ML21355A450

Letter - Sequoyah Response to Appendix E,Section IV.F.2.D Exemption Request

ML21355A450
Person / Time
Site:	Sequoyah
Issue date:	01/24/2022
From:	Bo Pham NRC/NRR/DORL/LPL2-2
To:	Jim Barstow Tennessee Valley Authority
Buckberg P
References
EPID L-2021-LLE-0054
Download: ML21355A450 (3)

Text

January 24, 2022 Mr. James Barstow Vice President, Nuclear Regulatory Affairs and Support Services Tennessee Valley Authority 1101 Market Street, LP 4A-C Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801

SUBJECT:

SEQUOYAH NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 - EXEMPTION REQUEST FROM THE REQUIREMENTS OF 10 CFR PART 50, APPENDIX E, SECTION IV.F.2.d (EPID L-2021-LLE-0054)

Dear Mr. Barstow:

On December 17, 2021, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) submitted a request for a temporary exemption (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession (ADAMS) No. ML21351A492) from the requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Part 50, Appendix E,Section IV.F.2.d for Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 (Sequoyah). Specifically, the licensee requested a one-time schedular exemption from the requirement in Section IV.F.2.d that the State fully participate in an ingestion pathway portion of the licensees emergency preparedness exercise at least once every exercise cycle.

In a letter dated March 21, 2018, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in consultation with their Federal partners, approved a request from the State of Tennessee to postpone their participation in the ingestion pathway portion of the licensees emergency preparedness exercise to September 14 - 15, 2022. The postponement of State participation was due to the high volume of 50-mile exercises in which FEMA was scheduled to participate, and the concern that the high number of exercises could limit the availability of resources. The licensee requested approval of the exemption by December 31, 2021.

During the evaluation of this request, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff determined that an exemption to Section IV.F.2.d, which states, in part, that [e]ach Stateshould fully participatein the ingestion pathway portion of exercises at least every exercise cycle, is not required.Section IV.F.2.d, in using the word should, provides a best practice for ingestion pathway emergency preparedness exercises but does not create a regulatory requirement for the licensee. Therefore, no exemption is required.

J. Barstow On a December 28, 2021, call, NRC management informed TVA of the NRC staffs determination that an exemption to Section IV.2.F.d was not required. During the call, TVA preliminarily agreed to withdraw the exemption request.

Sincerely, Digitally signed by Bo M.

Pham Bo M. Pham Date: 2022.01.24 13:07:23 -05'00' Bo M. Pham, Director Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos.: 50-327 and 50-328 cc: Listserv

ML21355A450 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/PM NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/LA NSIR/DPR/RLB/BC OGC - NLO NAME PBuckberg RButler JQuichocho (MNorris for) CKreuzberger DATE 1/11/2022 1/11/2022 1/12/2022 1/18/2022 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL2-2/BC NRR/DORL/D NAME DWrona BPham DATE 1/18/2022 1/24/2022