Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 201 / Tuesday, October 17, 2000 / Notices 61365

7. Final Rule: Amendment to Part 792,

Subparts C and E, NCUA’s Rules and

Regulations, Privacy Act.

8. NCUA’s Overhead Transfer Rate for

2001.

Recess: 11:15 a.m.

Time and Date: 11:30 a.m., Thursday,

October 19, 2000.

Place: Board Room, 7th Floor, Room

7047, 1775 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA

22314–3428.

Status: Closed.

Matters To Be Considered

1. Budget Reprogramming. Closed

pursuant to exemptions (4) and (6).

2. Two (2) Personnel Matters. Closed

pursuant to exemptions (2) and (6).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Becky Baker, Secretary of the Board,

Telephone 703–518–6304.

Becky Baker,

Secretary of the Board

[FR Doc. 00–26717 Filed 10–13–00; 11:06

am]

BILLING CODE 7535–01–M

NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE

ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES

National Endowment for the Arts;

Leadership Initiatives Advisory Panel

Pursuant to Section 10(a)(2) of the

Federal Advisory Committee Act (Public

Law 92–463), as amended, notice is

hereby given that two meetings of the

Leadership Initiatives Advisory Panel

(AccessAbility and Arts Education

sections) to the National Council on the

Arts will be held on October 20, 2000

and October 25, 2000 respectively. The

panels will meet by teleconference as

follows:

AccessAbility Section: from 1 p.m. to 2:30

p.m. in Room 528

Arts Education Section: from 4:30 p.m. to

5:30 p.m. in Room 703 at the Nancy Hanks

Center, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,

Washington, DC, 20506.

These meetings are for the purpose of

Panel review, discussion, evaluation,

and recommendations on financial

assistance under the National

Foundation on the Arts and the

Humanities Act of 1965, as amended,

including information given in

confidence to the agency. In accordance

with the determination of the Chairman

of May 12, 2000, these sessions will be

closed to the public pursuant to

subsection (c)(4),(6) and (9)(B) of section

552b of Title 5, United States Code.

Further information with reference to

this meeting can be obtained from Ms.

Kathy Plowitz-Worden, Office of

Guidelines & Panel Operations, National

Endowment for the Arts, Washington,

DC, 20506, or call 202/682–5691.

Dated: October 13, 2000.

Kathy Plowitz-Worden,

Panel Coordinator, Panel Operations,

National Endowment for the Arts.

[FR Doc. 00–26754 Filed 10–16–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7537–01–U

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Notice of Permits Issued Under the

Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of permits issued under

the Antarctic Conservation of 1978,

Public Law 95–541.

SUMMARY: The National Science

Foundation (NSF) is required to publish

notice of permits issued under the

Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978.

This is the required notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nadene G. Kennedy, Permit Office,

Office of Polar Programs, Rm. 755,

National Science Foundation, 4201

Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August

29, 2000, the National Science

Foundation published a notice in the

Federal Register of permit applications

received. Permits were issued on

October 5, 2000 to the following

applicants:

Terry J. Wilson Permit No. 2001–009

Mahlon C. Kennicutt Permit No. 2001–

012

Brenda Hall Permit No. 2001–013

William Swanson Permit No. 2001–

019

Richard M. Jones Permit No. 2001–020

Nadene G. Kennedy,

Permit Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–26647 Filed 10–16–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7555–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50–250 and 50–251; License

Nos. DPR–31 and DPR–41]

In the Matter of Florida Power & Light

Company (Turkey Point Units 3 and 4);

Confirmatory Order Modifying PostThree Mile Island Requirements

Pertaining to Containment Hydrogen

Monitors

I

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL

or the licensee) is the holder of Facility

Operating License Nos. DPR–31 and

DPR–41 issued by the Nuclear

Regulatory Commission (NRC or

Commission) pursuant to 10 CFR part

50. The licenses authorize the operation

of Turkey Point, Units 3 and 4, located

in Dade County, Florida.

II

As a result of the accident at Three

Mile Island, Unit 2 (TMI–2), the NRC

issued NUREG–0737, ‘‘Clarification of

TMI Action Plan Requirements,’’ in

November 1980. Generic Letters 82–05

and 82–10, issued on March 17 and May

5, 1982, respectively, requested

licensees of operating power reactors to

furnish information pertaining to their

implementation of specific TMI Action

Plan items described in NUREG–0737.

Orders were issued to licensees

confirming their commitments made in

response to the generic letters. The

Confirmatory Order that was issued to

FPL on March 14, 1983, required the

licensee to implement and maintain the

various TMI Action Plan Items,

including Item II.F.1 Attachment 6,

pertaining to monitoring of the

hydrogen concentration in the

containment following a safety

injection.

The Confirmatory Order of March 14,

1983, imposed requirements upon the

licensee to have continuous monitoring

of containment hydrogen concentration

provided in the control room, as

described by TMI Action Plan Item

II.F.1, Attachment 6. Information about

hydrogen concentration supports the

licensee’s assessments of the degree of

core damage and whether a threat to the

integrity of the containment may be

posed by hydrogen gas combustion. TMI

Action Item II.F.1, Attachment 6 states:

If an indication is not available at all times,

continuous indication and recording shall be

functioning within 30 minutes of the

initiation of safety injection.

The requirement to have monitoring

of the hydrogen concentration in the

containment within 30 minutes

following the start of safety injection has

defined both design and operating

characteristics for hydrogen monitoring

systems at nuclear power plants since

the implementation of NUREG–0737. In

addition, the technical specifications of

most nuclear power plants and NRC

regulation 10 CFR 50.44, ‘‘Standards for

Combustible Gas Control System in

Light-Water-Cooled Power Reactors,’’

require availability of hydrogen

monitors.

By letter dated June 21, 2000, FPL

requested relief for the two Turkey Point

units from the requirement to have

indication of hydrogen concentration in

the containment within 30 minutes of

the initiation of safety injection.

61366 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 201 / Tuesday, October 17, 2000 / Notices

Specifically, FPL requests relief from

the requirement of establishing

monitoring of hydrogen concentration

in the containment within 30 minutes of

the initiation of safety injection, and

proposes that, in lieu of the current 30-

minute time limit, risk-informed

insights be used to determine the

functional requirements for monitoring

of containment hydrogen concentration

that would allow extending the

monitoring requirement time limit to

more than 30 minutes following

initiation of safety injection. The basis

for this request was that the additional

time would allow the operators to

complete their initial accident

assessment and mitigation duties before

redirecting their attention to the

relatively longer-term recovery actions,

such as actuating the hydrogen

recombiners that are not needed for

more than 24 hours after an accident.

Significant improvements have been

achieved since the TMI accident, in the

areas of understanding risks associated

with nuclear plant operations and

developing better strategies for

managing the response to potential

severe accidents at nuclear power

plants. Recent insights pertaining to

plant risks and severe accident

assessment tools have led the NRC staff

to conclude that some TMI Action Plan

items can be revised without reducing,

and perhaps even enhancing the ability

of licensees to respond to severe

accidents. The NRC’s efforts to

understand the risks associated with

commercial nuclear power plant

operations more effectively and to

reduce unnecessary regulatory burden

on licensees and the public have

prompted the NRC’s decision to revise

the post-TMI requirement to monitor

containment hydrogen concentration.

Based on the staff’s evaluation of the

justification provided by the licensee,

and on improved understanding of

insights pertaining to plant risks, severe

accident assessment, and emergency

planning since the TMI–2 accident, the

staff has concluded that the licensee’s

request should be approved. Giving the

licensee the flexibility and

responsibility for determining the

appropriate time limit for establishing

monitoring of containment hydrogen

concentration will preclude control

room personnel from being distracted

from various important tasks in the

early phases of accident mitigation,

while allowing cognizant personnel,

mostly outside the control room, to be

aware of hydrogen concentration based

on a risk-informed functional

assessment at a reasonable time

following an accident. Because the

appropriate balance between control

room activities and longer-term

management of the response to severe

accidents can best be determined by the

licensee, the NRC staff has determined

that the licensee may elect to either

maintain the 30-minute time limit for

monitoring of hydrogen in containment,

as described by TMI Action Plan Item

II.F.1, Attachment 6, in NUREG–0737,

and required by the Confirmatory Order

of March 14, 1983, or modify the time

limit in the manner specified in the

functional requirement described below:

Procedures shall be established for

ensuring that monitoring of hydrogen

concentration in the containment atmosphere

is available in a sufficiently timely manner to

support the implementation of the Turkey

Point Units 3 and 4 Emergency Plan (and

related procedures) and related activities

such as guidance for severe accident

management. Hydrogen monitoring will be

initiated based on: (1) the appropriate

priority for establishing monitoring of

hydrogen concentration within the

containment in relation to other activities in

the control room; (2) the use of the

monitoring of hydrogen concentration by

decision makers for severe accident

management and emergency response; and

(3) insights from experience or evaluation

pertaining to possible scenarios that result in

significant generation of hydrogen that would

be indicative of core damage or a potential

threat to the integrity of the containment

building. Affected licensing basis documents

and other related documents will be

appropriately revised and/or updated in

accordance with applicable NRC regulations.

The licensee’s Post-Accident

Monitoring Instrumentation Technical

Specifications and 10 CFR 50.44 require

the licensee to maintain the ability to

monitor hydrogen concentration in the

containment. However, the details

pertaining to the design and manner of

operation of the hydrogen monitoring

system are determined by the licensee.

III

Accordingly, pursuant to Sections

103, 104b, 161b, 161i, 161o, and 182 of

the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as

amended, and the Commission’s

regulations in 10 CFR 2.202 and 10 CFR

part 50, it is hereby ordered that NRC

License Nos. DPR–31 and DPR–41 are

modified as follows:

The licensee may elect to either maintain

the 30-minute time limit for monitoring of

hydrogen in the containment, as described by

TMI Action Plan Item II.F.1, Attachment 6,

in NUREG–0737 and required by the

Confirmatory Order of March 18, 1983, or

modify the time limit in the manner specified

in Section II of this Order.

The Director, Office of Nuclear

Reactor Regulation, may, in writing,

relax or rescind any of the above

conditions upon demonstration by the

licensee of good cause.

IV

Any person adversely affected by this

Confirmatory Order, other than the

licensee, may request a hearing within

20 days of its issuance. Where good

cause is shown, consideration will be

given to extend the time to request a

hearing. A request for extension of time

must be made in writing to the Director,

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation,

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

Washington, DC 20555–0001, and

include a statement of good cause for

the extension. Any request for a hearing

shall be submitted to the Secretary of

the Commission, U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Chief,

Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff,

Washington, DC 20555–0001. Copies of

the hearing request shall also be sent to

the Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555–

0001, to the Assistant General Counsel

for Materials Litigation and Enforcement

at the same address, to the Regional

Administrator, NRC Region II, Atlanta

Federal Center, 23 T 85, 61 Forsyth

Street, SW., Atlanta, Georgia 30303–

3415, and to M.S. Ross, Attorney,

Florida Power & Light, P.O. Box 14000,

Juno Beach, Florida 33408–0420,

attorney for the licensee. If such a

person requests a hearing, that person

will set forth with particularity the

manner in which his interest is

adversely affected by this Order and

will address the criteria set forth in 10

CFR 2.714(d).

If a hearing is requested by a person

whose interest is adversely affected, the

Commission will issue an Order

designating the time and place of any

hearing. If a hearing is held, the issue to

be considered at such hearing will be

whether this Confirmatory Order should

be sustained.

In the absence of any request for

hearing, or written approval of an

extension of time in which to request a

hearing, the provisions specified in

Section IV above will be final 20 days

from the date of this Order without

further order or proceedings. If an

extension of time for requesting a

hearing has been approved, the

provisions specified in Section IV will

be final when the extension expires if a

hearing request has not been received.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day

of October 2000.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Samuel J. Collins,

Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

[FR Doc. 00–26644 Filed 10–16–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P