[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 20, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20607-20608]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-1854]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket 72-30]


Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company; Issuance of Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Regarding a Proposed 
Exemption

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Environmental assessment.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeremy A. Smith, Project Manager, 
Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and 
Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. 
Telephone: (301) 415-8500; fax number: (301) 415-8555; e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC 
or the staff) is considering issuance of an exemption, pursuant to 10 
CFR 72.7, from the provisions of 10 CFR 72.72(d) to Maine Yankee Atomic 
Power Company (Maine Yankee or applicant). The requested exemption 
would allow Maine Yankee to maintain a single set of spent fuel, high-
level radioactive waste, and reactor-related Greater Than Class C 
(GTCC) waste records in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR 
50.71(d)(1), for the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation 
(ISFSI) at Maine Yankee in Wiscasset, Maine.

Environmental Assessment (EA)

    Identification of Proposed Action: By letter dated November 29, 
2004, Maine Yankee requested an exemption from the requirement in 10 
CFR 72.72(d) which states in part that, ``Records of spent fuel, high-
level radioactive waste, and reactor-related GTCC waste containing 
special nuclear material meeting the requirements in paragraph (a) of 
this section must be kept in duplicate. The duplicate set of records 
must be kept at a separate location sufficiently remote from the 
original records that a single event would not destroy both sets of 
records.''
    The proposed action before the Commission is whether to grant this 
exemption pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7.
    Need for the Proposed Action: The applicant stated that ISFSI 
spent-fuel, high-level radioactive waste, and reactor-related GTCC 
waste records will be maintained in a manner consistent with the 
records of Maine Yankee, which are stored in compliance with the 
requirements established in 10 CFR 50.71(d)(1). No exemption is 
requested from the 10 CFR 72.72(d) requirements for the records 
retention period requirements. The applicant seeks to provide 
consistency in recordkeeping maintenance for the Maine Yankee ISFSI 
spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, and reactor-related GTCC 
waste records. The exemption request will also preclude the need to 
construct and operate a separate, second records storage facility to 
store a duplicate set of spent-fuel, high-level radioactive waste, and 
reactor-related GTCC waste records.
    10 CFR 50.71(d)(1) provides requirements for the maintenance of 
nuclear power plant records. The regulation states:

    Records which must be maintained pursuant to this part may be 
the original or a reproduced copy or microform if such reproduced 
copy or microform is duly authenticated by authorized personnel and 
the microform is capable of producing a clear and legible copy after 
storage for the period specified by the Commission regulations. The 
record may also be stored in electronic media with the capability of 
producing legible, accurate, and complete records during the 
required retention period. Records such as letters, drawings, 
specifications, must include all pertinent information such as 
stamps, initials, and signatures. The licensee shall maintain 
adequate safeguards against tampering with and loss of records.

    Regulatory Guide 1.88, ``Collection, Storage, and Maintenance of 
Nuclear Power Plant Quality Assurance Records,'' establishes guidance 
for the storage of nuclear plant quality assurance records. Maine 
Yankee plans to implement Revision 2 of Regulatory Guide 1.88, with 
minor exceptions described in the Maine Yankee Quality Assurance Plan 
(QAP).
    The requirements in ANSI N45.2.9-1974 have been endorsed by the NRC 
in Regulatory Guide 1.88 as adequate for satisfying the recordkeeping 
requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B, which states in part that 
``records shall be identifiable and retrievable.'' Additionally, 
conditions in 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B establish that ``[c]onsistent 
with applicable regulatory requirements (including 10 CFR 50.71(d)(1)), 
the applicant shall establish requirements concerning record retention, 
such as duration, location, and assigned responsibility.'' ANSI 
N.45.2.9-1974 also satisfies the requirements of 10 CFR 72.72 by 
providing for adequate maintenance of records regarding the identity 
and history of the spent fuel in storage. Such records would be subject 
to and need to be protected from the same types of degradation 
mechanisms as nuclear power plant Quality Assurance records.
    Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action: An exemption from the 
requirement to store a duplicate set of ISFSI records at a separate 
location has no impact on the environment. Storage of records does not 
change the methods by which spent fuel will be handled and stored at 
the Maine Yankee ISFSI and does not change the amount of effluents, 
radiological or nonradiological, associated with the ISFSI.
    Alternative to the Proposed Action: Since there is no environmental 
impact associated with the proposed action, alternatives are not 
evaluated other than the no action alternative. The alternative to the 
proposed action would be to deny approval of the exemption and, 
therefore, not allow storage of ISFSI spent fuel records at a single 
qualified record storage facility. The no action alternative would 
require the applicant to construct or identify a separate storage 
facility; therefore, the environmental impacts of the proposed action 
would be less than, or the same as, the no action alternative.
    Agencies and Persons Consulted: On March 28, 2005, Maine State 
Nuclear Safety Inspector Mr. Patrick Dostie was contacted regarding 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 Environmental Assessment, the Commission finds that 
the proposed action of granting the exemption from 10 CFR 72.72(d), so 
that Maine Yankee may store spent fuel records for the ISFSI in a 
single records storage facility which meets the requirements of ANSI 
N.45.2.9-1974, with the given exception listed in the Maine Yankee QAP, 
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 necessary.
    The request for exemption was docketed under 10 CFR Part 72, Docket 
72-30. For further details with respect to this exemption request, see 
the Maine Yankee letter requesting the exemption

[[Page 20608]]

dated November 29, 2004. Supporting documentation is available for 
inspection at the NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. A copy of the Finding of No 
Significant Impact can be found at this site using the Agencywide 
Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). These documents may 
also be viewed electronically on the public computers located at the 
NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. The PDR reproduction contractor 
will copy documents for a fee. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS 
or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, 
should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209 or (301) 
415-4737, or by e-mail to [email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 13th day of April 2005.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jeremy A. Smith,
Project Manager, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material 
Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. E5-1854 Filed 4-19-05; 8:45 am]
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