[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 205 (Monday, October 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 57486]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-27762]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 72-29]
PECO Energy Company; Issuance of Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact Regarding the Proposed Exemption From
Certain Requirements of 10 CFR Part 72
By letter dated May 27, 1999, PECO Energy Company (PECO) requested
an exemption, pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7 from the requirements of 10 CFR
72.72(d) for the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station (Peach Bottom)
Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI). PECO is seeking US
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) approval to maintain
a single set of spent fuel records at a records storage facility
qualified to American National Standards Institute (ANSI) N45.2.9-1979.
Environmental Assessment (EA)
Identification of Proposed Action: PECO is seeking Commission
approval to maintain its Peach Bottom ISFSI records by keeping them in
an ANSI N45.2.9-1979 qualified records storage facility. The
requirements of 10 CFR 72.72(d) state in part that ``Records of spent
fuel and high-level radioactive waste in storage must be kept in
duplicate. The duplicate set of records must be kept at a separate
location sufficiently remote from the original records that a single
event would not destroy both sets of records.'' The proposed action
before the Commission is whether to grant this exemption under 10 CFR
72.7.
Need for the Proposed Action: The applicant states that, pursuant
to 10 CFR 72.140(d), the Peach Bottom Quality Assurance (QA) Program
has been applied to the ISFSI activities. In that program, quality
assurance records are maintained in accordance with the commitments to
ANSI N45.2.9-1979. PECO requests the exemption from 10 CFR 72.72(d) to
allow ISFSI records of spent fuel in storage to be stored in the same
manner as Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station records; i.e., as a single
set of records stored in accordance with ANSI N45.2.9-1979.
ANSI N45.2.9-1979 provides standards for the protection of nuclear
power plant QA records against degradation. It specifies design
standards for use in the construction of record storage facilities when
use of a single storage facility is desired. It includes specific
standards for protection against degradation mechanisms such as fire,
humidity, and condensation. The requirements in ANSI N45.2.9-1979 have
been endorsed by NRC in Regulatory Guide 1.88, ``Collection, Storage,
and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plant Quality Assurance Records,'' as
adequate for satisfying the recordkeeping requirements of 10 CFR Part
50, Appendix B. ANSI N45.2.9-1979 also satisfies the requirements of 10
CFR 72.72 by providing for adequate maintenance of records regarding
the identity and history of the spent fuel in storage. Such records
would be subject to and need to be protected from the same types of
degradation mechanisms as nuclear power plant QA records.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action: Elimination of the
requirement to store ISFSI records at a duplicate facility has no
impact on the environment. Storage of records does not change the
methods by which spent fuel will be handled and stored at Peach Bottom
and the Peach Bottom ISFSI and does not change the amount of any
effluents, radiological or non-radiological, associated with the ISFSI.
Alternative to the Proposed Action: Since there is no environmental
impact associated with the proposed action, any alternatives with equal
or greater environmental impact are not evaluated. The alternative to
the proposed action would be to deny approval of the exemption and,
therefore, not allow Peach Bottom to store ISFSI records in an ANSI
N45.2.9 qualified facility. This alternative would have no
environmental impact as well.
Agencies and Persons Consulted: On September 7, 1999, David Ney
from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of
Radiation Protection, was contacted about the Environmental Assessment
for the proposed action and had no comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
The environmental impacts of the proposed action have been reviewed
in accordance with the requirements set forth in 10 CFR part 51. Based
upon the foregoing EA, the Commission finds that the proposed action of
granting an exemption from 10 CFR 72.72(d), so that PECO may store
records of spent fuel stored at the ISFSI in a single record storage
facility which meets the standards of ANSI N45.2.9-1979, will not
significantly impact the quality of the human environment. Accordingly,
the Commission has determined not to prepare an environmental impact
statement for the proposed exemption.
For further details with respect to this exemption request, see the
PECO exemption request dated May 27, 1999, which is docketed under 10
CFR Part 72, Docket 72-29. The exemption request is available for
public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, 2120 L
Street, NW, Washington, DC 20555 and the Local Public Document Room
located at the State Library of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day of October 1999.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
E. William Brach,
Director, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 99-27762 Filed 10-22-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
