[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 140 (Friday, July 20, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38040-38041]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18176]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 72-31]


Yankee Atomic Electric Company 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 
Yankee Atomic Electric Company (YAEC). The requested exemption would 
allow YAEC to deviate from the requirements of Certificate of 
Compliance 1025 (the Certificate), Appendix A, Technical Specifications 
(TS), Items 3.1.5, Canister Maximum Time in Vacuum Drying, and 3.1.6, 
Maximum Time in Transfer Cask. The exemption would allow YAEC to use 
extended operating times in Limiting Condition for Operation (LCO) 
3.1.5 and 3.1.6 for the fuel loading campaign at Yankee Nuclear Power 
Station (YNPS) in Rowe, Massachusetts.

Environmental Assessment (EA)

    Identification of Proposed: By letter dated April 3, 2001, as 
supplemented on June 6, 2001, YAEC 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 1025, 
Appendix A, Items LCO 3.1.5 and 3.1.6. YAEC is a general licensee, 
authorized by NRC to use spent fuel storage casks approved under 10 CFR 
Part 72, Subpart K.
    YAEC plans to use the NAC-MPC cask system to store spent nuclear 
fuel, generated at YNPS, at an independent spent fuel storage 
installation (ISFSI) located in Rowe, Massachusetts, on the YNPS site. 
The YNPS ISFSI has been constructed for interim dry storage of spent 
nuclear fuel.
    By exempting YAEC from 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(2)(i)(A), and 
72.214, YAEC will be authorized to extend loaded canister vacuum drying 
and the time spent fuel is in the transfer cask for canister heat loads 
that are lower than the design basis heat load.
    The time duration from completion of draining the CANISTER through 
completion of vacuum dryness testing and the introduction of helium 
backfill shall not exceed the time shown for the specified heat loads:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Total heat loads (L)(kW)                Time limit (hours)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.5  L  12.5...................  38
8.5  L  10.5....................  48
6.5  L  8.5.....................  58
4.5  L  6.5.....................  83
L  4.5..........................  Not
                                             Limited
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The time duration from end of external forced air or in-pool 
cooling of the CANISTER through completion of vacuum dryness testing 
and the introduction of helium backfill shall not exceed the time shown 
for the specified heat loads:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Time limit (hours)
                                                   ---------------------
             Total heat loads (L)(kW)                 Forced
                                                       air      In-pool
------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.5  L  12.5..........................         10         10
8.5  L  10.5...........................         12         12
6.5  L  8.5............................         16         16
4.5  L  6.5............................         40         40
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The time duration from the introduction of helium backfill of the 
CANISTER through completion of the CANISTER transfer operation from the 
TRANSFER CASK to the CONCRETE CASK is not limited.
    The specifications above would be in lieu of those in the current 
Certificate of Compliance No. 1025, Rev. 0, Appendix A, LCO 3.1.5 and 
3.1.6. The proposed action before the Commission is whether to grant 
this exemption under 10 CFR 72.7.
    On September 9, 2000, the cask designer, NAC International (NAC), 
submitted to NRC an application to amend Certificate of Compliance 
1025. The requested amendment includes the same revisions to LCO 3.1.5 
and 3.1.6 in Appendix A to the Certificate as requested in this 
exemption. The NRC staff has reviewed the application and determined 
that extending operating times in TS LCO 3.1.5 and 3.1.6 would have 
minimal impact on the design basis and would not pose a threat to 
public health and safety.
    Need for the Proposed Action: The revised LCO 3.1.5 and 3.1.6 
increase TS times, which are likely to reduce the frequency of entering 
LCO action statements, thus, reducing radiation doses to workers. The 
current TS LCO 3.1.5 and 3.1.6 time limits are based on canisters with 
maximum heat load and the probability for entering LCO action 
statements will significantly increase for canisters that are lower 
than the design basis heat load. If action statements are entered as a 
result of TS requirements without a safety significance, workers will 
be exposed to low radiation fields for longer periods of time. This 
would not be consistent with As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) 
practices. Workers should be able to conduct loading operations without 
facing unnecessary time/schedule pressure with sufficient operational 
flexibility. Unless the exemption is granted or the Certificate is 
amended, the TS LCO 3.1.5 and 3.1.6 action statements will likely be 
unnecessarily entered, resulting in additional radiation doses to 
workers. Because the 10 CFR Part 72 rulemaking to amend the Certificate 
will not be completed prior to the date that YNPS plans to begin 
loading fuel into the NAC-MPC cask systems, the NRC is proposing to 
grant this exemption based on the staff's technical review of 
information submitted by YAEC and NAC.
    Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action: It has already been 
determined by the Commission that spent fuel can be stored safely and 
without significant environmental impact at an onsite ISFSI in the NAC-
MPC cask system (65 FR 12444, dated March 9, 2000). Extending the TS 
times will not increase the probability or consequences of accidents. 
No changes have been requested to the types or quantities of any 
radiological effluents that may be released offsite, and there is no 
significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. 
Occupational radiation exposure will be decreased by the

[[Page 38041]]

avoidance of unnecessarily entering the action statements in LCO 3.1.5 
and 3.1.6. There are no significant radiological environmental impacts 
associated with the proposed action.
    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 and use the TS times in the current Certificate. Denial of 
the exemption could potentially lead into unnecessarily entering the TS 
LCO action statements 3.1.5 and 3.1.6 resulting in increased radiation 
doses to workers.
    Agencies and Persons Consulted: On June 22, 2001, Mr. Jim 
Muckerhide, Nuclear Engineer, Nuclear Safety, of Massachusetts 
Emergency Management Agency 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 YAEC may use revised TS time at YNPS 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 NRC maintains an Agencywide Documents Access and Management 
System (ADAMS), which provides text and image files of NRC's public 
documents. These documents may be accessed through the NRC's Public 
Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/index.html. If you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are 
problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC 
Public Document Room (PDR) Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-
4737 or by e-mail to [email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 12th day of July 2001.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
E. William Brach,
Director Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety 
and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 01-18176 Filed 7-19-01; 8:45 am]
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