[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 126 (Monday, July 1, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31356-31358]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-13968]
[[Page 31356]]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-293; NRC-2019-0130]
Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.; Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact;
issuance.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an exemption in response to a November 16, 2018, request
from Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Entergy or the licensee), for
Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station (Pilgrim), located in Plymouth County,
Massachusetts. The proposed action would permit the licensee to use
funds from the Pilgrim decommissioning trust fund (the Trust) for
management of spent fuel and site restoration activities. The staff is
issuing a final environmental assessment and final finding of no
significant impact associated with the proposed exemption.
DATES: The environmental assessment and finding of no significant
impact referenced in this document is available on July 1, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2019-0130 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You
may obtain publicly-available information related to this document
using any of the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2019-0130. Address
questions about NRC dockets IDs in Regulations.gov to Jennifer Borges;
telephone: 301-287-9127; email: [email protected]. For technical
questions, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section of this document.
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the
ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS
Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public
Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or
by email to [email protected]. For the convenience of the reader,
instructions about obtaining materials referenced in this document are
provided in the AVAILABILITY OF DOCUMENTS section.
NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott P. Wall, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-2855; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
Pursuant to section 50.12 of title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR), ``Specific exemptions,'' the NRC is considering
issuance of an exemption from 10 CFR 50.82(a)(8)(i)(A) for Renewed
Facility Operating License No. DPR-35, issued to Entergy for Pilgrim,
located in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. The proposed action is in
response to the licensee's application for exemption dated November 16,
2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18320A037). The exemption would allow the
licensee to use funds from the Trust for spent fuel management and site
restoration activities, in the same manner that funds from the Trust
are used under 10 CFR 50.82(a)(8) for decommissioning activities.
In accordance with 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC has prepared an
environmental assessment (EA) that analyzes the environmental effects
of the proposed action. Based on the results of this EA, and in
accordance with 10 CFR 51.31(a), the NRC has determined not to prepare
an environmental impact statement for the proposed licensing action and
is issuing a finding of no significant impact (FONSI).
II. Environmental Assessment
Description of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would partially exempt Entergy from the
requirements set forth in 10 CFR 50.82(a)(8)(i)(A). Specifically, the
proposed action would allow Entergy to use funds from the Trust for
spent fuel management and site restoration activities not associated
with radiological decommissioning activities.
The proposed action is also described in the licensee's application
dated November 16, 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18320A037).
Need for the Proposed Action
By letter dated November 10, 2015 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML15328A053), Entergy informed the NRC that it planned to permanently
cease power operations at Pilgrim no later than June 1, 2019. Entergy
permanently ceased power operations on May 31, 2019. Entergy
permanently defueled Pilgrim on June 9, 2019.
As required by 10 CFR 50.82(a)(8)(i)(A), decommissioning trust
funds may be used by the licensee if the withdrawals are for legitimate
decommissioning activity expenses, consistent with the definition of
decommissioning in 10 CFR 50.2. This definition addresses radiological
decontamination and does not include activities associated with spent
fuel management or site restoration. Therefore, exemption from 10 CFR
50.82(a)(8)(i)(A) is needed to allow Entergy to use funds from the
Trust for spent fuel management and site restoration activities.
Entergy stated that Table 4 of the application dated November 16,
2018, demonstrates that the Trust contains the amount needed to cover
the estimated costs of radiological decommissioning, as well as spent
fuel management and site restoration activities. The adequacy of funds
in the Trust to cover the costs of activities associated with spent
fuel management, site restoration, and radiological decontamination
through license termination is supported by the Pilgrim Post-Shutdown
Decommissioning Activities Report submitted by Entergy in a letter
dated November 16, 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18320A034), as
supplemented by letter dated January 9, 2019 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML19015A020). The licensee stated that it needs access to the funds in
the Trust in excess of those needed for radiological decontamination to
support spent fuel management and site restoration activities not
associated with radiological decontamination.
In summary, by letter dated November 16, 2018, Entergy requested an
exemption from NRC regulations to allow Trust withdrawals for spent
fuel management and site restoration activities.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The proposed action involves regulatory requirements that are of a
financial or administrative nature and that do not have an impact on
the environment. The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed
action and concludes that there is reasonable assurance that adequate
funds are available in the Trust to complete all activities associated
with decommissioning and spent fuel management and site restoration.
There would be no decrease in safety associated with the use of the
Trust to fund activities associated with spent fuel management and site
restoration.
[[Page 31357]]
The NRC regulations in 10 CFR 50.82(a)(8)(v) require licensees to
submit a financial assurance status report annually between the time of
submitting their decommissioning cost estimate until they submit their
final radiation survey and demonstrate that residual radioactivity has
been reduced to a level that permits termination of the operating
license. Section 50.82(a)(8)(vi) of 10 CFR requires that if the sum of
the balance of any remaining decommissioning funds, plus expected rate
of return, plus any other financial surety mechanism relied upon by the
licensee, does not cover the estimated costs to complete the
decommissioning, the financial assurance status report must include
additional financial assurance to cover the cost of completion. These
annual reports provide a means for the NRC to monitor the adequacy of
available funding. The proposed exemption would allow Entergy to use
funds in excess of those required for radiological decontamination of
the site, and the adequacy of Trust funds dedicated for radiological
decontamination are not affected by the proposed exemption. Thus, there
is reasonable assurance that there will be no environmental effect due
to lack of adequate funding for decommissioning.
The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability
or consequences of radiological accidents or change the types of
effluents released offsite. In addition, there would be no significant
increase in the amount of any radiological effluent released offsite,
and no significant increase in occupational or public radiation
exposure. There would be no materials or chemicals introduced into the
plant affecting the characteristics or types of effluents released
offsite. In addition, waste processing systems would not be affected by
the proposed exemption. Therefore, there would be no significant
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Regarding potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed action
would have no direct impacts on land use or water resources, including
terrestrial and aquatic biota, as it involves no new construction or
modification of plant operational systems. There would be no changes to
the quality or quantity of nonradiological effluents, and no changes to
the plant's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits
would be needed. In addition, there would be no noticeable effect on
socioeconomic and environmental justice conditions in the region, no
air quality impacts, and no potential to affect historic properties.
Therefore, there would be no significant nonradiological environment
impacts associated with the proposed action.
Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there would be no significant
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC staff considered
the denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action''
alternative). Denial of the exemption request would result in no change
in current environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of the
proposed action and the alternative action would be similar.
Alternative Use of Resources
There are no unresolved conflicts concerning alternative uses of
available resources under the proposed action.
Agencies or Persons Consulted
No additional agencies or persons were consulted regarding the
environmental impact of the proposed action. On May 20, 2019, the NRC
notified the Commonwealth of Massachusetts representative of the EA and
FONSI.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
The licensee has requested an exemption from 10 CFR
50.82(a)(8)(i)(A). The proposed action would allow Entergy to use funds
from the Trust for spent fuel management and site restoration
activities.
The NRC is considering issuing the requested exemption. The
proposed action would not significantly affect plant safety, would not
have a significant adverse effect on the probability of an accident
occurring, and would not have any significant radiological or
nonradiological impacts. The reason the human environment would not be
significantly affected is that the proposed action involves an
exemption from requirements that are of a financial or administrative
nature that do not have an impact on the human environment. Consistent
with 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC conducted the EA for the proposed action,
and this FONSI incorporates by reference the EA included in Section II
of this notice. Therefore, the NRC concludes that the proposed action
will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human
environment. Accordingly, the NRC has determined there is no need to
prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed action.
As required by 10 CFR 51.32(a)(5), the related environmental
document is the ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License
Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Regarding Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station,
Final Report,'' (NUREG-1437, Supplement 29, Volumes 1 and 2, ADAMS
Accession Nos. ML071990020 and ML071990027), which provides the latest
environmental review of current operations and description of
environmental conditions at Pilgrim.
The finding and other related environmental documents may be
examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room
(PDR), located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, Maryland 20852. Publicly available records are accessible
electronically from ADAMS Public Electronic Reading Room on the
internet at the NRC's website: https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter
problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS should contact the
NRC's PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-
4737, or by email to [email protected].
IV. Availability of Documents
The documents identified in the following table are available to
interested persons through one or more of the following methods, as
indicated.
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ADAMS Accession
Date Title No.
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11/16/2018................... Letter from Entergy ML18320A037
to NRC titled
``Request for
Exemption from 10
50.82(a)(8)(i)(A).
11/16/2018................... Letter from Entergy ML18320A034
to NRC titled ``Post
Shutdown
Decommissioning
Activities Report
Pilgrim Nuclear
Power Station''.
11/10/2015................... Letter from Entergy ML15328A053
to NRC titled
``Notification of
Permanent Cessation
of Power
Operations''.
1/2007....................... NUREG-1437, ML071990020
Supplement 29, ML071990027
``Generic
Environmental Impact
Statement for
License Renewal of
Nuclear Plants:
Regarding Pilgrim
Nuclear Power
Station,'' Volumes 1
and 2.
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Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 26th day of June, 2019.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Scott P. Wall,
Senior Project Manager, Licensing Projects Branch III, Division of
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2019-13968 Filed 6-28-19; 8:45 am]
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