[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 133 (Friday, July 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37318-37319]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-18209]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-309]
Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company, Maine Yankee Atomic Power
Station; 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. DPR-36 issued to Maine
Yankee Atomic Power Company (the licensee), for operation of the Maine
Yankee Atomic Power Station located in Lincoln County, Maine.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of Proposed Action
The proposed action would exempt Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company
from the requirements of 10 CFR 70.24(a), which requires a monitoring
system that will energize clearly 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 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 locations for use in such an emergency.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application for exemption dated December 19, 1996.
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 handling 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 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 to prevent inadvertent criticality, the staff has
determined that an inadvertent criticality would not likely occur due
to the handling of special nuclear material at a commercial power
reactor. The requirements of 10 CFR 70.24(a), 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 action
and concludes that there is no significant environmental impact if the
exemption is granted. Inadvertent or accidental criticality will be
precluded through compliance with the Maine Yankee Atomic Power Station
Technical Specifications, 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. Technical Specifications 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,'' 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 Maine Yankee, as identified in the Technical Specifications
and the Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR). Maine Yankee
Technical Specifications, Section 1.1, Fuel Storage, requires that fuel
shall be stored in vertical racks that are designed to maintain fuel
assembly center-to-center distances that will assure K-effective is
less than or equal to 0.95 even with the pool filled with unborated
water. The Technical Specification places limitations on the storage
arrangements of fuel assemblies within certain regions of the spent
fuel pool based on the nominal initial enrichment and the average
burnup experienced by the assembly. Section 3.4.9, Criticality of Fuel
Assemblies, of the UFSAR provides a description of the methods used by
the licensee to preclude criticality of fuel assemblies outside the
reactor. Section 5.2, Fuel Building, of the UFSAR provides a physical
description of the licensee's new-fuel storage building, spent fuel
pool and associated fuel handling equipment.
[[Page 37319]]
The proposed exemption would not result in any significant
radiological impacts. The proposed exemption would not affect
radiological plant effluent nor cause any significant occupational
exposures since the Technical Specifications, 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 with 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 action
are similar.
Alternative Use of Resources
This action does not involve the use of any resources not
previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for the
Maine Yankee Atomic Power Station.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on June 20, 1997, the staff
consulted with Mr. Pat Dostie of the State of Maine, Office of Nuclear
Safety, regarding the environmental impact of this 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 December 19, 1996, 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 Wiscasset Public
Library, High Street, P. O. Box 367, Wiscasset, Maine, 04578.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 7th day of July 1997.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ronald B. Eaton,
Acting Director, Project Directorate I-3, Division of Reactor Projects
I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-18209 Filed 7-10-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
