective. This rule required all licensees of plants licensed prior to January 1, 1979, to gr5888R SITgr F
. submit by March 19, 1981: (1) plans and schedules for meeting the applicable requirements of Appendix R. (2) a design description of any modifications pro-posed to provide alternative safe shutdown capabilities pursuant to Paragraph III.G.3 of Appendix R, and (3) exemption requests for which the tolling provi-sions of Section 50.48(c)(6) were to be invoked.
III.
By letter dated December 3, 1986,'the licensee requested an exemption from Section III.J of Appendix R to 10 CFR Part 50 for the lights in the control room connon to both Units 1 and 2 of the Brunswick Steam Electric Plant.
Section III.J requires emergency lighting units with at least an 8-hour battery power supply to be provided in all areas needed for operation of safe shutdown equipment and in access and egress routes thereto.
The lights in the control room are designed to be powered by the emergency diesel generators in the event of the loss of offsite power and by the station batteries upon the additional loss of the emergency diesel generators.
In addition, the power sources from the diesel generators are separated from each other by three-hour rated fire barriers in the diesel generator building and in separate underground ducts to the control building. The licensee notes that a single credible fire, exterior to the control building, will not cause a loss of control room lighting; and, thus, the licensee has requested an exemption. The acceptability of the exemption request is addressed below. More details are contained in the Connission's related Safety Evaluation issued concurrently with this exemption.
1
3 The licensee's exemption request involves the need for 8-hour battery-powered lighting units in areas having safe shutdown equipment. The reason for requiring 8-hour battery-powered emergency lighting is to ensure that at least minimum lighting is available for performance of manual actions necessary for safe shutdown after a fire. The licensee requested the exemption to allow the use of:
1.
diesel generators to power lighting in case of loss of offsite power.
2.
station batteries capable of supplying power for a minimum of 120 minutes if the diesel generators fail.
The Control Room area is common to both units and area lighting is provided equally by each unit. Every other light fixture in the area is fed from the opposite unit. The normal AC lighting power sources for the Control Room are physically separated by the length of the Centrol Building, since the cables enter the building at opposite ends. This arrangement will assure that adequate Control Room lighting will be provided for any fire where safe shutdown is accomplished from the Control Room.
The Control Room area is the only area where both sources of power come in close proximity. A Centrol Room fire significant enough to damage both lighting power sources would result in an evacuation of the area.
For this 1
condition, egress lighting (eight-hour battery units) from the area has been installed.
For a fire in any area outside the Control Room, adequate Control Room lighting will be provided by either the diesel generators or the station batteries. These provisions will assure that lighting is provided for a duration which would meet and, in fact, exceed the eight-hour requirement in paragraph III.J of Appendix R.
j
.' In addition, both trains of the emergency diesel generators are routed underground and separated by a 3-hour barrier in the Diesel Generator Building. Therefore, a single credible fire either in the building or in the yard will not result in a loss of both trains from both units. Therefore, a single credible fire exterior to the Control Building will not cause a loss of j
AC lighting.
j IV.
The licensee provided a determination that special circumstances exist under10CFR50.12(a). As discussed above, the underlying purposes of the requirement of Section III.J of Appendix R to 10 CFR Part 50 are to ensure that at least minimum lighting is available for the perfonnance of actions necessary for safe shutdown after a fire.
The application of the regulation in this case is not necessary to achieve its underlying purpose. The purpose can be j
met with the use of emergency diesel generators and station batteries.
Accordingly, the Commission has determined that pursuant to 10CFR 50.12(a),
the Exemption, as described in Section III, is authorized by law and will not present an undue risk to the public health and safety and is consistent with common defense and security, and special circumstances are present for the i
Exemption, in that application of the regulation in these particular j
circumstances is not necessary to achieve the underlying purposes of Appendix R to 10 CFR Part 50. Therefore, the Comission hereby grants the Exemption from paragraph III.J of Appendix R to 10 CFR Part 50 to allow the use of emergency lighting, powered initially by the emergency diesel generators, and then by station batteries.
. 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 29452).
This Exemption is effective upon issuance.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION d
Steven A. Varga, Director Division of Reactor Projects I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Dated at Bethesda, Maryland this 27th day of August 1987 cx -R i.) yfjl/
},
gg
\\
./,
LA:
- QRPR PM:PD21:DRPRV PEfPD21:DRPR D;p6
- DRPR DR RPR
.PR PAhd rg o ESylvester BMozafari/dsf EAd sam G a 6as a
s 8/ /87 8/te/87 8//1/87 j 8/;
87 8/f/87 8
/87