[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 128 (Monday, July 3, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 41108]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-16730]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket 72-2]


Virginia Electric and Power Company; Issuance of Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Regarding the Proposed 
Amendment To Revise Technical Specifications of License No. SNM-2501

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) is 
considering issuance of an amendment, pursuant to 10 CFR 72.56, to the 
Special Nuclear Materials License No. 2501 (SNM-2501) held by Virginia 
Electric and Power Company (Virginia Power) for the Surry independent 
spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI). The requested amendment would 
revise the Technical Specifications of SNM-2501 to specifically permit 
the continued storage of burnable poison rod assemblies (BPRA) and 
thimble plug devices (TPD) within the CASTOR V/21, NAC I28, and 
Westinghouse MC-10 casks used at the Surry ISFSI.

Environmental Assessment (EA)

    Identification of Proposed Action: By letter dated April 5, 1999, 
as supplemented on February 29, 2000, Virginia Power requested an 
amendment to revise the Technical Specifications of SNM-2501 for the 
Surry ISFSI. The changes would specifically permit the continued 
storage of BPRAs and/or TPDs within the CASTOR V/21, NAC I28, and 
Westinghouse MC-10 dry storage casks used at the Surry ISFSI.
    Need for the Proposed Action: The proposed action will eliminate 
the need to physically remove BPRAs and TPDs from irradiated fuel 
assemblies in order for dry cask storage to continue under the present 
technical specifications of the license.
    Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action: The NRC has completed 
its evaluation of the proposed action and concludes that granting the 
request for an amendment to specifically allow the continued storage of 
BPRAs and TPDs within the CASTOR V/21, NAC I28, and Westinghouse MC-10 
casks used at the Surry ISFSI will not increase the probability or 
consequences of accidents. No changes are being made in the types of 
any effluents that may be released off site. With regard to 
radiological impacts, the addition of irradiated BPRAs and TPDs only 
affects the gamma source term of the cask. For this amendment, Virginia 
Power's calculated increase in surface dose rate resulting from the 
added BPRAs and TPDs remains within the bounds of the currently 
approved dose rate limit and, consequently, results in no significant 
increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Additionally, 
the applicant made physical dose rate measurements of casks currently 
loaded with BPRAs and TPDs, and they are less than the calculated dose 
rates. The measured increase in the surface dose rate remains within 
the bounds of the currently approved dose rate limit. Therefore, there 
are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with 
the proposed action.
    The amendment only affects the requirements associated with the 
content of the casks and does not affect non-radiological plant 
effluents or any other aspects of the environment. Therefore, there are 
no significant non-radiological environmental impacts associated with 
the proposed action.
    Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
    Alternative to the Proposed Action: The alternative to the proposed 
action would be to deny the request for an amendment (i.e., the ``no-
action'' alternative). Denial of the proposed action would result in 
the need to physically remove BPRAs and TPDs from each fuel assembly 
possessing them prior to continuing dry cask storage. Physical removal 
of irradiated BPRAs and TPDs would increase the exposure time and dose 
to the plant workers. In addition, it would require disposal or storage 
of additional radioactive material (i.e., BPRAs and TPDs) that would 
otherwise be safely stored if the BPRAs and TPDs are left intact with 
their irradiated fuel assembly. The environmental impacts of the 
alternative action are greater than the proposed action.
    Given that there are greater environmental impacts associated with 
the alternative action of denying the approval for an amendment, the 
Commission concludes that the preferred alternative is to grant this 
amendment.
    Agencies and Persons Consulted: On September 27, 1999, Mr. Les 
Foldese of the Virginia Department of Health, Bureau of Radiological 
Health, was contacted in regard to the proposed action and had no 
concerns.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    The environmental impacts of the proposed action have been reviewed 
in accordance with the requirements set forth in 10 CFR part 51. Based 
upon the foregoing Environmental Assessment, the Commission finds that 
the proposed action of granting an amendment to permit the continued 
storage of BPRAs and TPDs within the CASTOR V/21, NAC I28, and 
Westinghouse MC-10 casks used at the Surry ISFSI will not significantly 
impact the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the 
Commission has determined not to prepare an environmental impact 
statement for the proposed exemption.
    For further details with respect to this action, see the amendment 
application dated April 5, 1999, as supplemented on February 29, 2000. 
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's ``Rules of Practice,'' a 
copy of this letter and its enclosure will be available electronically 
for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the 
Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of NRC's document system 
(ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/index.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 26th day of June 2000.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
E. William Brach,
Director, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety 
and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 00-16730 Filed 6-30-00; 8:45 am]
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