[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 115 (Monday, June 16, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32665-32666]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15694]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-327 and 50-328]


Tennessee Valley Authority; Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Units 1 And 
2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is 
considering issuance of amendments to Facility Operating License No. 
DPR-77 and DPR-79, issued to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, the 
licensee), for operation of the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 
(SQN), located in Hamilton County, Tennessee.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed amendments would revise the SQN Technical 
Specifications (TS) relating to storage of reactor fuel containing a 
higher enrichment of Uranium-235 (5.0 weight-percent (w/o) vs. 4.5 w/o) 
in the new fuel pit storage racks. The Commission has already 
authorized use of the more highly-enriched fuel in the reactor core and 
storage in the spent fuel pool in previous license amendments.
    The proposed amendments are in accordance with TVA's application 
dated March 13, 1997.

Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed changes to the Facility Operating Licenses are needed 
so that the licensee can use more highly enriched fuel, and thereby 
provide the flexibility of extending the fuel irradiation/burnup to 
permit longer fuel cycles (i.e., longer continuous periods of 
operation). Use of the proposed more highly enriched fuels would 
require the use of fewer fuel assemblies over the remaining life of the 
plant.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed 
revisions to the TS. The proposed revision would permit use of fuel 
enriched with Uranium-235 (U-235) up to 5.0 nominal w/o. The safety 
considerations associated with reactor operation using higher fuel 
enrichment and burnup rates have been evaluated by the NRC staff (the 
staff). Based on its review, the staff concludes that the proposed 
changes are acceptable and would not adversely affect plant safety. The 
proposed changes have no adverse affect on the probability of any 
accident. The increased burnup 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 environmental 
consequences of serious accidents. No changes are being made in the 
types or amounts of any radiological effluents that may be released 
offsite during normal plant operations. There is also no significant 
increase in the allowable individual or cumulative occupational 
radiation exposure. Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there 
are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with 
the proposed action.
    With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
changes to the TS involve components in the plant which are located 
within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20. They do not 
affect nonradiological plant effluents and have no other environmental 
impacts. Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no 
significant nonradiological environmental impacts associated with the 
proposed action.
    The environmental impacts of transportation resulting from the use 
of more highly enriched fuel and extended burnup rates have been 
discussed in the generic 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). As indicated therein, the 
environmental cost contribution of the proposed increase in 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).
    Therefore, the staff concludes that there are no significant 
radiological or nonradiological environmental impacts associated with 
the proposed amendment. The staff finds that the action will not result 
in a significant increase in any adverse environmental impact 
previously evaluated in the SQN Final Environmental Statement (FES) 
dated February 13, 1974, as modified by NRC's testimony to the Atomic 
Safety and Licensing Board, supplements to the FES, environmental 
impact appraisals, or decisions of the Atomic Safety and Licensing 
Board.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    Since the Commission has concluded 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 action, the staff 
considered denial of the proposed action. Denial of the application 
would result in no change in current environmental impacts and would 
result in reduced operational flexibility. The environmental impacts of 
the proposed action and the alternative action are similar.

Alternative Use of Resources

    The action would involve no use of resources not previously 
considered in the FES for SQN.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on June 10, 1997 the staff 
consulted with the Tennessee State official, Eddy Nanney of the 
Tennessee Division of Radiological Health, regarding the environmental 
impact of the proposed action. The State official posed the question of 
whether or not TVA had revisited its emergency planning procedures 
because of a perceived higher source term in the core. The staff has 
already reviewed the use of 5.0 w/o fuel enrichment and higher fuel 
burnup prior to issuing the Sequoyah license amendments authorizing use 
of 5.0 w/o enriched fuel in the reactor core. These amendments were 
issued on August 1, 1990, and the supporting NRC Environmental 
Assessment was published in the Federal Register on July 31, 1990 (55 
FR 31112). The Environmental Assessment stated the following:

    The increased burnup 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 
environmental consequences of serious accidents. The effect of 
increasing the fuel enrichment to 5.0 percent and burnups to 60,000 
MWD/MTU would be to only increase the calculated thyroid dose for 
the postulated fuel handling accident by about 20% and would not 
exceed acceptable

[[Page 32666]]

values. There would be no effect on the estimated consequences of 
other postulated design basis accidents.

    The action for which this current Environmental Assessment has been 
prepared only authorizes storage of new unirradiated fuel in the in the 
new fuel pit storage racks. This pit is maintained dry (not flooded) 
and new fuel stored therein would not be involved in any of the 
accident analyses that form the design basis of the plant. Therefore, 
it is not necessary to revisit emergency preparedness procedures 
because of these license amendments.
    The staff reviewed the licensee's request and did not consult with 
agencies or persons other than the State of Tennessee.

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 13, 1997, which is 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 located at the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Library, 1001 
Broad Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 11th day of June 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Frederick J. Hebdon,
Director, Project Directorate II-3, Division of Reactor Projects--I/II, 
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-15694 Filed 6-13-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P