80 FR 32981 - Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Units 2 and 3; South Carolina Electric & Gas Company

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 111 (June 10, 2015)

Page Range		32981-32983
FR Document		2015-14206

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is granting an exemption to allow a departure from the certification information of Tier 1 of the generic design control document (DCD) and issuing License Amendment No. 24 to Combined Licenses (COL), NPF-93 and NPF-94. The COLs were issued to South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G), and South Carolina Public Service Authority (the licensee), for construction and operation of the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station (VCSNS), Units 2 and 3 located in Fairfield County, South Carolina. The granting of the exemption allows the changes to Tier 1 information requested in the amendment. Because the acceptability of the exemption was determined in part by the acceptability of the amendment, the exemption and amendment are being issued concurrently.

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 111 (Wednesday, June 10, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 111 (Wednesday, June 10, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32981-32983]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-14206]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 52-027 and 52-028; NRC-2008-0441]

Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Units 2 and 3; South Carolina
Electric & Gas Company

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Exemption and combined license amendment; issuance.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is granting an
exemption to allow a departure from the certification information of
Tier 1 of the generic design control document (DCD) and issuing License
Amendment No. 24 to Combined Licenses (COL), NPF-93 and NPF-94. The
COLs were issued to South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G), and
South Carolina Public Service Authority (the licensee), for
construction and operation of the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station
(VCSNS), Units 2 and 3 located in Fairfield County, South Carolina.
The granting of the exemption allows the changes to Tier 1
information requested in the amendment. Because the acceptability of
the exemption was determined in part by the acceptability of the
amendment, the exemption and amendment are being issued concurrently.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2008-0441 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You
may obtain publicly-available information related to this document
using any of the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2008-0441. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of
this document.
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the
ADAMS Public Documents collection at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and
then select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS,
please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at
1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by email to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The
ADAMS accession number for each document referenced (if it is available
in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is referenced. The
request for the amendment and exemption was submitted by the letter
dated July 17, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No. ML14202A088). The licensee
supplemented this request by letters dated September 25, 2014, and
January 5, 2015 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML14268A554 and ML15006A290).
NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Denise McGovern, Office of New
Reactors, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001; telephone: 301-415-0681; email: Denise.McGovern@nrc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 32982]]

I. Introduction

The NRC is granting an exemption from Tier 1 information in the
certified Design Control Document (DCD) incorporated by reference in
Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) part 52, appendix
D, ``Design Certification Rule for the AP1000 Design,'' and issuing
License Amendment No. 24 to COLs, NPF-93 and NPF-94, to the licensee.
The exemption is required by Paragraph A.4 of Section VIII, ``Processes
for Changes and Departures,'' appendix D to 10 CFR part 52 to allow the
licensee to depart from Tier 1 information. With the requested
amendment, the licensee sought proposed changes related to the design
details of the containment internal structural wall modules (CA01,
CA02, and CA05). The proposed changes to Tier 2 information in the
VCSNS Units 2 and 3 UFSAR, and the involved plant-specific Tier 1 and
corresponding combined license Appendix C information would allow the
use of thicker than normal faceplates to accommodate local demand or
connection loads in certain areas without the use of overlay plates or
additional backup structures. Additional proposed changes to Tier 2
information and involved Tier 2* information would allow:
(1) A means of connecting the structural wall modules to the base
concrete through use of structural shapes, reinforcement bars, and
shear studs extending horizontally from the structural module
faceplates and embedded during concrete placement as an alternative to
the use of embedment plates and vertically oriented reinforcement bars;
(2) a variance in structural module wall thicknesses from the
thicknesses identified in the VCSNS Units 2 and 3 UFSAR Figure 3.8.3-8,
``Structural Modules--Typical Design Details,'' for some walls that
separate equipment spaces from personnel access areas;
(3) the use of steel plates, structural shapes, reinforcement bars,
or tie bars between the module faceplates, as needed to support
localized loads and ensure compliance with applicable codes;
(4) revision to containment internal structure (CIS) evaluations,
and
(5) clarification to the definition of in-containment ``structural
wall modules,'' clarifying that the west wall of the In-containment
Refueling Water Storage Tank (IRWST) is not considered a ``structural
wall module,'' that the CIS critical sections identified in VCSNS Units
2 and 3 UFSAR Subsection 3.8.3.5.8.1 present design summaries for areas
of ``large'' demand in lieu of areas of ``largest'' demand, and
revising the VCSNS Units 2 and 3 UFSAR in several places to provide
consistency in terminology used to identify the structural wall modules
Part of the justification for granting the exemption was provided
by the review of the amendment. Because the exemption is necessary in
order to issue the requested license amendment, the NRC granted the
exemption and issued the amendment concurrently, rather than in
sequence. This included issuing a combined safety evaluation containing
the NRC staff's review of both the exemption request and the license
amendment. The exemption met all applicable regulatory criteria set
forth in 10 CFR 50.12, 10 CFR 52.7, and 10 CFR 52.63(b)(1). The license
amendment was found to be acceptable as well. The combined safety
evaluation is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML15061A205.
Identical exemption documents (except for referenced unit numbers
and license numbers) were issued to the licensee for VCSNS Units 2 and
3 (COLs NPF-93 and NPF-94). These documents can be found in ADAMS under
Accession Nos. ML15061A179 and ML15061A186, respectively. The exemption
is reproduced (with the exception of abbreviated titles and additional
citations) in Section II of this document. The amendment documents for
COLs NPF-93 and NPF-94 are available in ADAMS under Accession Nos.
ML15061A169 and ML15061A176, respectively. A summary of the amendment
documents is provided in Section III of this document.

II. Exemption

Reproduced below is the exemption document issued to VCSNS, Units 2
and 3. It makes reference to the combined safety evaluation that
provides the reasoning for the findings made by the NRC (and listed
under Item 1) in order to grant the exemption:
1. In a letter dated July 17, 2014 and supplemented by the letters
dated September 25, 2014, and January 5, 2015, South Carolina Electric
& Gas Company (licensee) requested from the NRC an exemption to allow
departures from Tier 1 information in the certified Design Control
Document (DCD) incorporated by reference in Title 10 of the Code of
Federal Regulations (10 CFR) part 52, appendix D, ``Design
Certification Rule for the AP1000 Design,'' as part of license
amendment request (LAR) 14-05, ``Containment Internal Structural Wall
Module Design Details.''
For the reasons set forth in Section 3.1 of the NRC staff's Safety
Evaluation, which can be found at (ADAMS Accession Number ML15061A205),
the Commission finds that:
A. The exemption is authorized by law;
B. the exemption presents no undue risk to public health and
safety;
C. the exemption is consistent with the common defense and
security;
D. special circumstances are present in that the application of the
rule in this circumstance would not serve the underlying purpose of the
rule;
E. the special circumstances outweigh any decrease in safety that
may result from the reduction in standardization caused by the
exemption, and
F. the exemption will not result in a significant decrease in the
level of safety otherwise provided by the design.
2. Accordingly, the licensee is granted an exemption from the
certified DCD Tier 1 Tables: 3.3-1 and 3.3-7, as described in the
licensee's request dated July 17, 2014, and supplemented by letters
dated September 25, 2014, and January 5, 2015. This exemption is
related to and necessary for the granting of License Amendment No. 24,
which is being issued concurrently with this exemption.
3. As explained in Section 5 of the NRC staff Safety Evaluation
(ADAMS Accession Number ML15061A205), this exemption meets the
eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR
51.22(c)(9). Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental
impact statement or environmental assessment needs to be prepared in
connection with the issuance of the exemption.
4. This exemption is effective as of the date of its issuance.

III. License Amendment Request

The request for the amendment and exemption was submitted by the
letter dated July 17, 2014. The licensee supplemented this request by
the letters dated September 25, 2014, and January 5, 2015. The proposed
amendment is described in Section I, above.
The Commission has determined for these amendments that the
application complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic
Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's rules
and regulations. The Commission has made appropriate findings as
required by the Act and the Commission's rules and regulations in 10
CFR Chapter I, which are set forth in the license amendment.
A notice of consideration of issuance of amendment to facility
operating license or combined license, as

[[Page 32983]]

applicable, proposed no significant hazards consideration
determination, and opportunity for a hearing in connection with these
actions, was published in the Federal Register on February 3, 2015 (80
FR 5798). No comments were received during the 30-day comment period.
The NRC staff has found that the amendment involves no significant
hazards consideration. The Commission has determined that these
amendments satisfy the criteria for categorical exclusion in accordance
with 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no
environmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be
prepared for these amendments.

IV. Conclusion

Using the reasons set forth in the combined safety evaluation, the
staff granted the exemption and issued the amendment that the licensee
requested on July 17, 2014, and supplemented by the letters dated
September 25, 2014, and January 5, 2015. The exemption and amendment
were issued on March 12, 2015, as part of a combined package to the
licensee (ADAMS Accession No. ML15061A159).

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day of June 2015.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Denise L. McGovern,
Acting Chief, Licensing Branch 4, Division of New Reactor Licensing,
Office of New Reactors.
[FR Doc. 2015-14206 Filed 6-9-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

32982 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 111 / Wednesday, June 10, 2015 / Notices

I. Introduction areas of ‘‘large’’ demand in lieu of areas For the reasons set forth in Section 3.1
The NRC is granting an exemption of ‘‘largest’’ demand, and revising the of the NRC staff’s Safety Evaluation,
from Tier 1 information in the certified VCSNS Units 2 and 3 UFSAR in several which can be found at (ADAMS
Design Control Document (DCD) places to provide consistency in Accession Number ML15061A205), the
incorporated by reference in Title 10 of terminology used to identify the Commission finds that:
the Code of Federal Regulations (10 structural wall modules A. The exemption is authorized by
CFR) part 52, appendix D, ‘‘Design Part of the justification for granting law;
the exemption was provided by the B. the exemption presents no undue
Certification Rule for the AP1000
review of the amendment. Because the risk to public health and safety;
Design,’’ and issuing License C. the exemption is consistent with
Amendment No. 24 to COLs, NPF–93 exemption is necessary in order to issue
the requested license amendment, the the common defense and security;
and NPF–94, to the licensee. The D. special circumstances are present
exemption is required by Paragraph A.4 NRC granted the exemption and issued
the amendment concurrently, rather in that the application of the rule in this
of Section VIII, ‘‘Processes for Changes circumstance would not serve the
and Departures,’’ appendix D to 10 CFR than in sequence. This included issuing
a combined safety evaluation containing underlying purpose of the rule;
part 52 to allow the licensee to depart E. the special circumstances outweigh
from Tier 1 information. With the the NRC staff’s review of both the
exemption request and the license any decrease in safety that may result
requested amendment, the licensee from the reduction in standardization
sought proposed changes related to the amendment. The exemption met all
applicable regulatory criteria set forth in caused by the exemption, and
design details of the containment F. the exemption will not result in a
internal structural wall modules (CA01, 10 CFR 50.12, 10 CFR 52.7, and 10 CFR
52.63(b)(1). The license amendment was significant decrease in the level of safety
CA02, and CA05). The proposed otherwise provided by the design.
changes to Tier 2 information in the found to be acceptable as well. The
2. Accordingly, the licensee is granted
VCSNS Units 2 and 3 UFSAR, and the combined safety evaluation is available
an exemption from the certified DCD
involved plant-specific Tier 1 and in ADAMS under Accession No.
Tier 1 Tables: 3.3–1 and 3.3–7, as
corresponding combined license ML15061A205.
described in the licensee’s request dated
Appendix C information would allow Identical exemption documents July 17, 2014, and supplemented by
the use of thicker than normal faceplates (except for referenced unit numbers and letters dated September 25, 2014, and
to accommodate local demand or license numbers) were issued to the January 5, 2015. This exemption is
connection loads in certain areas licensee for VCSNS Units 2 and 3 (COLs related to and necessary for the granting
without the use of overlay plates or NPF–93 and NPF–94). These documents of License Amendment No. 24, which is
additional backup structures. can be found in ADAMS under being issued concurrently with this
Additional proposed changes to Tier 2 Accession Nos. ML15061A179 and exemption.
information and involved Tier 2* ML15061A186, respectively. The 3. As explained in Section 5 of the
information would allow: exemption is reproduced (with the NRC staff Safety Evaluation (ADAMS
(1) A means of connecting the exception of abbreviated titles and Accession Number ML15061A205), this
structural wall modules to the base additional citations) in Section II of this exemption meets the eligibility criteria
concrete through use of structural document. The amendment documents for categorical exclusion set forth in 10
shapes, reinforcement bars, and shear for COLs NPF–93 and NPF–94 are CFR 51.22(c)(9). Therefore, pursuant to
studs extending horizontally from the available in ADAMS under Accession 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental
structural module faceplates and Nos. ML15061A169 and ML15061A176, impact statement or environmental
embedded during concrete placement as respectively. A summary of the assessment needs to be prepared in
an alternative to the use of embedment amendment documents is provided in connection with the issuance of the
plates and vertically oriented Section III of this document. exemption.
reinforcement bars; II. Exemption 4. This exemption is effective as of the
(2) a variance in structural module date of its issuance.
wall thicknesses from the thicknesses Reproduced below is the exemption
identified in the VCSNS Units 2 and 3 document issued to VCSNS, Units 2 and III. License Amendment Request
UFSAR Figure 3.8.3–8, ‘‘Structural 3. It makes reference to the combined The request for the amendment and
Modules—Typical Design Details,’’ for safety evaluation that provides the exemption was submitted by the letter
some walls that separate equipment reasoning for the findings made by the dated July 17, 2014. The licensee
spaces from personnel access areas; NRC (and listed under Item 1) in order supplemented this request by the letters
(3) the use of steel plates, structural to grant the exemption: dated September 25, 2014, and January
shapes, reinforcement bars, or tie bars 1. In a letter dated July 17, 2014 and 5, 2015. The proposed amendment is
between the module faceplates, as supplemented by the letters dated described in Section I, above.
needed to support localized loads and September 25, 2014, and January 5, The Commission has determined for
ensure compliance with applicable 2015, South Carolina Electric & Gas these amendments that the application
codes; Company (licensee) requested from the complies with the standards and
(4) revision to containment internal NRC an exemption to allow departures requirements of the Atomic Energy Act
structure (CIS) evaluations, and from Tier 1 information in the certified of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the
(5) clarification to the definition of in- Design Control Document (DCD) Commission’s rules and regulations.
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

containment ‘‘structural wall modules,’’ incorporated by reference in Title 10 of The Commission has made appropriate
clarifying that the west wall of the In- the Code of Federal Regulations (10 findings as required by the Act and the
containment Refueling Water Storage CFR) part 52, appendix D, ‘‘Design Commission’s rules and regulations in
Tank (IRWST) is not considered a Certification Rule for the AP1000 10 CFR Chapter I, which are set forth in
‘‘structural wall module,’’ that the CIS Design,’’ as part of license amendment the license amendment.
critical sections identified in VCSNS request (LAR) 14–05, ‘‘Containment A notice of consideration of issuance
Units 2 and 3 UFSAR Subsection Internal Structural Wall Module Design of amendment to facility operating
3.8.3.5.8.1 present design summaries for Details.’’ license or combined license, as

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Document Created: 2015-12-15 15:17:02
Document Modified: 2015-12-15 15:17:02

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Exemption and combined license amendment; issuance.
Contact		Denise McGovern, Office of New Reactors, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555- 0001; telephone: 301-415-0681; email: [email protected]
FR Citation		80 FR 32981