[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 107 (Monday, June 4, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30027-30028]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13901]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-395]


South Carolina Electric and Gas Company, V. C. Summer Nuclear 
Station; Exemption

1.0  Background

    South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G) is the holder of 
Facility Operating License No. NPF-12, which authorizes operation of 
the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station (the facility), at steady-state core 
power levels not in excess of 2900 megawatts thermal. The license 
provides, among other things, that the V. C. Summer Nuclear Station is 
subject to all rules, regulations, and orders of the Commission now or 
hereafter in effect.
    The facility consists of a pressurized water reactor located in 
Fairfield County in South Carolina.

2.0  Purpose

    Pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 
Section

[[Page 30028]]

55.59(a)(1), each licensed operator is required to successfully 
complete a requalification program developed by the licensee that has 
been approved by the Commission. This program is to be conducted for a 
continuous period not to exceed 24 months in duration and upon its 
conclusion must be promptly followed by a successive requalification 
program. In addition, pursuant to 10 CFR 55.59(a)(2), each licensed 
operator must pass a comprehensive requalification written examination 
and an annual operating test.
    The Code of Federal Regulations at 10 CFR 55.11 states that ``The 
Commission may, upon application by an interested person, or upon its 
own initiative, grant such exemptions from the requirements of the 
regulations in this part as it determines are authorized by law and 
will not endanger life or property and are otherwise in the public 
interest.''

3.0  Discussion

    By letter dated January 12, 2001, SCE&G requested a change to the 
cycle dates for the 2-year requalification training program required by 
10 CFR 55.59. This request constitutes a request for exemption under 10 
CFR 55.11 from the requirements of 10 CFR 55.59(a)(1) and (a)(2). The 
schedular exemption requested would extend the period for the current 
cycle of the V. C. Summer Nuclear Station requalification program from 
May 31, 2001, to August 31, 2001. The next requalification period would 
begin on September 1, 2001, and end on August 31, 2003, with subsequent 
requalification periods remaining on a September to August schedule. On 
October 13, 2000, during routine shutdown inspections, SCE&G discovered 
a leak in a weld in the reactor coolant system. Activities to determine 
the root cause and extent of this condition and to repair the leak 
extended through the end of February 2001, months beyond the original 
scheduled plant restart. To provide the necessary level of licensed 
operator support to ensure safety throughout the extended plant outage, 
SCE&G postponed the training and other requalification program 
activities originally planned during that time. The affected licensed 
operators will continue to demonstrate and possess the required levels 
of knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to safely operate the plant 
throughout the transitional period via continuation of the current 
licensed operator requalification program, and the limited 3-month 
delay in completion of requalification for the current perod will have 
a negligible effect on operator qualification.

4.0  Conclusion

    Accordingly, the Commission has determined that pursuant to 10 CFR 
55.11, granting an exemption to SCE&G from the requirements in 10 CFR 
55.59(a)(1) and (a)(2) is authorized by law and will not endanger life 
or property and is otherwise in the public interest.
    Therefore, the Commission hereby grants SCE&G an exemption from the 
schedular requirements of 10 CFR 55.59(a)(1) and (2) to allow the 
period for current cycle of the V. C. Summer Nuclear Station 
requalification program to be extended beyond 24 months but not 
exceeding 27 months, expiring on August 31, 2001. The successive 2-year 
requalification cycles will continue with September 1 as the start date 
and August 31 as the end date.
    Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that the 
granting of this exemption will not have a significant effect on the 
quality of the human environment (66 FR 29187).
    This exemption is effective upon issuance, and expires on August 
31, 2001.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 29th day of May 2001.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Bruce A. Boger,
Director, Division of Inspection Program Management, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-13901 Filed 6-1-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P