ML17311A737
| ML17311A737 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palo Verde  |
| Issue date: | 03/24/1995 |
| From: | Quay T NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML17311A738 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9503290144 | |
| Download: ML17311A737 (10) | |
Text
7590-01 UNIT 0 STATES UCL AR REGU ATOR COHMISSIO A
ONA UB IC S RVIC COMPANY ET AL.
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ST 50-5 ENVIRONHENTAL ASSESSHENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is considering issuance of an exemption from certain requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix 0, Paragraph III.D.1.(a),
Type A Tests, to the Arizona Public Service Company, et al.
(APS or the licensee),
for operation of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Unit No. 1, located in Maricopa County, Arizona.
ENVIRONHENTAL ASSESSMENT Identification of the Pro osed Action:
The proposed action would exempt the licensee from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J, Paragraph III.D.1.(a), to "the extent that a one-time schedular extension would permit rescheduling the third containment integrated leak rate test (ILRT) in the first 10-year service period from the fifth refueling outage (1R5) currently scheduled for May 1995 to the sixth refueling outage (1R6) planned for September 1996.
The requested exemption would also allow the decoupling of this third test from the endpoint of the first 10-year inservice inspection (ISI) period.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's application for exemption dated December 28, 1994.
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The Need for the Pro osed Action:
The current containment integrated leakage rate test (ILRT) requirements for Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 1, as set forth in Appendix J, are that, after the preoperational leak rate test,
- a. set of three Type A tests must be performed at approximately equal intervals during each 10-year period.
Also, the third test of each set must be conducted when the plant is shut down for the 10-year plant inservice inspection.
To date, for Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 1, the preoperational and the first two periodic ILRTs have been conducted.
The most recent ILRT was conducted in February 1990, approximately 59 months ago.
Thus, in accordance with Appendix J, an ILRT would have to be conducted during the upcoming refueling outage (1R5, scheduled for May 1995).
The licensee has requested a schedular exemption from Appendix J.
Specifically, the exemption would allow. APS to delay the 'Unit 1 third Type A test until the September 1996.refueling outage (1R6).and allow'PS to only perform the three tests required by 10 CFR 50, Appendix J.
As such, the third Type A test would be performed within 10 calendar years from the common start date of the initial ISI interval and 10 years and 8 months from the date of Unit 1 commercial operation.
With this.exemption, the interval between the second and third Type A test would be approximately 81 months.
The licensee also requested an exemption that would allow the decoupling of this third test from the endpoint of the first 10-year inservice inspection period.
Specifically, subsequent Type A testing would be performed in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR 50, Appendix J (three Type A tests every 10 years at approximately equal intervals),
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completion of the Unit I sixth refueling outage (IR6).
A CILRT would not need to be performed during the 10-year ISI outage planned for the Spring of 1998 (IR7).
Therefore, the need for the licensee's proposed action is to allow a
'longer interval between the Palo Verde Unit I second, and third periodic Type A, ILRTs.
This action, along with decoupling the requirement to perform an ILRT at the end of the 10-year inservice inspection period, will'liminate the need for an additional test.
The licensee concluded that the extension of the Type A test interval has a.negligible impact on overall risk and results in a cost.savings.
fnvironmental Im acts of the Pro osed Action:
The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and concludes that the proposed one-time exemption would not increase the probability or consequences of accidents, previously analyzed and the proposed one-time exemption would not affect facility radiation levels or facility radiological effluents.
The licensee has analyzed the.results of previous Type A'ests performed at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Unit l.
The licensee has provided an acceptabl'e basis for concluding that the proposed one-time extension of the Type A test, interval would maintain the containment leakage rates within acceptable limits.,
Accordingly, the Commission has concluded that the one-time extension does not result in a significant increase in the amounts of any effluents that may be released nor does it
.result in a significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
Therefore, there are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated wi.th the proposed exemption.
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With regard to potential nonradiological
- impacts, the proposed exemption only involves Type A testing on the containment.
It does not affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no other environmental, impact..
Accordingly,. the Commission concludes that here, are no significant nonradiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed exemption.
ternatives to the Pro osed Action:
Since the Commission has concluded there is no measurable environmental impact associated with the proposed
- action, any alternatives with. equal or greater environmental impact need not be evaluated.
As an alternative to the proposed
- action, the staff considered denial of the proposed action.
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.
The change will not increase the probability or consequences of accidents, no,changes are being made in the types of any effluents that may be released offsite, and there is no significant increase in the allowable individual or cumulative occupation radiation exposure.
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed exemption.
Alternative Use of Resources:
This action does not involve the use of resources not previously considered in the "Final Environmental Statement Related to the Operation of Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units I, 2, and 3," dated February 1982.
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A encies and Persons Consulted:
In accordance with its stated policy, the NRC staff consulted, with the Arizona State official regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action.
The State official had no comments.
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CAN MPAC Based upon the environmental assessment,,
the Commission concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment.
Accordingly, the.Commission has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed exemption.
For further details with respect to this action, see the licensee's letter dated December 28, 1994,, which is available for public inspection at the Commission's 'Public Document
- Room, The Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC, and at the local public document room located at the Phoenix Public Library, 12 East McDowell Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85004 Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 24th day of March 1995.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Theodore R. quay, Director Project Directorate IV-2 Division of Reactor Projects III/IV Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
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