ML041530127
| ML041530127 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Waterford  |
| Issue date: | 05/25/2004 |
| From: | Kalyanam N NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD4 |
| To: | Venable J Entergy Operations |
| Kalyanam N,NRR/DLPM,415-1480 | |
| References | |
| TAC MC2999 | |
| Download: ML041530127 (7) | |
Text
May 25, 2004 Mr. Joseph E. Venable Vice President Operations Entergy Operations, Inc.
17265 River Road Killona, LA 70066-0751
SUBJECT:
WATERFORD STEAM ELECTRIC STATION UNIT 3 - ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT RELATED TO THE EXEMPTION FROM THE REQUIREMENTS OF PART 50 OF TITLE 10 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (10 CFR) SECTION 50.46 AND APPENDIX K (TAC NO. MC2999)
Dear Mr. Venable:
Enclosed is a copy of the Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact related to your application for exemptions from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Section 50.46 and Appendix K. The proposed exemptions would allow the use of four lead test assemblies containing fuel rods, guide thimble tubes, and instrumentation tubes fabricated with Optimized ZIRLOTM , a cladding material that contains a nominally lower tin content than the already approved ZIRLOTM material. This action is in response to your letter dated April 30, 2004.
The assessment is being forwarded to the Office of the Federal Register for publication.
Sincerely,
/RA/
N. Kalyanam, Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate IV Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-382
Enclosure:
Environmental Assessment cc w/encl: See next page
May 25, 2004 Mr. Joseph E. Venable Vice President Operations Entergy Operations, Inc.
17265 River Road Killona, LA 70066-0751
SUBJECT:
WATERFORD STEAM ELECTRIC STATION UNIT 3 - ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT RELATED TO THE EXEMPTION FROM THE REQUIREMENTS OF PART 50 OF TITLE 10 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (10 CFR) SECTION 50.46 AND APPENDIX K (TAC NO. MC2999)
Dear Mr. Venable:
Enclosed is a copy of the Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact related to your application for exemptions from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Section 50.46 and Appendix K. The proposed exemptions would allow the use of four lead test assemblies containing fuel rods, guide thimble tubes, and instrumentation tubes fabricated with Optimized ZIRLOTM , a cladding material that contains a nominally lower tin content than the already approved ZIRLOTM material. This action is in response to your letter dated April 30, 2004.
The assessment is being forwarded to the Office of the Federal Register for publication.
Sincerely,
/RA/
N. Kalyanam, Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate IV Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-382
Enclosure:
Environmental Assessment cc w/encl: See next page DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC PDIV-1 r/f Rids OgcRp RidsAcrsAcnwMailCenter RidsNrrPMNKalyanam RidsNrrLADJohnson RidsNrrLADBaxley JTappert JUhle RidsRgn4MailCenter (AHowell) GMiller RidsNrrDssaDpr RidsNrrDlpmLpdiv1 (RGramm) RidsNrrDlpmDpr RidsNrrDlpmLpdiv (HBerkow)
ADAMS Accession Number: ML041530127 OFFICE PDIV-1/PM PDIV-1/LA RLEP/SC OGC PDIV-1/SC NAME NKalyanam DBaxley JTappert BPoole(NLO) RGramm DATE 5/20/04 5/20/04 5/21/04 5/25/04 5/25/04 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
7590-01-P UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ENTERGY OPERATIONS INC.
DOCKET NO. 50-382 WATERFORD STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNIT 3 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of exemptions from Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Section 50.46 and Appendix K, for Facility Operating License No. NPF-38, issued to Entergy Operations Inc. (the licensee), for operation of the Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 3 (Waterford 3), located in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. Therefore, as required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC is issuing this environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Identification of the Proposed Action:
The proposed action would exempt Waterford 3 from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Section 50.46 and Appendix K, to allow the use of up to four Lead Test Assemblies (LTAs) fabricated with Optimized ZIRLOTM, a cladding material that contains a nominally lower tin content than previously approved cladding materials.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensees application dated April 30, 2004.
The Need for the Proposed Action:
As the nuclear industry pursues longer operating cycles with increased fuel discharge burnup and more aggressive fuel management, the corrosion performance requirements for the nuclear fuel cladding become more demanding. Available industry data from the American
Nuclear Society, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Electric Power Research Institute, and Westinghouse Electric Corporation (Westinghouse) indicate that corrosion resistance improves for cladding with a lower tin content. The optimum tin level provides a reduced corrosion rate while maintaining the benefits of mechanical strengthening and resistance to accelerated corrosion from abnormal chemistry conditions. In addition, fuel rod internal pressures (resulting from the increased fuel duty, use of integral fuel burnable absorbers and corrosion/temperature feedback effects) have become more limiting with respect to fuel rod design criteria. Reducing the associated corrosion buildup, and thus, minimizing temperature feedback effects, provides additional margin to fuel rod internal pressure design criteria.
To meet these needs, Westinghouse developed a LTA program in cooperation with Entergy Operations Inc., which includes a fuel cladding with a tin content lower than the currently licensed range for ZIRLOTM. The NRCs regulations in 10 CFR 50.46 and Appendix K, make no provision for use of fuel rods clad in a material other than Zircalloy or ZIRLOTM. The licensee has requested the use of up to four LTAs with a tin composition that is less than that specified in the licensing basis for ZIRLOTM, as defined in Westinghouse design specifications.
Therefore, use of the LTAs calls for exemptions from 10 CFR 50.46 and Appendix K.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action:
The NRC staff has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and concludes that the proposed exemptions would not increase the probability or consequences of accidents previously analyzed and would not affect facility radiation levels or facility radiological effluents.
The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability or consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of effluents that may be released offsite, and there is no significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, there are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed action does not have a
potential to affect any historic sites. It does not affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. Therefore, there are no significant nonradiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Accordingly, the NRC staff concludes that there are no significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action:
As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered denial of the proposed action (i.e., the no-action alternative). Denial of the application 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:
The action does not involve the use of any different resources than those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for Waterford 3, dated September 1981.
Agencies and Persons Consulted:
On May 11, 2004, the staff consulted with the Louisiana State official, Mr. Prosanta Chowdhury, of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Protection, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The State official had no comments.
FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed action.
For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the licensees letter dated April 30, 2004 (ADAMS Accession Number ML041250184). Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRCs Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint
North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 25th day of May 2004.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
/RA/
Robert A Gramm, Chief, Section 1 Project Directorate IV Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 3 cc:
Mr. Michael E. Henry, State Liaison Officer Regional Administrator, Region IV Department of Environmental Quality U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Permits Division 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 1000 P.O. Box 4313 Arlington, TX 76011 Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70821-4313 Parish President Council Vice President, Operations Support St. Charles Parish Entergy Operations, Inc. P. O. Box 302 P. O. Box 31995 Hahnville, LA 70057 Jackson, MS 39286-1995 Executive Vice President Director & Chief Operating Officer Nuclear Safety Assurance Entergy Operations, Inc.
Entergy Operations, Inc. P. O. Box 31995 17265 River Road Jackson, MS 39286-1995 Killona, LA 70066-0751 Chairman Wise, Carter, Child & Caraway Louisiana Public Services Commission P. O. Box 651 P. O. Box 91154 Jackson, MS 39205 Baton Rouge, LA 70825-1697 General Manager Plant Operations Waterford 3 SES Entergy Operations, Inc.
17265 River Road Killona, LA 70066-0751 Licensing Manager Entergy Operations, Inc.
17265 River Road Killona, LA 70066-0751 Winston & Strawn 1400 L Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20005-3502 Resident Inspector/Waterford NPS P. O. Box 822 Killona, LA 70066-0751 July 2003