[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 80 (Tuesday, April 26, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-10010]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: April 26, 1994]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 72-1007]
Sierra Nuclear Corporation; Environmental Assessment and Finding
of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is
considering issuance of an exemption to Sierra Nuclear Corporation
(SNC) (formerly Pacific Sierra Nuclear Associates), located in Roswell,
Georgia, to fabricate (but not use) a modified version of its NRC-
approved Ventilated Storage Casks (VSC-24). These modified casks are
intended to be used by Entergy Operations, Inc. (Entergy) to store
spent fuel at its Arkansas Nuclear One (ANO) plant (Docket Nos. 50-313/
368, License Nos. DPR-51/ NPF6) located near Russellville, Arkansas.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of Proposed Action
The request, proposed by SNC letter dated January 24, 1994, would
exempt SNC from the requirements of 10 CFR 72.234(c), which states that
``Fabrication of casks under the Certificate of Compliance must not
start prior to receipt of the Certificate of Compliance for the cask
model.'' Specifically, SNC proposed to fabricate the first fourteen
(14) casks prior to the Commission's issuance of a revised Certificate
of Compliance. The Commission is considering granting the exemption for
four (4) casks and deferring action with respect to the remaining ten
(10) casks. Granting the exemption at this time for fabrication of four
(4) casks would readily enable ANO to proceed with activities to
support its scheduled plant outages. The proposed exemption for
fabrication would not authorize use of the casks to store spent fuel.
The Need for the Proposed Action
SNC's request for exemption is to ensure the availability of
storage casks for planned loading in October 1994, in order to support
ANO's upcoming refueling outages. SNC has indicated that in order to
meet this schedule, purchase of the cask components and materials must
begin promptly and fabrication must commence thereafter. The
application for a revised Certificate of Compliance for the VSC-24,
dated June 14, 1993, is being considered by the Commission.
Procurement, fabrication, and construction activities by SNC under
the exemption would be entirely at SNC's own risk. Favorable NRC action
on the exemption request shall not be construed as an NRC commitment to
favorably consider SNC's application for a revised certificate, or to
approve SNC's modified proposed design for the VSC-24. SNC would bear
the risk of any activities conducted under the exemption, including the
risk of modification of the casks, if necessary, in light of NRC's
forthcoming action on SNC's application and proposed design.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The Commission has evaluated the environmental impacts of the
proposed action, which is limited to fabrication only and would not
authorize any action with respect to use of the casks to store spent
fuel. The NRC reviewed the VSC-24 design Final Safety Analysis Report
(SAR), and on April 28, 1993, issued a Safety Evaluation Report (SER)
approving the SAR, and on May 3, 1993, issued a Certificate of
Compliance for use of the VSC-24 under a general license. As a result
of this SAR review and approval, SNC has an NRC-approved quality
assurance program under which the VSCs can be fabricated. SNC has
developed procurement and fabrication specifications under this
approved QA program, which will be used to control procurement and
fabrication activities related to construction of these casks.
Environmental impact from the limited fabrication activities would be
similar to small concrete construction activities at an existing
facility and similar to the assembly of metal components at a large
machine shop. The environmental assessments for the Proposed Rule (54
FR 19397) and Final Rule (55 FR 29181), ``Storage of Spent Fuel in NRC-
approved Storage Casks at Power Reactor Sites,'' and Final Rule (58 FR
19849), ``List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: Additions''
considered the environmental impact associated with the construction
and use of such certified casks and concluded that these activities
would have no significant impact on the environment. Accordingly, the
Commission concludes that the exemption to fabricate (but not use) the
limited number of casks, will have no significant radiological or
nonradiological environmental impacts.
Alternative to the Proposed Action
The alternative would be to deny the requested exemption. This
would result potentially in the loss of lead time for procurement and
fabrication necessary for the availability of casks intended for
Entergy, and could thereby cause disruptions in planned activities for
a series of plant outages beginning in 1995.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
The Commission's staff reviewed SNC's request and did not consult
other agencies or persons.
Finding of No Significant Impact
Based upon the foregoing environmental assessment, the Commission
concludes that the proposed action would 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 exemption.
For further details with respect to this action, the request for
exemption dated January 24, 1994, and other documents are available for
public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman
Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC 20555, and the Local
Public Document Room at the Tomlinson Library (Depository), Arkansas
Tech University, Russellville, Arkansas 72801.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of April, 1994.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
E. William Brach,
Deputy Director, Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety,
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 94-10010 Filed 4-25-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
