ML062260105
| ML062260105 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Calvert Cliffs  |
| Issue date: | 10/30/2006 |
| From: | Milano P NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLI-1 |
| To: | Spina J Calvert Cliffs |
| Milano P, NRR/DORL/LPLA, 415-1457 | |
| References | |
| TAC MC9615, TAC MC9616 | |
| Download: ML062260105 (7) | |
Text
October 30, 2006 Mr. James A. Spina, Vice President Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Inc.
Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant 1650 Calvert Cliffs Parkway Lusby, MD 20657-4702
SUBJECT:
CALVERT CLIFFS NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 -
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT RE: TEMPORARY EXEMPTION FROM THE REQUIREMENTS OF 10 CFR 50.46 AND 10 CFR PART 50, APPENDIX K (TAC NOS. MC9615 AND MC9616)
Dear Mr. Spina:
Enclosed is a copy of the Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact related to your application for an exemption dated January 19, 2006. The proposed exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 50.46 and Appendix K to 10 CFR Part 50 would allow the use of up to four lead fuel assemblies (LFAs) containing a limited number of fuel rods clad with materials other than Zircaloy or ZIRLO in Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 or 2.
These LFAs were originally inserted into the Unit 2 core in April of 2003 (operating cycles 15 and 16).
The assessment is being forwarded to the Office of the Federal Register for publication.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Patrick D. Milano, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch I-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-317 and 50-318
Enclosure:
Environmental Assessment cc w/encl: See next page
October 30, 2006 Mr. James A. Spina, Vice President Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Inc.
Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant 1650 Calvert Cliffs Parkway Lusby, MD 20657-4702
SUBJECT:
CALVERT CLIFFS NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 -
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT RE: TEMPORARY EXEMPTION FROM THE REQUIREMENTS OF 10 CFR 50.46 AND 10 CFR PART 50, APPENDIX K (TAC NOS. MC9615 AND MC9616)
Dear Mr. Spina:
Enclosed is a copy of the Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact related to your application for an exemption dated January 19, 2006. The proposed exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 50.46 and Appendix K to 10 CFR Part 50 would allow the use of up to four lead fuel assemblies (LFAs) containing a limited number of fuel rods clad with materials other than Zircaloy or ZIRLO in Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 or 2.
These LFAs were originally inserted into the Unit 2 core in April of 2003 (operating cycles 15 and 16).
The assessment is being forwarded to the Office of the Federal Register for publication.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Patrick D. Milano, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch I-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-317 and 50-318
Enclosure:
Environmental Assessment cc w/encl: See next page DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC P. Milano RidsNrrPMPMilano LPL1-1R/F OGC RidsOgcRp R. Laufer RidsNrrDorlLpla ACRS RidsAcrsAcnwMailCenter E. Benner RidsNrrDlrReba B. Singal RidsNrrDorlDpr F. Akstulewicz RidsNrrDssSnpb Accession Number: ML06226010105 OFFICE LPL1-1/PM LPL1-1/PM LPL1-1\LA REBA/BC OGC LPL1-1\BC NAME BSingal PMilano SLittle EBenner MBarkman RLaufer DATE 08/14/06 10/27/06 10/14/06 08/14/06 10/18/06 10/30/06 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 cc:
President Patricia T. Birnie, Esquire Calvert County Board of Co-Director Commissioners Maryland Safe Energy Coalition 175 Main Street P.O. Box 33111 Prince Frederick, MD 20678 Baltimore, MD 21218 Carey Fleming, Esquire Sr. Counsel - Nuclear Generation Constellation Generation Group, LLC Mr. Roy Hickok 750 East Pratt Street, 17th floor NRC Technical Training Center Baltimore, MD 21202 5700 Brainerd Road Chattanooga, TN 37411-4017 Lou Larragoite Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant 1650 Calvert Cliffs Parkway Lusby, MD 20657-4702 Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 287 St. Leonard, MD 20685 Mr. R. I. McLean, Administrator Radioecology Environ Impact Prog Department of Natural Resources Nuclear Evaluations 580 Taylor Avenue Tawes State Office Building Annapolis, MD 21401 Regional Administrator, Region I U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 Kristen A. Burger, Esquire Maryland People's Counsel 6 St. Paul Centre Suite 2102 Baltimore, MD 21202-1631
7590-01-P UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION DOCKET NOS. 50-317 AND 50-318 CALVERT CLIFFS NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an exemption from Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50.46 and Appendix K to Part 50 for Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-53 and DPR-69, issued to Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Inc. (the licensee), for operation of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (Calvert Cliffs 1 and 2), located in Calvert County, Maryland. 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 exemption would allow the licensee to use up to four lead fuel assemblies (LFAs) containing a limited number of fuel rods with cladding other than Zircaloy or ZIRLO in the core of either Calvert Cliffs 1 or 2. Two of the LFAs were manufactured by Westinghouse Electric Company and contain a limited number of fuel rods clad with advanced zirconium-based alloys. The other two LFAs were manufactured by Framatome ANP, Inc. with fuel rod cladding material as M5 alloy. These LFAs were originally inserted into the Calvert Cliffs 2 core in April of 2003 (operating cycles 15 and 16).
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensees application dated January 19, 2006.
The Need for the Proposed Action:
10 CFR 50.46 and 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix K make no provisions for use of fuel rods clad in a material other than Zircaloy or ZIRLO. Since the material specifications of the advanced zirconium-based and M5 alloys differ from the specification for Zircaloy or ZIRLO, a plant-specific exemption is required to support the use of the four LFAs for either Calvert Cliffs 1 or 2. If the exemption were not approved, the licensee would not gain practical experience of these designs relative to grid-to-rod fretting.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action:
The NRC has completed its safety evaluation of the proposed action and concludes that the exemption described above would continue to satisfy the underlying purpose of 10 CFR 50.46 and 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix K and will not present an undue risk to the public health and safety. The safety evaluations performed by Westinghouse and Framatome ANP demonstrate that the predicted chemical, mechanical, and material performance of the advanced zirconium and M5 cladding are acceptable under all anticipated operational occurrences and postulated accidents. Furthermore, the LFAs will be placed in non-limiting core locations (low duty locations on the core periphery). In the event that the cladding failures occur in the LFAs, the environmental impact would be minimal and is bound by the previous environmental assessments.
The details of the staffs 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.
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 off site, 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 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 Calvert Cliffs 1 and 2, dated April 1973, and the Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant (NUREG-1437, Supplement 1), dated October 1999.
Agencies and Persons Consulted:
In accordance with its stated policy, on October 27, 2006, the staff consulted with the Maryland State official, Mr. R. McLean of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 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 January 19, 2006. Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRCs Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, 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 send an e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day of October 2006.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
/RA/
Patrick D. Milano, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch I-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation