45452 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 166 / Wednesday, August 27, 1997 / Notices

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50–280 and 50–281]

Virginia Electric and Power Company

Surry Nuclear Power Station;

Exemption

I

The Virginia Electric and Power

Company (VEPCO, the licensee) is the

holder of Facility Operating License No.

DPR–32 and Facility Operating License

No. DPR–37, which authorize operation

of the Surry Nuclear Power Station,

Units 1 and 2. The licenses provide that

the licensee is subject to all rules,

regulations, and orders of the U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC

or the Commission) now or hereafter in

effect.

The facility consists of two

pressurized-water reactors at the

licensee’s site located in Surry County,

Virginia.

II

The Code of Federal Regulations at 10

CFR 70.24, ‘‘Criticality Accident

Requirements,’’ requires that each

licensee authorized to possess special

nuclear material shall maintain a

criticality accident monitoring system in

each area in which such material is

handled, used, or stored. Sections 70.24

(a)(1) and (a)(2) specify detection and

sensitivity requirements that these

monitors must meet. Section 70.24(a)(1)

also specifies that all areas subject to

criticality accident monitoring must be

covered by two detectors. Section

70.24(a)(3) requires licensees to

maintain emergency procedures for each

area in which this licensed special

nuclear material is handled, used, or

stored, and provides (1) that the

procedures ensure that all personnel

withdraw to an area of safety upon the

sounding of a criticality accident

monitor alarm, (2) that the procedures

must include drills to familiarize

personnel with the evacuation plan, and

(3) that the procedures designate

responsible individuals for determining

the cause of the alarm and placement of

radiation survey instruments in

accessible locations for use in such an

emergency. Section 70.24(b)(1) requires

licensees to have a means by which to

quickly identify personnel who have

received a dose of 10 rads or more.

Section 70.24(b)(2) requires licensees to

maintain personnel decontamination

facilities, to maintain arrangements for a

physician and other medical personnel

qualified to handle radiation

emergencies, and to maintain

arrangements for the transportation of

contaminated individuals to treatment

facilities outside the site boundary.

Section 70.24(c) exempts Part 50

licensees from the requirements of 10

CFR 70.24(c) for special nuclear

material used or to be used in the

reactor. Subsection 70.24(d) states that

any licensee who believes that there is

good cause why he should be granted an

exemption from all or part of 10 CFR

70.24 may apply to the Commission for

such an exemption and shall specify the

reasons for the relief requested.

III

By letter dated January 27, 1997, as

supplemented March 24, 1997, VEPCO

requested an exemption from 10 CFR

70.24(a). The Commission has reviewed

the licensee’s submittal and has

determined that inadvertent criticality is

not likely to occur in special nuclear

materials handling or storage areas at

Surry Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2.

The quantity of special nuclear material

other than fuel that is stored on site is

small enough to preclude achieving a

critical mass.

The purpose of the criticality

monitors required by 10 CFR 70.24 is to

ensure that if a criticality were to occur

during the handling of special nuclear

material, personnel would be alerted to

that fact and would take appropriate

action. Although the staff has

determined that such an accident is not

likely to occur, the licensee has

radiation monitors, as required by

General Design Criteria 63, in fuel

storage and handling areas. These

monitors will alert personnel to

excessive radiation levels and allow

them to initiate appropriate safety

actions. The low probability of an

inadvertent criticality together with the

licensee’s adherence to General Design

Criterion 63 constitute good cause for

granting an exemption to the

requirements of 10 CFR 70.24(a).

IV

The Commission has determined that,

pursuant to 10 CFR 70.14, this

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

Commission hereby grants the following

exemption:

The Virginia Electric and Power

Company is exempt from the

requirements of 10 CFR 70.24(a) for the

Surry Nuclear Power Station, Unit 1 and

Unit 2.

Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the

Commission has determined that the

granting of this exemption will have no

significant impact on the quality of the

human environment (62 FR 44495).

This exemption is effective upon

issuance.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day

of August 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Samuel J. Collins,

Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

[FR Doc. 97–22779 Filed 8–26–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Biweekly Notice

Applications and Amendments to

Facility Operating Licenses Involving

No Significant Hazards Considerations

I. Background

Pursuant to Public Law 97-415, the

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

(the Commission or NRC staff) is

publishing this regular biweekly notice.

Public Law 97-415 revised section 189

of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as

amended (the Act), to require the

Commission to publish notice of any

amendments issued, or proposed to be

issued, under a new provision of section

189 of the Act. This provision grants the

Commission the authority to issue and

make immediately effective any

amendment to an operating license

upon a determination by the

Commission that such amendment

involves no significant hazards

consideration, notwithstanding the

pendency before the Commission of a

request for a hearing from any person. This biweekly notice includes all

notices of amendments issued, or

proposed to be issued from August 4,

1997, through August 15, 1997. The last

biweekly notice was published on

August 13, 1997 (62 FR 43365).

Notice Of Consideration Of Issuance Of

Amendments To Facility Operating

Licenses, Proposed No Significant

Hazards Consideration Determination,

And Opportunity For A Hearing

The Commission has made a

proposed determination that the

following amendment requests involve

no significant hazards consideration.

Under the Commission’s regulations in

10 CFR 50.92, this means that operation

of the facility in accordance with the

proposed amendment would not (1)

involve a significant increase in the

probability or consequences of an

accident previously evaluated; or (2)

create the possibility of a new or

different kind of accident from any

accident previously evaluated; or (3)

involve a significant reduction in a