ML061000048

Environmental Assessment Relating to Exemption from the Requirements of Appendix G to 10 CFR Part 50 (TAC Nos. MC5773 and MC5774)

ML061000048
Person / Time
Site:	San Onofre
Issue date:	04/07/2006
From:	Kalyanam N NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLG
To:	Rosenblum R M Southern California Edison Co
Kalyanam N
References
TAC MC5773, TAC MC5774
Download: ML061000048 (9)

Text

April 7, 2006Mr. Richard M. Rosenblum Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer Southern California Edison Company San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

P.O. Box 128 San Clemente, CA 92674-0128

SUBJECT:

SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3 -ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT RELATING TO EXEMPTION FROM THE REQUIREMENTS OF APPENDIX G TO 10 CFR PART 50 (TAC NOS. MC5773 AND MC5774)

Dear Mr. Rosenblum:

Enclosed is a copy of the Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impactrelated to your application for exemption dated January 28, 2005, as supplemented by letterdated January 12, 2006. The proposed exemption would exempt Southern California Edisonfrom certain requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50,Appendix G to allow the application of the methodology in Combustion Engineering Topical Report NPSD-683-A, Revision 6, "The Development of a RCS [Reactor Coolant System]

Pressure and Temperature Limits Report for the Removal of P-T [Pressure Temperature] Limits and LTOP [Low-Temperature Overpressure Protection] Setpoints from the TechnicalSpecifications," for the calculation of flaw stress intensity factors due to internal pressure loadings (K Im). The assessment is being forwarded to the Office of the Federal Register for publication.Sincerely,/RA/N. Kalyanam, Project ManagerPlant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor RegulationDocket Nos. 50-361 and 50-362

Enclosure:

Environmental Assessment cc w/encl: See next page 7590-01-PUNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONSOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANYSAN DIEGO GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANYTHE CITY OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIATHE CITY OF ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIADOCKET NOS. 50-361 AND 50-362SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OFNO SIGNIFICANT IMPACTThe U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an exemption from Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Appendix G forFacility Operating License No. NPF-10 and NPF-15, issued to Southern California Edison (thelicensee), for operation of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Units 2 and 3(SONGS 2 and 3), located in San Diego County, California. Therefore, as provided by 10 CFR 51.21 and 51.33, the NRC is issuing this environmental assessment and finding of nosignificant impact.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTIdentification of the Proposed Action:By letter dated January 28, 2005, the licensee submitted a license amendment requestwhere, among other changes, the licensee requested the use of an alternate methodology forcalculating the stress intensity factor K Im due to internal pressure loading. As required by thesafety evaluation on topical report Combustion Engineering (CE) Topical Report NPSD-683-A, Revision 6, dated March 16, 2001, the licensee, by its supplement dated January 12, 2006,included a request for an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix G for pressure temperature (P-T) limits since the alternate methodology applies the CE Nuclear Steam Supply System method for calculating K Im stress intensity values. The proposed action would exempt the licensee from certain requirements ofAppendix G to 10 CFR Part 50 to allow the application of the methodology in CE NPSD-683-A, Revision 6, "The Development of a RCS [Reactor Coolant System] Pressure and Temperature Limits Report for the Removal of P-T Limits and LTOP [Low-Temperature Overpressure Protection] Setpoints from the Technical Specifications," for the calculation of flaw stressintensity factors due to internal pressure loadings (K Im).The Need for the Proposed Action:In the associated exemption, the staff has determined that, pursuant to10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii), the application of the regulation in the particular circumstances is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the rule, based on the alternative methodology proposed in the licensee's amendment request. The proposed action would revise the currently-approved methodology for P-T limit calculations to incorporate the methodologyapproved for use in CE NPSD-683-A, Revision 6. The topical report allows the use of an alternate methodology to calculate the flaw stress intensity factors due to internal pressure loadings (K Im). The exemption is needed because the methodology in CE NPSD-683-A,Revision 6, could not be shown to be conservative with respect to the methodology for the determination of K Im provided in Editions and Addenda of ASME Code,Section XI, Appendix G,through the 1995 Edition and 1996 Addenda (the latest Edition and Addenda of the ASME Code which had been incorporated into 10 CFR 50.55a at the time of the staff's review of CE NPSD-683-A, Revision 6). Therefore, along with the supplement dated January 12, 2006, the licensee submitted an exemption request, consistent with the requirements of 10 CFR 50.60, to apply the K Im calculational methodology of CE NPSD-683-A, Revision 6, aspart of the SONGS 2 and 3 pressure temperature limit report (PTLR) methodology.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action:The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and concludes that theexemption described above would provide an adequate margin of safety against brittle failure of the reactor pressure vessel at SONGS 2 and 3. The details of the staff's safety evaluation willbe provided in the exemption to Appendix G, which will allow the use of the methodology inTopical Report CE NPSD-683-A, Revision 6, to calculate the flaw stress intensity factors due to internal pressure loadings (K Im), that will be issued in a future letter to the licensee.The proposed action will not significantly increase the pr obability or consequences ofaccidents, no changes are being made in the types of effluents that may be released off site, and there is no significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, there are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed action does not have apotential to affect any historic sites. It does not affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. Therefore, there are no significant nonradiological environmentalimpacts associated with the proposed action.Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant environmental impactsassociated with the proposed action.

Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action:As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered denial of the proposedaction (i.e., the "no-action" alternative). Denial of the application would result in no change in current environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of the proposed action and the alternative action are similar. Alternative Use of Resources:The action does not involve the use of any different resources than those previouslyconsidered in the Final Environmental Statement for the SONGS 2 and 3 dated May 12, 1981. Agencies and Persons Consulted:On March 28, 2006, the staff consulted with the California State official, Steve Hsu ofthe Department of Health Services, Radiologic Health Branch, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The State official had no comments.

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACTOn the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC concludes that the proposedaction will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly,the NRC has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposedaction.For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the licensee's exemptionletter dated January 28, 2005, as supplemented by letter dated January 12, 2006. Documentsmay be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), locatedat One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville,Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically from the AgencywideDocuments Access and Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Persons who do nothave access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 7 th day of April 2006.FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION/RA/N. Kalyanam, Project ManagerPlant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation April 7, 2006Mr. Richard M. Rosenblum Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer Southern California Edison Company San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

P.O. Box 128 San Clemente, CA 92674-0128

SUBJECT:

SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3 -ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT RELATING TO EXEMPTION FROM THE REQUIREMENTS OF APPENDIX G TO 10 CFR PART 50 (TAC NOS. MC5773 AND MC5774)

Dear Mr. Rosenblum:

Enclosed is a copy of the Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impactrelated to your application for exemption dated January 28, 2005, as supplemented by letterdated January 12, 2006. The proposed exemption would exempt Southern California Edisonfrom certain requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50,Appendix G to allow the application of the methodology in Combustion Engineering Topical Report NPSD-683-A, Revision 6, "The Development of a RCS [Reactor Coolant System]

Pressure and Temperature Limits Report for the Removal of P-T [Pressure Temperature] Limits and LTOP [Low-Temperature Overpressure Protection] Setpoints from the TechnicalSpecifications," for the calculation of flaw stress intensity factors due to internal pressure loadings (K Im). The assessment is being forwarded to the Office of the Federal Register for publication.Sincerely,/RA/N. Kalyanam, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor RegulationDocket Nos. 50-361 and 50-362

Enclosure:

Environmental Assessment cc w/encl: See next pageDISTRIBUTIONPUBLICLPLIV r/fRidsNrrDorl (CHaney/CHolden)RidsNrrDorlLplg (DTerao)RidsNrrPMNKalyanamRidsNrrLALFeizollahiRidsAcrsAcnwMailCenter RidsRgn4MailCenter (TPruett)RidsOgcRpRidsNrrDorlDprTBloomer, RIV EDOACCESSION NO: OFFICENRR/LPL4/PMNRR/LPL4/LANRR/DLR/REBOGCNRR/LPL4/BCNAMENKalyanam:mxr4LFeizollahiRFranovich (JDavis for)MWoodsDTerao DATE4/5/064/5/063/31/20064/5/064/7/06OFFICIAL RECORD COPY March 2006San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Units 2 and 3 cc:Mr. Daniel P. Breig Southern California Edison Company San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

P. O. Box 128 San Clemente, CA 92674-0128Mr. Douglas K. Porter, EsquireSouthern California Edison Company 2244 Walnut Grove Avenue Rosemead, CA 91770Mr. David Spath, ChiefDivision of Drinking Water and Environmental Management P. O. Box 942732 Sacramento, CA 94234-7320Chairman, Board of SupervisorsCounty of San Diego 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 335 San Diego, CA 92101Mark L. ParsonsDeputy City Attorney City of Riverside 3900 Main Street Riverside, CA 92522Mr. Gary L. Nolff Assistant Director - Resources City of Riverside 3900 Main Street Riverside, CA 92522Regional Administrator, Region IVU.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011-8064Mr. Michael R. OlsonSan Diego Gas & Electric Company 8315 Century Park Ct. CP21G San Diego, CA 92123-1548Director, Radiologic Health BranchState Department of Health Services P.O. Box 997414, MS 7610 Sacramento, CA 95899-7414Resident Inspector/San Onofre NPS c/o U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Post Office Box 4329 San Clemente, CA 92674Mayor City of San Clemente 100 Avenida Presidio San Clemente, CA 92672Mr. James T. Reilly Southern California Edison Company San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

P.O. Box 128 San Clemente, CA 92674-0128Mr. James D. Boyd, CommissionerCalifornia Energy Commission 1516 Ninth Street (MS 31)

Sacramento, CA 95814Mr. Ray Waldo, Vice PresidentSouthern California Edison Company San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

P.O. Box 128 San Clemente, CA 92764-0128Mr. Brian KatzSouthern California Edison Company San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

P.O. Box 128 San Clemente, CA 92764-0128Mr. Steve HsuDepartment of Health Services Radiologic Health Branch MS 7610, P.O. Box 997414 Sacramento, CA 95899Mr. A. Edward SchererSouthern California Edison Company San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

P.O. Box 128 San Clemente, CA 92674-0128