[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 53 (Monday, March 19, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15507-15508]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-6652]



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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket 72-37]


Exelon Generation Company, LLC Dresden Independent Spent Fuel 
Storage Installation Issuance of Environmental Assessment and Finding 
of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) is 
considering issuance of an exemption, pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7, from the 
provisions of 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(2)(i), and 72.214 to 
Exelon Generation Company, LLC (EGC). The requested exemption would 
allow EGC to deviate from the requirements of Certificate of Compliance 
1008 (the Certificate), Appendix B, Items 1.4.6.a, 1.4.6.b and 1.4.6.d 
and place HI-STAR 100 Cask Systems, loaded with spent nuclear fuel, on 
a concrete storage pad with a concrete thickness of less than or equal 
to 28 inches, concrete compressive strength of less than or equal to 
6,000 psi at 28 days, and soil effective modulus of elasticity of less 
than or equal to 16,000 psi at the Dresden Nuclear Power Station 
(Dresden) Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI).

Environmental Assessment (EA)

Identification of Proposed Action

    By letter dated January 11, 2001, EGC requested an exemption from 
the requirements of 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(2)(i), and 72.214 to 
deviate from the requirements of Certificate of Compliance 1008, 
Appendix B, Items 1.4.6.a, 1.4.6.b and 1.4.6.d. EGC is a general 
licensee, authorized by NRC to use spent fuel storage casks approved 
under 10 CFR Part 72, Subpart K.
    EGC plans to use the HI-STAR 100 Cask System to store spent nuclear 
fuel, generated at the Dresden Nuclear Power Station, at an ISFSI 
located in Morris, Illinois, on the Dresden Nuclear Power Station site. 
The Dresden ISFSI has been constructed for interim dry storage of spent 
nuclear fuel.
    By exempting EGC from 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(2)(i), and 
72.214, EGC will be authorized to place loaded HI-STAR 100 Casks 
Systems on cask storage pads that include the following 
characteristics:
    (1) Concrete Thickness:  28 inches
    (2) Concrete Compressive Strength:  6,000 psi at 28 days
    (3) Soil Effective Modulus of Elasticity:  16,000 psi
    The storage pad characteristics specified above would be in lieu of 
those specified in Certificate of Compliance 1008, Appendix B, Items 
1.4.6.a, 1.4.6.b, and 1.4.6.d, respectively. The proposed action before 
the Commission is whether to grant this exemption under 10 CFR 72.7.
    On August 4, 2000, the cask designer, Holtec International 
(Holtec), submitted to NRC an application to amend Certificate of 
Compliance 1008. The requested amendment includes revision to the 
storage pad specifications in Item1.4.6 in Appendix B to the 
Certificate and requests approval of a second set of cask pad 
parameters. Item 1.4.6.a requires a concrete thickness of less than or 
equal to 36 inches; the analysis performed by Holtec demonstrates that 
this requirement can be revised to specify a concrete thickness of less 
than or equal to 28 inches. Item 1.4.6.b requires a concrete 
compressive strength of less than or equal to 4,200 psi at 28 days; the 
analysis performed by Holtec demonstrates that this requirement can be 
revised to specify a concrete compressive strength of less than or 
equal to 6,000 psi at 28 days. Item 1.4.6.d includes the requirement 
that the soil effective modulus of elasticity be less than or equal to 
28,000 psi; the analysis performed by Holtec demonstrates that this 
requirement can be revised to specify that the soil effective modulus 
of elasticity be less than or equal to 16,000 psi. The NRC staff has 
reviewed the application and determined that placement of HI-STAR 100 
Cask Systems on storage pads with the revised characteristics would 
have minimal impact on the design basis and would not be inimical to 
public health and safety.

Need for the Proposed Action

    There are a number of Dresden Unit 1 spent fuel assemblies in the 
Dresden Unit 2 spent fuel pool. To maintain full core offload 
capability in the Dresden Unit 2 spent fuel pool once new fuel arrives 
in the Summer of 2001, EGC needs to begin loading spent fuel into 
storage casks in Spring of 2001. Unless the exemption is granted or the 
Certificate is amended, the storage pads at the Dresden ISFSI will not 
be in full conformance with the Certificate. Because the 10 CFR part 72 
rulemaking to amend the Certificate will not be completed prior to the 
date that EGC plans to begin loading HI-STAR 100 Cask Systems, the NRC 
is granting this exemption based on the staff's technical review of 
information submitted by EGC and Holtec.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The potential environmental impact of using the HI-STAR 100 Cask 
System was initially presented in the Environmental Assessment (EA) for 
the Final Rule to add the HI-STAR 100 Cask System to the list of 
approved spent fuel storage casks in 10 CFR 72.214 (64 FR 171, 09/03/
99). Furthermore, each general licensee must assess the environmental 
impacts of the specific ISFSI in accordance with the requirements of 10 
CFR 72.212(b)(2). This section also requires the general licensee to 
perform written evaluations to demonstrate compliance with the 
environmental requirements of 10 CFR 72.104, ``Criteria for radioactive 
materials in effluents and direct radiation from an ISFSI or MRS 
[Monitored Retrievable Storage Installation].''
    The HI-STAR 100 Cask System is designed to mitigate the effects of 
design basis accidents that could occur during storage. Design basis 
accidents account for human-induced events and the most severe natural 
phenomena reported for the site and surrounding area. Postulated 
accidents analyzed for an ISFSI include tornado winds and tornado 
generated missiles, design basis earthquake, design basis flood, 
accidental cask drop, lightning effects, fire, explosions, and other 
incidents.
    The HI-STAR 100 Cask System consists of a stainless steel multi-
purpose canister and a steel overpack. The welded MPC provides 
confinement and criticality control for the storage and transfer of 
spent nuclear fuel. The overpack provides radiation shielding and 
structural protection of the MPC during storage and handling 
operations. Special design feature requirements for the cask and for 
the site are specified in Certificate of Compliance 1008, Appendix B. 
These include the storage pad design characteristics.
    Considering the specific cask and site design requirements for each 
accident condition, the design of the cask would prevent loss of 
containment, shielding, and criticality control. Without the loss of 
either containment, shielding, or criticality control, the risk to 
public health and safety is not compromised.
    The staff performed a safety evaluation of the proposed exemption 
and the Certificate amendment. The HI-STAR amendment requests a 
revision to Item 1.4.6 of Appendix B to the Certificate of Compliance 
(CoC), which defines some of the design requirements for cask pad. The 
CoC amendment requests specific approval for an additional set of cask 
pad parameters.

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The exemption requests authorization to utilize the additional set of 
cask pad parameters presented in the CoC amendment.
    The staff found that the proposed exemption is consistent with the 
cask drop and tipover analyses presented in the revised Safety Analyses 
Report for the HI-STAR 100 Cask System and do not reduce the safety 
margin. In addition, the staff has determined that placement of loaded 
HI-STAR 100 Cask Systems on storage pads with a (1) concrete thickness 
of less than or equal to 28 inches, (2) concrete compressive strength 
of less than or equal to 6,000 psi at 28 days, and (3) soil effective 
modulus of elasticity less than or equal to 16,000 psi does not pose 
any increased risk to public health and safety. Furthermore, the 
proposed action now under consideration would not change the potential 
environmental effects assessed in the initial rulemaking (64 FR 171, 
09/03/99).
    Therefore, the staff has determined that there is no reduction in 
the safety margin nor significant environmental impacts as a result of 
placing loaded HI-STAR 100 Cask Systems on storage pads with a concrete 
thickness of less than or equal to 28 inches, concrete compressive 
strength of less than or equal to 6,000 psi at 28 days, and soil 
effective modulus of elasticity less than or equal to 16,000 psi.

Alternative to the Proposed Action

    Since there is no significant environmental impact associated with 
the proposed action, alternatives with equal or greater environmental 
impact are not evaluated. The alternative to the proposed action would 
be to deny approval of the exemption. Denial of the exemption request 
will have the same environmental impact.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On February 9, 2001, Mr. F. Niziolek, Reactor Safety Section Head, 
Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety, was contacted about the 
Environmental Assessment for the proposed action and had no comments.

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 EA, the Commission finds that the proposed action of 
granting an exemption from 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(2)(i), and 
72.214 so that EGC may place loaded HI-STAR 100 Cask Systems on 
concrete storage pads with a concrete thickness of less than or equal 
to 28 inches, concrete compressive strength of less than or equal to 
6,000 psi at 28 days, and soil effective modulus of elasticity less 
than or equal to 16,000 psi at the Dresden 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.
    The request for exemption was docketed under 10 CFR part 72, Docket 
72-37. For further details with respect to this action, see the 
exemption request dated January 11, 2001, which is available for public 
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, One White Flint 
North Building, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852, or 
from the publicly available records component of NRC's Agencywide 
Document Access and Management 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 8th day of March 2001.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
E. William Brach,
Director, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety 
and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 01-6652 Filed 3-16-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P