81_FR_39184 81 FR 39069 - Xcel Energy, Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation

81 FR 39069 - Xcel Energy, Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 115 (June 15, 2016)

Page Range39069-39076
FR Document2016-14188

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an exemption in response to a request submitted by Xcel Energy on September 29, 2015, from meeting Technical Specification (TS) 1.2.5 of Attachment A of Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1004, Amendment No. 10, which requires that all dry shielded canister (DSC) closure welds, except those subjected to full volumetric inspection, shall be dye penetrant tested in accordance with the requirements of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel (B&PV) Code Section III, Division 1, Article NB-5000. This exemption applies to one loaded Standardized NUHOMS[supreg] 61BTH, DSC 16 (DSC 16), at the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant (MNGP) Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI).

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 115 (Wednesday, June 15, 2016)
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 115 (Wednesday, June 15, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39069-39076]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-14188]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 72-58 and 50-263; NRC-2016-0115]


Xcel Energy, Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant Independent 
Spent Fuel Storage Installation

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Exemption; issuance.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an 
exemption in response to a request submitted by Xcel Energy on 
September 29, 2015, from meeting Technical Specification (TS) 1.2.5 of 
Attachment A of Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1004, Amendment No. 
10, which requires that all dry shielded canister (DSC) closure welds, 
except those subjected to full volumetric inspection, shall be dye 
penetrant tested in accordance with the requirements of American 
Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel 
(B&PV) Code Section III, Division 1, Article NB-5000. This exemption 
applies to one loaded Standardized NUHOMS[supreg] 61BTH, DSC 16 (DSC 
16), at the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant (MNGP) Independent 
Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI).

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2016-0115 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-2016-0115. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; email: [email protected]. 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 [email protected]. For 
the convenience of the reader, the ADAMS accession numbers are provided 
in a table in the ``Availability of Documents'' section of this 
document.
     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: Christian Jacobs, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-6825; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Northern States Power Company-Minnesota, doing business as Xcel 
Energy (Xcel Energy, or the applicant) is the holder of Facility 
Operating License No. DPR-22, which authorizes operation of the 
Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant (MNGP), Unit No. 1, in Wright 
County, Minnesota, pursuant to part 50 of title 10 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ``Domestic Licensing of Production and 
Utilization Facilities.'' The license provides, among other things, 
that the facility is subject to all rules, regulations, and orders of 
the NRC now or hereafter in effect.
    Consistent with 10 CFR part 72, subpart K, ``General License for 
Storage of Spent Fuel at Power Reactor Sites,'' a general license is 
issued for the storage of spent fuel in an ISFSI at power reactor sites 
to persons authorized to possess or operate nuclear power reactors 
under 10 CFR part 50. The applicant is authorized to operate a nuclear 
power reactor under 10 CFR part 50, and holds a 10 CFR part 72 general 
license for storage of spent fuel at the Monticello Nuclear Generating 
Plant ISFSI. Under the terms of the general license, the applicant 
stores spent fuel at its ISFSI using the Transnuclear, Inc. (TN) 
Standardized NUHOMS[supreg] dry cask storage system Certificate of 
Compliance (CoC) No. 1004, Amendments No. 9 and No. 10. As part of the 
dry storage system, the DSC (of which the closure welds are an integral 
part) ensures that the dry storage system can meet the functions of 
criticality safety, confinement boundary, shielding, structural 
support, and heat transfer.

II. Request/Action

    The applicant has requested an exemption from the requirements of 
10 CFR 72.212(b)(3) and 10 CFR 72.212(b)(11) that require compliance 
with the terms, conditions, and specifications of CoC No. 1004, 
Amendment No. 10, for the Standardized NUHOMS[supreg] Horizontal 
Modular Storage System, to the extent necessary for the applicant to 
transfer DSC 16 into a Horizontal Storage Module (HSM). This would 
permit the continued storage of that DSC for the service life of the 
canister. Specifically, the exemption would relieve the applicant from 
meeting TS 1.2.5 of Attachment A of CoC No. 1004, which requires that 
all DSC closure welds, except those subjected to full volumetric 
inspection, shall be dye penetrant tested in accordance with the 
requirements of the ASME B&PV Code Section III, Division 1, Article NB-
5000. Technical Specification 1.2.5 further requires that the liquid 
penetrant test acceptance standards shall be those described in 
Subsection NB-5350 of the ASME BP&V Code.
    Xcel Energy loaded spent nuclear fuel into six 61BTH DSCs starting 
in September 2013. Subsequent to the loading, it was discovered that 
certain elements of the liquid penetrant test (PT) examinations, which 
were performed on the DSCs to verify the acceptability of the closure 
welds, do not comply with the requirements of TS 1.2.5. All six DSCs 
were affected. Five of the six DSCs (numbers 11-15) had already been 
loaded in the HSMs when the discrepancies were discovered. The DSC 16 
remains on the reactor building refueling floor in a transfer cask 
(TC).

[[Page 39070]]

Xcel Energy has performed phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) of the 
closure welds, supported by analysis, as an alternate means for 
verifying the weld quality. The PAUT nondestructive examination (NDE) 
consists of testing performed by qualified personnel, using specific 
procedures and equipment shown by performance demonstration to be 
sufficient to detect the range of potential weld defects that could be 
present in the closure welds. The exemption request, if approved, would 
allow the transfer of DSC 16 into an HSM, and would permit the 
continued storage of that DSC for the service life of the canister. 
Xcel Energy plans to request a separate exemption for the remaining 
DSCs (11-15).
    In a letter dated September 29, 2015, as supplemented January 29, 
2016, and March 29, 2016, the applicant requested an exemption from 
certain parts of the following requirements to allow storage of the DSC 
at the MNGP ISFSI:
     10 CFR 72.212(b)(3), which states that the general 
licensee must ensure that each cask used by the general licensee 
conforms to the terms, conditions, and specifications of a CoC or an 
amended CoC listed in Sec.  72.214.
     10 CFR 72.212(b)(11), which states, in part, that the 
licensee shall comply with the terms, conditions, and specifications of 
the CoC and, for those casks to which the licensee has applied the 
changes of an amended CoC, the terms, conditions, and specifications of 
the amended CoC.
    Upon review, in addition to the requirements from which the 
applicant requested exemption, the NRC staff determined that exemptions 
from the following requirements are also necessary in order to 
authorize the applicant's request and added the following requirements 
to the exemption for the proposed action pursuant to its authority 
under 10 CFR 72.7, ``Specific exemptions'':
     10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), which states that this general 
license is limited to storage of spent fuel in casks approved under the 
provisions of this part.
     10 CFR 72.212(b)(5)(i), which requires that the general 
licensee perform written evaluations, before use and before applying 
the changes authorized by an amended CoC to a cask loaded under the 
initial CoC or an earlier amended CoC, which establish that the cask, 
once loaded with spent fuel or once the changes authorized by an 
amended CoC have been applied, will conform to the terms, conditions, 
and specifications of a CoC or an amended CoC listed in Sec.  72.214.
     10 CFR 72.214, which lists the approved spent fuel storage 
casks.

III. Discussion

    Pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7, the Commission may, upon application by 
any interested person or upon its own initiative, grant such exemptions 
from the requirements of the regulations of 10 CFR part 72 as it 
determines are authorized by law and will not endanger life or property 
or the common defense and security and are otherwise in the public 
interest.

Authorized by Law

    This exemption would allow the applicant to transfer DSC 16 into an 
HSM, and would permit the continued storage of that DSC at the MNGP 
ISFSI for the service life of the canister by relieving the applicant 
of the requirement to meet the liquid penetrant test requirements of TS 
1.2.5 of Attachment A of CoC No. 1004. The provisions in 10 CFR part 72 
from which the applicant is requesting exemption, as well as provisions 
determined to be applicable by the NRC staff, require the licensee to 
comply with the terms, conditions, and specifications of the CoC for 
the approved cask model it uses. Section 72.7 allows the NRC to grant 
exemptions from the requirements of 10 CFR part 72. As explained below, 
the proposed exemption will not endanger life or property, or the 
common defense and security, and is otherwise in the public interest. 
Issuance of this exemption is consistent with the Atomic Energy Act of 
1954, as amended, and not otherwise inconsistent with NRC's regulations 
or other applicable laws. Therefore, the exemption is authorized by 
law.

Will Not Endanger Life or Property or the Common Defense and Security

    This exemption would relieve the applicant from meeting TS 1.2.5 of 
Attachment A of CoC No. 1004, which requires liquid penetrant test 
examinations to be performed on the DSCs to verify the acceptability of 
the closure welds, allowing for transfer of DSC 16 into an HSM, and 
would permit the continued storage of that DSC at the MNGP ISFSI for 
the service life of the canister. This exemption only addresses DSC 16, 
for which the PT test was not performed in accordance with the 
examination procedures specified in TS 1.2.5. Xcel Energy performed 
phased array ultrasonic testing to nondestructively examine the welds, 
and prepared structural analyses based on the actual weld quality to 
verify that the welds would perform their desired function over the 
storage term of the DSC. As detailed below, NRC staff reviewed the 
exemption request to determine whether granting of the exemption would 
cause potential for danger to life, property, or common defense and 
security.

Review of the Requested Exemption

    The NUHOMS[supreg] system provides horizontal dry storage of 
canisterized spent fuel assemblies in an HSM. The cask storage system 
components for NUHOMS[supreg] consist of a reinforced concrete HSM and 
a DSC vessel with an internal basket assembly that holds the spent fuel 
assemblies. The HSM is a low-profile, reinforced concrete structure 
designed to withstand all normal condition loads, as well as abnormal 
condition loads created by natural phenomena such as earthquakes and 
tornadoes. It is also designed to withstand design basis accident 
conditions. The Standardized NUHOMS[supreg] Horizontal Modular Storage 
System has been approved for storage of spent fuel under the conditions 
of Certificate of Compliance No. 1004. The DSC under consideration for 
exemption was loaded under Certificate of Compliance No. 1004, 
Amendment No. 10.
    The NRC has previously approved the Standardized NUHOMS[supreg] 
Horizontal Modular Storage System. The requested exemption does not 
change the fundamental design, components, contents, or safety features 
of the storage system. The NRC staff has evaluated the applicable 
potential safety impacts of granting the exemption to assess the 
potential for danger to life or property or the common defense and 
security; the evaluation and resulting conclusions are presented below. 
The potential impacts identified for this exemption request were in the 
areas of materials, structural integrity, thermal, shielding, and 
confinement capability.
    Materials Review for the Requested Exemption: The applicant 
asserted that there is reasonable assurance of safety for the requested 
exemption for the transfer of DSC 16 to the MNGP ISFSI pad. The 
applicant's assertion of reasonable assurance of safety for the 
transfer of DSC 16 is based on the following:
     Repair and verification activities performed on DSC 16;
     PAUT examination and analysis of accessible lid welds on 
DSC 16;
     Short duration and haul distance of the transfer of DSC 
16, and
     The safest location for DSC 16 is in the HSM.
    The applicant asserts that there is a reasonable assurance of 
safety for the requested exemption for DSC 16 (CoC

[[Page 39071]]

No. 1004, Amendment 10) based on the following:
     Integrity of the fuel (cladding) creates a fission product 
barrier;
     The quality of the welding process employed provides 
indication of development of quality welds;
     The advantages of the multi-layer weld technique which 
includes the low probability for flaw propagation, the subsequent 
covering of weld layer surface flaws and the indication of development 
of quality welds;
     Visual inspections performed on the welds met quality 
requirements;
     The DSC backfill and helium leak testing results verify 
confinement barrier integrity;
     The lack of a failure mechanism that adversely affects 
confinement barrier integrity; and
     Margin of safety is available in the welds when assuming 
conservatively large flaws. These margins are demonstrated by two 
different methods: (1) Structural analysis using an analysis-based 
Stress Allowance Reduction Factor and theoretically-bounding full-
circumferential flaws, and (2) a finite element analysis assuming flaw 
distributions conservatively derived from PAUT examination.
    The applicant stated that the PAUT examination and analysis 
provides an objective review of volumetrically-identified flaw 
indications in the accessible DSC 16 Inner Top Cover Plate (ITCP) and 
Outer Top Cover Plate (OTCP) closure welds. The peak strains in the 
welds remain well below the weld material ductility limit when 
subjected to the accident pressure and drop loads. The peak strains 
have a margin of safety of 3.69 and 3.60 for accident pressure and drop 
loads, respectively. Furthermore, it was shown that the strains in the 
welds remain stable at 150 percent of the original design loads for the 
NUHOMS[supreg] 61BTH DSC. The applicant's analysis accounted for the 
identified ITCP and OTCP closure weld flaws and the uncertainties in 
the PAUT examination. The applicant stated that this approach, which is 
consistent with the NRC's Spent Fuel Project Office Interim Staff 
Guidance-15 (ISG-15), conservatively accounts for any additional 
limitations in the efficacy of the PAUT examinations and also accounts 
for the inaccessible area around the vent and siphon block as well as 
the geometric reflectors at the root and near the toe of the closure 
welds.
    The applicant noted that the proposed exemption applies only to DSC 
16 and is supported by the following reports:
    1. Technical Justification for Phased Array Ultrasonic Examination 
of Dry Storage Canister Lid Welds Report No. 54-PQ-114-001, January 30, 
2015 (AREVA, INC., 2015a).
    2. Technical Report of the Demonstration of UT NDE Procedure 54-UT-
114-000 Phased Array Ultrasonic Examination of Dry Storage Canister Lid 
Welds Report No. 51-9234641-001, January 30, 2015 (AREVA, INC., 2015b).
    3. 61BTH ITCP and OTCP Closure Weld Flaw Evaluation, Calculation 
11042-0205 Revision 3 (AREVA, INC., 2016).
    The NRC staff reviewed Technical Justification for Phased Array 
Ultrasonic Examination of Dry Storage Canister Lid Welds Report No. 54-
PQ-114-001, dated January 30, 2015 (AREVA, INC., 2015a). This report 
provides the detailed technical justification for the use of the PAUT 
system to perform the NDE of the OTCP and ITCP closure welds of DSC 16. 
The NRC staff determined that the technical justification report was 
adequate to justify the use of PAUT to examine the ITCP and OTCP 
closure welds because the report included detailed information on the 
PAUT system design, an assessment of examination sensitivity, flaw 
detection, flaw sizing, identification and effects of influential 
parameters, personnel qualification requirements, components to be 
examined, flaws to be detected, and analysis of flaw detection and flaw 
sizing data. In addition, the NRC staff determined that the report also 
described extensive modeling performed to evaluate PAUT array 
configuration, element arrangements, apertures, frequency, focusing, 
and beam angles to develop probes for the inspections of the ITCP and 
OTCP closure welds. The NRC staff also confirmed that the performance 
of the PAUT system was evaluated using laboratory testing of 
representative mockup containing 22 typical welding manufacturing flaws 
that have the potential to exist in field welds. The NRC staff 
determined that the laboratory testing was adequate to verify the 
performance of PAUT systems because the non-blind mockup contained 
representative ITCP and OTCP closure welds with controlled placement of 
intentional flaws positioned in difficult detection locations such as 
in the weld root and weld toe regions and were generally small in size.
    The NRC staff also reviewed ISG-15, which states that closure lid 
welds examined by ultrasonic testing (UT) must use UT acceptance 
criteria of NB-5332 for pre-service examination and be performed in 
conjunction with the PT of the root and final pass. The ISG-15 also 
states that if progressive PT examination is used without a volumetric 
examination, a stress reduction factor of 0.8 is to be imposed on the 
weld design.
    The NRC staff determined that the reduction factor of 0.8 
considered by the applicant in their finite element analysis is 
sufficient to account for weld flaws that potentially were not detected 
by PAUT, visual inspection and the compliant PT inspection of the OTCP 
final weld pass. The NRC staff reached this determination based on the 
demonstrated ability of the PAUT examination to detect weld flaws on 
both the ITCP and OTCP closure welds including the root pass and the 
final pass shown in the technical justification of using PAUT to 
examine the DSC lid closure welds (AREVA, INC., 2015b). The NRC staff 
noted that the PAUT examination results of the OTCP weld are consistent 
with the PT examination of the OTCP closure weld final pass after 
repair and confirmed that no surface breaking flaws are present. Thus, 
the NRC staff determined that analytical evaluation of the DSC 16 OTCP 
and ITCP closure welds using the flaw sizing results obtained by the 
PAUT examination, combined with the discount of the ASME B&PV Code 
specified minimum elongations for the weld material, is an appropriate 
method to determine the acceptability of the DSC inner and outer lid to 
shell closure welds.
    The NRC staff determined that the PAUT procedure (AREVA, INC., 
2016) was acceptable because the procedure was qualified using a blind 
performance demonstration in accordance with ASME B&PV Code Section V, 
Article 14, T-1424(b) Intermediate Rigor (ASME 2004 edition) that 
qualifies the equipment, procedure, and data analysis personnel for the 
detection and dimensioning of welding fabrication flaws. The NRC staff 
determined that PAUT procedures were also acceptable because: (1) 
Personnel conducting the equipment calibration, data acquisition or 
data analyses must be qualified by the American Society for 
Nondestructive Testing (ASNT); (2) the examination area includes the 
accessible area of the ITCP and OTCP closure welds, and (3) specific 
procedures were developed and demonstrated for both flaw detection and 
flaw sizing scans. The NRC staff determined that the examinations were 
appropriate because: (1) They included >99 percent of the OTCP closure 
weld with the exception of two (2) 0.5-inch long sections that were 
identified as limited examination areas as a result of the two 
longitudinal welds in the canister shell; and (2) the entire ITCP

[[Page 39072]]

closure weld with the exception of the part of the weld located around 
the siphon and vent port block resulting in >90 percent coverage of the 
ITCP closure weld (AREVA, INC., 2016). The NRC staff determined that 
the personnel qualifications for equipment calibration, data 
acquisition and data analysis are sufficient because: (1) Data 
Acquisition Operators require direct supervision of American Society 
for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) UT Level II or Level III staff; (2) 
both Calibration Personnel and Data Analysis Personnel were required to 
be either ASNT UT Level II or Level III certification; and (3) lead 
personnel responsible for training and review of flaw indications were 
required to be ASNT UT Level III qualified. The NRC staff determined 
that the procedures for the flaw detection scans were adequate, 
because: (1) The procedures used the known geometric features of the 
DSC to identify the correct position of the transducer for complete 
coverage of the closure welds to be examined; and (2) the beams are 
swept through a range of angles at specified increments along the scan 
line in order to achieve coverage of the examination volume. The NRC 
staff determined that the flaw sizing scan procedures were adequate 
because: (1) Raster scans were conducted at the higher frequency 
transducer (increased resolution) with a range of beam angles to 
achieve maximum insonification of the flaw; (2) focal laws were 
programmed for a focal depth equal to the reported flaw depth; (3) the 
acquired data was reviewed to verify that signal saturation had not 
occurred or whether rescanning of the area was necessary to obtain a 
response that would allow accurate flaw sizing; and (4) the flaw length 
and flaw height were determined using prescribed signal thresholds. The 
NRC staff determined that the PAUT minimum attributes for flaw 
detection and characterization provided by the applicant were 
acceptable and are commensurate with NRC confirmatory research findings 
involving PAUT examinations of welds (A.A. Diaz, S.L. Crawford, A.D. 
Cinson, and M.T. Anderson, ``Technical Letter Report, An Evaluation of 
Ultrasonic Phased Array Testing for Reactor Piping System Components 
Containing Dissimilar Metal Welds JCN N6398, Task 2A, PNNL-19018,'' 
Richland, WA; Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, November 2009).
    The NRC staff determined that PAUT data analysis methods provided 
by the applicant were adequate because they included specific 
procedures for flaw detection and flaw sizing necessary to locate and 
size flaws in the ITCP and OTCP closure welds using PAUT. The NRC staff 
determined that the applicant demonstrated the accuracy of the PAUT 
flaw detection and flaw sizing procedures using closure welds mockups 
with imbedded flaws. The NRC staff determined that PAUT procedure 
contained sufficient detail to ensure that the examination can be 
repeated with similar results and provides reasonable assurance that 
the examination could detect and size flaw indications found within the 
closure lid weld volumes.
    The NRC staff reviewed Technical Report of the Demonstration of UT 
NDE Procedure 54-UT-114-000 Phased Array Ultrasonic Examination of Dry 
Storage Canister Lid Welds Technical Report Document 51-9234641-001, 
dated January 30, 2015 (AREVA, INC., 2015b). This report summarizes the 
PAUT performance demonstration on a second ITCP and OTCP weld mockup 
specimen known as the blind mockup. The report states the overall task 
objective is to utilize a PAUT technique for detection and 
characterization of fabrication flaws in the closure lid welds of DSCs. 
The developed procedure was evaluated through a blind performance 
demonstration that included the scanning and data analysis of a secured 
(true-state withheld from examiners) OTCP and ITCP closure weld mockup. 
The blind mockup contained a number of controlled welding fabrication 
flaws similar in size and type to the flaws contained in the non-blind 
mockup, but placed in different locations. The technical report of the 
demonstration identified a calculated probability of detection (POD) of 
97 percent with no missed detections (i.e., none of the known imbedded 
flaws in the blind mockup were missed in the performance demonstration) 
and one false call (i.e., one flaw indication reported by an examiner 
in the blind performance demonstration was incorrect and was not an 
actual imbedded flaw). As previously stated, the use of PAUT procedure 
to inspect DSC closure lid welds for this application was developed in 
accordance with ASME B&PV Code Section V, Article 14, T-1424(b), 
Intermediate Rigor (ASME 2004 edition). Intermediate rigor requires 
that a limited performance demonstration be conducted achieving a flaw 
POD of 80 percent and a false call rate of less than 20 percent. The 
NRC staff finds the demonstration of PAUT procedure to be acceptable, 
because the blind performance demonstration results exceed the criteria 
for acceptable performance listed in ASME B&PV Code Section V, Article 
14, T-1471 Intermediate Rigor Detection Test (ASME 2004 edition).
    The NRC staff reviewed Monticello DSC 16 phased array UT 
examination results that were used as an input to the 61BTH ITCP and 
OTCP Closure Weld Flaw Evaluation CALCULATION 11042-0205, Revision 3 
(AREVA, INC., 2016). The NRC staff determined that the examination 
results were acceptable because:
    1. The examination was conducted in accordance with the PAUT 
examination procedure developed in accordance with ASME B&PV Code 
Section V, Article 14, T-1424(b), Intermediate Rigor (ASME 2004 
edition).
    2. Flaws identified were appropriately characterized in terms of 
flaw length and flaw height. The PAUT examination identified the 
location of the flaws with respect to the geometric features of the DSC 
shell, the ITCP and the OTCP, and closure lid welds.
    3. The largest flaw in the OTCP closure weld was characterized as 
having a height of 0.14 inches which is not greater than the thickness 
of one weld bead and less than the OTCP closure weld critical flaw size 
of 0.29 inches.
    4. The largest flaw in the ITCP closure weld was characterized as 
having a height of 0.11 inches which is not greater than the thickness 
of one weld bead and less than the ITCP closure weld critical flaw size 
of 0.15 inches.
    The NRC staff reviewed the preservice examination requirements of 
ASME B&PV Code Section III NB-5280 (ASME 1998 edition with 2000 
addenda). The NRC staff determined that the PAUT examination results 
identified and sized flaws that exceed the acceptance criteria of NB-
5332 (ASME 1998 edition with 2000 addenda), and NB-5332 is an 
acceptable approach under ISG-15. The applicant stated that the flaws 
identified by the PAUT examination were explicitly included in the 
finite element models as design features. Further, all indications 
found through the PAUT exam were, according to the applicant, 
conservatively characterized as planar and evaluated as such. The NRC 
staff determined that the approach taken by the applicant is 
acceptable, because: (1) The PAUT system was capable of identifying and 
sizing the flaws in the ITCP and OTCP welds with the exception of small 
sections of the OTCP closure weld as a result of longitudinal welds in 
the canister shell and the portion of the ITCP closure weld around the 
siphon and vent block; (2) the size of the flaws used in the analysis 
conservatively bounds the size and distributions of flaws identified by

[[Page 39073]]

PAUT; and (3) the applicant applied a reduction factor of 0.8 on the 
ASME B&PV Code specified minimum elongations to the weld material to 
account for flaws that may not have been detected by the PAUT 
examination.
    As a result of the conclusions discussed above, the NRC staff finds 
that there is adequate material performance of the components important 
to safety for DSC 16, loaded under CoC No. 1004, Amendment No. 10, and 
that DSC 16, as addressed in the exemption request, remains in 
compliance with 10 CFR part 72.
    Structural Review for the Requested Exemption: The partial-
penetration welds of the canister OTCP and the ITCP of the Type 1 
NUHOMS[supreg] 61 BTH DSCs were originally evaluated in accordance with 
the ASME B&PV Code Section III, Subsection NB code limits. After the 
weld repair and verification activities on DSC 16, the applicant 
performed a PAUT examination and documented volumetrically-identified 
flaw indications in the welds. In the Materials Review for the 
Requested Exemption, the staff determined that the PAUT examination 
results were appropriate for analytical modeling. The results provided 
a basis for the applicant to model weld flaw size and distribution in 
performing structural evaluation by analysis. The evaluations and 
resulting conclusions to demonstrate the welds structural performance 
is presented below.
    AREVA Calculation No. 11042-0204, Revision 3, ``Allowable Flaw Size 
Evaluation in the Inner Top Cover Weld for DSC # 16,'' used the ASME 
B&PV Code, Section XI, Appendix C flaw evaluation methodology to 
compute the allowable flaw size for governing Load Case TR-9 of an 
internal pressure of 20 psi plus a 25-g inertia loading associated with 
the DSC corner drop. A theoretical subsurface crack or an equivalent 
surface crack residing in the full circumference around the 0.25-inch 
deep ITCP weld in DSC 16 was assumed to be subject to the radial 
tensile membrane force on the weld. For the membrane stress of 17.08 
ksi resulting from multiplying the calculated stress of 13.14 ksi with 
a service factor, SFm, of 1.3 for Service Level D, the 
applicant determined a 0.15-inch wide allowable flaw size. The staff 
reviewed the analysis assumptions and concludes that the flaw size and 
distribution are conservatively modeled in accordance with the ASME 
B&PV Code Section XI flaw evaluation methodology to demonstrate 
sufficient structural performance margins in the welds.
    In Structural Integrity Associates (SIA) Calculation Package No. 
1301415.301, Revision 0, ``Development of an Analysis Based Stress 
Allowable Reduction Factor (SARF), Dry Shielded Canister (DSC) Top 
Closure Weldments,'' the applicant used a finite element analysis (FEA) 
approach to perform generic evaluation of flaw effects on the weld 
stress performance. Three types of flaw geometry, radial, 
circumferential, and laminar flaws for a range of distribution of flaw 
length, depth, and spacing in the DSC ITCP and OTCP were analyzed. 
Following a commonly acceptable FEA practice to simulate flaws with the 
elements of near zero stiffness, the applicant computed the membrane 
and membrane-plus-bending stress intensities in the welds. By comparing 
the results from the FEA models, with and without flaws, for the 
pressure and side drop load cases, a ratio, or SARF, was determined for 
each critical weld section cut of interest. For the OTCP, the applicant 
computed SARFs for 7 flaw configurations each for the individual 
pressure and side drop loading cases. This established a minimum SARF 
of greater than 0.7 for the through-wall circumferential flaws assumed 
to span an arc length of 2.016 inches with a common arc spacing of 
5.184 inches. From the weld quality review documented in the SIA 
report, No. 1301415.405, ``Expectations for Field Closure Welds on the 
AREVA-TN NUHOMS[supreg] 61BTH Type 1 & 2 Transportable Canister for BWR 
Dry Fuel Storage,'' the applicant determined that only the 
circumferential flaws are potentially representative of the weld 
condition of the ITCP. This provided the basis for postulating a 360 
degree, 50 percent intermittently embedded, through-wall 
circumferential flaw with a 0.006 in\2\ cross section area for the FEA. 
This resulted in the calculated SARFs of 0.945 and 0.931 for the 
pressure and side drop cases, respectively. The staff reviewed the 
modeling assumptions and FEA results and concludes that the FEA method 
is suitable for analyzing the stress performance of the weld as a 
continuum with multiple embedded flaws.
    Using the PAUT flaw indication examination results, the applicant 
performed an FEA to determine the weld structural performance margins, 
in accordance with the ASME Section III code limits, for the ITCP and 
OTCP of DSC 16. As noted in AREVA Calculation No. 11042-0205, Revision 
3, ``61BHT ITCP and OTCP Closure Weld Evaluation,'' two full-
circumferential, bounding flaw sets for the OTCP and one for the ITCP 
were used in the simulation of the flaw indications in the FEA models. 
The first set of the two bounding flaws in the OTCP are 0.14 inches and 
0.195 inches each in height while the second set of the three flaws 
range in height from 0.07 inches to 0.16 inches. The single flaw set 
for the ITCP consists of two bounding flaws, a 0.09-inch high flaw 
between the weld metal and the DSC shell and another 0.11-inch high 
inside the ITCP, but at close proximity to the weld metal.
    Using an elastic-perfectly plastic material property model, the 
applicant evaluated the top cover plates-to-shell welds for three 
governing load cases: (1) Internal pressure loading of 32 psi for 
Service Levels A/B; (2) internal pressure loading of 65 psi for Service 
Level D; and (3) side drop loading of 75 g for Service Level D. Given 
that the potential exists for the weld to undergo material yielding, 
the applicant performed a limit analysis, per the ASME B&PV Code, 
Section III, Paragraph NB-3228.1, ``Limit Analysis,'' provisions, for 
the Service Level A/B, normal and off-normal condition load cases. 
Correspondingly, the rules of ASME B&PV Code Section III, Appendix F, 
Paragraph F-1341.3, ``Collapse Load,'' were used for the Service Level 
D, accident condition load cases. The limit analysis, with elastic-
perfectly plastic material model, revealed that the weld would undergo 
unbounded deformation after the material yielding strength is exceeded.
    To address the potential material rupture associated with large 
weld deformation and, hence, high plastic strain concentrations, the 
applicant performed an elastic-plastic analysis to supplement the 
determination of the weld performance margins for DSC 16. This was 
accomplished by considering a Ramberg-Osgood idealization of the 
stress-strain curve for SA-240 Type 301 stainless steel, which 
recognizes strain hardening effects for the large-deformation FEA 
models with embedded flaws in the welds. The elastic-plastic analyses 
resulted in the maximum equivalent plastic strains of 5.97 percent and 
6.09 percent for the Service Level D design pressure of 65 psi and side 
drop of 75 g, respectively. The calculated strains are much smaller 
than the ASME B&PV Code specified minimum elongations of SA-240 Type 
304 stainless steel at 40 percent and E308-XX electrode at 35 percent.
    Additionally, for a conservative determination of margins of 
safety, the applicant considered a load factor of 1.5 to evaluate the 
welds subject to a DSC internal pressure of 100 psi (65 x 1.5 = 97.5 
<100 psi) and a side drop of 122.5 g (75 x 1.5 = 122.5 g). The elastic-
plastic

[[Page 39074]]

analyses, per the ASME B&PV Code, Section III, Paragraph NB-3228.3 
Plastic Analysis provisions, resulted in a peak equivalent plastic 
strain of 12.6 percent for both loading cases. On the basis of the weld 
material elongation limit of 28 percent, a reduction of the ASME B&PV 
Code specified weld elongation limit of 35 percent by a factor 0.8 
(0.35 x 0.8 = 0.28), to account for flaws that may not have been 
detected by the PAUT examination, the applicant calculated the margins 
of safety of 3.69 and 3.60 for the internal pressure and side drop 
loading cases, respectively.
    The NRC staff reviewed the FEA modeling assumptions and concludes 
that the elastic-plastic analysis was implemented with appropriate 
loading conditions and materials properties, as described above. The 
analysis results show that the welds would undergo plastic deformation 
for the Service Level D loading associated with canister internal 
pressure and side drop accident conditions. However, no material 
rupture or breach of DSC confinement boundary at the welds is expected 
because of the large margins of safety against the ASME B&PV Code 
specified elongation limits. For this reason, the staff has reasonable 
assurance to conclude that the ITCP and OTCP welds of DSC 16 have 
adequate structural integrity for the normal, off-normal, and accident 
and natural phenomenon conditions. The NRC staff also finds that the 
retrievability of DSC 16 is ensured based on the demonstration of 
adequate structural integrity discussed above.
    The NRC staff finds that the structural function of DSC 16, loaded 
under CoC No. 1004, Amendment No. 10, addressed in the exemption 
request remains in compliance with 10 CFR part 72.
    Thermal Review for the Requested Exemption: The applicant stated 
that even though nonconforming examinations exist, satisfactory 
completion of the required helium leak test conducted on DSC 16 has 
specifically demonstrated the integrity of the primary confinement 
boundary (ITCP and siphon/vent cover plate) welds. These tests 
(conducted per TS 1.2.4a) specifically demonstrate that the primary 
confinement barrier field welds are ``leak tight'' as defined in 
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) N14.5-1997. The licensee 
stated that, in this respect, the helium leak test demonstrates the 
basic integrity of the confinement barrier and the lack of a through-
weld flaw in the field closure welds that would lead to a loss of 
cavity helium in DSC 16. The licensee stated that the field closure 
welds indirectly support the thermal design function by virtue of their 
confinement function (as demonstrated by the helium leak test conducted 
on DSC 16) which assures the helium atmosphere in the DSC 16 cavity is 
maintained in order to support heat transfer.
    The NRC staff reviewed the licensee's exemption request and also 
evaluated its effect on the DSC 16 thermal performance. The NRC staff 
concludes that the cask thermal performance is not affected by the 
exemption request because the applicant has shown that a satisfactory 
helium leak test was conducted on DSC 16, which assures integrity of 
the primary confinement boundary. Integrity of the primary confinement 
boundary assures the spent fuel is stored in a safe inert environment 
with unaffected heat transfer characteristics that assure peak cladding 
temperatures remain below allowable limits. Therefore, based on the NRC 
staff's review of the licensee's evaluation and technical 
justification, the NRC staff finds the exemption request acceptable by 
virtue of the demonstrable structural integrity of the ITCP and OTCP.
    The NRC staff finds that the thermal function of DSC 16, loaded 
under CoC No. 1004, Amendment No. 10, addressed in the exemption 
request remains in compliance with 10 CFR part 72.
    Shielding and Criticality Safety Review for the Requested 
Exemption: The NRC staff reviewed the criticality safety and radiation 
protection effectiveness of DSC 16 presented in the Monticello 
exemption request. The NRC staff finds that DSC 16 is not affected by 
the nonconforming PT examinations because storage of DSC 16 on the MNGP 
ISFSI will not significantly alter the assumptions of the criticality 
safety and radiation protection analysis of the 61BTH DSC. The interior 
of DSC 16 will continue to prevent water in-leakage, which means that 
the system will remain subcritical under all conditions. The 
nonconforming PT examinations do not affect the radiation source term 
of the spent fuel contents, or the configuration of the shielding 
components of the Standardized NUHOMS[supreg] system containing the 
61BTH DSC, meaning that the radiation protection performance of the 
system is not altered.
    The NRC staff finds that the criticality safety and shielding 
function of DSC 16, loaded under CoC No. 1004, Amendment No. 10, 
addressed in the exemption request remains in compliance with 10 CFR 
part 72.
    Confinement Review for the Requested Exemption: The objective of 
the confinement evaluation was to confirm that DSC 16 loaded at the 
MNGP met the confinement-related requirements described in 10 CFR part 
72.
    As described in the licensee's ``Exemption Request for 
Nonconforming Dry Shielded Canister Dye Penetrant Examinations'' 
(Enclosure 1 of the September 29, 2015, submittal), certain elements of 
the DSC 16 closure weld PT examinations did not comply with examination 
procedures. To support the exemption request, the licensee noted that a 
helium leakage rate test of the closure's confinement boundary, 
including ITCP weld, siphon cover plate weld, and vent port cover plate 
weld, were conducted per TS 1.2.4a and demonstrated that the primary 
confinement barrier field welds met the TS acceptance criterion of 1E-7 
cc/sec (i.e., ``leaktight'' as defined by ANSI N14.5). The applicant 
noted that failure to comply with the PT examination procedures would 
not change the general integrity of these DSC closure welds. NRC staff 
concludes that not performing the PT examination procedures relevant to 
this exemption request would not change the results of the helium 
leakage test and, therefore, the demonstration of the closure 
confinement integrity, as defined by the licensing basis, is 
unaffected. In addition, in the Structural Review for the Requested 
Exemption and Materials Review for the Requested Exemption evaluations 
described previously, staff evaluated the applicant's repair and 
verification activities and the PAUT examinations and analyses 
associated with DSC 16 and concluded DSC 16 meets the requirements of 
10 CFR part 72.
    As discussed above, because the PT examinations did not affect DSC 
16's helium leak test results, the NRC staff finds that the confinement 
function of DSC 16, loaded under CoC No. 1004, Amendment No. 10, 
remains in compliance with 10 CFR part 72.
    Review of Common Defense and Security: The NRC staff considered the 
potential impacts of granting the exemption on the common defense and 
security. The requested exemption is not related to any security or 
common defense aspect of the MNGP ISFSI, therefore granting the 
exemption would not result in any potential impacts to common defense 
and security.
    Based on its review, the NRC staff has reasonable assurance that 
the storage system will continue meet the thermal, structural, 
criticality, retrievability and radiation protection requirements of 10 
CFR part 72 and, therefore, will not endanger life or property. The NRC 
staff

[[Page 39075]]

also finds that there is no threat to the common defense and security.
    Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that the exemption to relieve 
the applicant from meeting TS 1.2.5 of Attachment A of CoC No. 1004, 
Amendment No. 10, which requires that liquid penetrant test 
examinations be performed on DSCs to verify the acceptability of the 
closure welds, allowing for transfer DSC 16 into an HSM, and would 
permit the continued storage of that DSC for the service life of the 
canister at the MNGP ISFSI will not endanger life or property or the 
common defense and security.

Otherwise in the Public Interest

    In considering whether granting the exemption is in the public 
interest, the NRC staff considered the alternative of not granting the 
exemption. If the exemption were not granted, in order to comply with 
the CoC, either (1) DSC 16 would have to be opened and unloaded, and 
the contents loaded in a new DSC, and that DSC welded and tested, or 
(2) the OTCP would need to be machined off, and the ITCP weld machined 
down to the root weld; and the DSC, ITCP and OTCP inspected to 
determine if there was any damage as a result of the machining (which 
would then necessitate the actions detailed in option 1). If there were 
no such damage, the DSC would need to be re-welded and inspected. Both 
options would entail a higher risk of a cask handling accidents, 
additional personnel exposure, and greater cost to the applicant. Both 
options would also generate additional radioactive contaminated 
material (including the unloaded DSC for option 1) and waste from 
operations, because the lid would have to be removed in either case, 
which would generate cuttings from removing the weld material that 
could require disposal as contaminated material.
    The proposed exemption to allow transfer of DSC 16 into an HSM, and 
permit the continued storage of that DSC for the service life of the 
canister at the MNGP ISFSI, is consistent with NRC's mission to protect 
public health and safety. Approving the requested exemption produces 
less of an opportunity for a release of radioactive material than the 
alternatives to the proposed action because there will be no operations 
involving opening the DSCs which confine the spent nuclear fuel. 
Therefore, the exemption is in the public interest.

Environmental Consideration

    The NRC staff also considered in the review of this exemption 
request whether there would be any significant environmental impacts 
associated with the exemption. The NRC staff determined that this 
proposed action fits a category of actions that do not require an 
environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. 
Specifically, the exemption meets the categorical exclusion in 10 CFR 
51.22(c)(25).
    Granting this exemption from 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(3), 
72.212(b)(5)(i), 72.214, and 72.212(b)(11) only relieves the applicant 
from the inspection or surveillance requirements associated with 
performing PT examinations with regard to meeting Technical 
Specification (TS) 1.2.5 of Attachment A of CoC No. 1004. A categorical 
exclusion for inspection or surveillance requirements is provided under 
10 CFR 51.22(c)(25)(vi)(C) if the criteria in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25)(i)-
(v) are also satisfied. In its review of the exemption request, the NRC 
staff determined, as discussed above, that, under 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25): 
(i) Granting the exemption does not involve a significant hazards 
considerations because granting the exemption neither reduces a margin 
of safety, creates a new or different kind of accident from any 
accident previously evaluated, nor significantly increases either the 
probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated; (ii) 
granting the exemption would not produce a significant change in either 
the types or amounts of any effluents that may be released offsite 
because the requested exemption neither changes the effluents nor 
produces additional avenues of effluent release; (iii) granting the 
exemption would not result in a significant increase in either 
occupational radiation exposure or public radiation exposure, because 
the requested exemption neither introduces new radiological hazards nor 
increases existing radiological hazards; (iv) granting the exemption 
would not result in a significant construction impact, because there 
are no construction activities associated with the requested exemption; 
and; (v) granting the exemption would not increase either the potential 
or consequences from radiological accidents such as a gross leak from 
the closure welds, because the exemption neither reduces the ability of 
the closure welds to confine radioactive material nor creates new 
accident precursors at the MNGP ISFSI. Accordingly, this exemption 
meets the criteria for a categorical exclusion in 10 CFR 
51.22(c)(25)(vi)(C).

IV. Availability of Documents

    The documents identified in the following table are available to 
interested persons through one or more of the following methods, as 
indicated.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Document                       ADAMS  Accession No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant      ML15275A023
 Exemption Request for Nonconforming     ML15275A024
 Dry Shielded Canister Dye Penetrant     ML15275A025
 Examinations, September 29, 2015.
Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant      ML16035A214
 Exemption Request for Nonconforming     ML16049A081
 Dry Shielded Canister Dye Penetrant     ML16049A094
 Examinations, Supplemental
 Information, January 29, 2016.
Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant      ML16091A228
 Exemption Request for Nonconforming     ML16097A460
 Dry Shielded Canister Dye Penetrant
 Examinations, Supplemental Information
 to Respond to the Second Request for
 Additional Information, March 29, 2016.
Interim Staff Guidance No. 15, Rev. 0,   ML010100170
 Materials Evaluation, January 10, 2001.
Technical Justification for Phased       ML16035A185
 Array Ultrasonic Examination of Dry     ML16035A186
 Storage Canister Lid Welds Report No.   ML16049A094
 54-PQ-114-001, January 30, 2015.
Technical Report of the Demonstration    ML16035A184
 of UT NDE Procedure 54-UT-114-000
 Phased Array Ultrasonic Examination of
 Dry Storage Canister Lid Welds Report
 No. 51-9234641-001, January 30, 2015.
61BTH ITCP and OTCP closure Weld Flaw    ML16097A460
 Evaluation, Calculation 11042-0205,
 Revision 3, March 21, 2016.
Technical Letter Report, An Evaluation   ML093570315
 of Ultrasonic Phased Array Testing for
 Reactor Piping System Components
 Containing Dissimilar Metal Welds JCN
 N6398, Task 2A, PNNL-19018,''
 Richland, WA; Pacific Northwest
 National Laboratory, November 2009.

[[Page 39076]]

 
AREVA Calculation No. 11042-0204,        ML15275A024
 Revision 3, Allowable Flaw Size
 Evaluation in the Inner Top Cover Weld
 for DSC #16, September 29, 2015.
Structural Integrity Associates          ML15275A025
 Calculation Package No. 1301415.301,
 Revision 0, Development of an Analysis
 Based Stress Allowable Reduction
 Factor (SARF), Dry Shielded Canister
 (DSC) Top Closure Weldments, October
 2014.
Structural Integrity Associates report,  ML14309A194
 No. 1301415.405, Expectations for
 Field Closure Welds on the AREVA-TN
 NUHOMS[supreg] 61BTH Type 1 & 2
 Transportable Canister for BWR Dry
 Fuel Storage, November 3, 2014.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

IV. Conclusion

    Based on the foregoing considerations, the NRC staff has determined 
that, pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7, 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 grants the 
applicant an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 
72.212(b)(3), 72.212(b)(5)(i), 72.214, and 72.212(b)(11), only with 
regard to meeting Technical Specification (TS) 1.2.5 of Attachment A of 
CoC No. 1004 for DSC 16.
    This exemption is effective upon issuance.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day June, 2016.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Bernie White,
Acting Branch Chief, Spent Fuel Licensing Branch, Division of Spent 
Fuel Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2016-14188 Filed 6-14-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P



                                                                          Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 115 / Wednesday, June 15, 2016 / Notices                                             39069

                                             ADDRESSES:   National Endowment for the                 ADDRESSES:    Please refer to Docket ID                a general license is issued for the storage
                                             Arts, Constitution Center, 400 7th St.                  NRC–2016–0115 when contacting the                      of spent fuel in an ISFSI at power
                                             SW., Washington, DC 20506.                              NRC about the availability of                          reactor sites to persons authorized to
                                             FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                        information regarding this document.                   possess or operate nuclear power
                                             Further information with reference to                   You may obtain publicly-available                      reactors under 10 CFR part 50. The
                                             these meetings can be obtained from Ms.                 information related to this document                   applicant is authorized to operate a
                                             Kathy Plowitz-Worden, Office of                         using any of the following methods:                    nuclear power reactor under 10 CFR
                                             Guidelines & Panel Operations, National                    • Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to                part 50, and holds a 10 CFR part 72
                                             Endowment for the Arts, Washington,                     http://www.regulations.gov and search                  general license for storage of spent fuel
                                             DC 20506; plowitzk@arts.gov, or call                    for Docket ID NRC–2016–0115. Address                   at the Monticello Nuclear Generating
                                             202/682–5691.                                           questions about NRC dockets to Carol                   Plant ISFSI. Under the terms of the
                                             SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The                          Gallagher; telephone: 301–415–3463;                    general license, the applicant stores
                                             closed portions of meetings are for the                 email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For                    spent fuel at its ISFSI using the
                                             purpose of Panel review, discussion,                    technical questions, contact the                       Transnuclear, Inc. (TN) Standardized
                                             evaluation, and recommendations on                      individual listed in the FOR FURTHER                   NUHOMS® dry cask storage system
                                             financial assistance under the National                 INFORMATION CONTACT section of this                    Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No.
                                             Foundation on the Arts and the                          document.                                              1004, Amendments No. 9 and No. 10.
                                             Humanities Act of 1965, as amended,                        • NRC’s Agencywide Documents                        As part of the dry storage system, the
                                             including information given in                          Access and Management System                           DSC (of which the closure welds are an
                                             confidence to the agency. In accordance                 (ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-                      integral part) ensures that the dry
                                             with the determination of the Chairman                  available documents online in the                      storage system can meet the functions of
                                             of February 15, 2012, these sessions will               ADAMS Public Documents collection at                   criticality safety, confinement boundary,
                                                                                                     http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/                         shielding, structural support, and heat
                                             be closed to the public pursuant to
                                                                                                     adams.html. To begin the search, select                transfer.
                                             subsection (c)(6) of section 552b of title
                                             5, United States Code.                                  ‘‘ADAMS Public Documents’’ and then                    II. Request/Action
                                                                                                     select ‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS
                                               Dated: June 10, 2016.
                                                                                                     Search.’’ For problems with ADAMS,                        The applicant has requested an
                                             Kathy Plowitz-Worden,                                   please contact the NRC’s Public                        exemption from the requirements of 10
                                             Panel Coordinator, National Endowment for               Document Room (PDR) reference staff at                 CFR 72.212(b)(3) and 10 CFR
                                             the Arts.                                               1–800–397–4209, 301–415–4737, or by                    72.212(b)(11) that require compliance
                                             [FR Doc. 2016–14137 Filed 6–14–16; 8:45 am]             email to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. For the                 with the terms, conditions, and
                                             BILLING CODE 7537–01–P                                  convenience of the reader, the ADAMS                   specifications of CoC No. 1004,
                                                                                                     accession numbers are provided in a                    Amendment No. 10, for the
                                                                                                                                                            Standardized NUHOMS® Horizontal
                                                                                                     table in the ‘‘Availability of Documents’’
                                             NUCLEAR REGULATORY                                                                                             Modular Storage System, to the extent
                                                                                                     section of this document.
                                                                                                                                                            necessary for the applicant to transfer
                                             COMMISSION                                                 • NRC’s PDR: You may examine and
                                                                                                                                                            DSC 16 into a Horizontal Storage
                                             [Docket Nos. 72–58 and 50–263; NRC–2016–                purchase copies of public documents at
                                                                                                                                                            Module (HSM). This would permit the
                                             0115]                                                   the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One
                                                                                                                                                            continued storage of that DSC for the
                                                                                                     White Flint North, 11555 Rockville
                                                                                                                                                            service life of the canister. Specifically,
                                             Xcel Energy, Monticello Nuclear                         Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
                                                                                                                                                            the exemption would relieve the
                                             Generating Plant Independent Spent                      FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                       applicant from meeting TS 1.2.5 of
                                             Fuel Storage Installation                               Christian Jacobs, Office of Nuclear                    Attachment A of CoC No. 1004, which
                                             AGENCY:  Nuclear Regulatory                             Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S.                   requires that all DSC closure welds,
                                             Commission.                                             Nuclear Regulatory Commission,                         except those subjected to full volumetric
                                             ACTION: Exemption; issuance.
                                                                                                     Washington, DC 20555–0001; telephone:                  inspection, shall be dye penetrant tested
                                                                                                     301–415–6825; email: Christian.Jacobs@                 in accordance with the requirements of
                                             SUMMARY:   The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory                  nrc.gov.                                               the ASME B&PV Code Section III,
                                             Commission (NRC) is issuing an                          SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                             Division 1, Article NB–5000. Technical
                                             exemption in response to a request                                                                             Specification 1.2.5 further requires that
                                             submitted by Xcel Energy on September                   I. Background
                                                                                                                                                            the liquid penetrant test acceptance
                                             29, 2015, from meeting Technical                          Northern States Power Company-                       standards shall be those described in
                                             Specification (TS) 1.2.5 of Attachment A                Minnesota, doing business as Xcel                      Subsection NB–5350 of the ASME BP&V
                                             of Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No.                  Energy (Xcel Energy, or the applicant) is              Code.
                                             1004, Amendment No. 10, which                           the holder of Facility Operating License                  Xcel Energy loaded spent nuclear fuel
                                             requires that all dry shielded canister                 No. DPR–22, which authorizes                           into six 61BTH DSCs starting in
                                             (DSC) closure welds, except those                       operation of the Monticello Nuclear                    September 2013. Subsequent to the
                                             subjected to full volumetric inspection,                Generating Plant (MNGP), Unit No. 1, in                loading, it was discovered that certain
                                             shall be dye penetrant tested in                        Wright County, Minnesota, pursuant to                  elements of the liquid penetrant test
                                             accordance with the requirements of                     part 50 of title 10 of the Code of Federal             (PT) examinations, which were
                                             American Society of Mechanical                          Regulations (10 CFR), ‘‘Domestic                       performed on the DSCs to verify the
                                             Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure                    Licensing of Production and Utilization                acceptability of the closure welds, do
ehiers on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                             Vessel (B&PV) Code Section III, Division                Facilities.’’ The license provides, among              not comply with the requirements of TS
                                             1, Article NB–5000. This exemption                      other things, that the facility is subject             1.2.5. All six DSCs were affected. Five
                                             applies to one loaded Standardized                      to all rules, regulations, and orders of               of the six DSCs (numbers 11–15) had
                                             NUHOMS® 61BTH, DSC 16 (DSC 16), at                      the NRC now or hereafter in effect.                    already been loaded in the HSMs when
                                             the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant                   Consistent with 10 CFR part 72,                      the discrepancies were discovered. The
                                             (MNGP) Independent Spent Fuel                           subpart K, ‘‘General License for Storage               DSC 16 remains on the reactor building
                                             Storage Installation (ISFSI).                           of Spent Fuel at Power Reactor Sites,’’                refueling floor in a transfer cask (TC).


                                        VerDate Sep<11>2014   15:15 Jun 14, 2016   Jkt 238001   PO 00000   Frm 00049   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\15JNN1.SGM   15JNN1


                                             39070                        Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 115 / Wednesday, June 15, 2016 / Notices

                                             Xcel Energy has performed phased array                  III. Discussion                                        reviewed the exemption request to
                                             ultrasonic testing (PAUT) of the closure                   Pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7, the                        determine whether granting of the
                                             welds, supported by analysis, as an                     Commission may, upon application by                    exemption would cause potential for
                                             alternate means for verifying the weld                  any interested person or upon its own                  danger to life, property, or common
                                             quality. The PAUT nondestructive                        initiative, grant such exemptions from                 defense and security.
                                             examination (NDE) consists of testing                   the requirements of the regulations of 10              Review of the Requested Exemption
                                             performed by qualified personnel, using
                                                                                                     CFR part 72 as it determines are
                                             specific procedures and equipment                                                                                 The NUHOMS® system provides
                                                                                                     authorized by law and will not endanger
                                             shown by performance demonstration to                                                                          horizontal dry storage of canisterized
                                                                                                     life or property or the common defense
                                             be sufficient to detect the range of                                                                           spent fuel assemblies in an HSM. The
                                                                                                     and security and are otherwise in the
                                             potential weld defects that could be                                                                           cask storage system components for
                                                                                                     public interest.
                                             present in the closure welds. The                                                                              NUHOMS® consist of a reinforced
                                             exemption request, if approved, would                   Authorized by Law                                      concrete HSM and a DSC vessel with an
                                             allow the transfer of DSC 16 into an                       This exemption would allow the                      internal basket assembly that holds the
                                             HSM, and would permit the continued                     applicant to transfer DSC 16 into an                   spent fuel assemblies. The HSM is a
                                             storage of that DSC for the service life                HSM, and would permit the continued                    low-profile, reinforced concrete
                                             of the canister. Xcel Energy plans to                                                                          structure designed to withstand all
                                                                                                     storage of that DSC at the MNGP ISFSI
                                             request a separate exemption for the                                                                           normal condition loads, as well as
                                                                                                     for the service life of the canister by
                                             remaining DSCs (11–15).                                                                                        abnormal condition loads created by
                                                In a letter dated September 29, 2015,                relieving the applicant of the
                                                                                                     requirement to meet the liquid                         natural phenomena such as earthquakes
                                             as supplemented January 29, 2016, and                                                                          and tornadoes. It is also designed to
                                             March 29, 2016, the applicant requested                 penetrant test requirements of TS 1.2.5
                                                                                                     of Attachment A of CoC No. 1004. The                   withstand design basis accident
                                             an exemption from certain parts of the                                                                         conditions. The Standardized
                                             following requirements to allow storage                 provisions in 10 CFR part 72 from
                                                                                                     which the applicant is requesting                      NUHOMS® Horizontal Modular Storage
                                             of the DSC at the MNGP ISFSI:                                                                                  System has been approved for storage of
                                                • 10 CFR 72.212(b)(3), which states                  exemption, as well as provisions
                                                                                                     determined to be applicable by the NRC                 spent fuel under the conditions of
                                             that the general licensee must ensure                                                                          Certificate of Compliance No. 1004. The
                                             that each cask used by the general                      staff, require the licensee to comply
                                                                                                     with the terms, conditions, and                        DSC under consideration for exemption
                                             licensee conforms to the terms,                                                                                was loaded under Certificate of
                                             conditions, and specifications of a CoC                 specifications of the CoC for the
                                                                                                     approved cask model it uses. Section                   Compliance No. 1004, Amendment No.
                                             or an amended CoC listed in § 72.214.                                                                          10.
                                                • 10 CFR 72.212(b)(11), which states,                72.7 allows the NRC to grant
                                                                                                     exemptions from the requirements of 10                    The NRC has previously approved the
                                             in part, that the licensee shall comply
                                                                                                     CFR part 72. As explained below, the                   Standardized NUHOMS® Horizontal
                                             with the terms, conditions, and
                                                                                                     proposed exemption will not endanger                   Modular Storage System. The requested
                                             specifications of the CoC and, for those
                                                                                                     life or property, or the common defense                exemption does not change the
                                             casks to which the licensee has applied
                                                                                                     and security, and is otherwise in the                  fundamental design, components,
                                             the changes of an amended CoC, the
                                                                                                     public interest. Issuance of this                      contents, or safety features of the storage
                                             terms, conditions, and specifications of
                                                                                                     exemption is consistent with the Atomic                system. The NRC staff has evaluated the
                                             the amended CoC.
                                                                                                     Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and                    applicable potential safety impacts of
                                                Upon review, in addition to the
                                                                                                     not otherwise inconsistent with NRC’s                  granting the exemption to assess the
                                             requirements from which the applicant
                                                                                                     regulations or other applicable laws.                  potential for danger to life or property
                                             requested exemption, the NRC staff
                                                                                                     Therefore, the exemption is authorized                 or the common defense and security; the
                                             determined that exemptions from the
                                                                                                     by law.                                                evaluation and resulting conclusions are
                                             following requirements are also
                                                                                                                                                            presented below. The potential impacts
                                             necessary in order to authorize the                     Will Not Endanger Life or Property or                  identified for this exemption request
                                             applicant’s request and added the                       the Common Defense and Security                        were in the areas of materials, structural
                                             following requirements to the
                                                                                                       This exemption would relieve the                     integrity, thermal, shielding, and
                                             exemption for the proposed action
                                                                                                     applicant from meeting TS 1.2.5 of                     confinement capability.
                                             pursuant to its authority under 10 CFR
                                             72.7, ‘‘Specific exemptions’’:                          Attachment A of CoC No. 1004, which                       Materials Review for the Requested
                                                • 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), which states                  requires liquid penetrant test                         Exemption: The applicant asserted that
                                             that this general license is limited to                 examinations to be performed on the                    there is reasonable assurance of safety
                                             storage of spent fuel in casks approved                 DSCs to verify the acceptability of the                for the requested exemption for the
                                             under the provisions of this part.                      closure welds, allowing for transfer of                transfer of DSC 16 to the MNGP ISFSI
                                                • 10 CFR 72.212(b)(5)(i), which                      DSC 16 into an HSM, and would permit                   pad. The applicant’s assertion of
                                             requires that the general licensee                      the continued storage of that DSC at the               reasonable assurance of safety for the
                                             perform written evaluations, before use                 MNGP ISFSI for the service life of the                 transfer of DSC 16 is based on the
                                             and before applying the changes                         canister. This exemption only addresses                following:
                                             authorized by an amended CoC to a cask                  DSC 16, for which the PT test was not                     • Repair and verification activities
                                             loaded under the initial CoC or an                      performed in accordance with the                       performed on DSC 16;
                                             earlier amended CoC, which establish                    examination procedures specified in TS                    • PAUT examination and analysis of
                                             that the cask, once loaded with spent                   1.2.5. Xcel Energy performed phased                    accessible lid welds on DSC 16;
                                                                                                                                                               • Short duration and haul distance of
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                                             fuel or once the changes authorized by                  array ultrasonic testing to
                                             an amended CoC have been applied,                       nondestructively examine the welds,                    the transfer of DSC 16, and
                                             will conform to the terms, conditions,                  and prepared structural analyses based                    • The safest location for DSC 16 is in
                                             and specifications of a CoC or an                       on the actual weld quality to verify that              the HSM.
                                             amended CoC listed in § 72.214.                         the welds would perform their desired                     The applicant asserts that there is a
                                                • 10 CFR 72.214, which lists the                     function over the storage term of the                  reasonable assurance of safety for the
                                             approved spent fuel storage casks.                      DSC. As detailed below, NRC staff                      requested exemption for DSC 16 (CoC


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                                                                          Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 115 / Wednesday, June 15, 2016 / Notices                                            39071

                                             No. 1004, Amendment 10) based on the                    Storage Canister Lid Welds Report No.                  states that if progressive PT examination
                                             following:                                              54–PQ–114–001, January 30, 2015                        is used without a volumetric
                                                • Integrity of the fuel (cladding)                   (AREVA, INC., 2015a).                                  examination, a stress reduction factor of
                                             creates a fission product barrier;                         2. Technical Report of the                          0.8 is to be imposed on the weld design.
                                                • The quality of the welding process                 Demonstration of UT NDE Procedure                         The NRC staff determined that the
                                             employed provides indication of                         54–UT–114–000 Phased Array                             reduction factor of 0.8 considered by the
                                             development of quality welds;                           Ultrasonic Examination of Dry Storage                  applicant in their finite element analysis
                                                • The advantages of the multi-layer                  Canister Lid Welds Report No. 51–                      is sufficient to account for weld flaws
                                             weld technique which includes the low                   9234641–001, January 30, 2015                          that potentially were not detected by
                                             probability for flaw propagation, the                   (AREVA, INC., 2015b).                                  PAUT, visual inspection and the
                                             subsequent covering of weld layer                          3. 61BTH ITCP and OTCP Closure                      compliant PT inspection of the OTCP
                                             surface flaws and the indication of                     Weld Flaw Evaluation, Calculation                      final weld pass. The NRC staff reached
                                             development of quality welds;                           11042–0205 Revision 3 (AREVA, INC.,                    this determination based on the
                                                • Visual inspections performed on                    2016).                                                 demonstrated ability of the PAUT
                                             the welds met quality requirements;                        The NRC staff reviewed Technical                    examination to detect weld flaws on
                                                • The DSC backfill and helium leak                   Justification for Phased Array Ultrasonic              both the ITCP and OTCP closure welds
                                             testing results verify confinement                      Examination of Dry Storage Canister Lid                including the root pass and the final
                                             barrier integrity;                                      Welds Report No. 54–PQ–114–001,                        pass shown in the technical justification
                                                • The lack of a failure mechanism                    dated January 30, 2015 (AREVA, INC.,                   of using PAUT to examine the DSC lid
                                             that adversely affects confinement                      2015a). This report provides the                       closure welds (AREVA, INC., 2015b).
                                             barrier integrity; and                                  detailed technical justification for the               The NRC staff noted that the PAUT
                                                • Margin of safety is available in the               use of the PAUT system to perform the                  examination results of the OTCP weld
                                             welds when assuming conservatively                      NDE of the OTCP and ITCP closure                       are consistent with the PT examination
                                             large flaws. These margins are                          welds of DSC 16. The NRC staff                         of the OTCP closure weld final pass
                                             demonstrated by two different methods:                  determined that the technical                          after repair and confirmed that no
                                             (1) Structural analysis using an analysis-              justification report was adequate to                   surface breaking flaws are present.
                                             based Stress Allowance Reduction                        justify the use of PAUT to examine the                 Thus, the NRC staff determined that
                                             Factor and theoretically-bounding full-                 ITCP and OTCP closure welds because                    analytical evaluation of the DSC 16
                                             circumferential flaws, and (2) a finite                 the report included detailed information               OTCP and ITCP closure welds using the
                                             element analysis assuming flaw                          on the PAUT system design, an                          flaw sizing results obtained by the
                                             distributions conservatively derived                    assessment of examination sensitivity,                 PAUT examination, combined with the
                                             from PAUT examination.                                  flaw detection, flaw sizing,                           discount of the ASME B&PV Code
                                                The applicant stated that the PAUT                   identification and effects of influential              specified minimum elongations for the
                                             examination and analysis provides an                    parameters, personnel qualification                    weld material, is an appropriate method
                                             objective review of volumetrically-                     requirements, components to be                         to determine the acceptability of the
                                             identified flaw indications in the                      examined, flaws to be detected, and                    DSC inner and outer lid to shell closure
                                             accessible DSC 16 Inner Top Cover Plate                 analysis of flaw detection and flaw                    welds.
                                             (ITCP) and Outer Top Cover Plate                        sizing data. In addition, the NRC staff                   The NRC staff determined that the
                                             (OTCP) closure welds. The peak strains                  determined that the report also                        PAUT procedure (AREVA, INC., 2016)
                                             in the welds remain well below the                      described extensive modeling                           was acceptable because the procedure
                                             weld material ductility limit when                      performed to evaluate PAUT array                       was qualified using a blind performance
                                             subjected to the accident pressure and                  configuration, element arrangements,                   demonstration in accordance with
                                             drop loads. The peak strains have a                     apertures, frequency, focusing, and                    ASME B&PV Code Section V, Article 14,
                                             margin of safety of 3.69 and 3.60 for                   beam angles to develop probes for the                  T–1424(b) Intermediate Rigor (ASME
                                             accident pressure and drop loads,                       inspections of the ITCP and OTCP                       2004 edition) that qualifies the
                                             respectively. Furthermore, it was shown                 closure welds. The NRC staff also                      equipment, procedure, and data analysis
                                             that the strains in the welds remain                    confirmed that the performance of the                  personnel for the detection and
                                             stable at 150 percent of the original                   PAUT system was evaluated using                        dimensioning of welding fabrication
                                             design loads for the NUHOMS® 61BTH                      laboratory testing of representative                   flaws. The NRC staff determined that
                                             DSC. The applicant’s analysis accounted                 mockup containing 22 typical welding                   PAUT procedures were also acceptable
                                             for the identified ITCP and OTCP                        manufacturing flaws that have the                      because: (1) Personnel conducting the
                                             closure weld flaws and the uncertainties                potential to exist in field welds. The                 equipment calibration, data acquisition
                                             in the PAUT examination. The                            NRC staff determined that the laboratory               or data analyses must be qualified by
                                             applicant stated that this approach,                    testing was adequate to verify the                     the American Society for
                                             which is consistent with the NRC’s                      performance of PAUT systems because                    Nondestructive Testing (ASNT); (2) the
                                             Spent Fuel Project Office Interim Staff                 the non-blind mockup contained                         examination area includes the
                                             Guidance-15 (ISG–15), conservatively                    representative ITCP and OTCP closure                   accessible area of the ITCP and OTCP
                                             accounts for any additional limitations                 welds with controlled placement of                     closure welds, and (3) specific
                                             in the efficacy of the PAUT                             intentional flaws positioned in difficult              procedures were developed and
                                             examinations and also accounts for the                  detection locations such as in the weld                demonstrated for both flaw detection
                                             inaccessible area around the vent and                   root and weld toe regions and were                     and flaw sizing scans. The NRC staff
                                             siphon block as well as the geometric                   generally small in size.                               determined that the examinations were
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                                             reflectors at the root and near the toe of                 The NRC staff also reviewed ISG–15,                 appropriate because: (1) They included
                                             the closure welds.                                      which states that closure lid welds                    >99 percent of the OTCP closure weld
                                                The applicant noted that the proposed                examined by ultrasonic testing (UT)                    with the exception of two (2) 0.5-inch
                                             exemption applies only to DSC 16 and                    must use UT acceptance criteria of NB–                 long sections that were identified as
                                             is supported by the following reports:                  5332 for pre-service examination and be                limited examination areas as a result of
                                                1. Technical Justification for Phased                performed in conjunction with the PT of                the two longitudinal welds in the
                                             Array Ultrasonic Examination of Dry                     the root and final pass. The ISG–15 also               canister shell; and (2) the entire ITCP


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                                             39072                        Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 115 / Wednesday, June 15, 2016 / Notices

                                             closure weld with the exception of the                  OTCP closure welds using PAUT. The                     Section V, Article 14, T–1471
                                             part of the weld located around the                     NRC staff determined that the applicant                Intermediate Rigor Detection Test
                                             siphon and vent port block resulting in                 demonstrated the accuracy of the PAUT                  (ASME 2004 edition).
                                             >90 percent coverage of the ITCP                        flaw detection and flaw sizing                            The NRC staff reviewed Monticello
                                             closure weld (AREVA, INC., 2016). The                   procedures using closure welds                         DSC 16 phased array UT examination
                                             NRC staff determined that the personnel                 mockups with imbedded flaws. The                       results that were used as an input to the
                                             qualifications for equipment calibration,               NRC staff determined that PAUT                         61BTH ITCP and OTCP Closure Weld
                                             data acquisition and data analysis are                  procedure contained sufficient detail to               Flaw Evaluation CALCULATION
                                             sufficient because: (1) Data Acquisition                ensure that the examination can be                     11042–0205, Revision 3 (AREVA, INC.,
                                             Operators require direct supervision of                 repeated with similar results and                      2016). The NRC staff determined that
                                             American Society for Nondestructive                     provides reasonable assurance that the                 the examination results were acceptable
                                             Testing (ASNT) UT Level II or Level III                 examination could detect and size flaw                 because:
                                             staff; (2) both Calibration Personnel and               indications found within the closure lid                  1. The examination was conducted in
                                             Data Analysis Personnel were required                   weld volumes.                                          accordance with the PAUT examination
                                             to be either ASNT UT Level II or Level                                                                         procedure developed in accordance
                                                                                                        The NRC staff reviewed Technical
                                             III certification; and (3) lead personnel                                                                      with ASME B&PV Code Section V,
                                                                                                     Report of the Demonstration of UT NDE
                                             responsible for training and review of                                                                         Article 14, T–1424(b), Intermediate
                                                                                                     Procedure 54–UT–114–000 Phased
                                             flaw indications were required to be                                                                           Rigor (ASME 2004 edition).
                                                                                                     Array Ultrasonic Examination of Dry                       2. Flaws identified were appropriately
                                             ASNT UT Level III qualified. The NRC                    Storage Canister Lid Welds Technical
                                             staff determined that the procedures for                                                                       characterized in terms of flaw length
                                                                                                     Report Document 51–9234641–001,                        and flaw height. The PAUT examination
                                             the flaw detection scans were adequate,                 dated January 30, 2015 (AREVA, INC.,
                                             because: (1) The procedures used the                                                                           identified the location of the flaws with
                                                                                                     2015b). This report summarizes the                     respect to the geometric features of the
                                             known geometric features of the DSC to                  PAUT performance demonstration on a                    DSC shell, the ITCP and the OTCP, and
                                             identify the correct position of the                    second ITCP and OTCP weld mockup                       closure lid welds.
                                             transducer for complete coverage of the                 specimen known as the blind mockup.                       3. The largest flaw in the OTCP
                                             closure welds to be examined; and (2)                   The report states the overall task                     closure weld was characterized as
                                             the beams are swept through a range of                  objective is to utilize a PAUT technique               having a height of 0.14 inches which is
                                             angles at specified increments along the                for detection and characterization of                  not greater than the thickness of one
                                             scan line in order to achieve coverage of               fabrication flaws in the closure lid                   weld bead and less than the OTCP
                                             the examination volume. The NRC staff                   welds of DSCs. The developed                           closure weld critical flaw size of 0.29
                                             determined that the flaw sizing scan                    procedure was evaluated through a                      inches.
                                             procedures were adequate because: (1)                   blind performance demonstration that                      4. The largest flaw in the ITCP closure
                                             Raster scans were conducted at the                      included the scanning and data analysis                weld was characterized as having a
                                             higher frequency transducer (increased                  of a secured (true-state withheld from                 height of 0.11 inches which is not
                                             resolution) with a range of beam angles                 examiners) OTCP and ITCP closure                       greater than the thickness of one weld
                                             to achieve maximum insonification of                    weld mockup. The blind mockup                          bead and less than the ITCP closure
                                             the flaw; (2) focal laws were                           contained a number of controlled                       weld critical flaw size of 0.15 inches.
                                             programmed for a focal depth equal to                   welding fabrication flaws similar in size                 The NRC staff reviewed the preservice
                                             the reported flaw depth; (3) the acquired               and type to the flaws contained in the                 examination requirements of ASME
                                             data was reviewed to verify that signal                 non-blind mockup, but placed in                        B&PV Code Section III NB–5280 (ASME
                                             saturation had not occurred or whether                  different locations. The technical report              1998 edition with 2000 addenda). The
                                             rescanning of the area was necessary to                 of the demonstration identified a                      NRC staff determined that the PAUT
                                             obtain a response that would allow                      calculated probability of detection                    examination results identified and sized
                                             accurate flaw sizing; and (4) the flaw                  (POD) of 97 percent with no missed                     flaws that exceed the acceptance criteria
                                             length and flaw height were determined                  detections (i.e., none of the known                    of NB–5332 (ASME 1998 edition with
                                             using prescribed signal thresholds. The                 imbedded flaws in the blind mockup                     2000 addenda), and NB–5332 is an
                                             NRC staff determined that the PAUT                      were missed in the performance                         acceptable approach under ISG–15. The
                                             minimum attributes for flaw detection                   demonstration) and one false call (i.e.,               applicant stated that the flaws identified
                                             and characterization provided by the                    one flaw indication reported by an                     by the PAUT examination were
                                             applicant were acceptable and are                       examiner in the blind performance                      explicitly included in the finite element
                                             commensurate with NRC confirmatory                      demonstration was incorrect and was                    models as design features. Further, all
                                             research findings involving PAUT                        not an actual imbedded flaw). As                       indications found through the PAUT
                                             examinations of welds (A.A. Diaz, S.L.                  previously stated, the use of PAUT                     exam were, according to the applicant,
                                             Crawford, A.D. Cinson, and M.T.                         procedure to inspect DSC closure lid                   conservatively characterized as planar
                                             Anderson, ‘‘Technical Letter Report, An                 welds for this application was                         and evaluated as such. The NRC staff
                                             Evaluation of Ultrasonic Phased Array                   developed in accordance with ASME                      determined that the approach taken by
                                             Testing for Reactor Piping System                       B&PV Code Section V, Article 14, T–                    the applicant is acceptable, because: (1)
                                             Components Containing Dissimilar                        1424(b), Intermediate Rigor (ASME 2004                 The PAUT system was capable of
                                             Metal Welds JCN N6398, Task 2A,                         edition). Intermediate rigor requires that             identifying and sizing the flaws in the
                                             PNNL–19018,’’ Richland, WA; Pacific                     a limited performance demonstration be                 ITCP and OTCP welds with the
                                             Northwest National Laboratory,                          conducted achieving a flaw POD of 80                   exception of small sections of the OTCP
                                             November 2009).
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                                                                                                     percent and a false call rate of less than             closure weld as a result of longitudinal
                                                The NRC staff determined that PAUT                   20 percent. The NRC staff finds the                    welds in the canister shell and the
                                             data analysis methods provided by the                   demonstration of PAUT procedure to be                  portion of the ITCP closure weld around
                                             applicant were adequate because they                    acceptable, because the blind                          the siphon and vent block; (2) the size
                                             included specific procedures for flaw                   performance demonstration results                      of the flaws used in the analysis
                                             detection and flaw sizing necessary to                  exceed the criteria for acceptable                     conservatively bounds the size and
                                             locate and size flaws in the ITCP and                   performance listed in ASME B&PV Code                   distributions of flaws identified by


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                                                                          Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 115 / Wednesday, June 15, 2016 / Notices                                             39073

                                             PAUT; and (3) the applicant applied a                      In Structural Integrity Associates                  simulation of the flaw indications in the
                                             reduction factor of 0.8 on the ASME                     (SIA) Calculation Package No.                          FEA models. The first set of the two
                                             B&PV Code specified minimum                             1301415.301, Revision 0, ‘‘Development                 bounding flaws in the OTCP are 0.14
                                             elongations to the weld material to                     of an Analysis Based Stress Allowable                  inches and 0.195 inches each in height
                                             account for flaws that may not have                     Reduction Factor (SARF), Dry Shielded                  while the second set of the three flaws
                                             been detected by the PAUT                               Canister (DSC) Top Closure                             range in height from 0.07 inches to 0.16
                                             examination.                                            Weldments,’’ the applicant used a finite               inches. The single flaw set for the ITCP
                                                As a result of the conclusions                       element analysis (FEA) approach to                     consists of two bounding flaws, a 0.09-
                                             discussed above, the NRC staff finds                    perform generic evaluation of flaw                     inch high flaw between the weld metal
                                             that there is adequate material                         effects on the weld stress performance.                and the DSC shell and another 0.11-inch
                                             performance of the components                           Three types of flaw geometry, radial,                  high inside the ITCP, but at close
                                             important to safety for DSC 16, loaded                  circumferential, and laminar flaws for a               proximity to the weld metal.
                                             under CoC No. 1004, Amendment No.                       range of distribution of flaw length,                     Using an elastic-perfectly plastic
                                             10, and that DSC 16, as addressed in the                depth, and spacing in the DSC ITCP and                 material property model, the applicant
                                             exemption request, remains in                           OTCP were analyzed. Following a                        evaluated the top cover plates-to-shell
                                             compliance with 10 CFR part 72.                         commonly acceptable FEA practice to                    welds for three governing load cases: (1)
                                                Structural Review for the Requested                  simulate flaws with the elements of near               Internal pressure loading of 32 psi for
                                             Exemption: The partial-penetration                      zero stiffness, the applicant computed                 Service Levels A/B; (2) internal pressure
                                             welds of the canister OTCP and the                      the membrane and membrane-plus-                        loading of 65 psi for Service Level D;
                                             ITCP of the Type 1 NUHOMS® 61 BTH                       bending stress intensities in the welds.               and (3) side drop loading of 75 g for
                                             DSCs were originally evaluated in                       By comparing the results from the FEA                  Service Level D. Given that the potential
                                             accordance with the ASME B&PV Code                      models, with and without flaws, for the                exists for the weld to undergo material
                                             Section III, Subsection NB code limits.                 pressure and side drop load cases, a                   yielding, the applicant performed a
                                             After the weld repair and verification                  ratio, or SARF, was determined for each                limit analysis, per the ASME B&PV
                                                                                                     critical weld section cut of interest. For             Code, Section III, Paragraph NB–3228.1,
                                             activities on DSC 16, the applicant
                                                                                                     the OTCP, the applicant computed                       ‘‘Limit Analysis,’’ provisions, for the
                                             performed a PAUT examination and
                                                                                                     SARFs for 7 flaw configurations each for               Service Level A/B, normal and off-
                                             documented volumetrically-identified
                                                                                                     the individual pressure and side drop                  normal condition load cases.
                                             flaw indications in the welds. In the
                                                                                                     loading cases. This established a                      Correspondingly, the rules of ASME
                                             Materials Review for the Requested
                                                                                                     minimum SARF of greater than 0.7 for                   B&PV Code Section III, Appendix F,
                                             Exemption, the staff determined that the
                                                                                                     the through-wall circumferential flaws                 Paragraph F–1341.3, ‘‘Collapse Load,’’
                                             PAUT examination results were
                                                                                                     assumed to span an arc length of 2.016                 were used for the Service Level D,
                                             appropriate for analytical modeling. The
                                                                                                     inches with a common arc spacing of                    accident condition load cases. The limit
                                             results provided a basis for the
                                                                                                     5.184 inches. From the weld quality                    analysis, with elastic-perfectly plastic
                                             applicant to model weld flaw size and                                                                          material model, revealed that the weld
                                             distribution in performing structural                   review documented in the SIA report,
                                                                                                     No. 1301415.405, ‘‘Expectations for                    would undergo unbounded deformation
                                             evaluation by analysis. The evaluations                                                                        after the material yielding strength is
                                             and resulting conclusions to                            Field Closure Welds on the AREVA–TN
                                                                                                     NUHOMS® 61BTH Type 1 & 2                               exceeded.
                                             demonstrate the welds structural                                                                                  To address the potential material
                                             performance is presented below.                         Transportable Canister for BWR Dry
                                                                                                                                                            rupture associated with large weld
                                                AREVA Calculation No. 11042–0204,                    Fuel Storage,’’ the applicant determined
                                                                                                                                                            deformation and, hence, high plastic
                                             Revision 3, ‘‘Allowable Flaw Size                       that only the circumferential flaws are                strain concentrations, the applicant
                                             Evaluation in the Inner Top Cover Weld                  potentially representative of the weld                 performed an elastic-plastic analysis to
                                             for DSC # 16,’’ used the ASME B&PV                      condition of the ITCP. This provided the               supplement the determination of the
                                             Code, Section XI, Appendix C flaw                       basis for postulating a 360 degree, 50                 weld performance margins for DSC 16.
                                             evaluation methodology to compute the                   percent intermittently embedded,                       This was accomplished by considering
                                             allowable flaw size for governing Load                  through-wall circumferential flaw with                 a Ramberg-Osgood idealization of the
                                             Case TR–9 of an internal pressure of 20                 a 0.006 in2 cross section area for the                 stress-strain curve for SA–240 Type 301
                                             psi plus a 25-g inertia loading associated              FEA. This resulted in the calculated                   stainless steel, which recognizes strain
                                             with the DSC corner drop. A theoretical                 SARFs of 0.945 and 0.931 for the                       hardening effects for the large-
                                             subsurface crack or an equivalent                       pressure and side drop cases,                          deformation FEA models with
                                             surface crack residing in the full                      respectively. The staff reviewed the                   embedded flaws in the welds. The
                                             circumference around the 0.25-inch                      modeling assumptions and FEA results                   elastic-plastic analyses resulted in the
                                             deep ITCP weld in DSC 16 was assumed                    and concludes that the FEA method is                   maximum equivalent plastic strains of
                                             to be subject to the radial tensile                     suitable for analyzing the stress                      5.97 percent and 6.09 percent for the
                                             membrane force on the weld. For the                     performance of the weld as a continuum                 Service Level D design pressure of 65
                                             membrane stress of 17.08 ksi resulting                  with multiple embedded flaws.                          psi and side drop of 75 g, respectively.
                                             from multiplying the calculated stress of                  Using the PAUT flaw indication                      The calculated strains are much smaller
                                             13.14 ksi with a service factor, SFm, of                examination results, the applicant                     than the ASME B&PV Code specified
                                             1.3 for Service Level D, the applicant                  performed an FEA to determine the                      minimum elongations of SA–240 Type
                                             determined a 0.15-inch wide allowable                   weld structural performance margins, in                304 stainless steel at 40 percent and
                                             flaw size. The staff reviewed the                       accordance with the ASME Section III                   E308–XX electrode at 35 percent.
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                                             analysis assumptions and concludes                      code limits, for the ITCP and OTCP of                     Additionally, for a conservative
                                             that the flaw size and distribution are                 DSC 16. As noted in AREVA Calculation                  determination of margins of safety, the
                                             conservatively modeled in accordance                    No. 11042–0205, Revision 3, ‘‘61BHT                    applicant considered a load factor of 1.5
                                             with the ASME B&PV Code Section XI                      ITCP and OTCP Closure Weld                             to evaluate the welds subject to a DSC
                                             flaw evaluation methodology to                          Evaluation,’’ two full-circumferential,                internal pressure of 100 psi (65 × 1.5 =
                                             demonstrate sufficient structural                       bounding flaw sets for the OTCP and                    97.5 <100 psi) and a side drop of 122.5
                                             performance margins in the welds.                       one for the ITCP were used in the                      g (75 × 1.5 = 122.5 g). The elastic-plastic


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                                             39074                        Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 115 / Wednesday, June 15, 2016 / Notices

                                             analyses, per the ASME B&PV Code,                       virtue of their confinement function (as               confirm that DSC 16 loaded at the
                                             Section III, Paragraph NB–3228.3 Plastic                demonstrated by the helium leak test                   MNGP met the confinement-related
                                             Analysis provisions, resulted in a peak                 conducted on DSC 16) which assures                     requirements described in 10 CFR part
                                             equivalent plastic strain of 12.6 percent               the helium atmosphere in the DSC 16                    72.
                                             for both loading cases. On the basis of                 cavity is maintained in order to support                  As described in the licensee’s
                                             the weld material elongation limit of 28                heat transfer.                                         ‘‘Exemption Request for Nonconforming
                                             percent, a reduction of the ASME B&PV                      The NRC staff reviewed the licensee’s               Dry Shielded Canister Dye Penetrant
                                             Code specified weld elongation limit of                 exemption request and also evaluated                   Examinations’’ (Enclosure 1 of the
                                             35 percent by a factor 0.8 (0.35 × 0.8 =                its effect on the DSC 16 thermal                       September 29, 2015, submittal), certain
                                             0.28), to account for flaws that may not                performance. The NRC staff concludes                   elements of the DSC 16 closure weld PT
                                             have been detected by the PAUT                          that the cask thermal performance is not               examinations did not comply with
                                             examination, the applicant calculated                   affected by the exemption request                      examination procedures. To support the
                                             the margins of safety of 3.69 and 3.60 for              because the applicant has shown that a                 exemption request, the licensee noted
                                             the internal pressure and side drop                     satisfactory helium leak test was                      that a helium leakage rate test of the
                                             loading cases, respectively.                            conducted on DSC 16, which assures                     closure’s confinement boundary,
                                                The NRC staff reviewed the FEA                       integrity of the primary confinement                   including ITCP weld, siphon cover plate
                                             modeling assumptions and concludes                      boundary. Integrity of the primary                     weld, and vent port cover plate weld,
                                             that the elastic-plastic analysis was                   confinement boundary assures the spent                 were conducted per TS 1.2.4a and
                                             implemented with appropriate loading                    fuel is stored in a safe inert environment             demonstrated that the primary
                                             conditions and materials properties, as                 with unaffected heat transfer                          confinement barrier field welds met the
                                             described above. The analysis results                   characteristics that assure peak cladding              TS acceptance criterion of 1E–7 cc/sec
                                             show that the welds would undergo                       temperatures remain below allowable                    (i.e., ‘‘leaktight’’ as defined by ANSI
                                             plastic deformation for the Service Level               limits. Therefore, based on the NRC                    N14.5). The applicant noted that failure
                                             D loading associated with canister                      staff’s review of the licensee’s                       to comply with the PT examination
                                             internal pressure and side drop accident                evaluation and technical justification,                procedures would not change the
                                             conditions. However, no material                        the NRC staff finds the exemption                      general integrity of these DSC closure
                                             rupture or breach of DSC confinement                    request acceptable by virtue of the                    welds. NRC staff concludes that not
                                             boundary at the welds is expected                       demonstrable structural integrity of the               performing the PT examination
                                             because of the large margins of safety                  ITCP and OTCP.                                         procedures relevant to this exemption
                                             against the ASME B&PV Code specified                       The NRC staff finds that the thermal
                                                                                                                                                            request would not change the results of
                                             elongation limits. For this reason, the                 function of DSC 16, loaded under CoC
                                                                                                                                                            the helium leakage test and, therefore,
                                             staff has reasonable assurance to                       No. 1004, Amendment No. 10,
                                                                                                                                                            the demonstration of the closure
                                             conclude that the ITCP and OTCP welds                   addressed in the exemption request
                                                                                                                                                            confinement integrity, as defined by the
                                             of DSC 16 have adequate structural                      remains in compliance with 10 CFR part
                                                                                                                                                            licensing basis, is unaffected. In
                                             integrity for the normal, off-normal, and               72.
                                                                                                        Shielding and Criticality Safety                    addition, in the Structural Review for
                                             accident and natural phenomenon
                                                                                                     Review for the Requested Exemption:                    the Requested Exemption and Materials
                                             conditions. The NRC staff also finds that
                                                                                                     The NRC staff reviewed the criticality                 Review for the Requested Exemption
                                             the retrievability of DSC 16 is ensured
                                                                                                     safety and radiation protection                        evaluations described previously, staff
                                             based on the demonstration of adequate
                                                                                                     effectiveness of DSC 16 presented in the               evaluated the applicant’s repair and
                                             structural integrity discussed above.
                                                The NRC staff finds that the structural              Monticello exemption request. The NRC                  verification activities and the PAUT
                                             function of DSC 16, loaded under CoC                    staff finds that DSC 16 is not affected by             examinations and analyses associated
                                             No. 1004, Amendment No. 10,                             the nonconforming PT examinations                      with DSC 16 and concluded DSC 16
                                             addressed in the exemption request                      because storage of DSC 16 on the MNGP                  meets the requirements of 10 CFR part
                                             remains in compliance with 10 CFR part                  ISFSI will not significantly alter the                 72.
                                             72.                                                     assumptions of the criticality safety and                 As discussed above, because the PT
                                                Thermal Review for the Requested                     radiation protection analysis of the                   examinations did not affect DSC 16’s
                                             Exemption: The applicant stated that                    61BTH DSC. The interior of DSC 16 will                 helium leak test results, the NRC staff
                                             even though nonconforming                               continue to prevent water in-leakage,                  finds that the confinement function of
                                             examinations exist, satisfactory                        which means that the system will                       DSC 16, loaded under CoC No. 1004,
                                             completion of the required helium leak                  remain subcritical under all conditions.               Amendment No. 10, remains in
                                             test conducted on DSC 16 has                            The nonconforming PT examinations do                   compliance with 10 CFR part 72.
                                             specifically demonstrated the integrity                 not affect the radiation source term of                   Review of Common Defense and
                                             of the primary confinement boundary                     the spent fuel contents, or the                        Security: The NRC staff considered the
                                             (ITCP and siphon/vent cover plate)                      configuration of the shielding                         potential impacts of granting the
                                             welds. These tests (conducted per TS                    components of the Standardized                         exemption on the common defense and
                                             1.2.4a) specifically demonstrate that the               NUHOMS® system containing the                          security. The requested exemption is
                                             primary confinement barrier field welds                 61BTH DSC, meaning that the radiation                  not related to any security or common
                                             are ‘‘leak tight’’ as defined in American               protection performance of the system is                defense aspect of the MNGP ISFSI,
                                             National Standards Institute (ANSI)                     not altered.                                           therefore granting the exemption would
                                             N14.5–1997. The licensee stated that, in                   The NRC staff finds that the criticality            not result in any potential impacts to
                                             this respect, the helium leak test                      safety and shielding function of DSC 16,               common defense and security.
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                                             demonstrates the basic integrity of the                 loaded under CoC No. 1004,                                Based on its review, the NRC staff has
                                             confinement barrier and the lack of a                   Amendment No. 10, addressed in the                     reasonable assurance that the storage
                                             through-weld flaw in the field closure                  exemption request remains in                           system will continue meet the thermal,
                                             welds that would lead to a loss of cavity               compliance with 10 CFR part 72.                        structural, criticality, retrievability and
                                             helium in DSC 16. The licensee stated                      Confinement Review for the                          radiation protection requirements of 10
                                             that the field closure welds indirectly                 Requested Exemption: The objective of                  CFR part 72 and, therefore, will not
                                             support the thermal design function by                  the confinement evaluation was to                      endanger life or property. The NRC staff


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                                                                            Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 115 / Wednesday, June 15, 2016 / Notices                                                            39075

                                             also finds that there is no threat to the                   removing the weld material that could                       determined, as discussed above, that,
                                             common defense and security.                                require disposal as contaminated                            under 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25): (i) Granting
                                                Therefore, the NRC staff concludes                       material.                                                   the exemption does not involve a
                                             that the exemption to relieve the                              The proposed exemption to allow                          significant hazards considerations
                                             applicant from meeting TS 1.2.5 of                          transfer of DSC 16 into an HSM, and                         because granting the exemption neither
                                             Attachment A of CoC No. 1004,                               permit the continued storage of that                        reduces a margin of safety, creates a new
                                             Amendment No. 10, which requires that                       DSC for the service life of the canister                    or different kind of accident from any
                                             liquid penetrant test examinations be                       at the MNGP ISFSI, is consistent with                       accident previously evaluated, nor
                                             performed on DSCs to verify the                             NRC’s mission to protect public health                      significantly increases either the
                                             acceptability of the closure welds,                         and safety. Approving the requested                         probability or consequences of an
                                             allowing for transfer DSC 16 into an                        exemption produces less of an                               accident previously evaluated; (ii)
                                             HSM, and would permit the continued                         opportunity for a release of radioactive                    granting the exemption would not
                                             storage of that DSC for the service life                    material than the alternatives to the                       produce a significant change in either
                                             of the canister at the MNGP ISFSI will                      proposed action because there will be                       the types or amounts of any effluents
                                             not endanger life or property or the                        no operations involving opening the                         that may be released offsite because the
                                             common defense and security.                                DSCs which confine the spent nuclear                        requested exemption neither changes
                                                                                                         fuel. Therefore, the exemption is in the                    the effluents nor produces additional
                                             Otherwise in the Public Interest
                                                                                                         public interest.                                            avenues of effluent release; (iii) granting
                                                In considering whether granting the                                                                                  the exemption would not result in a
                                             exemption is in the public interest, the                    Environmental Consideration
                                                                                                                                                                     significant increase in either
                                             NRC staff considered the alternative of                        The NRC staff also considered in the                     occupational radiation exposure or
                                             not granting the exemption. If the                          review of this exemption request                            public radiation exposure, because the
                                             exemption were not granted, in order to                     whether there would be any significant                      requested exemption neither introduces
                                             comply with the CoC, either (1) DSC 16                      environmental impacts associated with                       new radiological hazards nor increases
                                             would have to be opened and unloaded,                       the exemption. The NRC staff                                existing radiological hazards; (iv)
                                             and the contents loaded in a new DSC,                       determined that this proposed action                        granting the exemption would not result
                                             and that DSC welded and tested, or (2)                      fits a category of actions that do not                      in a significant construction impact,
                                             the OTCP would need to be machined                          require an environmental assessment or                      because there are no construction
                                             off, and the ITCP weld machined down                        environmental impact statement.                             activities associated with the requested
                                             to the root weld; and the DSC, ITCP and                     Specifically, the exemption meets the                       exemption; and; (v) granting the
                                             OTCP inspected to determine if there                        categorical exclusion in 10 CFR                             exemption would not increase either the
                                             was any damage as a result of the                           51.22(c)(25).                                               potential or consequences from
                                             machining (which would then                                    Granting this exemption from 10 CFR                      radiological accidents such as a gross
                                             necessitate the actions detailed in                         72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(3),                                 leak from the closure welds, because the
                                             option 1). If there were no such damage,                    72.212(b)(5)(i), 72.214, and                                exemption neither reduces the ability of
                                             the DSC would need to be re-welded                          72.212(b)(11) only relieves the applicant                   the closure welds to confine radioactive
                                             and inspected. Both options would                           from the inspection or surveillance                         material nor creates new accident
                                             entail a higher risk of a cask handling                     requirements associated with                                precursors at the MNGP ISFSI.
                                             accidents, additional personnel                             performing PT examinations with regard                      Accordingly, this exemption meets the
                                             exposure, and greater cost to the                           to meeting Technical Specification (TS)                     criteria for a categorical exclusion in 10
                                             applicant. Both options would also                          1.2.5 of Attachment A of CoC No. 1004.                      CFR 51.22(c)(25)(vi)(C).
                                             generate additional radioactive                             A categorical exclusion for inspection or
                                             contaminated material (including the                        surveillance requirements is provided                       IV. Availability of Documents
                                             unloaded DSC for option 1) and waste                        under 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25)(vi)(C) if the                       The documents identified in the
                                             from operations, because the lid would                      criteria in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(25)(i)–(v) are                  following table are available to
                                             have to be removed in either case,                          also satisfied. In its review of the                        interested persons through one or more
                                             which would generate cuttings from                          exemption request, the NRC staff                            of the following methods, as indicated.

                                                                                                                                                                                                             ADAMS
                                                                                                                   Document                                                                               Accession No.

                                             Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant Exemption Request for Nonconforming Dry Shielded Canister Dye Penetrant Examina-                                         ML15275A023
                                              tions, September 29, 2015.                                                                                                                                  ML15275A024
                                                                                                                                                                                                          ML15275A025
                                             Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant Exemption Request for Nonconforming Dry Shielded Canister Dye Penetrant Examina-                                         ML16035A214
                                              tions, Supplemental Information, January 29, 2016.                                                                                                          ML16049A081
                                                                                                                                                                                                          ML16049A094
                                             Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant Exemption Request for Nonconforming Dry Shielded Canister Dye Penetrant Examina-                                         ML16091A228
                                                tions, Supplemental Information to Respond to the Second Request for Additional Information, March 29, 2016.                                              ML16097A460
                                             Interim Staff Guidance No. 15, Rev. 0, Materials Evaluation, January 10, 2001 ............................................................................   ML010100170
                                             Technical Justification for Phased Array Ultrasonic Examination of Dry Storage Canister Lid Welds Report No. 54–PQ–114–                                      ML16035A185
                                                001, January 30, 2015.                                                                                                                                    ML16035A186
                                                                                                                                                                                                          ML16049A094
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                                             Technical Report of the Demonstration of UT NDE Procedure 54–UT–114–000 Phased Array Ultrasonic Examination of Dry                                           ML16035A184
                                               Storage Canister Lid Welds Report No. 51–9234641–001, January 30, 2015.
                                             61BTH ITCP and OTCP closure Weld Flaw Evaluation, Calculation 11042–0205, Revision 3, March 21, 2016 ..........................                              ML16097A460
                                             Technical Letter Report, An Evaluation of Ultrasonic Phased Array Testing for Reactor Piping System Components Containing                                    ML093570315
                                               Dissimilar Metal Welds JCN N6398, Task 2A, PNNL–19018,’’ Richland, WA; Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Novem-
                                               ber 2009.




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                                             39076                        Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 115 / Wednesday, June 15, 2016 / Notices

                                                                                                                                                                                               ADAMS
                                                                                                               Document                                                                     Accession No.

                                             AREVA Calculation No. 11042–0204, Revision 3, Allowable Flaw Size Evaluation in the Inner Top Cover Weld for DSC #16,                         ML15275A024
                                               September 29, 2015.
                                             Structural Integrity Associates Calculation Package No. 1301415.301, Revision 0, Development of an Analysis Based Stress                      ML15275A025
                                               Allowable Reduction Factor (SARF), Dry Shielded Canister (DSC) Top Closure Weldments, October 2014.
                                             Structural Integrity Associates report, No. 1301415.405, Expectations for Field Closure Welds on the AREVA–TN NUHOMS®                         ML14309A194
                                               61BTH Type 1 & 2 Transportable Canister for BWR Dry Fuel Storage, November 3, 2014.



                                             IV. Conclusion                                          FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                       39 CFR part 3020, subpart B. Comment
                                                Based on the foregoing                               David A. Trissell, General Counsel, at                 deadline(s) for each request appear in
                                             considerations, the NRC staff has                       202–789–6820.                                          section II.
                                             determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR                     SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                             II. Docketed Proceeding(s)
                                             72.7, the exemption is authorized by                    Table of Contents                                         1. Docket No(s).: CP2016–194; Filing
                                             law, will not endanger life or property                                                                        Title: Notice of the United States Postal
                                             or the common defense and security,                     I. Introduction
                                                                                                     II. Docketed Proceeding(s)                             Service of Filing a Functionally
                                             and is otherwise in the public interest.                                                                       Equivalent Global Plus 1C Negotiated
                                             Therefore, the NRC grants the applicant                 I. Introduction                                        Service Agreement and Application for
                                             an exemption from the requirements of                      The Commission gives notice that the                Non-Public Treatment of Materials Filed
                                             10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(3),                      Postal Service has filed request(s) for the            Under Seal; Filing Acceptance Date:
                                             72.212(b)(5)(i), 72.214, and                            Commission to consider matters related                 June 9, 2016; Filing Authority: 39 U.S.C.
                                             72.212(b)(11), only with regard to                      to negotiated service agreement(s). The                3642 and 39 CFR 3020.30 et seq.; Public
                                             meeting Technical Specification (TS)                    requests(s) may propose the addition or                Representative: Kenneth R. Moeller;
                                             1.2.5 of Attachment A of CoC No. 1004                   removal of a negotiated service                        Comments Due: June 17, 2016.
                                             for DSC 16.                                             agreement from the market dominant or                     This notice will be published in the
                                                This exemption is effective upon                     the competitive product list, or the                   Federal Register.
                                             issuance.                                               modification of an existing product                    Stacy L. Ruble,
                                               Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day            currently appearing on the market
                                             June, 2016.                                                                                                    Secretary.
                                                                                                     dominant or the competitive product
                                             For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.                                                                         [FR Doc. 2016–14172 Filed 6–14–16; 8:45 am]
                                                                                                     list.
                                                                                                        Section II identifies the docket                    BILLING CODE 7710–FW–P
                                             Bernie White,
                                             Acting Branch Chief, Spent Fuel Licensing               number(s) associated with each Postal
                                             Branch, Division of Spent Fuel Management,              Service request, the title of each Postal
                                             Office of Nuclear Material Safety and                   Service request, the request’s acceptance              OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND
                                             Safeguards.                                             date, and the authority cited by the                   TECHNOLOGY POLICY
                                             [FR Doc. 2016–14188 Filed 6–14–16; 8:45 am]             Postal Service for each request. For each
                                                                                                     request, the Commission appoints an                    Request for Information on the
                                             BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
                                                                                                     officer of the Commission to represent                 Development of the 2017 National Plan
                                                                                                     the interests of the general public in the             for Civil Earth Observations;
                                                                                                     proceeding, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505                  Correction
                                             POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
                                                                                                     (Public Representative). Section II also               ACTION:Notice of Request for
                                             [Docket No. CP2016–194]                                 establishes comment deadline(s)                        Information (RFI); correction.
                                                                                                     pertaining to each request.
                                             New Postal Product                                         The public portions of the Postal                   SUMMARY:    On June 2, 2016, the White
                                             AGENCY:   Postal Regulatory Commission.                 Service’s request(s) can be accessed via               House Office of Science and Technology
                                                                                                     the Commission’s Web site (http://                     Policy (OSTP) published a document in
                                             ACTION:   Notice.                                       www.prc.gov). Non-public portions of                   the Federal Register (81 FR 35398)
                                             SUMMARY:   The Commission is noticing a                 the Postal Service’s request(s), if any,               requesting information on development
                                             recent Postal Service filing for the                    can be accessed through compliance                     of the 2017 National Plan for Civil Earth
                                             Commission’s consideration concerning                   with the requirements of 39 CFR                        Observations. That document contained
                                             a negotiated service agreement. This                    3007.40.                                               one error in an OSTP email address, and
                                             notice informs the public of the filing,                   The Commission invites comments on                  in one of the listed phone numbers.
                                             invites public comment, and takes other                 whether the Postal Service’s request(s)                OSTP is therefore reissuing this
                                             administrative steps.                                   in the captioned docket(s) are consistent              document with the corrected
                                                                                                     with the policies of title 39. For                     information.
                                             DATES: Comments are due: June 17,
                                                                                                     request(s) that the Postal Service states                On behalf of the U.S. Group on Earth
                                             2016.                                                   concern market dominant product(s),                    Observations (USGEO), a Subcommittee
                                             ADDRESSES:   Submit comments                            applicable statutory and regulatory                    of the National Science and Technology
                                             electronically via the Commission’s                     requirements include 39 U.S.C. 3622, 39                Council (NSTC) Committee on
ehiers on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES




                                             Filing Online system at http://                         U.S.C. 3642, 39 CFR part 3010, and 39                  Environment, Natural Resources, and
                                             www.prc.gov. Those who cannot submit                    CFR part 3020, subpart B. For request(s)               Sustainability (CENRS), OSTP requests
                                             comments electronically should contact                  that the Postal Service states concern                 input from all interested parties
                                             the person identified in the FOR FURTHER                competitive product(s), applicable                     regarding recommendations for the
                                             INFORMATION CONTACT section by                          statutory and regulatory requirements                  development of the 2017 National Plan
                                             telephone for advice on filing                          include 39 U.S.C. 3632, 39 U.S.C. 3633,                for Civil Earth Observations (‘‘National
                                             alternatives.                                           39 U.S.C. 3642, 39 CFR part 3015, and                  Plan’’, or ‘‘Plan’’). An electronic


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Document Created: 2016-06-15 02:20:59
Document Modified: 2016-06-15 02:20:59
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionExemption; issuance.
ContactChristian Jacobs, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-6825; email: [email protected]
FR Citation81 FR 39069 

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