Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 198 / Tuesday, October 14, 1997 / Notices 53353

criticality accident monitoring system in

each area where such material is

handled, used, or stored. Subsection

a(2) of 10 CFR 70.24 specifies detection

and sensitivity requirements that these

monitors must meet. Subsection a(2)

also specifies that all areas subject to

criticality accident monitoring must be

covered by monitoring devices.

Subsection (a)(3) of 10 CFR 70.24

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.

Subsection (b)(1) of 10 CFR 70.24

requires licensees to have a means to

identify quickly personnel who have

received a dose of 10 rads or more.

Subsection (b)(2) of 10 CFR 70.24

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.

Subsection (c) of 10 CFR 70.24 exempts

Part 50 licensees from the requirements

of subsection (b) of 10 CFR 70.24 for

special nuclear material used or to be

used in the reactor. Subsection (d) of 10

CFR 70.24 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

The special nuclear material that

could be assembled into a critical mass

at Point Beach Nuclear Plant is in the

form of nuclear fuel; the quantity of

special nuclear material other than fuel

that is stored on site is small enough to

preclude achieving a critical mass. The

Commission technical staff has

evaluated the possibility of an

inadvertent criticality of the nuclear fuel

at Point Beach Nuclear Plant and has

determined that such an accident

cannot occur if the licensee meets the

following seven criteria:

1. Only one new fuel assembly is

allowed out of a shipping cask or

storage rack at one time.

2. The k-effective does not exceed

0.95, at a 95% probability, 95%

confidence level in the event that the

fresh fuel storage racks are filled with

fuel of the maximum permissible U-235

enrichment and flooded with pure

water.

3. If optimum moderation occurs at

low moderator density, then the keffective does not exceed 0.98, at a 95%

probability, 95% confidence level in the

event that the fresh fuel storage racks

are filled with fuel of the maximum

permissible U-235 enrichment and

flooded with moderator at the density

corresponding to optimum moderation.

4. The k-effective does not exceed

0.95, at a 95% probability, 95%

confidence level in the event that the

spent fuel storage racks are filled with

fuel of the maximum permissible U-235

enrichment and flooded with pure

water.

5. The quantity of forms of special

nuclear material, other than nuclear

fuel, that are stored on site in any given

area is less than the quantity necessary

for a critical mass.

6. Radiation monitors, as required by

Point Beach Nuclear Plant General

Design Criterion 18 which is analogous

to 10 CFR part 50, Appendix A, General

Design Criterion 63, are provided in fuel

storage and handling areas to detect

excessive radiation levels and to initiate

appropriate safety actions.

7. The maximum nominal U-235

enrichment is limited to 5 weight

percent.

By letter dated June 7, 1997,

Wisconsin Electric Power Company

requested an exemption from 10 CFR

70.24. In this exemption request the

licensee addressed the seven criteria

given above. The Commission technical

staff has reviewed the licensee’s

submittal and has determined that Point

Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2,

meets the criteria for prevention of

inadvertent criticality; therefore, the

staff has determined that it is extremely

unlikely for an inadvertent criticality to

occur in special nuclear materials

handling or storage areas at Point Beach

Nuclear Plant.

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. The staff has determined that it

is extremely unlikely that such an

accident could occur; furthermore, the

licensee has radiation monitors, as

required by Point Beach Nuclear Plant’s

General Design Criterion 18, in fuel

storage and handling areas. Specifically,

Point Beach Nuclear Plant’s General

Design Criterion 18 requires

‘‘Monitoring and alarm instrumentation

shall be provided for fuel and waste

storage and associated handling areas

for conditions that might result in loss

of capability to remove decay heat and

to detect excessive radiation levels.’’

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 Point Beach

Nuclear Plant’s General Design Criterion

18 constitute good cause for granting an

exemption to the requirements of 10

CFR 70.24.

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

Wisconsin Electric Power Company an

exemption from the requirements of 10

CFR 70.24 for the Point Beach Nuclear

Plant.

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 45883).

This exemption is effective upon

issuance.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day

of October 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Samuel J. Collins,

Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

[FR Doc. 97–27085 Filed 10–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Assurance of Sufficient Net Positive

Suction Head for Emergency Core

Cooling and Containment Heat

Removal Pumps; Issue

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory

Commission.

ACTION: Notice of issuance.

SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (NRC) has issued Generic

Letter 97–04 to all holders of operating

licenses for nuclear power plants,

except those who have permanently

ceased operations and have certified

that fuel has been permanently removed
53354 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 198 / Tuesday, October 14, 1997 / Notices

from the reactor vessel, to request that

addressees submit information

necessary to confirm the adequacy of

the net positive suction head available

for emergency core cooling (including

core spray and decay heat removal) and

containment heat removal pumps.

The generic letter is available in the

NRC Public Document Room under

accession number 9710060324.

DATES: The generic letter was issued on

October 7, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Not applicable.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William O. Long at (301) 415–3026.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

generic letter only requests information

from addressees under the provisions of

Section 182a of the Atomic Energy Act

of 1954, as amended, and 10 CFR

50.54(f). The requested information will

enable the staff to determine whether

the NPSH analyses of addressees

conform with the current licensing basis

for their respective facilities, including

the licensing safety analyses and the

principal design criteria which require

and/or commit that safety-related

components and systems be provided to

mitigate the consequences of designbasis accidents.

New NPSH analyses are neither

requested nor required to be performed

to respond to this information request.

However, new NPSH analyses may be

warranted if an addressee determines

that changes in plant design or

procedures have occurred which may

have reduced the available NPSH. In

such cases, each affected addressee

must take appropriate corrective action

to restore its facility to compliance, in

accordance with the requirements stated

in Appendix B to 10 CFR Part 50.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 7th day

of October 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Jack W. Roe,

Acting Director, Division of Reactor Program

Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

[FR Doc. 97–27083 Filed 10–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Advisory Committee on Reactor

Safeguards Meeting of the ACRS

Subcommittee on Reliability and

Probabilistic Risk Assessment; Notice

of Meeting

The ACRS Subcommittee on

Reliability and Probabilistic Risk

Assessment will hold a meeting on

October 21 (Room T–2B3) and 22 (Room

T–2B1), 1997, 11545 Rockville Pike,

Rockville, Maryland.

The entire meeting will be open to

public attendance.

The agenda for the subject meeting

shall be as follows:

Tuesday, October 21, 1997—8:30 a.m.

until the conclusion of business

Wednesday, October 22, 1997—8:30

a.m. until 12:00 Noon

The Subcommittee will continue its

review of matters related to the Staff

Requirements Memorandum dated May

27, 1997, regarding the use of

uncertainty versus point values in the

PRA-related regulatory decisionmaking

process. The Subcommittee will also

review the proposed final Standard

Review Plan (SRP) sections and

Regulatory Guides for risk-informed,

performance-based regulation. The

purpose of this meeting is to gather

information, analyze relevant issues and

facts, and to formulate proposed

positions and actions, as appropriate,

for deliberation by the full Committee.

Oral statements may be presented by

members of the public with the

concurrence of the Subcommittee

Chairman; written statements will be

accepted and made available to the

Committee. Electronic recordings will

be permitted only during those portions

of the meeting that are open to the

public, and questions may be asked only

by members of the Subcommittee, its

consultants, and staff. Persons desiring

to make oral statements should notify

the cognizant ACRS staff engineer

named below five days prior to the

meeting, if possible, so that appropriate

arrangements can be made.

During the initial portion of the

meeting, the Subcommittee, along with

any of its consultants who may be

present, may exchange preliminary

views regarding matters to be

considered during the balance of the

meeting.

The Subcommittee will then hear

presentations by and hold discussions

with representatives of the NRC staff, its

consultants, and other interested

persons regarding this review.

Further information regarding topics

to be discussed, whether the meeting

has been cancelled or rescheduled, the

Chairman’s ruling on requests for the

opportunity to present oral statements

and the time allotted therefor can be

obtained by contacting the cognizant

ACRS staff engineer, Mr. Michael T.

Markley (telephone 301/415–6885)

between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. (EDT).

Persons planning to attend this meeting

are urged to contact the above named

individual one or two working days

prior to the meeting to be advised of any

potential changes to the agenda, etc.,

that may have occurred.

Dated: October 7, 1997.

Sam Duraiswamy,

Chief, Nuclear Reactors Branch.

[FR Doc. 97–27081 Filed 10–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL

MANAGEMENT

Proposed Collection; Comment

Request for Reclearance of an

Information Collection: Standard

Forms 2803 and 3108

AGENCY: Office of Personnel

Management.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.

L. 104–13, May 22, 1995), this notice

announces that the Office of Personnel

Management intends to submit to the

Office of Management and Budget a

request for reclearance of an information

collection. Form 2803, Application to

Make Deposit or Redeposit (CSRS), and

SF 3108, Application to Make Service

Credit Payment for Civilian Service

(FERS), are applications to make

payment used by persons who are

eligible to pay for Federal service which

was not subject to retirement deductions

and/or for Federal service which was

subject to retirement deductions which

were subsequently refunded to the

applicant.

There are approximately 520

respondents for SF 2803 and 260

respondents for SF 3108. It takes

approximately 30 minutes to complete

SF 2803 and 30 minutes to complete SF

3108. The hourly annual burden for SF

2803 is 260 and for SF 3108 is 130 for

a total annual burden of 390 hours.

Comments are particularly invited on:

—Whether this collection of information

is necessary for the proper

performance of functions of the Office

of Personnel Management, and

whether it will have practical utility;

—Whether our estimate of the public

burden of this collection is accurate,

and based on valid assumptions and

methodology; and

—Ways in which we can minimize the

burden of the collection of

information on those who are to

respond, through use of the

appropriate technological collection

techniques or other forms of

information technology.

For copies of this proposal, contact

Jim Farron on (202) 418–3208, or E-mail

to jmfarron@opm.gov