[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 9, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11506-11507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5749]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. STN 50-454]
Commonwealth Edison Company (Byron Station, Unit No. 1);
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission ) is
considering issuance of an exemption from certain requirements of its
regulations for Facility Operating License No. NPF-37, issued to
Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd, the licensee), for operation of
Byron Station, Unit 1, located in Ogle County, Illinois.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of Proposed Action
The proposed action would exempt ComEd from the requirements of 10
CFR 70.24, which require a monitoring system that will energize clear
audible alarms if accidental criticality occurs in each area in which
special nuclear material is handled, used, or stored. The proposed
action would also exempt the licensee from the requirements to maintain
emergency procedures for each area in which this licensed special
nuclear material is handled, used, or stored to ensure that all
personnel withdraw to an area of safety upon the sounding of the alarm,
to familiarize personnel with the evacuation plan, and to designate
responsible individuals for determining the cause of the alarm, and to
place radiation survey instruments in accessible location for use in
such an emergency.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application for exemption dated October 16, 1997.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The purpose of 10 CFR 70.24 is to ensure that if a criticality were
to occur during the handling of special nuclear material, personnel
would be alerted to that fact and would take appropriate action. At a
commercial nuclear power plant, the inadvertent criticality with which
10 CFR 70.24 is concerned could occur during fuel handing operations.
The special nuclear material that could be assembled into a critical
mass at a commercial nuclear power plant is in the form of nuclear
fuel; the quantity of other forms of special nuclear material that is
stored on site in a given location is small enough to preclude
achieving a critical mass. Because the fuel is not enriched beyond 5.0
weight percent Uranium-235 and because commercial nuclear plant
licensees have procedures and design features that prevent inadvertent
criticality, the staff has determined that it is unlikely that an
inadvertent criticality could occur due to the handling of special
nuclear material at a commercial power reactor. The requirements of 10
CFR 70.24, therefore, are not necessary to ensure the safety of
personnel during the handling of special nuclear materials at
commercial power reactors.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed actions
and concludes that there is no significant environmental impact to
Byron. Inadvertent or accidental criticality will be precluded through
compliance with
[[Page 11507]]
the Byron Station Technical Specifications (TSs), the design of the
fuel storage racks providing geometric spacing of fuel assemblies in
their storage locations, and administrative controls imposed on fuel
handling procedures. TSs requirements specify reactivity limits for the
fuel storage racks and minimum spacing between the fuel assemblies in
the storage racks.
Appendix A of 10 CFR Part 50, ``General Design Criteria for Nuclear
Power Plants,'' (GDC) Criterion 62, requires that criticality in the
fuel storage and handling system shall be prevented by physical systems
or processes, preferably by use of geometrically-safe configurations.
This is met at Byron Station, as identified in the Updated Final Safety
Analysis Report (UFSAR). Byron Station UFSAR Section 9.1.1.1, New Fuel
Storage--Design Basis, states that, ``* * * the new fuel storage racks
are designed such that the effective multiplication factor does not
exceed 0.95 with fuel of a maximum enrichment of 5.00 wt% u-235 in
place, assuming the stored assemblies are completely submerged in
unborated water at a conservative water temperature and with no credit
for neutron poison in the fuel assembly.'' NUREG-0876, ``Safety
Evaluation Report Related to the Operation of Byron Station, Units 1
and 2,'' dated February 1982, determined that the design of the Byron
new fuel storage racks satisfied the requirements of GDC 62.
The proposed exemption would not result in any significant
radiological impacts. The proposed exemption would not affect
radiological plant effluents nor cause any significant occupational
exposures since the TSs, design controls (including geometric spacing
of fuel assembly storage spaces), and administrative controls preclude
inadvertent criticality. The amount of radioactive waste would not be
changed by the proposed exemption.
The proposed exemption does not result in any significant
nonradiological environmental impacts. The proposed exemption involves
features located entirely within the restricted area as defined in 10
CFR Part 20. It does not affect non-radiological plant effluents and
has no other environmental impact. Accordingly, the Commission
concludes that there are no significant non-radiological environmental
impacts associated the proposed action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Since the Commission has concluded that there is no measurable
environmental impact associated with the proposed action, any
alternatives with equal or greater environmental impact need not be
evaluated. As an alternative to the proposed exemption, the staff
considered denial of the requested exemption. Denial of the request
would result in no change in current environmental impacts. The
environmental impacts of the proposed action and the alternative are
similar.
Alternative Use of Resources
The action does not involve the use of any resources not previously
considered in the ``Final Environmental Statement Related to the
Operation of Byron Station, Units 1 and 2'' dated April 1982.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on February 24, 1999, the
staff consulted with the Illinois State official, Mr. Frank Niziolek,
Head, Reactor Safety Section, Division of Engineering, Illinois
Department of Nuclear Safety, regarding the environmental impact of the
proposed action. The State official had no comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
Based upon the environmental assessment, the Commission concludes
that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the
quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the Commission has
determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the
proposed action.
For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the
licensee's letter dated October 16, 1997, which is available for public
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, which is located
at the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, D.C., and at
the local public document room located at the Byron Public Library
District, 109 N. Franklin, P.O. Box 434, Byron, Illinois 61010.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day of March 1999.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Stuart A. Richards,
Director, Project Directorate III-2, Division of Licensing Project
Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 99-5749 Filed 3-8-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
