[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 11, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18820-18822]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-8894]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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)(A), and 72.214 to 
Exelon Generation Company, LLC (EGC). The requested exemption would 
allow EGC to deviate from the requirements of Certificate of Compliance 
1014 (the Certificate), Appendix B, Table 2.1-3, ``BWR Fuel Assembly 
Characteristics,'' which describes the acceptable fuel design 
characteristics. Some of the fuel assemblies EGC plans to store in the 
HI-STORM casks have parameters outside those specified in the 
Certificate, Appendix B, Table 2.1-3. The requested exemption would 
allow, in addition to the parameters in Appendix B, Table 2.1-3, 
boiling water reactor (BWR) fuel assemblies with the following fuel 
assembly characteristics:

Fuel assembly maximum design initial uranium mass  110 kg/
assembly
Fuel assembly array/class 6x6A fuel rod clad ID  0.5105 
inches
Fuel assembly array/class 6x6A fuel pellet diameter  0.4980 
inches
Fuel assembly array/classes 6x6A and 6x6B fuel rod pitch  
0.710 inches

[[Page 18821]]

Fuel assembly array/classes 6x6A, 6x6B, and 8x8A active fuel length 
 120 inches
Fuel assembly array/classes 6x6A and 6x6B number of fuel rod locations 
``35 or 36''
Fuel assembly array/class 8x8A number of fuel rod locations ``63 or 
64''
Fuel assembly array/classes 6x6A, 6x6B, and 8x8A number of water rods 
``1 or 0''
Fuel assembly array/classes 6x6A, 6x6B, and 8x8A water rod thickness 
0 inches

    The requested exemption would also allow EGC to deviate from the 
requirements of the Certificate, Appendix B, Items 3.4.6.a, 3.4.6.b and 
3.4.6.d and place HI-STORM 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 letters dated January 11, 
February 16, and March 2, 2001, EGC requested an exemption from the 
requirements of 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(2)(i)(A), and 72.214 to 
deviate from the requirements of Certificate of Compliance 1014, 
Appendix B, Table 2.1-3 and Items 3.4.6.a, 3.4.6.b and 3.4.6.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-STORM 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)(B), and 
72.214, EGC will also be authorized to load HI-STORM 100 Cask Systems 
with fuel assemblies with the following characteristics:

Fuel assembly maximum design initial uranium mass  110 kg/
assembly
Fuel assembly array/class 6x6A fuel rod clad ID  0.5105 
inches
Fuel assembly array/class 6x6A fuel pellet diameter  0.4980 
inches
Fuel assembly array/classes 6x6A and 6x6B fuel rod pitch  
0.710 inches
Fuel assembly array/classes 6x6A, 6x6B, and 8x8A active fuel length 
 120 inches
Fuel assembly array/classes 6x6A and 6x6B number of fuel rod locations 
``35 or 36''
Fuel assembly array/class 8x8A number of fuel rod locations ``63 or 
64''
Fuel assembly array/classes 6x6A, 6x6B, and 8x8A number of water rods 
``1 or 0''
Fuel assembly array/classes 6x6A, 6x6B, and 8x8A water rod thickness 
0 inches

    The fuel assembly characteristics specified above would be in 
addition to those specified in Certificate of Compliance 1014, Appendix 
B, Table 2.1-3.
    By exempting EGC from 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(2)(i)(B), and 
72.214, EGC will also be authorized to place loaded HI-STORM 100 Cask 
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 1014, Appendix B, Items 
3.4.6.a, 3.4.6.b, and 3.4.6.d, respectively. The proposed action before 
the Commission is whether to grant this exemption under 10 CFR 72.7.
    The NRC staff has reviewed the exemption requests and determined 
that loading fuel assemblies with the revised characteristics and 
placement of HI-STORM 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, the fuel assemblies and storage pads at the 
Dresden ISFSI will not be in full conformance with the Certificate. The 
NRC is proposing to grant this exemption based on the staff's technical 
review of information submitted by EGC.
    Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action: The potential 
environmental impact of using the HI-STORM 100 Cask System was 
initially presented in the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Final 
Rule to add the HI-STORM 100 Cask System to the list of approved spent 
fuel storage casks in 10 CFR 72.214 (65 FR 25241, 05/01/00). 
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-STORM 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-STORM 100 Cask System consists of a stainless steel multi-
purpose canister and a concrete and 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. Special 
design feature requirements for the cask and for the site are specified 
in Certificate of Compliance 1014, 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. 
The staff found that the proposed exemption is consistent with the 
criticality, shielding, thermal and cask drop and tipover analyses 
presented in the revised Safety Analyses Report for the HI-STORM 100 
Cask System and does not reduce the safety margin. The staff has 
determined that loading fuel assemblies that include the following 
design characteristics does not pose any increased risk to public 
health and safety.

Fuel assembly maximum design initial uranium mass  110 kg/
assembly
Fuel assembly array/class 6x6A fuel rod clad ID  0.5105 
inches

[[Page 18822]]

Fuel assembly array/class 6x6A fuel pellet diameter  0.4980 
inches
Fuel assembly array/classes 6x6A and 6x6B fuel rod pitch  
0.710 inches
Fuel assembly array/classes 6x6A, 6x6B, and 8x8A active fuel length 
 120 inches
Fuel assembly array/classes 6x6A and 6x6B number of fuel rod locations 
``35 or 36''
Fuel assembly array/class 8x8A number of fuel rod locations ``63 or 
64''
Fuel assembly array/classes 6x6A, 6x6B, and 8x8A number of water rods 
``1 or 0''
Fuel assembly array/classes 6x6A, 6x6B, and 8x8A water rod thickness 
0 inches

    The staff has also determined that placement of loaded HI-STORM 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 (65 FR 25241, 05/01/00).
    Therefore, the staff has determined that there is no reduction in 
the safety margin nor significant environmental impacts as a result of 
loading fuel assemblies with the revised characteristics (as specified 
above) and placing loaded HI-STORM 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 March 20, 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)(A), and 
72.214 so that EGC may load HI-STORM 100 Cask Systems with revised (as 
specified above) fuel assembly characteristics and place loaded HI-
STORM 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 requests dated January 11, February 16, and March 2, 2001, 
which are 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 Documents 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 3rd day of April 2001.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
E. William Brach,
Director, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety 
and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 01-8894 Filed 4-10-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P