[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 196 (Thursday, October 8, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63588-63589]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22350]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 72-10; NRC-2020-0169]


Prairie Island 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 
the amendment of Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) License SNM-2506 for 
the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant Independent Spent Fuel 
Storage Installation (PI ISFSI) located in Goodhue County, Minnesota. 
The NRC has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for this proposed 
license amendment in accordance with its regulations. Based on the EA, 
the NRC has concluded that a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) 
is appropriate. The NRC also is conducting a safety evaluation of the 
proposed license renewal.

DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document are available on 
October 8, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2020-0169 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-2020-0169. Address 
questions about Docket IDs to Jennifer Borges; telephone: 301-287-9127, 
or by email to [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 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: Jean Trefethen, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-0867, or by email to: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction

    The NRC is considering a license amendment request (LAR) for 
license SNM-2506 for the PI specifically licensed ISFSI located in 
Goodhue County, Minnesota (ADAMS Accession No. ML19217A312). The 
licensee, Northern States Power Company, a Minnesota corporation 
(NSPM), is requesting to increase the amount of spent fuel stored at 
the PI ISFSI by adding Transnuclear, Inc. (TN) TN-40/TN-40HT storage 
casks, adding a new storage pad within the existing ISFSI footprint. If 
approved, NSPM would be able to increase the maximum amount of spent 
fuel allowed under renewed license SNM-2506 for the PI ISFSI to 
1,049.60 tons of equivalent uranium of spent fuel assemblies, an 
equivalent capacity of 64 TN-40HT casks.
    The NRC staff has prepared a final EA as part of its review of this 
license renewal request in accordance with the requirements of part 51 
of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), 
``Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and 
Related Regulatory Functions.'' Based on the final EA, the NRC has 
determined that an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required 
for this proposed action and a FONSI is appropriate. The NRC is also 
conducting a safety evaluation of the proposed license amendment 
pursuant to 10 CFR part 72, and the results will be documented in a 
separate Safety Evaluation Report (SER). If NSPM's request is approved, 
the NRC will issue the license amendment following publication of

[[Page 63589]]

this final EA and FONSI and the SER in the Federal Register.

II. Final Environmental Assessment Summary

    NSPM is requesting to amend license SNM-2506 for the PI 
specifically licensed ISFSI to increase the amount of spent fuel 
allowed. The NRC has assessed the potential environmental impacts of 
the proposed action and alternatives to the proposed action, shipment 
of spent fuel to an offsite facility, and the no-action alternative. 
The results of the NRC's environmental review can be found in the final 
EA (ADAMS Accession No. ML20275A342). The NRC staff performed its 
environmental review in accordance with the requirements in 10 CFR part 
51. In conducting the environmental review, the NRC considered 
information in the LAR to expand the ISFSI (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML19217A313); communications and consultation with the Minnesota State 
Historic Preservation Office (SHPO); as well as information provided by 
the Prairie Island Indian Community (PIIC) and 26 additional Native 
American Tribes; the Minnesota-Wisconsin Ecological Services Field 
Office of Fish and Wildlife; the Minnesota State Department of Health; 
the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board, the Minnesota Department of 
Commerce, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Minnesota 
Department of Natural Resources, and the Environmental Protection 
Agency Region 5.
    Approval of NSPM's proposed LAR would allow NSPM to increase the 
amount of spent fuel stored at the PI ISFSI, allowing up to 64 storage 
casks and adding a new storage pad within the existing ISFSI footprint. 
The estimated annual dose to the nearest permanent resident from ISFSI 
activities is 0.0434 mSv/yr (4.34 mrem/yr) (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML19217A313), which is below the 0.25 mSv/yr (25 mrem/yr) limit 
specified in 10 CFR 72.104(a) and the 1 mSv/yr (100 mrem/yr) limit 
specified in 10 CFR 20.1301(a)(1). Furthermore, NSPM maintains a 
radiation protection program for the ISFSI in accordance with 10 CFR 
part 20 to ensure that radiation doses are as low as is reasonably 
achievable (ALARA). Accordingly, no significant radiological or non-
radiological impacts are expected to result from approval of the ISFSI 
expansion request, and the proposed action would not significantly 
contribute to cumulative impacts at the PI site. Additionally, there 
would be no disproportionately high and adverse impacts on minority and 
low-income populations.
    In its LAR, NSPM is proposing no changes in how it handles, and 
stores spent fuel at the PI ISFSI. In its LAR, NSPM commits to 
following their Cultural Resource Management Plan during all ground-
disturbing expansion activities. Approval of the proposed action is not 
expected to result in new construction or expansion beyond the existing 
ISFSI footprint. The ISFSI is a largely passive facility that produces 
no liquid or gaseous effluents. No significant radiological or non-
radiological impacts are expected from the expansion or continued 
normal operations. Occupational dose estimates associated with the 
expansion and continued normal operation and maintenance of the ISFSI 
are expected to be at ALARA levels and within the limits of 10 CFR 
20.1201. Therefore, the NRC staff has determined that pursuant to 10 
CFR 51.31, preparation of an EIS is not required for the proposed 
action, and pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, a FONSI is appropriate.
    Furthermore, the NRC staff determined that this LAR does not have 
the potential to cause effects on historic properties, assuming those 
were present; therefore, in accordance with 36 CFR 800.3(a)(1), no 
consultation is required under Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act.'' The NRC staff consulted with the Minnesota SHPO via 
letter dated December 17, 2019, (ADAMS Package Accession No. 
ML19311C631) and May 28, 2020 (ADAMS Package Accession No. 
ML20140A115). The Minnesota SHPO responded via letter dated August 10, 
2020, indicating they concurred on the finding of no effect (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML20223A064). Additionally, the NRC staff contacted the 
PIIC and 26 additional Native American Tribes and provided its 
determination via letters dated December 19, 2019 (ADAMS Package 
Accession No. ML19312A048). The PIIC responded on January 17, 2020 
(ADAMS Accession No. ML20066G473), and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux 
Community responded via letter dated January 28, 2020 (ADAMS Accession 
No. ML20035D132); both indicated that they concurred with the 
determination of no effect. The NRC staff, with the assistance of the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Information for Planning and 
Consultation project planning tool, determined that the listed species 
and/or critical habitat will not be adversely affected by the proposed 
action.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    Based on its review of the proposed action in the EA, in accordance 
with the requirements in 10 CFR part 51, the NRC has concluded that the 
proposed action, amendment of NRC license SNM-2506 for the PI ISFSI 
located in Goodhue County, Minnesota, will not significantly affect the 
quality of the human environment. Therefore, the NRC has determined, 
pursuant to 10 CFR 51.31, that preparation of an EIS is not required 
for the proposed action and a FONSI is appropriate.

    Dated: October 5, 2020.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jessie M. Quintero,
Acting Chief, Environmental Review Materials Branch, Division of 
Rulemaking, Environment, and Financial Support, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2020-22350 Filed 10-7-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P