[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 135 (Wednesday, July 15, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38196-38197]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18834]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


[Docket Nos. 50-280 and 50-281]

Virginia Electric and Power Company; Surry Power 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 a revised exemption from certain requirements 
of its regulations for Facility Operating License No. DPR-32 and 
Facility Operating License No. DPR-37, issued to Virginia Electric and 
Power Company (the licensee), for operation of the Surry Power Station, 
Units 1 and 2, located in Surry County, Virginia.

[[Page 38197]]

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed action would revise the exemption granted on August 
21, 1997, to Virginia Electric and Power Company from the requirements 
of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Part 70.24(a), 
which requires, in each area in which special nuclear material is 
handled, used, or stored, a monitoring system that will energize clear 
audible alarms if accidental criticality occurs. 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 a revised exemption dated January 14, 1998.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The purpose of 10 CFR 70.24 is to ensure that if a criticality were 
to occur during the handling of special nuclear material, personnel 
would be alerted to that fact and would take appropriate action. At a 
commercial nuclear power plant the inadvertent criticality with which 
10 CFR 70.24 is concerned could occur during fuel handling operations. 
The special nuclear material that could be assembled into a critical 
mass at a commercial nuclear power plant is in the form of nuclear 
fuel; the quantity of other forms of special nuclear material that is 
stored on site is small enough to preclude achieving a critical mass. 
Because the fuel is not enriched beyond 5.0 weight percent Uranium-235 
and because commercial nuclear plant licensees have procedures and 
features designed to prevent inadvertent criticality, the staff has 
determined that inadvertent criticality is not likely to occur due to 
the handling of special nuclear material at a commercial power reactor. 
The requirements of 10 CFR 70.24(a), therefore, are not necessary to 
ensure the safety of personnel during the handling of special nuclear 
materials at commercial power reactors.

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 
revised exemption is granted. Inadvertent or accidental criticality 
will be precluded through compliance with the Surry Power Station 
Technical Specifications (TS), the design of the fuel storage racks 
providing geometric spacing of fuel assemblies in their storage 
locations, and administrative controls imposed on fuel handling 
procedures. TS 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 that 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 Surry Units 1 and 2, as identified in the TS.
    Surry TS Section 5.4, Fuel Storage, states that the new fuel 
assemblies are stored vertically in an array with a distance of 21 
inches between assemblies to assure that the effective neutron 
multiplication factor, Keff, will remain less than or equal 
to 0.95 if fully flooded with unborated water, and to assure 
Keff less than or equal to 0.98 under conditions of low-
density optimum moderation. The spent fuel assemblies are stored 
vertically in an array with a distance of 14 inches between assemblies 
to assure Keff less than or equal to 0.95 if fully flooded 
with unborated water.
    The proposed revised exemption would not result in any significant 
radiological environmental impacts. The proposed revised exemption 
would not affect radiological plant effluents or cause any significant 
occupational exposures since the TS, 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 revised exemption.
    The proposed revised exemption would not result in any significant 
nonradiological environmental impacts. The proposed revised exemption 
involves features located entirely within the restricted area as 
defined in 10 CFR Part 20. It does not affect nonradiological plant 
effluents and has no other nonradiological environmental impact.
    Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant 
nonradiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed 
action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    Since the Commission has concluded that there is no significant 
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 revised exemption, the 
staff considered denial of the requested exemption revision. 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 for the 
Surry Power Station.''

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, the NRC staff consulted with 
Mr. Foldesi of the Virginia Department of Health on April 22, 1998, 
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 January 14, 1998, 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, DC, and at the 
local public document room located at the Swem Library, College of 
William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 9th day of July 1998.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Pao-Tsin Kuo,
Acting Director, Project Directorate II-1, Division of Reactor Projects 
I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 98-18834 Filed 7-14-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P