ML042040442

Environmental Assessment - Optimized Ziro LTAs

ML042040442
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas
Issue date:	07/19/2004
From:	Jaffe D NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD4
To:	Sheppard J South Texas
Jaffe D, NRR/DLPM, 415-1439
References
TAC MC3368, TAC MC3669
Download: ML042040442 (9)

Text

July 19, 2004 Mr. James J. Sheppard President and Chief Executive Officer STP Nuclear Operating Company South Texas Project Electric Generating Station P. O. Box 289 Wadsworth, TX 77483

SUBJECT:

SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNITS 1 AND 2 - ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT RELATED TO THE EXEMPTION FROM THE REQUIREMENTS OF TITLE 10 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (10 CFR) PART 50, SECTION 50.44, SECTION 50.46 AND APPENDIX K (TAC NOS. MC3368 AND MC3369)

Dear Mr. Sheppard:

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 50.44, 10 CFR 50.46, and Appendix K. The proposed exemptions would allow the use of eight 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 May 27, 2004.

The assessment is being forwarded to the Office of the Federal Register for publication.

Sincerely,

/RA/

David H. Jaffe, Senior Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate IV Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-498 and 50-499

Enclosure:

As stated cc w/encl: See next page

July 19, 2004 Mr. James J. Sheppard President and Chief Executive Officer STP Nuclear Operating Company South Texas Project Electric Generating Station P. O. Box 289 Wadsworth, TX 77483

SUBJECT:

SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNITS 1 AND 2 - ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT RELATED TO THE EXEMPTION FROM THE REQUIREMENTS OF TITLE 10 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (10 CFR) PART 50, SECTION 50.44, SECTION 50.46 AND APPENDIX K (TAC NOS. MC3368 AND MC3369)

Dear Mr. Sheppard:

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 50.44, 10 CFR 50.46, and Appendix K. The proposed exemptions would allow the use of eight 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 May 27, 2004.

The assessment is being forwarded to the Office of the Federal Register for publication.

Sincerely,

/RA/

David H. Jaffe, Senior Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate IV Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-498 and 50-499

Enclosure:

As stated cc w/encl: See next page Distribution:

PUBLIC RidsNrrLADBaxley RidsRgn4MailCenter (AHowell)

PDIV-1 R/F RidsNrrPMDJaffe RidsAcrsAcnwMailCenter RidsNrrDlpmLpdiv(HBerkow) JTappert RidsNrrDlpmLpdiv1(RGramm) RidsOgcRp ADAMS Accession Number: ML042040442 OFFICE PDIV-1/PM PDIV-/1LA RLEP/SC OGC PDIV-1/SC NAME DJaffe DBaxley JTappert RHoefling RGramm DATE 7/19/04 7/8/04 7/2/04 7/15/04 7/19/04 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

7590-01-P UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT NUCLEAR OPERATING COMPANY DOCKET NOS. 50-498 AND 50-499 SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT ELECTRIC GENERATING STATION, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 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 50.44, Section 50.46, and Appendix K, for Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-76 and NPF-80, issued to South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company (the licensee), for operation of South Texas Project Electric Generating Station (STPEGS), Units 1 and 2, located in Matagorda County, Texas. 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 STPEGS, Units 1 and 2, from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Section 50.44, Section 50.46 and Appendix K, to allow the use of up to eight 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 May 27, 2004.

The Need for the Proposed Action:

As the nuclear industry pursues longer operating cycles with increased fuel discharge burnups and more aggressive fuel management, the corrosion performance specifications for

the nuclear fuel cladding become more demanding. Industry data indicates 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. By reducing the associated corrosion buildup, and thus, minimizing temperature feedback effects, additional margin to fuel rod internal pressure design criteria is obtained.

As part of a program to address these issues, the Westinghouse Electric Company has developed an LTA program, in cooperation with the licensee, that includes a fuel cladding with a tin content lower than the currently licensed range for ZIRLOTM. The NRCs regulations in 10 CFR Part 50, Section 50.44, Section 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 eight 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 Part 50, Section 50.44, Section 50.46, and Appendix K.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action:

The NRC staff has completed its safety 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 that may be released offsite. There is no significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, there are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. The details of the staff's safety evaluation will be provided in the exemption that will be issued as part of the letter to the licensee approving the exemption to the

regulation.

With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed action does not have a potential to affect any historic sites. It does not affect non-radiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. Therefore, there are no significant non-radiological 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 NRC 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 related to the Operation of South Texas Project Units 1 and 2, NUREG-1171, dated August 1986.

Agencies and Persons Consulted:

On June 23, 2004, the staff consulted with the Texas State official, Mr. William Silva, Bureau of Radiation Control of the Texas Department of Health, 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 May 27, 2004. 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 NRCs 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 19th day of July 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

South Texas Project, Units 1 & 2 cc:

Senior Resident Inspector A. H. Gutterman, Esq.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Morgan, Lewis & Bockius P. O. Box 910 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Bay City, TX 77414 Washington, DC 20004 A. Ramirez/C. M. Canady Mr. T. J. Jordan, Vice President City of Austin Engineering & Technical Services Electric Utility Department STP Nuclear Operating Company 721 Barton Springs Road P. O. Box 289 Austin, TX 78704 Wadsworth, TX 77483 Mr. L. K. Blaylock S. M. Head, Manager, Licensing Mr. W. C. Gunst Nuclear Quality & Licensing Department City Public Service Board STP Nuclear Operating Company P. O. Box 1771 P. O. Box 289, Mail Code: N5014 San Antonio, TX 78296 Wadsworth, TX 77483 Mr. C. A. Johnson/A. C. Bakken Environmental and Natural Resources AEP Texas Central Company Policy Director P. O. Box 289 P. O. Box 12428 Mail Code: N5022 Austin, TX 78711-3189 Wadsworth, TX 77483 Jon C. Wood INPO Matthews & Branscomb Records Center 112 East Pecan, Suite 1100 700 Galleria Parkway San Antonio, TX 78205 Atlanta, GA 30339-3064 Arthur C. Tate, Director Regional Administrator, Region IV Division of Compliance & Inspection U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Bureau of Radiation Control 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Texas Department of Health Arlington, TX 76011 1100 West 49th Street Austin, TX 78756 D. G. Tees/R. L. Balcom Texas Genco, LP Brian Almon P. O. Box 1700 Public Utility Commission Houston, TX 77251 William B. Travis Building P. O. Box 13326 Judge, Matagorda County 1701 North Congress Avenue Matagorda County Courthouse Austin, TX 78701-3326 1700 Seventh Street Bay City, TX 77414 June 2004

South Texas Project, Units 1 & 2 Susan M. Jablonski Office of Permitting, Remediation and Registration Texas Commission on Environmental Quality MC-122 P.O. Box 13087 Austin, TX 78711-3087 Mr. Terry Parks, Chief Inspector Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Boiler Division P. O. Box 12157 Austin, TX 78711 Mr. Ted Enos 4200 South Hulen Suite 630 Ft. Worth, Texas 76109