Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., et al.; Notice of Partial Denial of Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses and Opportunity for Hearing

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 25 (Monday, February 8, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6118-6119]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-2950]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-424 and 50-425]


Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., et al.; Notice of 
Partial Denial of Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses and 
Opportunity for Hearing

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has denied 
a request by Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., et al., (the 
licensee) for amendments to Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-68 and 
NPF-81 issued to the licensee for operation of the Vogtle Electric 
Generating Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2, located in Burke County, Georgia. 
Notice of Consideration of Issuance of the amendments was published in 
the Federal Register on October 7, 1998 (63 FR 53955).
    The purpose of the licensee's amendment request was to revise the 
Technical Specifications (TS) to: (1) eliminate the requirement for 
operability of system level manual initiation, and automatic 
initiation, for closure of the containment purge supply and exhaust 
isolation valves during core alteration and/or movement or irradiated 
fuel assemblies within containment; (2) allow the equipment hatch and 
emergency air lock to be open during core alterations, and/or movement 
of irradiated fuel assemblies inside containment; and (3) eliminate the 
requirements associated with nonredundant condensate storage tanks.
    The NRC staff has concluded that the licensee's request, with 
regard to those changes to the TS that would allow the

[[Page 6119]]

equipment hatch to be open during core alterations, and/or movement of 
irradiated fuel inside containment, cannot be granted. The licensee was 
notified of the Commission's denial of the proposed change by a letter 
dated January 29, 1999.
    By March 10, 1999, the licensee may demand a hearing with respect 
to the denial described above. Any person whose interest may be 
affected by this proceeding may file a written petition for leave to 
intervene.
    A request for hearing or petition for leave to intervene must be 
filed with the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001 Attention: Rulemakings and 
Adjudications Staff, or may be delivered to the Commission's Public 
Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC, 
by the above date.
    A copy of any petitions should also be sent to the Office of the 
General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 
20555-0001, and to Mr. Arthur H. Domby, Troutman Sanders, NationsBank 
Plaza, Suite 5200, 600 Peachtree Street, NE., Atlanta, Georgia, 
attorney for the licensee.
    For further details with respect to this action, see (1) the 
application for amendments dated June 26, 1998, as supplemented by 
letters dated September 18 and November 30, 1998, and (2) the 
Commission's letter to the licensee dated January 29, 1999.
    These documents are available for public inspection at the 
Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, 
NW., Washington, DC, and at the local public document room located at 
the Burke County Library, 412 Fourth Street, Waynesboro, Georgia.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 29th day of January, 1999.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
David Jaffe,
Senior Project Manager, Project Directorate II-2, Division of Reactor 
Projects--I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 99-2950 Filed 2-5-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P