Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 66 / Thursday, April 6, 1995 / Notices 17593

III

Pursuant to 10 CFR 73.5, ‘‘Specific

exemptions,’’ the Commission may,

upon application of any 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 or the

common defense and security, and are

otherwise in the public interest.

Pursuant to 10 CFR 73.55, the

Commission may authorize a licensee to

provide alternative measures for

protection against radiological sabotage

provided the licensee demonstrates that

the alternative measures have ‘‘the same

high assurance objective’’ and meet ‘‘the

general performance requirements’’ of

the regulation, and ‘‘the overall level of

system performance provides protection

against radiological sabotage

equivalent’’ to that which would be

provided by the regulation.

Currently, employee and contractor

identification badges, coupled with

their associated access control cards, are

issued and retrieved on the occasion of

each entry to and exit from the

protected areas of the Grand Gulf site.

Station security personnel are required

to maintain control of the badges while

the individuals are offsite. This practice

has been in effect at the Grand Gulf

Nuclear Station, Unit 1 since the

operating license was issued. Security

personnel retain each identification

badge, as well as the associated access

control card, when not in use by the

authorized individual, within

appropriately designed storage

receptacles inside a bullet-resistant

enclosure. An individual who meets the

access authorization requirements is

issued an individual picture

identification card and an individual

access control card which allows entry

into preauthorized areas of the station.

While entering the plant in the present

configuration, an authorized individual

is ‘‘screened’’ by the required detection

equipment and by the issuing security

officer. Having received the badge, the

individual proceeds to the access portal,

inserts the access control card into the

card reader, enters a personal

identification number (PIN), and passes

through the turnstile which unlocks if

the preset criteria are met. Once inside

the station, the individual’s PIN is not

required in order to further utilize the

access authorization card.

This present procedure is labor

intensive since security personnel are

required to verify badge issuance,

ensure badge retrieval, and maintain the

badges in orderly storage until the next

entry into the protected area. The

regulations permit employees to remove

their badges from the site, but an

exemption from 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5) is

required to permit contractors to take

their badges offsite instead of returning

them when exiting the site.

Under the proposed system, all

individuals authorized to gain

unescorted access will have the physical

characteristics of their hand (hand

geometry) recorded with their badge

number. Since the hand geometry is

unique to each individual and its

application in the entry screening

function would preclude unauthorized

use of a badge, the requested exemption

would allow employees and contractors

to keep their badges at the time of

exiting the protected area. The process

of verifying badge issuance, ensuring

badge retrieval, and maintaining badges

could be eliminated while the balance

of the access procedure would remain

intact. Firearm, explosive, and metal

detection equipment and provisions for

conducting searches will remain as

well. The security officer responsible for

the last access control function

(controlling admission to the protected

area) will also remain isolated within a

bullet-resistant structure in order to

assure his or her ability to respond or

to summon assistance.

Use of a hand geometry biometrics

system exceeds the present verification

methodology’s capability to discern an

individual’s identity. Unlike the

photograph identification badge, hand

geometry is nontransferable. During the

initial access authorization or

registration process, hand

measurements are recorded and the

template is stored for subsequent use in

the identity verification process

required for entry into the protected

area. Authorized individuals insert their

access authorization card into the card

reader and the biometrics system

records an image of the hand geometry.

The unique features of the newly

recorded image are then compared to

the template previously stored in the

database. Access is ultimately granted

based on the degree to which the

characteristics of the image match those

of the ‘‘signature’’ template.

Since both the badge and hand

geometry would be necessary for access

into the protected area, the proposed

system would provide for a positive

verification process. Potential loss of a

badge by an individual, as a result of

taking the badge offsite, would not

enable an unauthorized entry into

protected areas.

The access process will continue to be

under the observation of security

personnel. The system of identification

badges coupled with their associated

access control cards will continue to be

used for all individuals who are

authorized access to protected areas

without escorts. Badges will continue to

be displayed by all individuals while

inside the protected area. Addition of a

hand geometry biometrics system will

provide a significant contribution to

effective implementation of the security

plan at each site.

IV

For the foregoing reasons, pursuant to

10 CFR 73.55, the NRC staff has

determined that the proposed

alternative measures for protection

against radiological sabotage meet ‘‘the

same high assurance objective,’’ and

‘‘the general performance requirements’’

of the regulation and that ‘‘the overall

level of system performance provides

protection against radiological sabotage

equivalent’’ to that which would be

provided by the regulation.

Accordingly, the Commission has

determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR

73.5, an exemption is authorized by law,

will not endanger life or property or

common defense and security, and is

otherwise in the public interest.

Therefore, the Commission hereby

grants Entergy Operations, Inc. an

exemption from those requirements of

10 CFR 73.55(d)(5) relating to the

returning of picture badges upon exit

from the protected area such that

individuals not employed by the

licensee, i.e., contractors, who are

authorized unescorted access into the

protected area, can take their badges

offsite.

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 (60 FR 16683). This

exemption is effective upon issuance.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 31st day

of March 1995.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Elinor Adensam,

Acting Director, Division of Reactor Projects—

III/IV, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 95–8452 Filed 4–5–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–M

[Docket No. 50–286]

Power Authority of the State of New

York, (Indian Point Nuclear Generating

Unit No. 3); Exemption

I

The Power Authority of the State of

New York (the licensee) is the holder of

Facility Operating License No. DPR–64,

which authorizes operation of the

Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit
17594 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 66 / Thursday, April 6, 1995 / Notices

No. 3 (IP3). The license provides, among

other things, that the licensee is subject

to all rules, regulations, and orders of

the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the

Commission) now or hereafter in effect.

The facility consists of a pressurized

water reactor at the licensee’s site

located in Westchester County, New

York.

II

By letter dated March 15, 1995, the

licensee requested to modify an existing

exemption from the requirements of 10

CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Section III.J,

which had been issued by the NRC on

January 17, 1987. Section III.J specifies

emergency lighting requirements for

operation of safe shutdown equipment

and in access and egress routes thereto.

The January 17, 1987, exemption

allowed use of permanently installed

security lighting, in place of emergency

lighting as specified in Section III.J, for

access and egress to the Appendix R

diesel generator which is located in the

outside yard area.

During a programmatic review of the

Appendix R, compliance strategy at IP3,

the licensee identified that certain

operator actions, which had not be

included in the previous Appendix R

compliance strategy, were needed.

These additional operator actions were

in the outside yard area at the

condensate storage tank (CST), refueling

water storage tank (RWST), and backup

service water pump platform. Thus, in

accordance with Appendix R, Section

III.J, emergency lighting would be

required for these additional areas. As

such, the licensee’s March 15, 1995,

letter requested modification of the

January 7, 1987, exemption to extend

the use of security lighting in the

outside yard area to include the CST,

RWST, and backup service water

platform.

III

Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, the

Commission may, upon application by

any interested person or upon its own

initiative, grant exemptions from the

requirements of 10 CFR Part 50 when (1)

the exemptions are authorized by law,

will not present an undue risk to public

health and safety, and are consistent

with the common defense and security

and (2) when special circumstances are

present as set forth in 10 CFR

50.12(a)(2).

Section III.J of 10 CFR Part 50,

Appendix R, requires that emergency

lighting units with at least an 8-hour

battery power supply shall be provided

in all areas needed for operation of safe

shutdown equipment and in access and

egress routes thereto. By letter dated

June 14, 1985, the licensee applied for

an exemption to the requirements of

Section III.J, to allow use of

permanently installed security lighting

for providing an illuminated access and

egress route to the Appendix R diesel

generator which is located in the

outside yard.

As justification, the licensee indicated

that the yard area lighting for access and

egress to the Appendix R diesel

generator was already part of the

security lighting system. As such,

illumination is provided in accordance

with 10 CFR 73.55(c)(5). The security

lighting system is powered by a

dedicated propane powered generator

which operates in the event of a loss of

power to the security system and this

generator is physically separated from

the plant; therefore, an Appendix R fire

scenario will not affect operation of the

security backup generator supply. In

addition, the security backup generator

has a sufficient capacity and fuel supply

to power the outside yard lighting for

the requisite 8-hour time period. The

licensee concluded that the security

lighting system was highly reliable and,

as such, installation of the batterypowered lights, as required by Section

III.J, would not enhance the safe

shutdown capability at IP3.

The NRC staff agreed with the

technical justification presented in the

licensee’s June 14, 1985, letter, and

issued an Exemption from the

requirement of Section III.J. for access

and egress to the Appendix R diesel

generator. In the licensee’s March 15,

1995, letter, the same technical

justification is presented for use of

permanently installed security lighting,

in lieu of battery-powered lights, as

required by Section III.J, for three

additional areas in the outside yard.

These additional areas were a result of

a reassessment of the IP3 Appendix R

compliance strategy. The areas and the

operator actions needed in each area are

as follows:

(1) Condensate Storage Tank: The

operators would verify tank level at the

local indicator and during sub-freezing

weather might need to place portable

heaters in the area to maintain level

indicator operable.

(2) Refueling Water Storage Tank: The

operators would verify tank level at the

local indicator and during sub-freezing

weather might need to place portable

heaters in the area to maintain level

indicator operable.

(3) Backup Service Water Pumps: The

operators would manually backlfush the

strainers.

The licensee has confirmed that the

technical justification, which was also

the basis for the January 17, 1987,

exemption is still valid. The licensee

has also confirmed that the security

lighting system still achieves the

underlying purpose of the rule in that it

provides adequate illumination to

perform all Appendix R required

activities in the outside yard for a

period of at least 8 hours and is not

impacted by fires in other areas of the

plant for which Appendix R fires need

to be considered.

IV

Accordingly, the Commission has

determined, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12,

that (1) the Modified Exemption as

described in Section III is authorized by

law, will not endanger life or property,

and is otherwise in the public interest

and (2) special circumstances exist

pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii), in

that application of the regulation in

these particular circumstances is not

necessary to achieve the underlying

purpose of the rule.

Therefore, the Commission hereby

grants the following Modification to our

Exemption of January 17, 1987:

(1) The Exemption from the

requirement of 10 CFR Part 50,

Appendix J, Section III.J, issued to the

Power Authority of the State of New

York on January 17, 1987, remains in

effect. The Power Authority of the State

of New York is also exempt from the

requirement of 10 CFR Part 50,

Appendix J, Section III.J, to the extent

that security lighting in the outside yard

area can be used in lieu of the

emergency lighting as specified in

Section III.J, at the following additional

locations in the outside yard area:

—The Condensate Storage Tank Area

—The Refueling Water Storage Tank

Area

—The Backup Service Water Pump

Strainer Area

Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the

Commission has determined that the

granting of this Modified Exemption

will have no significant impact on the

quality of the human environment (60

FR 15944).

This Exemption is effective upon

issuance.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 29th day

of March 1995.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Steven A. Varga,

Director, Division of Reactor Projects—I/II,

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 95–8453 Filed 4–5–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–M