ML113180499
| ML113180499 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Surry, 07200055, 07201030  |
| Issue date: | 11/14/2011 |
| From: | Michael Waters NRC/NMSS/SFST/LID/LB |
| To: | Irons E Virginia Electric & Power Co (VEPCO) |
| vrg1 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML113180497 | List: |
| References | |
| Download: ML113180499 (4) | |
Text
November 14, 2011 Ellie Irons Program Manager Office of Environmental Impact Review 629 East Main Street, Room 631 Richmond, VA 23219
SUBJECT:
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT BY THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FOR THE PROPOSED EXEMPTION REQUEST TO 10 CFR PART 72 REQUIREMENTS AT THE INDEPENDENT SPENT FUEL STORAGE INSTALLATION AT SURRY POWER STATION
Dear Ms. Irons:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is currently reviewing an exemption request from Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 72 requirements submitted by Virginia Electric and Power Company dated July 21, 2011, as supplemented September 28, 2011. Dominion has loaded spent nuclear fuel into Transnuclear, Inc.
NUHOMS HD Storage System (HD-32PTH) dry storage casks, under the Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1030, Amendment No. 0. It was later discovered that the decay heat limit for five of the loaded fuel assemblies exceeded the limits of the CoC. The five fuel assemblies are distributed in four dry storage canisters (DSC). Dominion has requested an exemption to the 10 CFR Part 72 requirements to continue storage of the affected DSCs in their current condition at the Surry Power Station Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), located in Surry County, Virginia.
The spent nuclear fuel in the TN NUHOMS HD Storage System is completely sealed in welded canisters. During licensing of this storage system, the NRC staff established thermal decay heat limits in the CoC to ensure that the fuel cladding does not exceed temperature limits that could adversely impact its integrity during interim storage, which is important for future handling considerations. The applicants exemption request analysis indicates that although the decay heat exceeded the limits of the CoC, the fuel cladding did not physically exceed the design limits and there is no impact on the structural evaluation of the DSC. Furthermore, the five affected fuel assemblies currently meet the CoC thermal limits due to the natural radioactive decay of the heat-producing radionuclides in the spent nuclear fuel.
As part of its review of the exemption request, the NRC staff has prepared the enclosed Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and Draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), and NRCs NEPA implementing regulations in 10 CFR Part 51. We conclude in the EA that the proposed action will not significantly affect the quality of the human environment.
E. Irons 2 Consistent with NRC policy for such actions, the staff contacted your office on November 1, 2011, and spoke with you regarding our request for your office to have the opportunity to review our draft EA and comment on environmental issues prior to public issuance of the EA.
Per your request, I have enclosed four paper copies and sixteen electronic copies of the draft EA and FONSI, which is marked as pre-decisional information. The sixteen electronic copies also contain the EA and FONSI for a similar exemption request at North Anna Power Station ISFSI. The twenty total copies are to be distributed per your discretion to ensure that an adequate review is conducted for all the resource areas such as air, land and water. We request that the distribution and use of this document be limited only to those staff involved in the review and comment process. We further request that your office provide any comments to the NRC staff within 30 days of receipt of this letter.
The NRC staff will consider your timely comments, and will revise the EA, as appropriate, before its final issuance. Concurrent with the issuance of the EA, the staff plans to forward its Finding of No Significant Impact for publication in the Federal Register.
If you or your staff has any questions on this matter, please contact Jennie Rankin of my staff.
She can be reached by telephone at 301-492-3268, or by email at jennivine.rankin@nrc.gov.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Michael D. Waters, Branch Chief Licensing Branch Division of Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket Nos.: 50-280, 50-281, 72-55, 72-1030
Enclosure:
Draft EA and FONSI
E. Irons 2 Consistent with NRC policy for such actions, the staff contacted your office on November 1, 2011, and spoke with you regarding our request for your office to have the opportunity to review our draft EA and comment on environmental issues prior to public issuance of the EA.
Per your request, I have enclosed four paper copies and sixteen electronic copies of the draft EA and FONSI, which is marked as pre-decisional information. The sixteen electronic copies also contain the EA and FONSI for a similar exemption request at North Anna Power Station ISFSI. The twenty total copies are to be distributed per your discretion to ensure that an adequate review is conducted for all the resource areas such as air, land and water. We request that the distribution and use of this document be limited only to those staff involved in the review and comment process. We further request that your office provide any comments to the NRC staff within 30 days of receipt of this letter.
The NRC staff will consider your timely comments, and will revise the EA, as appropriate, before its final issuance. Concurrent with the issuance of the EA, the staff plans to forward its Finding of No Significant Impact for publication in the Federal Register.
If you or your staff has any questions on this matter, please contact Jennie Rankin of my staff. She can be reached by telephone at 301-492-3268, or by email at jennivine.rankin@nrc.gov.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Michael D. Waters, Branch Chief Licensing Branch Division of Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket Nos.: 50-280, 50-281, 72-55, 72-1030
Enclosure:
Draft EA and FONSI DISTRIBUTION:
SFST R/F KCotton/NRR CWelch/RII JNadel/RII G:\SFST\Rankin\Surry and North Anna Exemptions\Surry draft EA transmittal letter to State.docx ADAMS Package No.: ML113180497 ADAMS Memo No.: ML113180499 OFC SFST SFST SFST SFST NAME JRankin WWheatley BJDavis MWaters DATE 11-9-11 11-9-11 11-9-11 11-14-2011
E. Basil 2