[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 105 (Monday, June 1, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33204-33205]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-11693]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 72-1032, 72-78, 50-317 and 50-318; NRC-2020-0109]


Exelon Generation Company, LLC; Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power 
Plant; Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation

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 an 
exemption request from Exelon Generation Company, LLC (EGC) to allow 
the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant (CCNPP) to load spent fuel with 
a larger pellet diameter than is authorized in the Holtec 
International, Inc. (Holtec) HI-STORM FW storage system in Certificate 
of Compliance No. 1032, Amendment No. 1, Revision 1. The NRC prepared 
an environmental assessment (EA) documenting its finding. The NRC 
concluded that the proposed action would have no significant 
environmental impact. Accordingly, the NRC staff is issuing a finding 
of no significant impact (FONSI) associated with the proposed 
exemption.

DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document became available on 
May 22, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2020-0109 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-2020-0109. Address 
questions about NRC docket IDs 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]. The ADAMS accession number for each 
document referenced in this document (if that document is available in 
ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is referenced.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Allen, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555; telephone: 301-415-6877; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction

    The Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant has been storing PWR spent 
fuel in its specific licensed independent spent fuel storage 
installation (ISFSI) utilizing Special Nuclear Materials License No. 
SNM-2505, which was issued in November 1992. However, for the loading 
campaign commencing in early summer of 2021, CCNPP plans to store its 
PWR fuel at a separate on-site ISFSI using the HI-STORM FW storage 
system, Certificate of Compliance No. 1032, Amendment No. 1, Revision 1 
(ADAMS Package Accession No. ML15152A358) under the general license 
provisions in part 72 of title 10

[[Page 33205]]

of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR). The NRC is reviewing an 
exemption request from EGC dated October 3, 2019 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML19276D398). EGC requested an exemption from the requirements of 
paragraph 72.212(b)(3) of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 
(10 CFR), and the portion of 10 CFR 72.212(b)(11) that requires 
compliance with the terms, conditions, and specifications of the 
Certificate of Compliance No. 1032, for spent fuel storage at the 
Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. In evaluating the request, the NRC 
is also considering, pursuant to authority in 10 CFR 72.7, exempting 
EGC from similar requirements in 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 10 CFR 
72.212(b)(5)(i); and 10 CFR 72.214, ``List of approved spent fuel 
storage casks.''
    Specifically, EGC requested an exemption to load and store Class 
14x14C spent fuel with a larger maximum pellet diameter than authorized 
in Amendment No. 1, Revision 1 of Holtec Certificate of Compliance No. 
1032 for the HI-STORM FW storage system.

II. Environmental Assessment Summary

    Under the requirements of 10 CFR 51.21 and 10 CFR 51.30(a), the NRC 
staff developed an environmental assessment (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML20114E231) to evaluate the proposed action, which is for the NRC to 
grant an exemption to EGC to allow loading and storage of spent fuel 
with a larger maximum pellet diameter than that authorized in Amendment 
No. 1, Revision 1 of the Holtec Certificate of Compliance No. 1032 for 
the HI-STORM FW storage system.
    The EA defines the NRC's proposed action (i.e., to grant the 
exemption request per 10 CFR 72.7) and the purpose of and need for the 
proposed action. Evaluations of the potential environmental impacts of 
the proposed action and alternatives to the proposed action are 
presented, followed by the NRC's conclusion.
    This EA evaluates the potential environmental impacts of granting 
the exemption to load and store spent fuel with a larger maximum pellet 
diameter than authorized in Certificate of Compliance No. 1032, 
Amendment No. 1, Revision 1 in the HI-STORM FW storage system at the 
Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. The potential environmental impact 
of using NRC-approved storage casks was initially analyzed in the EA 
for the rulemaking to provide for the storage of spent fuel under a 
general license on July 18, 1990 (55 FR 29181). The environmental 
assessment for the HI-STORM FW storage system, Certificate of 
Compliance No. 1032, Amendment No. 1, Revision 1, (80 FR 14291) tiers 
off the environmental assessment for the 1990 final rule.
    The NRC staff finds that the environmental effects from this 
exemption request is bounded by the EA for Certificate of Compliance 
No. 1032, Amendment No. 1, Revision 1, and that there will be no 
significant environmental impacts from the proposed action. The 
proposed action does not change the types or quantities of effluents 
that may be released offsite, and it does not increase occupational or 
public radiation exposure. The request by EGC to increase the pellet 
diameter without a corresponding increase in the uranium oxide loading 
of fuel assemblies will not result in an inadvertent criticality event. 
Therefore, there are no significant radiological environmental impacts 
associated with the proposed action. There is no change to the non-
radiological effluents. The proposed action will take place within the 
site boundary and does not have other environmental impacts. Thus, the 
proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of 
the human environment. Therefore, the environmental impacts of the 
proposed action are no greater than those described in the EA for the 
rulemaking to add the HI-STORM FW storage system, Certificate of 
Compliance No. 1032, Amendment No. 1, Revision 1 to 10 CFR 72.214.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    The NRC staff has prepared an EA and associated FONSI in support of 
the proposed action. The NRC staff has concluded that the proposed 
action, for the NRC to grant the exemption requested for Calvert Cliffs 
Nuclear Power Plant, allowing storage of a larger pellet diameter in 
Amendment No. 1, Revision 1 for the HI-STORM FW storage system, will 
not significantly impact the quality of the human environment, and that 
the proposed action is the preferred alternative. The environmental 
impacts are bounded by the previous EA for the rulemaking to add the 
Certificate of Compliance No. 1032, Amendment No. 1, Revision 1 cask 
system to 10 CFR 72.214.
    The NRC provided the Maryland Department of the Environment a draft 
copy of this EA for review in an email dated March 16, 2020 (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML20077J550).
    The NRC staff has determined that this exemption would have no 
impact on historic and cultural resources or ecological resources and 
therefore no consultations are necessary under Section 7 of the 
Endangered Species Act or Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act.
    Therefore, the NRC finds that there are no significant 
environmental impacts from the proposed action, and that preparation of 
an environmental impact statement is not warranted. Accordingly, the 
NRC has determined that a FONSI is appropriate.

    Dated: May 27, 2020.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John B. McKirgan,
Chief, Storage and Transportation Licensing Branch, Division of Fuel 
Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2020-11693 Filed 5-29-20; 8:45 am]
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