ML14316A044

Ltr to B. Bevill Draft Environmental Assessment by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the Proposed Exemption Request to 10 CFR Part 72 Requirements at the Arkansas Nuclear One Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation

ML14316A044
Person / Time
Site:	Arkansas Nuclear, Holtec
Issue date:	11/10/2014
From:	John Vera Spent Fuel Licensing Branch
To:	Bevill B State of AR, Dept of Health
Allen W
Shared Package
ML14316A043	List: ML14316A044
References
Download: ML14316A044 (2)

Text

November 10, 2014 Bernard Bevill, Chief Radiation Control Section Arkansas Department of Health 4815 W. Markham, Slot 30 Little Rock, AR 72204

SUBJECT:

DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT BY THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FOR THE PROPOSED EXEMPTION REQUEST TO 10 CFR PART 72 REQUIREMENTS AT THE ARKANSAS NUCLEAR ONE INDEPENDENT SPENT FUEL STORAGE INSTALLATION

Dear Mr. Bevill:

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 Entergy Operations, Inc. (Entergy) dated October 2, 2014, as supplemented October 14, 2014. Entergy loaded spent nuclear fuel into a Holtec International HI-STORM 100 Model 24 Multi-Purpose Canister (MPC-24) under Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1014, Amendment No. 5. During drying operations, Entergy discovered that a loaded fuel assembly may contain a fuel rod with cladding damage greater than a pinhole leak or hairline crack. Per Appendix B, Section 2.1 of CoC No. 1014 Technical Specifications, fuel assemblies with cladding damage greater than pinhole leaks and hairline cracks are not authorized for storage in an MPC-24 canister. Therefore, Entergy has requested an exemption to the 10 CFR Part 72 requirements to store the affected MPC in its current condition at the Arkansas Nuclear One Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation, located in Russellville, Arkansas.

During licensing of this storage system, the NRC staff established fuel specification and loading conditions to ensure the effects on human health and safety as well as the environment were bounded by the design basis analytical results. The applicants exemption request analysis indicates that, although the fuel loaded into the MPC does not meet the specifications and loading conditions in the CoC, the design basis analytical results associated with issuance of CoC No. 1014, Amendment No. 5 still bound the MPC in its current as-loaded configuration.

Furthermore, the spent nuclear fuel is completely sealed inside the HI-STORM 100 MPC.

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.

Consistent with NRC policy for such actions, the staff contacted your office on October 27, 2014, and spoke with Mr. Jared Thompson 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.

B. Bevill 2 Per his request, I have enclosed four paper copies of the draft EA and FONSI, which is marked as pre-decisional information. The four copies may be distributed at 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 Chris Allen of my staff. He can be reached by telephone at 301-287-9225, or by email at william.allen@nrc.gov.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

/RA/

John Vera, Acting Branch Chief Spent Fuel Licensing Branch Division of Spent Fuel Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket Nos.: 50-313, 50-368, 72-13, 72-1014

Enclosure:

Draft EA and FONSI

B. Bevill 2 Per his request, I have enclosed four paper copies of the draft EA and FONSI, which is marked as pre-decisional information. The four copies may be distributed at 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 Chris Allen of my staff. He can be reached by telephone at 301-287-9225, or by email at william.allen@nrc.gov.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

/RA/

John Vera, Acting Branch Chief Spent Fuel Licensing Branch Division of Spent Fuel Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket Nos.: 50-313, 50-368, 72-13, 72-1014

Enclosure:

Draft EA and FONSI DISTRIBUTION:

SFST R/F AGeorge/NRR RKellar/RIV G:\SFST\Allen\Part 72\ANO\Misload 2014\EA\Draft EA Letter.docx ADAMS Package No.:ML14316A043 ADAMS Memo No.: ML14316A044 OFC: SFST SFST SFST SFST WWheatley NAME: WAllen JDavis JVera via e-mail DATE: 11-5-14 11/7/14 11/7/14 11/10/14