[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 176 (Tuesday, September 13, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-22594]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: September 13, 1994]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-409]
Dairyland Power Cooperative; La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor;
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering the issuance of a Confirmatory Order modifying the August
7, 1991, Order (the Decommissioning Order) which authorized the
Dairyland Power Cooperative (DPC, the licensee) to decommission the La
Crosse Boiling Water Reactor (LACBWR). LACBWR is located 19 miles south
of La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of Proposed Action
The proposed action would allow DPC to: (i) make limited changes in
the facility or procedures as described the Decommissioning Plan; and
(ii) conduct certain tests and experiments not described in the
Decommissioning Plan, without prior NRC approval. The licensee
requested, by letters dated August 2, and August 5, 1994, that the NRC
issue an order that revises the Decommissioning Order to allow DPC
limited flexibility under its Decommissioning Plan. This action is
consistent with the flexibility under 10 CFR 50.59 afforded to a
licensee authorized to operate a production or utilization facility and
afforded by other Decommissioning Orders issued by the NRC.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The LACBWR has been shut down since April 30, 1987. All spent fuel
has been removed from the reactor and is stored in the fuel element
storage well.
The licensee's authority to operate LACBWR was removed by license
Amendment No. 56, dated August 4, 1987. The licensee is authorized to
possess but not operate the LACBWR. The NRC in its Order
(Decommissioning Order) of August 7, 1991, directed DPC to decommission
the reactor facility in accordance with its Decommissioning Plan and
the Commission's regulations. This action was taken in response to the
licensee's application for authorization to decommission the facility,
dated December 21, 1987, as revised February 22, 1988, September 9,
1988, September 30, 1988, January 26, 1989, March 28, 1989, June 6,
1989, October 3, 1989, July 25, 1990, May 10, 1991, and July 25, 1991.
Neither the August 7, 1991, Decommissioning Order which directed the
licensee to decommission the reactor facility, nor the approved
Decommissioning Plan, contained an approved procedure that would allow
the licensee to: (i) make changes in the facility or procedures as
described the Decommissioning Plan; or (ii) conduct tests or
experiments not described in the Decommissioning Plan, without prior
NRC approval. The LACBWR is currently in SAFSTOR in accordance with the
approved LACBWR Decommissioning Plan. This Confirmatory Order would
modify the Decommissioning Order and allow the licensee to: (i) make
limited changes in the facility or procedures as described the
Decommissioning Plan; or (ii) conduct certain tests or experiments not
described in the Decommissioning Plan without prior NRC approval.
Environmental Impact of the Proposed Action
The proposed action, procedural in nature, does not involve any
significant environmental impacts. The proposed Confirmatory Order
modifies the Decommissioning Order to allow the licensee to: (i) make
changes in the facility or procedures as described the Decommissioning
Plan; or (ii) conduct tests or experiments not described in the
Decommissioning Plan without prior NRC approval provided they do not
involve an unreviewed safety question or a significant environmental
impact not previously evaluated.
Since the proposed action does not involve a change in plant
operation or configuration, there is reasonable assurance that the
proposed action would not increase the probability or the consequence
of an accident or reduce the margin of safety. No changes would be made
in the types or quantities of effluent that may be released offsite.
Further, there would be no significant increase in the allowable
individual or cumulative radiation exposure.
Accordingly, the NRC concludes that this proposed action would
result in no significant radiological environmental impact.
With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed
action does not affect non-radiological plant effluent and has no other
environmental impact. Therefore, the NRC concludes that there are no
significant non-radiological impacts associated with the proposed
action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Since the NRC has concluded that there are no measurable
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action, any
alternative with equal or greater environmental impacts need not be
evaluated. The principal alternative would be to deny the request. This
would not significantly reduce environmental impacts of plant
decommissioning and would result in reduced flexibility.
Alternative Use of Resources
This action does not involve the use of resources not previously
considered in the Environmental Assessment included as an enclosure to
the Decommissioning Order.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
This Environmental Assessment was prepared by the NRC staff,
primarily within the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards,
Rockville, Maryland. The NRC staff consulted with a representative of
the State of Wisconsin regarding the environmental impact of the
proposed action, and the State did not provide comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
Based upon this Environmental Assessment, the staff concludes that
the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality
of the human environment. Therefore, the NRC has determined not to
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Confirmatory
Order.
For further details with respect to this action, see the licensee
application for the order dated August 2, and August 5, 1994, which is
available for public inspection at the Commission Public Document Room,
Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC 20555, and at the
La Crosse Public Library, 800 Main Street, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of September, 1994.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Michael F. Weber,
Acting Chief, Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning Projects Branch,
Division of Waste Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and
Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 94-22594 Filed 9-12-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
