ML23311A130

Summary of Nov. 6, 2023, - Closed Meeting Held with Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., Regarding Physical Barriers Exemptions for Hatch Units 1 & 2, Farley Units 1 & 2 and Vogtle Units 1, 2, 3 & 4 (EPID L-2023-LLE-0018 & L-2023-LLE-0

ML23311A130
Person / Time
Site:	Hatch, Vogtle, Farley
Issue date:	11/17/2023
From:	John Lamb Plant Licensing Branch II
To:	Southern Nuclear Operating Co
Lamb J
Shared Package
ML23311A149	List: ML23311A130
References
EPID L-2023-LLE-0018, EPID L-2023-LLE-0021
Download: ML23311A130 (6)

Text

November 17, 2023 LICENSEE: Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.

FACILITY: Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units 1, 2, 3, and 4

SUMMARY

OF NOVEMBER 6, 2023, CLOSED MEETING HELD WITH SOUTHERN NUCLEAR OPERATING COMPANY, INC., REGARDING PHYSICAL BARRIER EXEMPTIONS FOR EDWIN I. HATCH NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2, JOSEPH M. FARLEY NUCLEAR PLANTS, UNITS 1 AND 2, AND VOGTLE ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT, UNITS 1, 2, 3, AND 4 (EPID NO. L-2023-LLE-0018 AND L-2023-LLE-0021)

By letter dated July 7, 2023 (Agencywide Documents and Access Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML23188A163), Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. (SNC, the licensee) submitted exemption requests in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Section 73.5, Specific exemptions, to the angled bracket requirement in paragraph (1) of the physical barrier definition in 10 CFR 73.2, Definitions, for specific locations along the protected area perimeter fencing at Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant (Hatch),

Units 1 and 2; Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant (Farley), Units 1 and 2; and Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (Vogtle), Units 1, 2, 3, and 4.

On November 6, 2023, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff held a closed meeting with representatives from SNC. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss security-related information regarding the physical barrier exemption requests for Hatch, Farley, and Vogtle. A list of attendees is provided in the Enclosure.

The NRC staff opened the meeting with introductory remarks and a roll call of the attendees.

Discussion during the meeting followed the agenda contained in the notice that the NRC staff posted on the NRCs public website on October 25, 2023 (ML23298A054). The NRC staff asked if SNC considered requesting an alternative measure for its vertical brackets in lieu of exemptions, since SNC asserted in its submittal that the use of vertical brackets at its sites provides an equivalent level of protection as the angled brackets required by paragraph (1) of the physical barrier definition in 10 CFR 73.2. SNC stated that its submittal followed the FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company exemptions dated September 6, 2018 (ML17200D139), and SNC indicated it would consider whether it wants to pursue a different licensing approach.

The NRC staff informed SNC that if it decides to move forward with the submitted request, and the NRC staff determines the exemptions are justified, the NRC will issue the exemptions on a site-specific basis rather than to the SNC fleet as the licensee requested. To complete its review

of the SNCs exemption request, the NRC staff informed the licensee that the following additional information is needed:

(1) A description or comparison of the types of protected area perimeter fencing used at Farley, Hatch, and Vogtle in sufficient detail to demonstrate which portions of that fencing meet each fence attribute required by paragraph (1) of the definition of physical barrier in 10 CFR 73.2; (2) The time it takes for an individual to climb or otherwise traverse over the licensees alternative fence configuration that uses vertical brackets; and (3) A justification for each alternative fence location that explains why SNC cannot meet the NRCs fence requirement in paragraph (1) of the physical barrier definition.

The NRC staff informed SNC that if it decides to pursue an alternative measure, the NRC staff would still need the additional information listed in items (1) and (2) above; however, SNC would not need to provide the information in item (3) since SNC would be asserting that it meets the NRCs physical barrier requirement.

The NRC staff acknowledged that SNC requested that the NRC staff withhold from the public the Figures Attachment to its submittal dated July 7, 2023. The NRC staff explained that it reviewed the information in the Figures Attachment and noted that the information appears to not meet the withholding justifications in 10 CFR 2.390(a)(1)-(9) or the criteria and guidance in NRCs DG-SGI-1, Designation Guide of Safeguards Information, dated September 30, 2005 (ML062780084, not publicly available). The NRC staff requested that SNC provide specific justification to support its request to withhold the drawings in the Figures Attachment.

The NRC staff made no regulatory decisions during the meeting. The meeting adjourned at 1:43 pm Eastern Standard Time. Public meeting feedback forms were available, but no comments were received.

Please direct any inquiries to me at John.Lamb@nrc.gov or 301-415-3100.

/RA John G. Lamb, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch, II-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-321, 50-366, 50-348, 50-366, 50-424, 50-425,52-025, and 52-026

Enclosure:

List of Attendees cc w/encls: Distribution via Listserv

LIST OF ATTENDEES NOVEMBER 6, 2023, CLOSED MEETING WITH SOUTHERN NUCLEAR COMPANY REGARDING PHYSICAL BARRIER EXEMPTIONS EDWIN I. HATCH NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 JOSEPH M. FARLEY NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 VOGTLE ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT, UNITS 1, 2, 3, AND 4 ATTENDEE REPRESENTING Tony Bowers U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

Lou Cubellis NRC Steven Sarver NRC Mike Markley NRC John G. Lamb NRC Andrea Johnson NRC Ed Miller NRC Zach Turner NRC Dawnmathews Kalathiveettil NRC Jonathan Brown NRC Jeff Bream NRC Randy Patterson NRC Ryan Joyce Southern Nuclear Operating Company (SNC)

Jeanne Johnston SNC Ryan Henderson SNC Ken Lowery SNC Wes Sparkman SNC Dane Dienethal SNC Guye Akins SNC Gerald Durham SNC Steve Shipman SNC

PKG ML23311A149 Meeting Notice ML23298A054 Meeting Summary ML23311A130 NRC-001 OFFICE DORL/LPL2-1/PM DORL/LPL2-1/LA DPCP/RSB/BC DORL/LPL2-1/BC DORL/LPL2-1/PM NAME JLamb KGoldstein ABowers MMarkley JLamb DATE 11/06/2023 11/07/2023 11/15/2023 11/17/2023 11/17/2023