[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 237 (Tuesday, December 10, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75865-75866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-31166]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket 72-17]


Portland General Electric Company Issuance of Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Regarding the Proposed 
Amendment to Materials License No. SNM-2509

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) is 
considering issuance of an amendment, pursuant to 10 CFR 72.56, to 
Special Nuclear Material License No. 2509 (SNM-2509) held by Portland 
General Electric Company (PGE) for the Trojan Independent Spent Fuel 
Storage Installation (ISFSI). The requested amendment would revise the 
ISFSI license (SNM-2509) and the Technical Specifications (TS) of SNM-
2509 to increase the Multi-Purpose Canister (MPC) helium backfill upper 
pressure limit at the Trojan ISFSI.

Environmental Assessment (EA)

    Identification of Proposed Action: By letter dated October 18, 
2002, PGE requested an amendment to revise the license (SNM-2509) and 
the TS of SNM-2509 for the Trojan ISFSI. The changes would increase the 
MPC helium backfill upper pressure limit, make an editorial 
clarification, and make similar changes to the helium backfill upper 
pressure limit in the description of the cask loading operations. The 
current license specifies the MPC is to be backfilled with helium with 
a pressure between 29.3 psig and 33.3 psig. The amendment requests the 
upper limit be changed from 33.3 psig to 39.3 psig.
    Need for the Proposed Action: The proposed action is necessary to 
minimize worker exposure during spent fuel loading activities and to 
maintain spent fuel parameters within required limits. Current helium 
backfill equipment, to be used during loading operations at the Trojan 
facility, cannot demonstrate backfill of the MPC free volume with 
helium accurately enough to satisfy TS requirements. Alternative

[[Page 75866]]

equipment that could provide the necessary accuracy would result in 
protracted helium backfilling operations and increased worker dose. In 
either case MPC helium backfilling operations using the current 
equipment and/or alternative equipment would pose undue exposure risk 
to plant personnel and result in extended fuel loading schedules and 
subsequent delays in decommissioning of the Trojan site.
    Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action: In 1999 the NRC 
issued a license to PGE to construct and operate the Trojan ISFSI. 
Prior to this action the NRC examined the environmental impacts of 
constructing and operating the Trojan ISFSI and issued an environmental 
assessment and finding of no significant impact (See 61 FR 64378, 
December 4, 1996). The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed 
action and concludes that granting the request for amendment to 
increase the TS MPC helium backfill upper pressure limit from 33.3 psig 
to 39.3 psig will not increase the probability or consequence of 
accidents beyond that bounded by previous analysis. No changes are 
being made in the types of any effluents that may be released offsite. 
With regard to radiological impacts, the increase in the TS MPC helium 
backfill upper pressure limit will not yield an increase in neutron and 
gamma dose rates at the cask surface. Dose rates remain below 
regulatory limits for occupational exposures and public radiation 
exposures and continue to comply with the applicable regulatory 
criteria specified in 10 CFR part 20, and 10 CFR 72.104 and 72.106. As 
a result, there are no significant radiological environmental impacts 
associated with the proposed action.
    The amendment only affects the requirements associated with MPC 
helium backfilling operations and does not affect non-radiological 
plant effluents or any other aspects of the environment. Therefore, 
there are no significant non-radiological environmental impacts 
associated with the proposed action.
    Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
    Alternatives to the Proposed Action: The alternative to the 
proposed action would be to deny the request for amendment (i.e., the 
``no-action'' alternative). Denial of the proposed action would result 
in PGE continuing to use current MPC helium backfill limits established 
in the TS. Without an increase in the MPC helium backfill upper 
pressure TS limit, decommissioning of the Trojan site could be delayed. 
The Trojan Nuclear Power Plant has been permanently shut down. Delaying 
decommissioning of the Trojan site could potentially lead to greater 
occupational exposure due to the extended time workers would be in the 
proximity of the spent fuel. The environmental impacts of the 
alternative action could be greater than the proposed action.
    Given that the alternative action of denying the approval for 
amendment has no lesser environmental impacts associated with it, and 
considering that the proposed action would result in storage of fuel at 
the Trojan ISFSI, which has already been approved under a site specific 
license, the Commission concludes that the preferred alternative is to 
grant this amendment.
    Agencies and Persons Consulted: On November 14, 2002, Mr. Adam 
Bless of the Oregon Office of Energy, Energy Resource Division, was 
contacted regarding 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 Environmental Assessment, the Commission finds that 
the proposed action of granting an amendment to change the MPC helium 
backfill upper pressure limit 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 
amendment.
    For further details with respect to this amendment, see the PGE 
letter dated October 18, 2002. The amendment request was docketed per 
10 CFR part 2 under Docket 72-17. 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/reading-rm-adams.html. If you do not have access to 
ADAMS or if there are problems in accessing the documents listed 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 3rd day of December, 2002.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission:
Christopher M. Regan,
Project Manager, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material 
Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 02-31166 Filed 12-9-02; 8:45 am]
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