[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 175 (Monday, September 12, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53812-53813]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-17971]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 72-8]


Calvert Cliffs Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation 
Issuance of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant 
Impact Regarding a License Amendment

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

ACTION: Issuance of an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph M. Sebrosky, Senior Project 
Manager, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety 
and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 
20555. Telephone: (301) 415-1132; Fax number: (301) 415-8555; E-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC 
or the Commission) is considering issuance of an amendment to Special 
Nuclear Materials License No. 2505 that would incorporate changes to 
the updated safety analysis report to alter the design basis limit for 
the dry shielded canister (DSC) internal pressure from 50 psig to 100 
psig. Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Inc. (CCNPP) is currently 
storing spent nuclear fuel at the Calvert Cliffs independent spent fuel 
storage installation (ISFSI) located in Calvert County, Maryland.

Environmental Assessment (EA)

    Identification of Proposed Action: By letter dated May 16, 2005, 
CCNPP submitted a request to the NRC to amend license SNM-2505 in order 
to incorporate changes to the updated safety analysis report to alter 
the design basis limit for the DSC internal pressure from 50 psig to 
100 psig. The design basis limit change is being made to support CCNPP 
adding the NUHOMS-32P as an optional design to the existing NUHOMS-24P 
design for dry storage of spent fuel. The NUHOMS-32P design stores 
eight more spent fuel assemblies than the NUHOMS-24P design.
    The proposed action before the NRC is whether to approve the 
amendment.
    Need for the Proposed Action: The proposed action would allow CCNPP 
to optimize its dry spent fuel storage capacity by upgrading portions 
of its ISFSI to use the NUHOMS-32P DSC. The proposed action would allow 
CCNPP to reduce the minimum number of canister loadings each year from 
four (using the NUHOMS-24P design) to three (with the NUHOMS-32P 
design).
    Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action: By letter dated 
December 12, 2003, CCNPP submitted a request to amend license SNM-2505 
to add the NUHOMS-32P as an optional design to the existing NUHOMS-24P 
design for dry storage of spent fuel. An EA and Finding of No 
Significant Impact (FONSI) were published in the Federal Register on 
May 24, 2005 (70 FR 29784) for CCNPP's December 12, 2003, license 
amendment request which concluded that adding the NUHOMS-32P as an 
optional design to the existing NUHOMS-24P design for dry storage of 
spent nuclear fuel would have no significant impact on the environment.
    The proposed action contained in CCNPP's May 16, 2005, request is 
to incorporate changes to the updated safety analysis report to alter 
the design basis limit for the DSC internal pressure from 50 psig to 
100 psig. The DSC provides confinement, an inert environment, 
structural support, and criticality control for 32 pressurized water 
reactor fuel assemblies. The DSC shell is a welded stainless steel 
pressure

[[Page 53813]]

vessel that includes thick shield plugs at either end. To support the 
pressure increase structural design changes were made to the DSC to 
ensure that the confinement boundary for the spent nuclear fuel is 
maintained under the proposed design pressure limit of 100 psig for all 
specified normal operation, off-normal operation, and accident 
conditions. The staff has determined that the proposed action would not 
endanger life or property. No effluents are released from the ISFSI 
during operation and the proposed changes have no impact to DSC loading 
activities. Therefore, there is no significant change in the type or 
significant increase in the amounts of any effluents that may be 
released offsite. There is also no significant increase with regard to 
individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposures because of 
the proposed action. There are no significant radiological 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action because the 
NUHOMS-32P DSC includes design changes to ensure the confinement 
boundary for the spent nuclear fuel is maintained under the proposed 
design pressure limit of 100 psig.
    The amendment only affects the requirements associated with the 
loading of the casks and does not affect non-radiological plant 
effluents or any other aspects of the environment. Therefore, there are 
no significant non-radiological impacts associated with the proposed 
action.
    Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
    Alternative to the Proposed Action: As an alternative to the 
proposed action, the staff considered denial of the amendment request 
(i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). Approval or denial of the 
amendment request would result in minimal change in the environmental 
impacts. Therefore, the environmental impacts of the proposed action 
and the alternative action are similar.
    Agencies and Persons Consulted: On August 11, 2005, Richard McLean 
of the State of Maryland was contacted regarding the proposed action 
and had no concerns. The NRC staff has determined that consultation 
under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act is not required for this 
specific amendment and will not affect listed species or critical 
habitat. The NRC staff has also determined that the proposed action is 
not a type of activity having the potential to cause effects on 
historic properties. Therefore, no consultation is required under 
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
    Conclusions: The staff has reviewed the amendment request submitted 
by CCNPP and changing the DSC design basis pressure limit would have no 
significant impact on the environment.

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 NRC finds that the proposed action of 
approving the amendment to the license will not significantly impact 
the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has 
determined that an environmental impact statement for the proposed 
license amendment is not warranted.
    The request for amendment was docketed under 10 CFR part 72, Docket 
72-8. For further details with respect to this action, see the proposed 
license amendment dated May 16, 2005. The NRC maintains an Agencywide 
Documents Access 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. Copies of the referenced 
documents will also be available for review at the NRC Public Document 
Room (PDR), located at 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD, 20852. PDR 
reference staff can be contacted at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737 or by 
e-mail to [email protected]. The PDR reproduction contractor will copy 
documents for a fee.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 31st of August, 2005.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Joseph M. Sebrosky,
Senior Project Manager, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 05-17971 Filed 9-9-05; 8:45 am]
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