ML19273B250
| ML19273B250 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Zion File:ZionSolutions icon.png |
| Issue date: | 03/07/1979 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19273B235 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7904060026 | |
| Download: ML19273B250 (3) | |
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'g, UNITED STATES
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3 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
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%s, o*f ENVIRONfiEtlTAL If4 PACT APPRAISAL BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAD REACT 7 REGULATION SUPPORTING AMENDMEflT NO. 44 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE '.2.
OPR-39 AND AMENDMENT NO. 41 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. C?R-48 C0fifiONWEALTH EDISON COMPANY ZION STATION UNITS 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-295 AND 50-304 Description of Proposed Action Environmental Iroacts of Procosed Action As required by NEPA and 10 CFR Part 51.7, we have evaluated tre pote itial environmental impacts of the proposed action.
Included in our review has been a consideration of our conclusions in the Final Environmental State-ment (FES) for Zion Station Units 1 and 2 dated December 1972.
The irradiation of the four Zion 1 spent fuel assemblies to extended burnups in Zion 2, up to about 55,000 MWD /T, will increase the amount of long-lived fission products in the core. The only significant long-lived radionuclide with respect to potential consequences of the postulated design basis accidents is the noble gas Krypton 85.
Extending burnups of the core up to about 44,000 f tWD/T will not increase the anount of Krypton 85 which was assumed in the fuel at Zion 2 for the postulated design basis accidents.
The increase in the amount of Krypton 85 in the four fuel assemblies from 44,000 MWD /T to 55,000 MWD /T is not significant compared to the total amount of fission noble gases in the fuel.
Therefore, the environmental impacts of the postulated accidents given in the FES will not significantly change because four fuel assemblies in the core are irradiated to burnups up to 55,000 MWD /T.
As noted in the accompanying Safety Evaluation Report (SE s), we expect that operating Zion 2 with additional irradiation of fcur spent fuel assemblies from Zion 1 could increase the fraction of failed fuel in the core over that previously experienced. This would increase the concentration of activity in the reactor coolant (RC) and the amount of activity released frcm the plant as compared to releases during operation of the plant in previous cycles. An increase in the concentration of RC activity would be an indication of fuel failures and an indication of 1.ater increases ir the amount of activity released fecn the plant.
"c;.ever,. e do not e< e:
- nese increases to se signifi: ant oe ause, s ii :n' f:. ' - 3 s e" e s j\\\\J 79G4060 Ogle in tne core (2.1%) will be irradiated to the exten:ed burnups, (2) due to restrictions in the plant Technical Specificati:ns, these four assemblies will be located in the core where the operating thermal stresses in the cladding are relatively low and where the tner al limits for cladding should not be approached, (3) tnere are no design cnanges in these four assemblies from ones previcusly irradiated at Zion 2, and h) the licensee will examine the four spent fuel assemblies before their insertion in the Zion 2 core for their fourth cycle and will only irradiate then in a fif th cycle af ter these assemblies have demonstrated satisfactory fuel performance in the fourth cycle.
If there is a significant increase in RC activity it will be detected by monitoring the activity of roles of the reactor coolant, the radwaste treatment system and the plan effluents. This is discussed in Section 9.8,11.1.2.2 and 11.1.2.3 of the Zion Station FSAR and required in Table 4.11-1 and Specification 4.3.6. A of the plant Technical Specifications.
Based on the above, we conclude that the environmental impacts discussed in the FES are still valid for Zion Unit 2 for the proposed extenced burnup program.
The plant contains waste treatment systens designe to collect and process the gaseous, licuid and solid waste that might cont 3in radioactive material.
The waste treatment systems are evaluated in the FES.
There will be no changes in the waste treatment systems described ir Section III.D.2 of the FES because of operation of Zion 2 in the extended burnup program.
We have considered the effect of irradiating four s:ent fuel assemblies to extended burnups in Zion 2 on the environmental inpacts from the uranium fuel cycle and from snipping fuel and waste to and from Zion Station.
Irradiating these four spent fuel assemblies to extended burnups is not expected to change the number of fissions in Zion 2 over the operating lifetime of the plant, therefore, the am unt of fission products generated by Zion 2 over its operating lifetime would not change due to the proposed program.
The licensee has been adding four low burnup spent fuel atsemblies from Zion 2 Cycle 1 and sixty new unieradiated fuel assemblies to Zion 2 during each annual refueling. The use of low burnup fuel assemblies from Zion 2 Cycle I will be postponed for one and possibly two cycles during the extended burnup program to irradiate the four spent fuel assemblies from Zion 1.
Af ter the extended burnup program is completed, the licensee intends to resume adding four 1cw Durnup spent 'ue' assemblies from Zion 2 Cycle I curing Zion 2 refueliags. Therefore, r e ":ensee could use up :
- "~t fuer nei.1ssenDlies cvig tne li:ense ::er:-iq lifeti e af LN Zion Unit 2.
Eight fuel assemblies are an insignificant fraction (about 0.3%) of all the fuel assemblies that could be expected to be used at Zion Unit 2.
Therefore, on the average, each fuel assembly will have the same magnitude of fission products as if the four assemblies were not irradiated to extended burnups. Based on this, we conclude that the proposed extended burnup program will have no significant effect on the envirormental impacts associated with the uranium fuel cycle and from shipping fuel and waste to and fron Zion Station.
Summa ry On the basis of the above, we conclude that it is acceptible from a radiological standpoint to operate Zion 2 with four fuel assemblies previously irradiated for 3 cycles in Zion 1 without additional restrictions ir, the Tecnnical Specifications beyond those propased by the licensee for the four fuel assemblies.
Conclusion and Basis for Negative Declara?on On the basis of our evaluation and information supplied by the licensce it is concluded that the proposed action will have no appreciable impact on the environment due to radiologicel ef fluents from the plant and will not af fect the cost-benefit balance.
Having reached these conclusions, the Commission has determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared for the proposed license amendment and that a Negative Declaration to this effect should De issued.
Date: March 7,1979