[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 234 (Wednesday, December 7, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75071-75074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-26511]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-247; NRC-2022-0202]


Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC, Holtec Indian Point 2, 
LLC; Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 2

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: License amendment request; opportunity to comment, request a 
hearing and to petition for leave to intervene.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an amendment to Renewed Facility License No. DPR-26, issued 
to Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC (HDI), on behalf of Holtec 
Indian Point 2, LLC, for Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 2. 
The proposed amendment would modify the Indian Point Unit 2 (IP2) 
staffing requirements, prohibit the transfer of Indian Point Unit 3 
(IP3) spent fuel to the IP2 spent fuel pool (SFP), and prohibit storing 
spent fuel in the IP2 SFP. This change would support transfer of the 
spent fuel from the IP2 SFP to dry storage within an independent spent 
fuel storage installation (ISFSI) as part of ongoing decommissioning 
activities at the Indian Point Energy Center (IPEC).

DATES: Submit comments by January 6, 2023. Requests for a hearing or 
petition for leave to intervene must be filed by February 6, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments to by any of the following methods; 
however, the NRC encourages electronic submission through the Federal 
rulemaking website.
     Federal rulemaking website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2022-0202. Address 
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; 
telephone: 301-415-0624; email: [email protected]. For technical 
questions, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section of this document.
     Mail comments to: Office of Administration, Mail Stop: 
TWFN-7-A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001, ATTN: Program Management, Announcements and Editing Staff.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karl Sturzebecher, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone: 301-415-8534, email: 
[email protected].

[[Page 75072]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments

A. Obtaining Information

    Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2022-0202 when contacting the NRC 
about the availability of information for this action. You may obtain 
publicly available information related to this action by any of the 
following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2022-0202.
     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 license amendment request is 
available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML22214A128.
     NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public 
documents, by appointment, at the NRC's PDR, Room P1 B35, One White 
Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. To make 
an appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to 
[email protected].or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 
8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.

B. Submitting Comments

    The NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the 
Federal rulemaking website (https://www.regulations.gov). Please 
include Docket ID NRC-2022-0202 in your comment submission.
    The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact 
information that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your 
comment submission. The NRC will post all comment submissions at 
https://www.regulations.gov as well as enter the comment submissions 
into ADAMS. The NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to 
remove identifying or contact information.
    If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons 
for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to 
include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be 
publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should 
state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to 
remove such information before making the comment submissions available 
to the public or entering the comment into ADAMS.

II. Introduction

    The NRC is considering issuance of an amendment to Renewed Facility 
License No. DPR-26 for Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 2 
located in Westchester County, New York. The proposed amendment would 
modify the IP2 staffing requirements, prohibit the transfer of IP3 
spent fuel to the IP2 SFP, and prohibit storing spent fuel in the IP2 
SFP. This change would support transfer of the spent fuel from the IP2 
SFP to dry storage within an onsite ISFSI as part of ongoing 
decommissioning activities at IPEC.
    HDI expects that transfer of the spent fuel from the IP2 SFP to dry 
storage within an ISFSI will be completed in February 2023. HDI is 
requesting the proposed revisions to the IP2 renewed facility license 
and permanently defueled technical specifications (PDTS) to modify the 
IP2 staffing requirements to be commensurate with the hazards 
associated with a permanently shutdown and defueled facility that has 
transferred all spent fuel from its SFP to dry storage within an ISFSI.
    Before issuance of the proposed license amendment, the NRC will 
need to make the findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as 
amended (the Act), and NRC's regulations.
    The NRC has made a proposed determination that the license 
amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration. Under 
the NRC's regulations in Sec.  50.92 of title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (10 CFR), this means that operation of the facility in 
accordance with the proposed amendment would not (1) involve a 
significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident 
previously evaluated; or (2) create the possibility of a new or 
different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated; or 
(3) involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety. As required 
by 10 CFR 50.91(a), the licensee has provided its analysis of the issue 
of no significant hazards consideration, which is presented as follows:

    1. Does the proposed amendment involve a significant increase in 
the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated?
    Response: No.
    Section 6 of the IP2 Defueled Safety Analysis Report (DSAR) 
described the design basis accidents (DBAs) related to the IP2 SFP. 
These postulated accidents are predicated on spent fuel being stored 
in the IP2 SFP. With the removal of the spent fuel from the IP2 SFP, 
there are no remaining spent fuel assemblies to be monitored in the 
IP2 SFP and there are no credible accidents at IP2 that require the 
actions of a Certified Fuel Handler, Shift Manager, or a Non-
certified Operator to prevent occurrence or mitigate the 
consequences of an accident.
    The proposed changes modify the IP2 staffing commensurate with 
the hazards associated with a permanently shutdown and defueled 
facility that has transferred all spent fuel from its SFP to dry 
storage within an ISFSI. After the removal of the spent fuel from 
the IP2 SFP and transfer to the ISFSI, no spent fuel assemblies will 
remain in the IP2 SFP. Coupled with a prohibition against storage of 
fuel in the IP2 SFP and the elimination of the allowance to transfer 
IP3 spent fuel to the IP2 SFP, the potential for fuel related 
accidents is removed.
    The proposed changes do not have an adverse impact on the 
remaining decommissioning activities or any of their postulated 
consequences. The proposed changes related to the relocation of 
certain administrative requirements do not affect operating 
procedures or administrative controls that have the function of 
preventing or mitigating any accidents applicable to the safe 
management of spent fuel or decommissioning of the facility.
    Therefore, the proposed License Amendment does not involve a 
significant increase in the probability or consequences of an 
accident previously evaluated.
    2. Does the proposed amendment create the possibility of a new 
or different kind of accident from any accident previously 
evaluated?
    Response: No.
    With the removal of the spent fuel from the IP2 SFP, there are 
no remaining spent fuel assemblies to be monitored in the IP2 SFP 
and there are no credible accidents at IP2 that require the actions 
of a Certified Fuel Handler, Shift Manager, or a Non-certified 
Operator to prevent occurrence or mitigate the consequences of an 
accident.
    The proposed changes modify the IP2 staffing commensurate with 
the hazards associated with a permanently shutdown and defueled 
facility that has transferred all spent fuel from its SFP to dry 
storage within an ISFSI. After the removal of the spent fuel from 
the IP2 SFP and transfer to the ISFSI, no spent fuel assemblies will 
remain in the IP2 SFP. Coupled with a prohibition against storage of 
fuel in the IP2 SFP and the elimination of the allowance to transfer 
IP3 spent fuel to the IP2 SFP, the potential for fuel related 
accidents is removed.
    The proposed changes do not involve installation of new 
equipment or modification of existing equipment that could create 
the possibility of a new or different kind of accident. Hence, the 
proposed changes do not result in a change to the way the facility 
or equipment is operated in a manner which could cause a new or 
different kind of accident initiator to be created.
    Therefore, the proposed License Amendment does not create the 
possibility of

[[Page 75073]]

a new or different kind of accident from any previously evaluated.
    3. Does the proposed amendment involve a significant reduction 
in a margin of safety?
    Response: No.
    The proposed changes modify the IP2 staffing commensurate with 
the hazards associated with a permanently shutdown and defueled 
facility.
    The proposed changes modify the IP2 staffing commensurate with 
the hazards associated with a permanently shutdown and defueled 
facility that has transferred all spent fuel from its SFP to dry 
storage within an ISFSI. After the removal of the spent fuel from 
the IP2 SFP and transfer to the ISFSI, no spent fuel assemblies will 
remain in the IP2 SFP. Coupled with a prohibition against storage of 
fuel in the IP2 SFP and the elimination of the allowance to transfer 
IP3 spent fuel to the IP2 SFP, the potential for fuel related 
accidents is removed.
    The design basis and accident assumptions within the IP2 DSAR, 
PDTS, and Appendix C Technical Specifications relating to safe 
management and safety of spent fuel in the IP2 SFP are no longer 
applicable. The proposed changes do not affect remaining plant 
operations, systems, or components supporting decommissioning 
activities.
    Therefore, the proposed License Amendment does not involve a 
significant reduction in a margin of safety.

    The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's analysis and based on 
this review; it appears that the three standards of 10 CFR 50.92(c) are 
satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff proposes to determine that the 
license amendment request involves no significant hazards 
consideration.
    The NRC is seeking public comments on this proposed determination 
that the license amendment request involves no significant hazards 
consideration. Any comments received within 30 days after the date of 
publication of this notice will be considered in making any final 
determination.
    Normally, the Commission will not issue the amendment until the 
expiration of 60 days after the date of publication of this notice. The 
Commission may issue the license amendment before expiration of the 60-
day notice period if the Commission concludes the amendment involves no 
significant hazards consideration. In addition, the Commission may 
issue the amendment prior to the expiration of the 30-day comment 
period if circumstances change during the 30-day comment period such 
that failure to act in a timely way would result, for example, in 
derating or shutdown of the facility. If the Commission takes action 
prior to the expiration of either the comment period or the notice 
period, it will publish in the Federal Register a notice of issuance. 
If the Commission makes a final no significant hazards consideration 
determination, any hearing will take place after issuance. The 
Commission expects that the need to take this action will occur very 
infrequently.

III. Opportunity To Request a Hearing and Petition for Leave To 
Intervene

    Within 60 days after the date of publication of this notice, any 
person (petitioner) whose interest may be affected by this action may 
file a request for a hearing and petition for leave to intervene 
(petition) with respect to the action. Petitions shall be filed in 
accordance with the Commission's ``Agency Rules of Practice and 
Procedure'' in 10 CFR part 2. Interested persons should consult 10 CFR 
2.309. If a petition is filed, the presiding officer will rule on the 
petition and, if appropriate, a notice of a hearing will be issued.
    Petitions must be filed no later than 60 days from the date of 
publication of this notice in accordance with the filing instructions 
in the ``Electronic Submissions (E-Filing)'' section of this document. 
Petitions and motions for leave to file new or amended contentions that 
are filed after the deadline will not be entertained absent a 
determination by the presiding officer that the filing demonstrates 
good cause by satisfying the three factors in 10 CFR 2.309(c)(1)(i) 
through (iii).
    If a hearing is requested and the Commission has not made a final 
determination on the issue of no significant hazard's consideration, 
the Commission will make a final determination on the issue of no 
significant hazard's consideration, which will serve to establish when 
the hearing is held. If the final determination is that the amendment 
request involves no significant hazards consideration, the Commission 
may issue the amendment and make it immediately effective, 
notwithstanding the request for a hearing. Any hearing would take place 
after issuance of the amendment. If the final determination is that the 
amendment request involves a significant hazards consideration, then 
any hearing held would take place before the issuance of the amendment 
unless the Commission finds an imminent danger to the health or safety 
of the public, in which case it will issue an appropriate order or rule 
under 10 CFR part 2.
    A State, local governmental body, Federally recognized Indian 
Tribe, or designated agency thereof, may submit a petition to the 
Commission to participate as a party under 10 CFR 2.309(h) no later 
than 60 days from the date of publication of this notice. 
Alternatively, a State, local governmental body, Federally recognized 
Indian Tribe, or agency thereof may participate as a non-party under 10 
CFR 2.315(c).
    For information about filing a petition and about participation by 
a person not a party under 10 CFR 2.315, see ADAMS Accession No. 
ML20340A053 and on the NRC's public website at https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/adjudicatory/hearing.html#participate.

IV. Electronic Submissions and E-Filing

    All documents filed in NRC adjudicatory proceedings including 
documents filed by an interested State, local governmental body, 
Federally recognized Indian Tribe, or designated agency thereof that 
requests to participate under 10 CFR 2.315(c), must be filed in 
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302. The E-Filing process requires 
participants to submit and serve all adjudicatory documents over the 
internet, or in some cases, to mail copies on electronic storage media, 
unless an exemption permitting an alternative filing method, as further 
discussed, is granted. Detailed guidance on electronic submissions is 
located in the ``Guidance for Electronic Submissions to the NRC'' 
(ADAMS Accession No. ML13031A056) and on the NRC's public website at 
https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html.
    To comply with the procedural requirements of E-Filing, at least 10 
days prior to the filing deadline, the participant should contact the 
Office of the Secretary by email at [email protected], or by 
telephone at 301-415-1677, to (1) request a digital identification (ID) 
certificate, which allows the participant (or its counsel or 
representative) to digitally sign submissions and access the E-Filing 
system for any proceeding in which it is participating; and (2) advise 
the Secretary that the participant will be submitting a petition or 
other adjudicatory document (even in instances in which the 
participant, or its counsel or representative, already holds an NRC-
issued digital ID certificate). Based upon this information, the 
Secretary will establish an electronic docket for the proceeding if the 
Secretary has not already established an electronic docket.
    Information about applying for a digital ID certificate is 
available on the NRC's public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals/getting-started.html. After a digital ID certificate is 
obtained and a docket created, the participant must submit adjudicatory 
documents in Portable Document Format. Guidance on submissions is 
available on the NRC's

[[Page 75074]]

public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/electronic-sub-ref-mat.html. A filing is considered complete at the time the document is 
submitted through the NRC's E-Filing system. To be timely, an 
electronic filing must be submitted to the E-Filing system no later 
than 11:59 p.m. ET on the due date. Upon receipt of a transmission, the 
E-Filing system time-stamps the document and sends the submitter an 
email confirming receipt of the document. The E-Filing system also 
distributes an email that provides access to the document to the NRC's 
Office of the General Counsel and any others who have advised the 
Office of the Secretary that they wish to participate in the 
proceeding, so that the filer need not serve the document on those 
participants separately. Therefore, applicants and other participants 
(or their counsel or representative) must apply for and receive a 
digital ID certificate before adjudicatory documents are filed to 
obtain access to the documents via the E-Filing system.
    A person filing electronically using the NRC's adjudicatory E-
Filing system may seek assistance by contacting the NRC's Electronic 
Filing Help Desk through the ``Contact Us'' link located on the NRC's 
public website at https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/e-submittals.html, by 
email to [email protected], or by a toll-free call at 1-866-672-
7640. The NRC Electronic Filing Help Desk is available between 9:00 
a.m. and 6:00 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Participants who believe that they have good cause for not 
submitting documents electronically must file an exemption request, in 
accordance with 10 CFR 2.302(g), with their initial paper filing 
stating why there is good cause for not filing electronically and 
requesting authorization to continue to submit documents in paper 
format. Such filings must be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 
2.302(b)-(d). Participants filing adjudicatory documents in this manner 
are responsible for serving their documents on all other participants. 
Participants granted an exemption under 10 CFR 2.302(g)(2) must still 
meet the electronic formatting requirement in 10 CFR 2.302(g)(1), 
unless the participant also seeks and is granted an exemption from 10 
CFR 2.302(g)(1).
    Documents submitted in adjudicatory proceedings will appear in the 
NRC's electronic hearing docket, which is publicly available at https://adams.nrc.gov/ehd, unless excluded pursuant to an order of the 
presiding officer. If you do not have an NRC-issued digital ID 
certificate as previously described, click ``cancel'' when the link 
requests certificates and you will be automatically directed to the 
NRC's electronic hearing dockets where you will be able to access any 
publicly available documents in a particular hearing docket. 
Participants are requested not to include personal privacy information 
such as social security numbers, home addresses, or personal phone 
numbers in their filings unless an NRC regulation or other law requires 
submission of such information. With respect to copyrighted works, 
except for limited excerpts that serve the purpose of the adjudicatory 
filings and would constitute a Fair Use application, participants 
should not include copyrighted materials in their submission.
    For further details with respect to this action, see the 
application for license amendment dated August 2, 2022 (ADAMS Accession 
No. ML22214A128).
    Attorney for licensee: Erin Connolly, Corporate Counsel--Legal, 
Holtec International, Krishna P. Singh Technology Campus, 1 Holtec 
Blvd., Camden, NJ 08104.
    NRC Branch Chief: Shaun M. Anderson.

    Dated: December 1, 2022.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jack D. Parrott,
Acting Chief, Reactor Decommissioning Branch, Division of 
Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery, and Waste Programs, Office of 
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2022-26511 Filed 12-6-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P