[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 137 (Friday, July 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 38679]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-19087]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 72-16 (50-338/339]
Virginia Electric and Power Co. and Old Dominion Electric
Cooperative; North Anna Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation;
Exemption
I
Virginia Electric and Power Company (Virginia Power) and Old
Dominion Electric Cooperative (collectively, the licensee) hold
Materials License SNM-2507 for receipt and storage of spent fuel from
the North Anna Power Station at an independent spent fuel storage
installation (ISFSI) located on the North Anna Power Station site. The
facility is located in Louisa County, Virginia.
II
Pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
may grant exemptions from the requirements of the regulations in 10 CFR
Part 72 as it determines are authorized by law, will not endanger life
or property or the common defense and security, and are otherwise in
the public interest.
Section 72.82(e) of 10 CFR Part 72 requires each licensee to
provide a report of preoperational test acceptance criteria and test
results to the appropriate NRC Regional Office with a copy to the
Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, at least 30
days prior to receipt of spent fuel or high-level radioactive waste for
storage in an ISFSI. The purpose of the 30-day waiting period is to
allow NRC an opportunity to review test results prior to initial
operation of the ISFSI. If an exemption from the requirement of 10 CFR
72.82(e) for a 30-day waiting period was granted, the licensee still
would be required to submit the necessary report. However, with an
exemption the licensee could start receiving fuel at the ISFSI before
the end of the 30-day period.
III
By letter dated June 12, 1998, the licensee requested an exemption,
pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7, from the requirement of 10 CFR 72.82(e) to
submit the preoperational test acceptance criteria and test results
report to NRC at least 30 days prior to receipt of fuel at the ISFSI.
Specifically, the licensee requested to submit the report at least 3
days prior to receipt of fuel at the ISFSI. The licensee's exemption
request to reduce the 30-day waiting period was based on the licensee's
need to assure the availability of adequate storage space in the North
Anna spent fuel pool to support a refueling outage of North Anna Power
Station, Unit 1, in September 1998. To meet that schedule, spent fuel
must be removed from the pool and loaded into a dry storage cask prior
to the placement of new fuel into the spent fuel pool in late July
1998. Weather-related delays have hampered completion of construction
and testing of the ISFSI prior to the end of June 1998. Thus,
completion of construction and testing will occur less than 30 days
prior to the need to load the first cask and transport it to the ISFSI.
NRC conducted numerous inspections of the North Anna ISFSI during
its construction, as documented in part in NRC Inspection Report 50-
338/97-09, 50-339/97-09, 72-16/97-03 and Inspection Report No. 50-338/
97-11, 50-339/97-11, 72-16/97-04. NRC staff also observed selected
portions of the licensee's preoperational dry run and walkthrough
activities which were conducted between June 8 and 18, 1998.
By letter dated June 30, 1998, as supplemented by letter dated July
7, 1998, the licensee submitted its report of preoperational test
acceptance criteria and test results. The preoperational tests
conducted by the licensee included, among other things, the actual
exercise of the licensee's written procedures for loading and unloading
the storage casks. The licensee reviewed the results of these tests and
made changes as necessary to affected procedures. During its onsite
inspections in June 1998, NRC observed the licensee's validation of the
acceptability of these procedures and is satisfied with the results.
IV
As discussed in the above paragraphs and based on its oversight and
inspection of Virginia Power's ISFSI preoperational testing activities,
NRC finds that Virginia Power has satisfactorily addressed all of the
outstanding safety issues associated with cask loading, handling, and
storage. The results of the NRC's activities described above confirm
there is adequate assurance that the ISFSI can safely perform its
intended function and that Virginia Power has the necessary equipment
and procedures in place to safely conduct activities associated with
storing spent fuel at the ISFSI.
Accordingly, NRC has determined in accordance with 10 CFR 72.7 that
this exemption is authorized by law, will not endanger life or property
or the common defense and security, and is otherwise in the public
interest. Therefore, NRC hereby grants the licensee an exemption from
the 30-day waiting period required by 10 CFR 72.82(e) as requested by
the licensee in its letter dated June 12, 1998.
The documents related to this proposed action are available for
public inspection and for copying (for a fee) at the NRC Public
Document Room, 2120 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20555 and at the Local
Public Document Room located at the University of Virginia, Alderman
Library, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, NRC has determined that granting this
exemption will have no significant impact on the quality of the human
environment (63 FR 36277).
This exemption is effective upon issuance.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 9th day of July, 1998.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
William F. Kane,
Director,
Spent Fuel Project Office,
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 98-19087 Filed 7-16-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
