[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 27, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43463-43465]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-3993]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 72-13]
Entergy Operations, Inc., Arkansas Nuclear One Independent Spent
Fuel Storage Installation; Issuance of Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact Regarding a Proposed Exemption
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Issuance of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher M. Regan, Senior Project
Manager, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC.
20555. Telephone: (301) 415-1179; fax number: (301) 415-1179; e-mail:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC
or Commission) is considering a request dated March 21, 2005, from
Entergy Operations, Inc. (applicant or Entergy Operations) for
exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2) and 10 CFR
72.214 pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7, for the Arkansas Nuclear One (ANO),
[[Page 43464]]
Unit 1 and Unit 2 Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation, located
6 miles west-northwest of Russellville, Arkansas. In consideration of
the request, the NRC would also grant exemption from the requirements
of 10 CFR 72.212(b)(2)(I) and 72.212(b)(7). The exemption would
authorize the applicant to store damaged spent nuclear fuel (SNF)
assemblies in a Holtec HI-STORM 100, Amendment 1 design, Multi-Purpose
Canister (MPC) -32.
Environmental Assessment (EA)
I. Identification of Proposed Action
By letter dated March 21, 2005, Entergy Operations requested an
exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2) and 10 CFR
72.214, specifically, exemption from complying with Appendix B, Section
2.1, of the HI-STORM 100 Cask System CoC (1014), Fuel Specifications
and Loading Conditions. The NRC action would also include granting
exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 72.212(b)(2)(I) and
72.212(b)(7). Approval of the exemption request would allow storage of
uncanned damaged SNF assemblies in a HI-STORM 100, Amendment 1 design,
MPC-32. Damaged SNF assemblies may be stored in an HI-STORM 100,
Amendment 2 design, MPC-32 when properly canned. Entergy Operations has
identified five previously loaded intact fuel assemblies that have been
reclassified as damaged SNF assemblies. A damaged SNF assembly is
defined in the HI-STORM 100, Amendment 1 CoC in part as one with
greater than pinhole leak or hairline cracks. Each of the five SNF
assemblies classified as damaged contain one interior rod characterized
as defective. In accordance with Amendment 1 to CoC 1014 granted to
Holtec for the HI-STORM 100 cask system, and as codified in 10 CFR
72.214, the MPC-32 is not permitted to store damaged fuel assemblies.
ANO as a general licensee, is authorized by the NRC to use spent fuel
storage casks approved under 10 CFR Part 72, Subpart K.
For the NRC to permit Entergy Operations to continue to store the
five uncanned damaged SNF assemblies in four HI-STORM 100, Amendment 1
design, MPC-32's, the NRC, must grant Entergy Operations an exemption
from the general license conditions defined in 10 CFR 72.212. The
regulations in 10 CFR 72.212 state that the general license for storage
of SNF at power reactor sites is limited to storage of SNF in casks
approved under the provisions in 10 CFR Part 72. By exempting Entergy
Operations from 10 CFR 72.214 and 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(2)(I), and
72.212(b)(7), Entergy Operations will be authorized to use its general
license to store uncanned damaged SNF assemblies in the HI-STORM 100,
Amendment 1 design, MPC-32. The proposed action before the Commission
is whether to grant the exemption under 10 CFR 72.7.
The ISFSI is located 6 miles west-northwest of Russellville,
Arkansas, on the ANO Power Plant site. The ANO ISFSI is an existing
facility constructed for interim dry storage of spent ANO nuclear fuel.
II. Need for the Proposed Action
Five uncanned damaged SNF assemblies are currently loaded into four
HI-STORM 100, Amendment 1 design, MPC-32's stored at the ANO ISFSI.
Unloading of the damaged SNF assemblies would subject personnel to a
significant unnecessary dose, generate additional contaminated waste,
increase the risk of a possible fuel handling accident, and increase
the risk of a heavy load handling accident. Discharge of the damaged
SNF assemblies from storage in the MPCs would result in inadequate
storage capacity in the ANO Unit 2 Spent Fuel Pool. If the damaged SNF
assemblies are discharged into the spent fuel pool, storage of new fuel
and the restoration of normal full core offload capability prior to and
after the next refueling outage would be challenged. Recovery of spent
fuel pool space could be significantly hindered due to double handling
of ANO Unit 2 fuel in addition to material and scheduling conflicts
with ANO Unit 1 activities to the extent that ANO Unit 2 core offloads
could be jeopardized.
III. Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The potential environmental impact of using the HI-STORM 100 system
was initially presented in the Environmental Assessment for the final
rule to add the HI-STORM 100 system to the list of approved spent fuel
storage casks in 10 CFR 72.214 (65 FR 25241; May 1, 2000). Furthermore,
each general licensee must assess the environmental impacts of the
specific ISFSI in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR
72.212(b)(2)(iii). This section requires the general licensee to
perform written evaluations to demonstrate compliance with the
environmental requirements of 10 CFR 72.104, ``Criteria for radioactive
materials in effluents and direct radiation from an ISFSI or MRS
[Monitored Retrievable Storage Installation].''
The HI-STORM 100 system is designed to mitigate the effects of
design basis accidents that could occur during storage. Design basis
accidents account for human-induced events and the most severe natural
phenomena reported for the site and surrounding area. Postulated
accidents analyzed for an ISFSI include tornado winds and tornado
generated missiles, design basis earthquake, design basis flood,
accidental cask drop, lightning effects, fire, explosions, and other
incidents. Considering the specific design requirements for each
accident condition, the design of the HI-STORM 100, Amendment 1, cask
system using an MPC-32 basket design, would prevent loss of
containment, shielding, and criticality control. The loading of damaged
SNF has no impact on the structural aspects of the containment
boundary. The HI-STORM 100, Amendment 1 design permits storage of
damaged SNF assemblies in the MPC-24 and MPC 68 which utilize the same
outer containment boundary as the MPC-32. Dose surveys performed prior
to placing each cask in service, including those MPC-32s containing the
damaged SNF assemblies, demonstrated that each cask satisfied the dose
requirements defined in the HI-STORM 100 Amendment 1 CoC. Any
relocation of the damaged fuel rods, in the fuel assembly, within the
MPC has a negligible effect on the keff (criticality
control) of the system predominantly due to the fact that there are no
more than two individual damaged fuel rods per MPC. Without the loss of
either containment, shielding, or criticality control, the risk to
public health and safety from the continued storage of five damaged SNF
assemblies in four HI-STORM 100, Amendment 1 design, MPC-32s, is not
compromised.
By permitting the continued storage of five uncanned damaged SNF
assemblies using HI-STORM 100 system, Amendment 1 design, MPC-32s,
there will be no additional occupational exposure due to unloading
activities, and offsite dose rates will remain well within the 10 CFR
Part 20 limits. Therefore, the NRC staff has determined that an
acceptable safety margin is maintained and that there are no
significant environmental impacts as a result of continuing to store
five damaged SNF assemblies in four HI-STORM 100, Amendment 1, MPC-32s
at the ANO ISFSI.
IV. Alternatives to the Proposed Action
The staff evaluated the alternative to the proposed action to deny
approval of the exemption. Denial of the exemption request would result
in unloading of the
[[Page 43465]]
damaged SNF assemblies subjecting personnel to unnecessary dose, the
generation of additional contaminated waste, an increase in the risk of
a possible fuel handling accident, an increase in the risk of a heavy
load handling accident, and result in inadequate storage capacity in
the ANO Unit 2 Spent Fuel Pool jeopardizing the ability to fully
offload the ANO Unit 2 core.
V. Agencies and Persons Consulted
On July 11, 2005, Bernard Bevill from the Radiation Control Work
Unit, Arkansas Department of Health, was contacted about the EA for the
proposed action and had no concerns.
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),
72.212(b)(7), and 72.214 so that Entergy Operations may continue to
store uncanned damaged SNF assemblies in a Holtec HI-STORM 100,
Amendment 1 design, MPC-32, at the ANO, Units 1 and 2 ISFSI, will not
significantly impact the quality of the human environment.
Further Information
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of NRC's ``Rules of Practice,''
final NRC records and documents regarding this proposed action,
including the exemption request dated March 21, 2005, are publically
available in the records component of NRC's Agencywide Documents Access
and Management System (ADAMS). These documents may be inspected at
NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. These documents may also be viewed electronically on the
public computers located at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR),
O1F21, 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 by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or (301) 415-4737, or by
e-mail to [email protected].
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of July 2005.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Christopher M. Regan,
Senior Project Manager, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. E5-3993 Filed 7-26-05; 8:45 am]
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