[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 78 (Monday, April 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29369-29371]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-08468]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 72-0028, 50-387, and 50-388; NRC-2024-0068]
Susquehanna Nuclear, LLC; Susquehanna Steam Electric Station,
Units 1 and 2; Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation;
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice; issuance.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an
environmental assessment (EA) and a finding of no significant impact
(FONSI) for an exemption request submitted by Susquehanna Nuclear, LLC
(Susquehanna) that would permit Susquehanna Steam Electric Station
(SSES) to load six new 89 multi-purpose canisters (MPC) with continuous
basket shims (CBS) in the HI-STORM Flood/Wind (FW) MPC Storage System
at its SSES Units 1 and 2 independent spent fuel storage installation
(ISFSI) in a storage condition where the terms, conditions, and
specifications in the Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1032,
Amendment No. 5, are not met.
DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document are available on
April 22, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2024-0068 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-2024-0068. 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.
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, at 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: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies
of publicly available documents, is open by appointment. 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
a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern time (ET), Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christian Jacobs, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S.
[[Page 29370]]
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555; telephone: 301-
415-6825; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC is reviewing an exemption request from Susquehanna, dated
March 19, 2024, and supplemented on March 21, 2024. Susquehanna is
requesting an exemption, pursuant to section 72.7 of title 10 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), in paragraphs 72.212(a)(2),
72.212(b)(3), 72.212(b)(5)(i), 72.212(b)(11), and 72.214 that require
Susquehanna to comply with the terms, conditions, and specifications of
the CoC No. 1032, Amendment No. 5. If approved, the exemption would
allow Susquehanna to load six new MPC-89-CBS in the HI-STORM FW MPC
Storage System at the SSES ISFSI in a storage condition where the
terms, conditions, and specifications in the CoC No. 1032, Amendment
No. 5, are not met.
II. Environmental Assessment
Background
SSES is located in Salem Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania,
just west of the Susquehanna River. The largest community within 10
miles (16 km) of the site is the borough of Berwick, which is
approximately 5 miles (8 km) southwest of SSES, in Luzerne County,
Pennsylvania. The nearest major metropolitan areas are Wilkes-Barre,
Pennsylvania, approximately 20 mi (32 km) to the northeast, and
Allentown, Pennsylvania, approximately 50 mi (80 km) to the southeast.
Unit 1 began operating in 1981 and Unit 2 began operating in 1982.
Susquehanna has been storing spent fuel in an ISFSI at SSES under a
general license as authorized by 10 CFR part 72, subpart K, ``General
License for Storage of Spent Fuel at Power Reactor Sites.'' Susquehanna
currently uses the HI-STORM FW MPC Storage System under CoC No. 1032,
Amendment No. 5, for dry storage of spent nuclear fuel at the SSES
ISFSI.
Description of the Proposed Action
The CoC is the NRC approved design for each dry cask storage
system. The proposed action would exempt the applicant from the
requirements of 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(3), 72.212(b)(5)(i),
72.212(b)(11), and 72.214 only as these requirements pertain to the use
of the MPC-89-CBS in the HI-STORM FW MPC Storage System for the near-
term planned loading of the canisters. The exemption would allow SSES
to load six new MPC-89-CBS in the HI-STORM FW MPC Storage System at the
SSES ISFSI, despite the MPC-89-CBS in the HI-STORM FW MPC Storage
System not being in compliance with the terms, conditions, and
specifications in CoC No. 1032, Amendment No. 5.
The HI-STORM FW MPC Storage System CoC provides the requirements,
conditions, and operating limits necessary for use of the system to
store spent fuel. Holtec International (Holtec), the designer and
manufacturer of the HI-STORM FW MPC Storage System, developed a variant
of the design with CBS for the MPC-89, known as MPC-89-CBS. Holtec
originally implemented the CBS variant design under the provisions of
10 CFR 72.48, which allows licensees to make changes to cask designs
without a CoC amendment under certain conditions (listed in 10 CFR
72.48(c)). After evaluating the specific changes to the cask designs,
the NRC determined that Holtec erred when it implemented the CBS
variant design under 10 CFR 72.48, as this was not the type of change
allowed without a CoC amendment. For this reason, the NRC issued three
Severity Level IV violations to Holtec. Susquehanna plans to load six
new MPC-89-CBS in the HI-STORM FW MPC Storage System beginning in
August 2024. This exemption considers the near-term planned loading of
the six canisters with the CBS variant basket design.
Need for the Proposed Action
Susquehanna requested this exemption to allow SSES to load six new
MPC-89-CBS in the HI-STORM FW MPC Storage System at the SSES ISFSI for
the future loading campaign scheduled to begin in August 2024.
Approval of the exemption request would allow Susquehanna to
effectively manage the margin for full core reserve in the SSES spent
fuel pool to enable refueling and offloading fuel from the reactor. It
would also allow Susquehanna to manage logistical considerations, such
as personnel and specific equipment resources, needed to support
refueling outages at SSES and across the industry.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
This EA evaluates the potential environmental impacts of granting
an exemption from the terms, conditions, and specifications in CoC No.
1032, Amendment No. 5. The exemption would allow six new MPC-89-CBS to
be loaded in the HI-STORM FW MPC Storage System in a near-term loading
campaign beginning in August 2024 and maintained in storage at the SSES
ISFSI.
The potential environmental impacts of storing spent nuclear fuel
in NRC-approved storage systems have been documented in previous
assessments. On July 18, 1990 (55 FR 29181), the NRC amended 10 CFR
part 72 to provide for the storage of spent fuel under a general
license in cask designs approved by the NRC. The EA for the 1990 final
rule analyzed the potential environmental impacts of using NRC-approved
storage casks. The EA for the HI-STORM FW MPC Storage System, CoC No.
1032, Amendment No. 5, (85 FR 28479), published in 2015, tiers off of
the EA issued for the July 18, 1990, final rule. ``Tiering'' off
earlier EAs is a standard process encouraged by the regulations
implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) that
entails the use of impact analyses of previous EAs to bound the impacts
of a proposed action where appropriate. The Holtec HI-STORM FW MPC
Storage System is designed to mitigate the effects of design basis
accidents that could occur during storage. Considering the specific
design requirements for the accident conditions, the design of the cask
would prevent loss of containment, shielding, and criticality control.
If there is no loss of containment, shielding, or criticality control,
the environmental impacts would not be significant.
The exemptions requested by Susquehanna at the SSES site as they
relate to CoC No. 1032, Amendment No. 5, for the HI-STORM FW MPC
Storage System are limited to the use of the CBS variant basket design
only for the near-term planned loading of six new canisters utilizing
the CBS variant basket design. The staff has determined that this
change in the basket would not result in either radiological or non-
radiological environmental impacts that significantly differ from the
environmental impacts evaluated in the environmental assessment
supporting the issuance of CoC No. 1032, Amendment No. 5. If the
exemption is granted, there would be no significant change in the types
or amounts of any effluents released, no significant increase in
individual or cumulative public or occupational radiation exposure, and
no significant increase in the potential for or consequences from
radiological accidents. Accordingly, the Commission concludes that
there would be no significant environmental impacts associated with the
proposed action.
Alternative to the Proposed Action
The staff considered the no-action alternative. The no-action
alternative
[[Page 29371]]
(denial of the exemption request) would require Susquehanna to keep the
spent fuel in the spent fuel pool until older design canisters can be
fabricated and delivered to site. Not allowing the planned future
loading campaign could affect Susquehanna's ability to manage pool
capacity, reactor fuel offloading, and refueling. It could also impact
Susquehanna's availability to manage personnel resources and coordinate
refueling outages at SSES and across the industry. The NRC has
determined that these potential impacts of the no-action alternative
could be avoided by proceeding with the proposed exemption, especially
given that the staff has concluded in NRC's Safety Determination
Memorandum, issued with respect to the enforcement action against
Holtec regarding these violations, that fuel can be stored safety in
the MPC-89-CBS.
Agencies Consulted
The NRC provided the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection (PDEP) a copy of this draft EA for review by an email dated
April 10, 2024. On April 12, 2024, the PDEP provided its concurrence by
email.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
The environmental impacts of the proposed action have been reviewed
in accordance with the requirements in 10 CFR part 51, which implement
NEPA. Based upon the foregoing environmental assessment, the NRC finds
that the proposed action of granting the exemption from the regulations
in 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(3), 72.212(b)(5)(i), 72.212(b)(11)
and 72.214, which require the licensee to comply with the terms,
conditions, and specifications of the CoC, would not significantly
impact the quality of the human environment. The exemption in this case
would be limited to specific future loading of six canisters with the
CBS variant design beginning in August 2024. Accordingly, the NRC has
determined that a FONSI is appropriate, and an environmental impact
statement is not warranted.
IV. Availability of Documents
The documents identified in the following table are available to
interested persons through ADAMS, as indicated.
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Document description ADAMS accession No. or Federal Register notice
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Susquehanna's request for exemption, dated March 19, 2024.. ML24079A070
Supplement to request for exemption, dated March 21, 2024.. ML24081A335
Certificate of Compliance No. 1032, Amendment 5, dated June ML20163A701 (Package).
25, 2020.
Holtec International, Inc.--Notice of Violation; The U.S. ML24016A190
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Inspection Report No.
07201014/2022-201, EA-23-044, dated January 30, 2024.
10 CFR part 72 amendment to allow spent fuel storage in NRC- 55 FR 29181
approved casks, dated July 18, 1990.
EA for part 72 amendment to allow spent fuel storage in NRC- ML051230231
approved casks, dated March 8, 1989.
Final rule for List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: 85 FR 28479
Holtec International HI-STORM Flood/Wind Multipurpose
Canister Storage System CoC No. 1032, Amendment 5, dated
May 13, 2020.
Safety Determination of a Potential Structural Failure of ML24018A085
the Fuel Basket During Accident Conditions for the HI-
STORM 100 and HI-STORM Flood/Wind Dry Cask Storage
Systems, dated January 31, 2024.
NRC email to PDEP requesting review of EA/FONSI for SSES ML24106A066
Exemption, dated April 10, 2024.
Email from PDEP regarding review of EA/FONSI for SSES ML24106A067
Exemption, dated April 12, 2024.
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Dated: April 16, 2024.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Bernard H. White,
Acting Chief, Storage and Transportation Licensing Branch, Division of
Fuel Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2024-08468 Filed 4-19-24; 8:45 am]
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