Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 193 / Monday, October 6, 1997 / Notices 52165

health or safety, and are consistent with

the common defense and security and

(2) when special circumstances are

present. According to 10 CFR

50.12(a)(2)(ii), special circumstances are

present whenever application of the

regulation in question is not necessary

to achieve the underlying purpose of the

rule.

The underlying purpose of 10 CFR

Part 50, Appendix G, is to establish

fracture toughness requirements for

ferritic materials of pressure-retaining

components of the reactor coolant

pressure boundary to provide adequate

margins of safety during any condition

of normal operation, including

anticipated operational occurrences, to

which the pressure boundary may be

subjected over its service lifetime.

Section IV.A.2 of Appendix G requires

that the reactor vessel be operated with

P/T limits at least as conservative as

those obtained by following the

methods of analysis and the required

margins of safety of Appendix G of the

ASME Code.

Appendix G of the ASME Code

requires that the P/T limits be

calculated: (a) using a safety factor of

two on the principal membrane

(pressure) stresses; (b) assuming a flaw

at the surface with a depth of onequarter (1⁄4) of the vessel wall thickness

and a length of six (6) times its depth;

and (c) using a conservative fracture

toughness curve that is based on the

lower bound of static, dynamic, and

crack arrest fracture toughness tests on

material similar to the Watts Bar reactor

vessel material.

In determining the setpoint for LTOP

events, the licensee proposed to use

safety margins based on an alternate

methodology consistent with the ASME

Code Case N–514 guidelines. The ASME

Code Case N–514 allows determination

of the setpoint for LTOP events such

that the maximum pressure in the vessel

would not exceed 110 percent of the P/

T limits of the existing ASME Code

Appendix G. This results in a safety

factor of 1.8 on the principal membrane

stresses. All other factors, including

assumed flaw size and fracture

toughness, remain the same. Although

this methodology would reduce the

safety factor on the principal membrane

stress, the proposed criteria will provide

adequate margins of safety on the

reactor vessel during LTOP transients,

and thus will satisfy the underlying

purpose of 10 CFR 50.60 for fracture

toughness requirements. Further, by

relieving the operational restrictions,

the potential for undesirable lifting of

the PORV would be reduced, thereby

improving plant safety.

IV

For the foregoing reasons, the NRC

staff has concluded that the licensee’s

proposed use of the alternate

methodology in determining the

acceptable setpoint for LTOP events will

not present an undue risk to public

health and safety and is consistent with

the common defense and security. The

NRC staff has determined that there are

special circumstances present, as

specified in 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2), in that

application of 10 CFR 50.60 is not

necessary in order to achieve the

underlying purpose of this regulation.

Accordingly, the Commission has

determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR

50.12, this exemption is authorized by

law, will not present an undue risk to

the public health and safety, and is

consistent with the common defense

and security.

Accordingly, the Commission hereby

grants an exemption from 10 CFR 50.60

such that in determining the setpoint for

LTOP events, the Appendix G curves for

P/T limits are not exceeded by more

than 10 percent. This exemption

permits using the safety margins

recommended in the AMSE Code Case

N–514, in lieu of the safety margins

required by 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix

G. This exemption is applicable only to

LTOP conditions during normal

operation.

Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the

Commission has determined that the

granting of the exemption will have no

significant impact on the quality of the

human environment (62 FR 50630).

This exemption is effective upon

issuance.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 29th day

of September 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Samuel J. Collins,

Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

[FR Doc. 97–26405 Filed 10–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Termination of the Technical

Specifications Plus Electronic Bulletin

Board System (BBS)

Notice is hereby given that effective

October 15, 1997, the Nuclear

Regulatory Commission (NRC) will

terminate the operation of the Tech

Specs Plus BBS that provided a source

of electronic copies of the NRCs

Standard Technical Specifications.

Information on the NRC’s Standard

Technical Specifications can be

obtained from the NRC’s web site at url:

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/sts/sts.htm.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day

of September 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

William D. Beckner,

Chief, Technical Specifications Branch,

Associate Director for Projects, Office of

Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 97–26404 Filed 10–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–U

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING: Nuclear

Regulatory Commission.

DATE: Wednesday, October 8, 1997.

PLACE: Commissioners’ Conference

Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,

Maryland.

STATUS: Public.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:

Wednesday, October 8

3:30 pm Affirmation Session (Public

Meeting)

A: Changes to paragraph (h) of 10 CFR

Part 50.55a, ‘‘Codes and Standards’’

B: Sequoyah Fuels Corp. & General

Atomic: Docket No. 40–8027–EA;

LBP–95–18 and LBP–96–24,

Memoranda and Orders (Approving

Settlement) (Tentative)

The schedule for Commission

meetings is subject to change on short

notice. To verify the status of meetings

call (Recording)—(301) 415–1292.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Bill Hill, (301) 415–1661.

* * * * *

The NRC Commission Meeting

Schedule can be found on the Internet

at: http://www.nrc.gov/SECY/smj/

schedule.htm.

This notice is distributed by mail to

several hundred subscribers; if you no

longer wish to receive it, or would like

to be added to it, please contact the

Office of the Secretary, Attn: Operations

Branch, Washington, D.C. 20555 (301–

415–1661).

In addition, distribution of this

meeting notice over the internet system

is available. If you are interested in

receiving this Commission meeting

schedule electronically, please send an

electronic message to wmh@nrc.gov or

dkw@nrc.gov.

* * * * *

William M. Hill, Jr.,

SECY Tracking Officer, Office of the

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–26509 Filed 10–2–97; 11:42 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–M