[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 101 (Tuesday, May 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28739-28740]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13781]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. STN 50-528, STN-529, and STN-530]


Arizona Public Service Company; Palo Verde Nuclear Generating 
Station, Unit Nos. 1, 2, and 3 Environmental Assessment and Finding of 
No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is 
considering issuance of an exemption from certain requirements of its 
regulations for Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-41, NPF-51, and 
NPF-74, issued to Arizona Public Service Company (the licensee), for 
operation of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station Unit Nos. 1, 2, 
and 3, located in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed action would exempt Arizona Public Service Company 
from the requirements of 10 CFR 70.24, which requires a monitoring 
system that will energize clear audible alarms if accidental 
criticality occurs in each area in which special nuclear material is 
handled, used, or stored. The proposed action would also exempt the 
licensee from the requirements to maintain emergency procedures for 
each area in which this licensed special nuclear material is handled, 
used, or stored to ensure that all personnel withdraw to an area of 
safety upon the sounding of the alarm, to familiarize personnel with 
the evacuation plan, and to designate responsible individuals for 
determining the cause of the alarm, and to place radiation survey 
instruments in accessible locations for use in such an emergency.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for exemption dated March 28, 1997.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    Power reactor license applicants are evaluated for the safe 
handling, use, and storage of special nuclear material. The proposed 
exemption from criticality accident requirements is based on the 
original design for radiation monitoring at Palo Verde Nuclear 
Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1, 2, and 3 (PVNGS) as discussed in the 
NUREG-0857, ``Safety Evaluation Report Related to the Operation of Palo 
Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3.'' The exemption 
was granted with the original Part 70 license, for the PVNGS units, but 
it expired with the issuance of the Part 50 licenses when the exemption 
was inadvertently not included in those licenses. Therefore, the 
exemption is needed to clearly define the design of the plant as 
evaluated and approved for licensing.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes that there is no significant environmental impact if the 
exemption is granted. Inadvertent or accidental criticality will be 
precluded through compliance with the Palo Verde Technical 
Specifications, the design of

[[Page 28740]]

the fuel storage racks providing geometric spacing of fuel assemblies 
in their storage locations, and administrative controls imposed on fuel 
handling procedures. Technical Specifications requirements specify 
reactivity limits for the fuel storage racks and minimum spacing 
between the fuel assemblies in the storage racks.
    Appendix A of 10 CFR Part 50,--General Design Criteria for Nuclear 
Power Plants, Criterion 62, requires the criticality in the fuel 
storage and handling system shall be prevented by physical systems or 
processes, preferably by use of geometrically-safe configurations. This 
is met at PVNGS, as identified in the Technical Specifications and the 
Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR). PVNGS Technical 
Specifications Section 5.3.1.3, states that the new fuel storage racks 
are designed and shall be maintained with Keff less than or equal to 
0.95, if fully flooded with unborated water, and less than or equal to 
0.98, if moderated by aqueous foam, and a nominal 17-inch center to 
center distance between fuel assemblies placed in the storage racks. 
UFSAR Section 9.1.1.1, New Fuel Storage Design Bases, states that 
accidental criticality shall be prevented for the most reactive 
arrangement of new fuel stored, with optimum moderation, by assuring 
that Keff is less than 0.98, under normal and accident conditions. 
UFSAR Section 9.1.1.3, Safety Evaluation, states that the new fuel rack 
design and location ensures that the design bases of Section 9.1.1.1 
are met.
    The proposed exemption would not result in any significant 
radiological impacts. The proposed exemption would not affect 
radiological plant effluent nor cause any significant occupational 
exposures since the Technical Specifications, design controls 
(including geometric spacing of fuel assembly storage spaces) and 
administrative controls preclude inadvertent criticality. The amount of 
radioactive waste would not be changed by the proposed exemption.
    The proposed exemption does not result in any significant non-
radiological environmental impacts. The proposed exemption 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.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    Since the Commission has concluded that there is no measurable 
environmental impact associated with the proposed action, any 
alternatives with equal or greater environmental impact need not be 
evaluated. As an alternative to the proposed exemption, the staff 
considered denial of the requested exemption. Denial of the request 
would result in no 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 
the Operation of Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 
3,'' dated February 1982, (NUREG-0841).

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on April 3, 1997, the staff 
consulted with the Arizona State official, Mr. William Wright of the 
Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency, regarding the environmental impact 
of the proposed action. The State official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    Based upon the environmental assessment, the Commission concludes 
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 action.
    For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the 
licensee's letter dated March 28, 1997, which is available for public 
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, which is located 
at The Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, D.C., and at 
the local public document room located at the Phoenix Public Library, 
1221 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85004.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 16th day of May 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
James Clifford,
Senior Project Manager, Project Directorate IV-2, Division of Reactor 
Projects III/IV, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-13781 Filed 5-23-97; 8:45 am]
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