[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 116 (Wednesday, June 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33100-33102]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-16018]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket 72-16]
Virginia Electric and Power Company, Issuance of Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Regarding the Proposed
Exemptions From Requirements of 10 CFR Part 72
By letter dated April 29, 1998, Virginia Electric and Power
Company, (Virginia Power or applicant) requested exemptions, pursuant
to 10 CFR 72.7, from the requirements of 10 CFR 72.44(d)(3) and
72.72(d). Virginia Power is seeking a Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC) license to construct and operate an independent spent fuel
storage installation (ISFSI) at the site of its North Anna Power
Station (NAPS) located in Louisa County, Virginia.
[[Page 33101]]
Environmental Assessment (EA)
Identification of Proposed Action
By letter dated May 9, 1995, as supplemented, and pursuant to 10
CFR Part 72, Virginia Power submitted an application for an NRC license
for a North Anna ISFSI. This application is currently under
consideration by the NRC staff. By letter dated April 29, 1998, the
applicant requested an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR
72.44(d)(3) and 77.72(d) for the North Anna ISFSI.
The requirements of 10 CFR 72.44(d)(3) states in part that ``An
annual report be submitted to the appropriate regional office specified
in Appendix A of Part 73 of this chapter, with a copy to the Director,
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington DC, 20555, within 60 days after
January 1 of each year, specifying the quantity of each of the
principal radionuclides released to the environment in liquid and
gaseous effluents during the previous 12 months of operation * * *''
Specifically, the applicant proposes to submit a single NAPS Effluent
Release Report encompassing the North Anna power reactors licensed
under 10 CFR Part 50 and the proposed ISFSI which would be licensed
pursuant to 10 CFR Part 72. The applicant also proposes to submit that
report by May 1 of each year rather than within 60 days of January 1 as
prescribed in 10 CFR 72.44(d)(3).
The applicant also requested an exemption from the requirements of
10 CFR 72.72(d), which states 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 applicant proposes to maintain
a single set of records of spent fuel in storage at a records storage
facility that satisfies the standards set forth in ANSI N45.2.9-1974.
Separately, the staff is considering issuance of an exemption from
the requirements of 10 CFR 72.124(b) which state that ``When
practicable the design of an ISFSI or MRS [monitored retrievable
storage installation] must be based on favorable geometry, permanently
fixed neutron absorbing materials (poisons), or both. Where solid
neutron absorbing materials are used, the design shall provide for
positive means to verify their continued efficacy.'' Specifically, the
staff is considering granting an exemption from the requirement to
verify continued efficacy of neutron absorbing materials.
The proposed action before the Commission is whether to grant these
exemptions pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7.
Need for the Proposed Action
The applicant is preparing to operate the North Anna ISFSI
described in the May 9, 1995, application subject to issuance of an NRC
license pursuant to 10 CFR Part 72. The applicant is implementing the
necessary processes and procedures to operate the ISFSI and seeks to
have those processes make efficient use of resources. With regard to
annual effluent release reporting, the applicant already prepares and
submits effluent release reports for the NAPS by May 1 of each year
pursuant to the NAPS Technical Specifications. The NAPS effluent
release report provides the same type of data and is generated by the
same licensee program as would the annual effluent release report for
the ISFSI. The applicant states that submittal of separate reports for
the NAPS and the ISFSI would entail duplication of report preparation
and verification data.
With regard to duplicate record storage for spent fuel records, the
applicant stated that, pursuant to 10 CFR 72.140(d), the Virginia Power
Operational Quality Assurance (QA) Program Topical Report will be used
to satisfy the QA requirements for the ISFSI. The QA Program Topical
Report states that QA records are maintained in accordance with
commitments to ANSI N45.2.9-1974. ANSI N45.2.9-1974 allows for the
storage of QA records in a duplicate storage location sufficiently
remote from the original records or in a records storage facility
subject to certain provisions designed to protect the records from fire
and other adverse conditions. The applicant seeks to streamline and
standardize recordkeeping procedures and processes for the NAPS and the
North Anna ISFSI spent fuel records. The applicant states that
requiring a separate method of record storage for ISFSI records diverts
resources unnecessarily.
ANSI N45.2.9-1974 provides standards for the protection of nuclear
power plant quality assurance 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 standards in
ANSI N45.2.9-1974 have been endorsed by the NRC in Regulatory Guide
1.88, ``Collection, Storage and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plant
Quality Assurance Records,'' as adequate for satisfying the record
keeping requirements of 10 CFR 50, Appendix B. The standards of ANSI
N45.2.9-1974 also satisfy 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 quality assurance records.
With regard to verification of neutron poison efficacy, the
exemption is necessary to ensure that the licensing process for the
North Anna ISFSI takes into account previous staff conclusions that
fixed neutron poisons in the TN-32 storage cask will remain effective
over the 20-year period of the license. Periodic verification of
neutron poison effectiveness is not possible for the TN-32 cask and,
consistent with the staff's conclusion described above, is not
necessary.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The Environmental Assessment (EA) for the license application for
the North Anna ISFSI (62 FR 16202, April 4, 1997) considered the
potential environmental impacts of construction and operation of an
ISFSI at the North Anna site. The proposed actions now under
consideration would not change the potential environmental effects
assessed in the April 4, 1997, EA. Specifically, there are no
environmental impacts associated with the submittal date for the annual
effluent release report. Notwithstanding the fact that the ISFSI is not
expected to generate any effluents under normal or accident conditions,
the submittal date for the required effluent release report does not
change the amount of effluent to be reported and, thus, has no impact
on the environment.
With regard to record storage, 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 the NAPS and ISFSI and does
not change the amount of any effluents, radiological or non-
radiological, associated with the ISFSI.
With regard to verification of neutron absorber efficacy, the
applicant has proposed to use the TN-32 cask at the North Anna ISFSI.
The TN-32 cask design includes fixed neutron absorbers but does not
provide for periodic verification of neutron absorber efficacy. The
staff previously evaluated the efficacy of the TN-32 cask fixed neutron
[[Page 33102]]
absorbers. In NRC's November 7, 1996, safety evaluation of the TN-32
cask Safety Analysis Report, the staff concluded that fixed neutron
poisons in the TN-32 cask will remain effective for the 20-year storage
period. The applicant evaluated the criticality and radiological
aspects of the North Anna ISFSI based on use of the TN-32 cask, as
described in the North Anna ISFSI Safety Analysis Report. Consistent
with the staff conclusions in the November 7, 1996, safety evaluation,
the applicant did not propose any verification of TN-32 cask neutron
absorber efficacy. The staff evaluated the environmental effects of the
North Anna ISFSI and issued its findings in the April 4, 1997, EA.
Granting an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 72.124(b) will
have no environmental impact because the staff has determined, through
its safety evaluation of the TN-32 cask, that periodic verification of
the neutron absorber efficacy is not needed to assure that the fixed
neutron poisons in the TN-32 cask will remain effective during the
storage period.
Alternative to the Proposed Action
Since there are no environmental impacts associated with the
proposed actions, alternatives are not evaluated other than the no
action alternative. The alternative to the proposed action would be to
deny approval of the exemption and, therefore, not allow (1) submittal
of an annual effluent release report by May 1 rather than within 60
days of January 1, or (2) storage of ISFSI spent fuel records at a
single qualified record storage facility, or (3) elimination of the
requirement to verify the efficacy of neutron absorbing materials.
These alternatives would have the same, or greater, environmental
impacts.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
An official from the State of Virginia Bureau of Radiological
Health was contacted about the EA for the proposed action and had no
concerns.
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
(1) granting an exemption from 10 CFR 72.44(d)(3) so that Virginia
Power may submit an annual effluent release report by May 1 of each
year, (2) granting an exemption from 10 CFR 72.72(d) so that Virginia
Power may store records of spent fuel stored at the ISFSI in a single
record storage facility which meets the standards of ANSI N45.2.9-1974,
and (3) granting an exemption from 10 CFR 72.124(b) so that Virginia
Power need not verify the efficacy of the neutron absorbing material in
ISFSI storage casks 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.
This application was docketed under 10 CFR Part 72, Docket 72-16.
For further details with respect to this action, see the application
for an ISFSI license dated May 9,1995, and the request for exemption
dated April 29, 1998, which 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 at the University of
Virginia, Alderman Library, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 10th day of June 1998.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
William F. Kane,
Director, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 98-16018 Filed 6-16-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
