[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 13 (Friday, January 20, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4200-4201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1473]



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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. STN 50-454, STN 50-455, STN 50-456, and STN 50-457]


Commonwealth Edison Company; Byron Station, Units 1 and 2, and 
Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2 Environmental Assessment and Finding 
of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is 
considering issuance of amendments to Facility Operating License Nos. 
NPF-37 and NPF-66, issued to Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd, the 
licensee) for operation of Byron Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2, located in 
Ogle County, Illinois, and to Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-72 
and NPF-77 for operation of Braidwood Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2, 
located in Will County, Illinois.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    By letter dated November 7, 1994, Commonwealth Edison Company 
(ComEd, the licensee) requested changes to the technical specifications 
(TS) for Byron Stations, Units 1 and 2, and Braidwood Station, Units 1 
and 2, to permit the use of higher enriched fuel and to specify the 
spent fuel storage requirements for Regions 1 and 2 of the spent fuel 
pools.
    The proposed changes would allow for the storage of fuel with 
enrichment not to exceed a nominal 5.0 weight [[Page 4201]] percent (w/
o) Uranium 235 (U-235 in the spent fuel storage racks. An enrichment 
manufacturing tolerance of 0.05 percent U-235 about the 
nominal value was incorporated into the analysis.
    The purposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for amendment dated November 7, 1994, as supplemented by 
letter dated December 16, 1994.

The Need for Proposed Action

    The proposed changes are needed so that the licensee can use higher 
fuel enrichment to provide the flexibility of extending the fuel 
irradiation and to reduce the number of new fuel assemblies required 
per reload which will reduce spent fuel storage space requirements.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed 
revisions to the TS. The proposed revisions would permit use of fuel 
enriched to a nominal 5.0 weight percent U-235. The safety 
considerations associated with reactor operation with higher enrichment 
and extended irradiation have been evaluated by the NRC staff. The 
staff has concluded that such changes would not adversely affect plant 
safety. The proposed changes have no adverse effect on the probability 
of any accident. The higher enrichment, with fuel burnup to 60,000 
megawatt days per metric ton Uranium, may slightly change the mix of 
fission products that might be released in the event of a serious 
accident, but such small changes would not significantly affect the 
consequences of serious accidents. No changes are being made in the 
types or amounts of any radiological effluents that may be released 
offsite. There is no significant increase in the allowable individual 
or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
    The environmental impacts of transportation resulting from the use 
of higher enrichment fuel and extended irradiation were published and 
discussed in the staff assessment entitled, ``NRC Assessment of the 
Environmental Effects of Transportation Resulting from Extended Fuel 
Enrichment and Irradiation,'' dated July 7, 1988, and published in the 
Federal Register (53 FR 30355) on August 11, 1988, as corrected on 
August 24, 1988 (53 FR 32322) in connection with Shearon Harris Nuclear 
Power Plant, Unit 1: Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact. As indicated therein, the environmental cost 
contribution of the proposed increase in the fuel enrichment and 
irradiation limits are either unchanged or may, in fact, be reduced 
from those summarized in Table S-4 as set forth in 10 CFR 51.52(c). 
These findings are applicable to Byron, Units 1 and 2, and Braidwood, 
Units 1 and 2. Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no 
significant radiological environmental impacts associated with the 
proposed amendment.
    With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
action involves features located entirely within the restricted area as 
defined in 10 CFR Part 20. It does not affect non-radiological plant 
effluents and has no other environmental impact. Accordingly, the 
Commission concludes that there are no significant non-radiological 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

Alternative to the Proposed Action

    Since the Commission concluded that there are no significant 
environmental effects that would result from the proposed action, any 
other alternative would have equal or greater environmental impacts and 
need not be evaluated.
    As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered 
denial of the proposed action. Denial of the application would result 
in a change in current environmental impacts. The environmental impacts 
of the proposed action and the alternative action are similar.

Alternative Use of Resources

    This action does not involve the use of any resources not 
previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement related to 
operation of Byron, Units 1 and 2, and Braidwood, Units 1 and 2.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, the staff consulted with the 
Illinois State Official regarding the environmental impact of the 
proposed action. The State official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    Based upon the foregoing environmental assessment, we conclude that 
the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality 
of the human environment. Accordingly, the Commission has determined 
not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed 
license amendments.
    For further details with respect to this action, see the 
application for amendments dated November 7, 1994, as supplemented by 
letter dated December 16, 1994, which are available for public 
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, The Gelman 
Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC, and at the local public 
document room for Byron Station, the Byron Public Library, 109 N. 
Franklin, P.O. Box 434, Byron, Illinois, and for Braidwood Station, the 
Wilmington Township Public Library, 201 S. Kankakee Street, Wilmington, 
Illinois.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 13th day of January 1995.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Clyde Y. Shiraki,
Acting Director, Project Directorate III-2, Division of Reactor 
Projects--III/IV, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 95-1473 Filed 1-19-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M