[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 135 (Wednesday, July 15, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38196-38197]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18834]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-280 and 50-281]
Virginia Electric and Power Company; Surry Power Station, Units 1 and
2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering issuance of a revised exemption from certain requirements
of its regulations for Facility Operating License No. DPR-32 and
Facility Operating License No. DPR-37, issued to Virginia Electric and
Power Company (the licensee), for operation of the Surry Power Station,
Units 1 and 2, located in Surry County, Virginia.
[[Page 38197]]
Environmental Assessment
Identification of Proposed Action
The proposed action would revise the exemption granted on August
21, 1997, to Virginia Electric and Power Company from the requirements
of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Part 70.24(a),
which requires, in each area in which special nuclear material is
handled, used, or stored, a monitoring system that will energize clear
audible alarms if accidental criticality occurs. 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 locations for use in
such an emergency.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application for a revised exemption dated January 14, 1998.
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
features designed to prevent inadvertent criticality, the staff has
determined that inadvertent criticality is not likely to 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
revised exemption is granted. Inadvertent or accidental criticality
will be precluded through compliance with the Surry Power Station
Technical Specifications (TS), 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. TS 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 Surry Units 1 and 2, as identified in the TS.
Surry TS Section 5.4, Fuel Storage, states that the new fuel
assemblies are stored vertically in an array with a distance of 21
inches between assemblies to assure that the effective neutron
multiplication factor, Keff, will remain less than or equal
to 0.95 if fully flooded with unborated water, and to assure
Keff less than or equal to 0.98 under conditions of low-
density optimum moderation. The spent fuel assemblies are stored
vertically in an array with a distance of 14 inches between assemblies
to assure Keff less than or equal to 0.95 if fully flooded
with unborated water.
The proposed revised exemption would not result in any significant
radiological environmental impacts. The proposed revised exemption
would not affect radiological plant effluents or cause any significant
occupational exposures since the TS, 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 revised exemption.
The proposed revised exemption would not result in any significant
nonradiological environmental impacts. The proposed revised exemption
involves features located entirely within the restricted area as
defined in 10 CFR Part 20. It does not affect nonradiological plant
effluents and has no other nonradiological environmental impact.
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant
nonradiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed
action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Since the Commission has concluded that there is no significant
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 revised exemption, the
staff considered denial of the requested exemption revision. 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
Surry Power Station.''
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, the NRC staff consulted with
Mr. Foldesi of the Virginia Department of Health on April 22, 1998,
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 January 14, 1998, 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, DC, and at the
local public document room located at the Swem Library, College of
William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 9th day of July 1998.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Pao-Tsin Kuo,
Acting Director, Project Directorate II-1, Division of Reactor Projects
I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 98-18834 Filed 7-14-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
