[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 182 (Tuesday, September 19, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 56604]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-24058]



[[Page 56604]]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-237 and 50-249]


Commonwealth Edison Company; Dresden Nuclear Power Station, Units 
2 and 3; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating Licenses Nos. DPR-19 and 
DPR-25, issued to Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd, or the licensee) 
for operation of the Dresden Nuclear Power Station, Units 2 and 3, 
located in Grundy County, Illinois.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would add the Siemens Power Corporation RODEX2A 
methodology to the Dresden, Units 2 and 3, Technical Specifications 
(TSs) list of approved methodologies that may be used to determine core 
operating limits. The proposed action also adds a condition to the 
Dresden, Units 2 and 3, licenses to limit the maximum rod average 
burnup to 60 gigawatt-days per metric ton of uranium (GWD/MTU). Adding 
the RODEX2A methodology to the TSs will permit the use of extended fuel 
burnup limits. RODEX2A supports maximum rod average burnups to 62 GWD/
MTU and uranium-235 (U-235) enrichments up to 5 percent by weight. 
However, the license condition will limit burnup to 60 GWD/MTU until 
the completion of an NRC Environmental Assessment supporting increased 
limits.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for amendment dated August 3, 1999, as supplemented by 
letter dated February 25, 2000.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed in order for the licensee to have the 
flexibility to use fuel with increased burnup. The changes in operating 
parameters and limits will allow longer operating cycles and result in 
fewer fuel assemblies being needed.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that, although the extended burnup may slightly change the 
mix of radionuclides that might be released in the event of an 
accident, there are no significant adverse environmental impacts 
associated with the proposed action.
    The staff published ``Extended Burnup Fuel Use in Commercial LWR's; 
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact'' on 
February 29, 1988 (53 FR 6040). This generic environmental assessment 
of extended fuel burnup in light water reactors found that ``no 
significant adverse effects will be generated by increasing the present 
batch-average burnup level of 33 GWD/MTU to 50 GWD/MTU or above as long 
as the maximum rod average burnup level of any fuel rod is no greater 
than 60 GWD/MTU.'' In addition, 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. That assessment was published in 
connection with an Environmental Assessment related to the Sheron 
Harris Nuclear Plant, Unit 1, which was published in the Federal 
Register on August 11, 1988 (53 FR 30355), as corrected on August 24, 
1988 (53 FR 32322). In these assessments, collectively, the staff 
concluded that the environmental impacts summarized in Table S-3 of 10 
CFR 51.51 and in Table S-4 of 10 CFR 51.52 for a burnup level of 33 
GWD/MTU and enrichments up to 4 weight percent U-235 are conservative 
and bound the corresponding impacts for burnup levels up to 60 GWD/MTU 
and enrichments up to 5 weight percent U-235. These findings are 
applicable to the proposed action at Dresden which will limit burnup to 
60 GWD/MTU and allow enrichments up to 5 weight percent U-235.
    The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability 
or consequences of accidents, no significant changes are being made in 
the types of any effluents that may be released offsite, and there is 
no significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. 
Therefore, there are no significant radiological environmental impacts 
associated with the proposed action.
    With regard to potential nonradiological environmental impacts, the 
proposed action does not involve any historic sites. It does not affect 
nonradiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. 
Therefore, there are no significant nonradiological impacts associated 
with the proposed action.
    Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered 
denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). 
Denial of the application 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 
Dresden Nuclear Power Station, Units 2 and 3, dated November 1973.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on May 12, 2000, the staff 
consulted with the Illinois State official, Frank Niziolek of the 
Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety, regarding the environmental 
impact of the proposed action. The State official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC 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 letters dated August 3, 1999, as supplemented on February 
25, 2000, which are available for public inspection at the NRC Public 
Document Room, The Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC. 
Publicly available records will be accessible electronically from the 
ADAMS Public Library component on the NRC Web site, http:\\www.nrc.gov 
(the Electronic Reading Room).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 11th day of September 2000.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Anthony J. Mendiola,
Chief, Section 2, Project Directorate III, Division of Licensing 
Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 00-24058 Filed 9-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P