[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 29, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45705-45707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-21856]


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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 3.1.2, surveillance frequencies for Canister Vacumn drying 
pressure, 3.1.3, surveillance frequencies for Canister Helium Backfill 
Pressure, 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 and make surveillance requirements in LCO 3.1.2 and 
3.1.3 consistent with LCO 3.1.5 for the fuel loading campaign at Yankee 
Nuclear Power Station (YNPS) in Rowe, Massachusetts.

Environmental Assessment (EA)

    Identification of Proposed Action: By letter dated April 3, 2001, 
as supplemented on June 6 and July 30, 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 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 
3.1.5 and 3.1.6. YAEC is a general

[[Page 45706]]

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 surveillance requirements to verify canister cavity vacumn 
drying pressure is within limits is to be performed prior to transport 
operations.
    The surveillance requirements to verify canister helium backfill 
pressure is within limits is to be performed prior to transport 
operations.
    The specifications above would be in lieu of those in the current 
Certificate of Compliance No. 1025, Rev. 0, Appendix A, LCO 3.1.2, 
3.1.3, 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, as supplemented July 27, 2001, the cask 
designer, NAC International (NAC), submitted to NRC an application to 
amend Certificate of Compliance No. 1025. The requested amendment 
includes the same revisions to LCO 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 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 and revising the surveillance 
requirements in LCO 3.1.2 and 3.1.3 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. The surveillance requirements in TS LCO 3.1.2 and 3.1.3 are 
being changed to be consistent with the revised TS LCO 3.1.5. 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 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 22nd day of August 2001.

[[Page 45707]]

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
E. William Brach,
Director, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety 
and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 01-21856 Filed 8-28-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P