[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 220 (Thursday, November 14, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69051-69052]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-28904]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket 72-31]


Yankee Atomic Electric Company, Independent Spent Fuel Storage 
Installation; Issuance of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact for a Proposed Exemption

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) is 
considering issuance of an exemption to Yankee Atomic Electric Company 
(YAEC or licensee), pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7, from specific provisions 
of 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(2)(i)(A), and 10 CFR 72.214. The 
licensee is planning to use the NAC-MPC storage system to store spent 
nuclear fuel from the decommissioning reactor. The requested exemption 
would allow YAEC to deviate from the approved contents specified in the 
NAC-MPC Certificate of Compliance No. 1025 (CoC or Certificate) to 
store: (1) Fuel with assembly weights up to 950 pounds; (2) fuel 
assemblies with unique design features; (3) non-intact fuel in damaged 
fuel cans; and (4) specific re-caged fuel assemblies in the NAC-MPC dry 
spent fuel storage systems at the Yankee Nuclear Power Station.
    In a letter dated May 15, 2002, the designer of the NAC-MPC system, 
NAC International, requested an amendment to CoC No. 1025 to 
incorporate the additional fuel assembly configurations as approved 
contents for the storage system. That request was supplemented on 
October 3, 2002. The information provided in the amendment request, as 
supplemented, corresponds with the YAEC exemption request and provides 
the safety basis for storing these additional fuel assembly 
configurations.

Environmental Assessment (EA)

Identification of Proposed Action

    By letter dated October 10, 2002, YAEC requested an exemption from 
the requirements of 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(2)(i)(A), and 10 CFR 
72.214 to deviate from the approved contents specified in CoC No. 1025 
for the NAC-MPC storage system. YAEC has informed the NRC of its plans 
to store spent nuclear fuel under the general licensing provisions of 
10 CFR Part 72. The licensee has begun loading spent fuel into the NAC-
MPC system at an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation located at 
the Yankee Nuclear Power Station near Rowe, Massachusetts.
    By exempting YAEC from 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(2)(i)(A), and 
10 CFR 72.214, YAEC will be authorized to store additional specific 
fuel assembly configurations.
    The proposed action before the Commission is whether to grant this 
exemption under 10 CFR 72.7. The NRC staff has reviewed the exemption 
request and determined that storage of the additional fuel assembly 
configurations are consistent with the safety analyses previously 
reviewed for the NAC-MPC system, and would have no impact on the design 
basis and would not be inimical to public health and safety.

Need for the Proposed Action

    YAEC completed loading the first NAC-MPC at the Yankee Nuclear 
Power Station on June 26, 2002. The licensee is proceeding with 
unloading of fuel assemblies from the spent fuel pool and loading of 
the assemblies into additional NAC-MPC systems. The spent fuel pool 
uses a two tier rack system for fuel storage. The licensee has 
completed removal of all of the fuel from the upper rack, which has 
enabled a detailed inspection of the fuel stored in the lower rack. The 
licensee identified some fuel assembly types and configurations that 
were not addressed in the NAC-MPC storage system Final Safety Analysis 
Report. This prompted the NAC-MPC designer to submit an amendment 
application to NRC for the NAC-MPC CoC to incorporate the additional 
fuel configurations identified in the lower pool rack.
    YAEC requested this exemption to store the additional fuel assembly 
configurations in an effort to continue the removal of spent fuel from 
the spent fuel pool into the NAC-MPC storage systems using the same 
experienced and trained individuals involved in loading the previous 
NAC-MPC systems. The exemption would likely minimize personnel exposure 
by continuing to use the same individuals and by implementing lessons 
learned from the previous loading activities.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    YAEC requested the exemption to store additional fuel assembly 
configurations to enable transfer of all spent fuel from the spent fuel 
pool to the NAC-MPC dry spent fuel storage system. The staff performed 
a safety evaluation of the proposed exemption. NRC staff reviewed the 
analysis provided in the NAC-MPC amendment application addressing 
storage of additional specific fuel assembly configurations. The safety 
evaluation performed by the staff concludes that the NRC has reasonable 
assurance that storage of the additional fuel configurations has 
minimal impact on off-site doses, results in a dose savings to workers, 
and meets the requirements of 10 CFR 72.104, 10 CFR 72.106 and 10 CFR 
20.1301, and is therefore acceptable.
    Therefore, the environmental impact of storing the additional 
specific fuel assemblies is no greater than the environmental impact 
already assessed in the initial rulemaking for the NAC-MPC storage 
system (65 FR 12444, dated March 9, 2000).
    The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability 
or consequences of the analyzed accidents, no changes are being made to 
the types of effluents that may be released offsite, and there is no 
significant increase in occupational or public radiation

[[Page 69052]]

exposure. Therefore, there are no significant radiological 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. Therefore, 
the staff has determined that there is no reduction in the ability of 
the system to perform its safety function, nor significant 
environmental impacts, as a result of storing the additional fuel 
assembly configurations.

Alternative to the Proposed Action

    Since there is no significant environment 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, but would result in a 
potential dose increase to workers involved in cask loading activities.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On November 4, 2002, Mr. Jim Muckerheide, Nuclear Engineer, Nuclear 
Safety of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency was contacted 
about 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 the exemption from 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(2)(i)(A), 
and 10 CFR 72.214 and allowing YAEC to store additional specific fuel 
assembly configurations in the NAC-MPC storage system will not 
significantly impact the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, 
the Commission has determined that an environmental impact statement 
for the proposed exemption is not warranted.
    The request for exemption was docketed under 10 CFR Part 72, Docket 
72-31. For further details with respect to this action, see the 
exemption request dated October 10, 2002. 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 
Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to 
[email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 7th day of November, 2002.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Stephen C. O'Connor, Sr.
Project Manager, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material 
Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 02-28904 Filed 11-13-02; 8:45 am]
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