[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 118 (Tuesday, June 21, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-15024]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 21, 1994]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-293]

 

Boston Edison Co.; Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station; Issuance of 
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is 
considering issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License No. 
DPR-35, issued to the Boston Edison Company (BECo, or the licensee), 
for operation of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, located in 
Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Identification of Proposed Action

    The amendment would consist of changes to the Technical 
Specifications (TSs) and would authorize an increase of the storage 
capacity of the spent fuel pool (SFP) from 2320 fuel assemblies to 3859 
fuel assemblies.
    The NRC staff has prepared an Environmental Assessment of the 
Proposed Action.

Summary of Environmental Assessment

    The ``Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement (FGEIS) on 
Handling and Storage of Spent Light Water Power Reactor Fuel'' (NUREG-
0575), Volumes 1-3, concluded that the environmental impact of interim 
storage of spent fuel was negligible and the cost of the various 
alternatives reflects the advantage of continued generation of nuclear 
power with the accompanying spent fuel storage. Because of the 
differences in design, the FGEIS recommended evaluating SFP expansions 
on a case-by-case basis.
    For Pilgrim, the expansion of the storage capacity of the SFP will 
not create any significant additional radiological effects or 
nonradiological environmental impacts.
    The additional whole body dose that might be received by an 
individual at the site boundary and the estimated dose to the 
population within an 80 kilometer radius is believed to be too small to 
have any significance when compared to the fluctuations in the annual 
dose this population receives from exposure to background radiation. 
The occupational radiation dose for the proposed operation of the 
expanded SFP is estimated to be extremely small compared to the total 
annual occupational radiation exposure for this facility.
    The only nonradiological impact affected by the SFP expansion is 
the waste heat rejected. The total increase in heat load rejected to 
the environment will be small in comparison to the amount of total heat 
currently being released. There is no significant environmental impact 
attributed to the waste heat from the plant due to this very small 
increase.

Finding of no Significant Impact

    The staff has reviewed the proposed SFP expansion to the facility 
relative to the requirements set forth in 10 CFR Part 51. Based on this 
assessment, the NRC staff concludes that there are no significant 
radiological or nonradiological impacts associated with the proposed 
action and that the issuance of the proposed amendment to the license 
will have no significant impact on the quality of the human 
environment. Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.31, no environmental 
impact statement needs to be prepared for this action.
    For further details with respect to this action, see (1) the 
application for amendment to the TSs dated February 11, 1993, (2) the 
FGEIS on Handling and Storage of Spent Light Water Power Reactor Fuel 
(NUREG-0575), (3) the Final Environmental Statement for the Pilgrim 
Nuclear Power Station, dated May 1972, and (4) the Environmental 
Assessment dated June 15, 1994.
    These documents are available for public inspection at the 
Commission's Public Document Room, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20555, and at the local public document room located at Plymouth Public 
Library, 11 North Street, Plymouth, Massachusetts 02360.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day of June 1994.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Walter R. Butler,
Director, Project Directorate I-3, Division of Reactor Projects-I/II, 
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 94-15024 Filed 6-20-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M