ML24044A253
| ML24044A253 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Susquehanna  |
| Issue date: | 03/14/2024 |
| From: | Jamie Heisserer Plant Licensing Branch 1 |
| To: | Casulli E Susquehanna |
| Klett A | |
| References | |
| EPID L-2023-LLE-0077 | |
| Download: ML24044A253 (1) | |
Text
March 14, 2024
Edward Casulli Site Vice President Susquehanna Nuclear, LLC 769 Salem Boulevard NUCSB3sus Berwick, PA 18603-0467
SUBJECT:
SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 AND ASSOCIATED INDEPENDENT SPENT FUEL STORAGE INSTALLATION -
EXEMPTION FROM SELECT REQUIREMENTS OF 10 CFR PART 73 (EPID L-2023-LLE-0077 [SECURITY NO TIFICATIONS, REPORTS, AND RECORDKEEPING AND SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY REPORTING])
Dear Edward Casulli:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) has approved the requested exemption from specific requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Part 73, Physical Protection of Plant and Materials, Subpart T, Security Notifications, Reports, and Recordkeeping, for Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2, and the associated Susquehanna Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (henceforth referred to as Susquehanna). This action is in response to the application submitted by Susquehanna Nuclear, LLC (the licensee), dated December 5, 2023 (Agencywide Documents Access and Managem ent System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML23339A170). The licensee requested an ex emption from the requirements of 10 CFR 73.1200, Notification of physical security events, paragraphs (a) through (t);
10 CFR 73.1205, Written follow-up reports of physical security events, paragraphs (a) through (e); 10 CFR 73.1210, Recordkeeping of physical security events, paragraphs (a) through (h); and 10 CFR 73.1215, Suspicious activity reports, paragraphs (a) through (f).
This licensee also requested an exemption from the current definitions for the terms Contraband and Time of discovery in 10 CFR 73.2, Definitions.
On March 14, 2023, the NRC issued its notice in the Federal Register for the Enhanced Weapons, Firearms Background Checks, and Security Event Notifications (EWR) final rule (88 FR 15864). This rule became effective April 13, 2023, with a compliance date of January 8, 2024.
The requirements for physical security event notifications, and the categories of physical security events and the timeframes by which the licensee must notify the NRC of these events, are set forth in 10 CFR 73.1200(a) through 10 CFR 73.1200(t).
The requirements for how licensees submit written follow-up reports following their telephonic notification of a physical security event under 10 CFR 73.1200 are set forth in 10 CFR 73.1205(a) through 10 CFR 73.1205(e).
E. Casulli
The requirements for recordkeeping of less significant physical security events and conditions adverse to security are set forth in 10 CFR 73.1210(a) through 10 CFR 73.1210(h).
The requirements for how licensees report suspicious activity to the NRC and other federal agencies within a specified time are set forth in 10 CFR 73.1215(a) through 10 CFR 73.1215(f).
As part of the EWR final rule, the NRC added definitions for Contraband and Time of discovery to 10 CFR 73.2 to help clarify the physical event notification requirements.
Summary of the Licensees Basis for the Requested Exemption
The licensee requested an exemption for Susquehanna from the requirements in Subpart T of the EWR final rule, as described above, that would defer the licensees compliance with those provisions until December 31, 2024, or 180 days after publication of final regulatory guides (RGs), whichever is later. The licensee is also requesting an exemption for Susquehanna from using the new definitions for Contraband and Time of discovery in 10 CFR 73.2 until the later of December 31, 2024, or 180 days after the NRCs publication of the final RGs.
The licensee is requesting an exemption from these requirements for Susquehanna because of what it asserts are ambiguities and inconsistencies in both the final rule language and the supporting RGs. In support of the exemption request, the licensee identified the following issues, among others, that challenge its im plementation of the new Subpart T reporting requirements and definitions in 10 CFR 73.2:
The licensee stated that the introduction of the term conditions adverse to security within 10 CFR 73.1210 is undefined and ambiguous and will have implications for the licensees corrective action program (CAP) that currently defines specific events, situations, or occurrences, including security items, that result in a condition adverse to quality.
The licensee stated that the new definitions of the terms Contraband and Time of discovery in 10 CFR 73.2 expand on the existing definitions provided in NRC-endorsed Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) 03-12, Revision 7, Template for the Security Plan, Training and Qualification Plan, Safeguards Contingency Plan, [and Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation Security Program] (ML11301A066), and RG 5.76, Revision 1, Physical Protection Programs at Nuclear Power Reactors (non-publicly available).
Applying these expanded definitions will require changes to the methods of compliance with the requirements for identifying Contraband and Time of discovery.
The licensee stated that the inconsistencies in RG 5.62, Revision 2, Physical Security Event Notifications, Reports, and Records (ML17131A285), associated with the implementation of 10 CFR 73.1200 for 15-minute and 4-hour notifications related to contraband, and 4-hour and 24-hour event notifications associated with the discovery that an authorized weapon is either lost or uncontrolled, creates the potential for confusion and human performance error.
The licensees application stated that because of these concerns, it is not clear what it must do to implement certain rule requirements and bring Susquehanna into full compliance with the rule. The licensee also stated that requiring it to come into compliance without full clarity on key parts of the rule would require it to make changes to its physical security plans and processes E. Casulli
for Susquehanna twiceonce to come into compliance with its own interpretation of the final rule (without the benefit of the revised guidance currently being developed by NRC), and again when the NRC issues revised guidance addressing the identified ambiguities and inconsistencies. The licensee provided the following two examples of where it asserts this duplicative work will be required:
Revisions of associated procedures, processes, job aids, training materials, and lesson plans that are used to describe and elaborate on reporting requirements.
The re-training of impacted station personnel with updated information in the revised guidance documents.
The licensee indicated in its application that the burden associated with this duplication of work is unnecessary while the NRC clarifies these ambiguities and inconsistencies and, therefore, affects efficient and effective implementation of the rule.
The licensee stated that if the exemption is granted, it will continue to comply with the security event reporting requirements for Susquehanna as they existed prior to March 2023, consistent with its current NRC-approved security plan and its site security procedures. The licensee will continue to implement its current CAP process that identifies conditions adverse to quality as they relate to the security program and items that are conditions adverse to regulatory compliance. Additionally, it will continue to use the definitions for the terms Contraband and Discovery (time of) embodied in the Susquehanna site security plan, consistent with how these terms are currently defined in RG 5.76, Revision 1. Consistent with the current Susquehanna site security plan, the licensee will also implement the requirements for reporting the suspension of security measures that were in the (now reserved) 10 CFR 73.71 prior to March 2023. The licensee will continue to implement the requirem ents in its Susquehanna site security plan as currently reviewed and approved by the NRC. Finally, the licensee has stated as part of its basis for justifying the exemption that it agrees to continue making voluntary reports of suspicious activities pending clarification of the EWR final rule.
NRC Staff Evaluation of the Exemption Request
Pursuant to 10 CFR 73.5, Specific exemptions, the Commission may, upon application by any interested person or upon its own initiative, grant exemptions from the requirements of 10 CFR, Part 73, when the exemptions are authorized by law, will not endanger life or property or the common defense and security, and are otherwise in the public interest.
The licensee provided several bases for its exemption request for Susquehanna. The licensee identified examples in 10 CFR 73.1200, 10 CFR 73.1210, and 10 CFR 73.2 to support the technical basis for an exemption from the prov isions of these requirements. The licensee has not identified any specific ambiguities and inconsistencies with respect to 10 CFR 73.1205 and 73.1215. However, the various reporting and event notification requirements in Subpart T and the two definitions in 10 CFR 73.2 for which the licensee seeks an exemption constitute an integrated framework for reporting and documenti ng security events, an approach which is both risk-informed and graded. Although the licensee has identified only a small number of ambiguities or inconsistencies in 10 CFR 73.1200, 73.1210, and 73.2, it asserts that without clarification on how these ambiguities and inconsistencies will be resolved by the NRC, the licensee will have to update its security program, including procedures, processes, and training, to incorporate its understanding of what is required to come into compliance with the rule. The licensee also stated that once the NRC has impl emented revisions to the rule and guidance to E. Casulli
address these ambiguities and inconsistencies, the licensee will again have to revise its security program to incorporate those clarifications to ensure continued compliance with the rule. This would entail an unduly resource-intensive bifurcation of the licensees otherwise integrated process for coming into compliance with the rule. In particular, the updated 10 CFR 73.2 definitions of Time of discovery and Contraband are a foundational and cross-cutting concept in the licensees program for implementing the updated notifications, reports, and recordkeeping requirements of revised 10 CFR 73.1200, 73.1205, 73.1210, and 73.1215. Accordingly, the NRC staff determined that the exemption would enable the licensee to efficiently consolidate into a single, systematic, process what would otherwise involve partial duplication of efforts to come into compliance with the rule. While not relying on all of the licensees claims in support of the exemption request, and considering that the issuance of the targeted clarifications to the identified regulatory guidance is well underway, the NRC staff concludes that the requested exemption would avoid unnecessary resource burden on the licensee and facilitate the effective and efficient implementation of the rule.
The NRC staff also finds the requested duration for the exemption appropriate for the licensee to review the revised NRC staff guidance, revise procedures, and provide training to site personnel that implements the new graded approach for reporting and documenting security events and activities to the NRC and other federal agencies.
During that time, the licensee will continue to implement its existing NRC-approved security plan for Susquehanna, which implements the NRCs security event reporting requirements that existed prior to the publication of the EWR final rule, and the licensee will also continue making voluntary suspicious activity reports. Because of these actions by the licensee, the NRC staff agrees that the licensees measures, implemented until the later of December 31, 2024, or 180 days after the NRCs publication of the final RGs, will provide high assurance of adequate protection. The NRC staff notes that the proposed revision 3 to RG 5.62 was published for public comment as Draft Regulatory Guide (DG)-5080, Physical Security Event Notifications, Reports and Records, on October 27, 2023 (88 FR 73767), and proposed revision 1 to RG 5.87, Suspicious Activity Reports Under 10 CFR Part 73, was published for public comment as DG-5082, Suspicious Activity Reports, on October 27, 2023 (88 FR 73769). For these reasons, and as documented in the findings below, the NRC staff has determined that granting the exemption is appropriate.
The NRC staff reviewed the exemption request and determined that granting the proposed exemption will not result in a violation of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, or other laws. Therefore, in accordance with 10 CFR 73.5, the NRC staff finds that the exemption is authorized by law.
The NRC staff has also determined that the licensee will maintain a security posture that continues to ensure safety and security at Susquehanna through the implementation of its current NRC-approved physical protection program using the reporting and recordkeeping requirements that existed prior to the publication of the EWR final rule and its continued voluntary reporting of suspicious activity. Theref ore, in accordance with 10 CFR 73.5, the NRC staff finds that granting the licensees proposed exemption will not endanger life or property or the common defense and security.
Finally, based on the identified inconsistencies and ambiguities discussed above in the rule text and regulatory guidance, the NRC staff has determined that temporarily delaying compliance with the specified subset of Part 73 requirements will reduce unnecessary burden on site E. Casulli
personnel and resources, while still facilitating the effective implementation of the EWR final rule. Therefore, the NRC staff has determined that granting the proposed exemption is in the public interest.
Environmental Considerations
The NRCs approval of the exemption to security requirements belongs to a category of actions that the Commission, by rule or regulation, has declared to be a categorical exclusion, after first finding that the category of actions does not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment. Specifically, the exemption is categorically excluded from further analysis under 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25).
Under 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25), the granting of an exemption from the requirements of any regulation of chapter 10 is a categorical exclusion provided that (i) there is no significant hazards consideration; (ii) there is no significant change in the types or significant increase in the amounts of any effluents that may be released offsite; (iii) there is no significant increase in individual or cumulative public or occupational radiation exposure; (iv) there is no significant construction impact; (v) there is no significant in crease in the potential for or consequences from radiological accidents; and (vi) the requirements from which an exemption is sought involve:
recordkeeping requirements; reporting requirements; inspection or surveillance requirements; equipment servicing or maintenance scheduling requirements; education, training, experience, qualification, requalification or other employm ent suitability requirements; safeguard plans, and materials control and accounting inventory scheduling requirements; scheduling requirements; surety, insurance or indemnity requirements; or other requirements of an administrative, managerial, or organizational nature.
The NRC staff has determined that the granting of the exemption request involves no significant hazards consideration because deferred compliance for the specific requirements described in the licensees submittal, as supplemented, does not (1) involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated; or (2) create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated; or (3) involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety. The exempted security regulations are unrelated to any operational restriction. Accordingly, there is no significant change in the types or significant increase in the amounts of any effluents that may be released offsite, and no significant increase in individual or cumulative public or occupational radiation exposure. The exempted regulations are not associated with construction, so there is no significant construction impact.
The exempted regulations do not concern the source term (i.e., potential amount of radiation in an accident) nor mitigation. Thus, there is no significant increase in the potential for, or consequences of, a radiological accident. The requirements of 10 CFR 73.2, 10 CFR 73.1200, 10 CFR 73.1205, 10 CFR 73.1210, and 10 CFR 73.1215, as described in the licensees submittal, involve recordkeeping requirements, reporting requirements, safeguard plans, and other requirements of an administrative, managerial, or organizational nature.
Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b) and (c)(25), no environmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared in connec tion with the approval of this exemption request.
E. Casulli
Conclusions
Accordingly, the NRC has determined that pursuant to 10 CFR 73.5, the exemption is authorized by law, will not endanger life or property or the common defense and security, and is otherwise in the public interest. Therefore, the NRC hereby grants the licensees request for an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 73.1200(a) through (t), 10 CFR 73.1205(a) through (e), 10 CFR 73.1210(a) through (h), 10 CFR 73.1215(a) through (f), and the revised definitions for the terms Contraband and Time of discovery in 10 CFR 73.2.
This exemption is effective from March 14, 2024, through December 31, 2024, or 180 days after publication of the final RGs (specifically, RG 5.62, Revision 3 and RG 5.87, Revision 1),
whichever is later.
Sincerely,
Jamie M. Heisserer, Deputy Director Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Docket Nos. 50-387, 50-388, and 72-28
cc: Listserv
E. Casulli
SUBJECT:
SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 AND ASSOCIATED INDEPENDENT SPENT FUEL STORAGE INSTALLATION -
EXEMPTION FROM SELECT REQUIREMENTS OF 10 CFR PART 73 (EPID L-2023-LLE-0077 [SECURITY NOTIFICATIONS, REPORTS, AND RECORDKEEPING AND SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY REPORTING])
DATED MARCH 14, 2024
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Accession No.: ML24044A253 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL1/PMiT NRR/DORL/LPL1/PM NRR/DORL/LPL1/LA NAME EHerrera AKlett KZeleznock DATE 02/13/2024 02/13/2024 02/15/2024 OFFICE NSIR/DPCP/MSB/BC NMSS/DFM/STLB/BC OGC - NLO NAME JCuadrado YDiaz-Sanabria AValentine DATE 01/26/2024 02/23/2024 03/13/2024 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL1/BC NRR/DORL/DD NAME HGonzalez JHeisserer DATE 03/14/2024 03/14/2024 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY