ML20058A626
| ML20058A626 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Trojan File:Portland General Electric icon.png |
| Issue date: | 11/12/1993 |
| From: | Dudley R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20058A584 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9312010152 | |
| Download: ML20058A626 (6) | |
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7590-01 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY. ET. AL.
TROJAN NUCLEAR PLANT DOCKET NO. 50-344 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING 0F NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an exemption to Facility Operating License No. NPF-1, issued to Portland General Electric Company (PGE or the licensee), for the Trojan Nuclear Plant (Trojan), a permanently shutdown plant, located in Columbia County, Oregon, on the west bank of the Columbia River.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Identification of the Proposed Action:
The proposed action would grant an exemption from the requirements of Title 10 Part 50.54(w) of the Code of Federal Reaulations (10 CFR 50.54(w)],
which requires that each electric utility licensee maintain a minimum insurance coverage, or equivalent, of $1.06 billion for stabilization of the l
reactor and the decontamination of the reactor and the reactor station site in the event of an accident.
The licensee requested the exemption in a letter dated July 8, 1993. The licensee committed, in the July 8, 1993 letter, to maintain for Trojan decontamination insurance, or demonstrate an equivalent level of protective coverage, in the amount of $5 million. The licensee
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stated, in the July 8, 1993 letter, that the $5 million is appropriate for postulated design basis accidents at a facility that.is permanently defueled.
i 9312010152 931112 PDR ADDCK 05000344 J
The Need for the Proposed Action:
The requirements of 10 CFR 50.54(w) were promulgated to assure that sufficient funds were available at an operational facility to first stabilize the reactor and next to decontaminate the reactor and the reactor station site in the event of a major accident.
On February 2, 1993, the licensee informed the NRC that Trojan had permanently ceased power operati'ons, all fuel had been removed from the reactor to the spent fuel pool, and that PGE had begun to develop detailed plans to decommission the facility. On March 24, 1993, the NRC staff issued a confirmatory order that prohibits the licensee from placing any nuclear fuel into the Trojan reactor.
Furthermore, on May 5, 1993, the NRC staff issued an amendment to the license for Trojan that allows PGE to possess, but not operate, the nuclear plant. When compared to an operational power reactor facility, the status of Trojan provides a significantly reduced risk from a radiological release and subsequent contamination of the site.
Furthermore, with the removal of the fuel from the reactor there is no longer any need to assure there are sufficient funds available to stabilize and decontaminate the reactor in the event of an accident.
lhe range of credible accidents and accident consequences for Trojan are reduced because of its shutdown and defueled condition.
The types of accidents defined in the regulation,10 CFR 50.54(w)(2)(1), are not likely to occur at the facility.
The licensee analysis shows that the worst case design basis accident for the facility, in its permanently shutdown defueled state,
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! i is a fire in the radioactive waste annex building. The licensee calculated that the postulated fire in the Trojan radioactive waste annex would result in an estimated cleanup cost of $4.9 million. To provide a conservative estimate 4
the licensee estimated the cost to recover from the fire and added a 25 percent cushion to arrive at the value of $4.9 million.
The staff agrees that the estimate to recover from the fire is conservative.
The licensee also considered a second design basis' accident scenario, a fuel handling accident involving the spent fuel stored in the spent fuel pool. The licensee estimated site decontamination cost for the fuel handling accident at
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50.5 million.
This estimate also contains the 25 percent cushion. The staff finds the licensee analysis consistent with past industry events. The steff also requested that the licensee examine a hypothetical accident sequence involving the complete or partial loss of water from the spent fuel pool as a result of a major seismic event near the plant. This beyond design basis accident, describe in NUREG-1353, could result in a zirconium fuel cladding fire in some of the recently irradiated spent reactor fuel stored in the spent fuel pool resulting in a significant radioactive release, and associated site contamination.
Based on the licensee evaluation, and the NRC staff review of i
the evaluation, the staff concludes that the likelihood of a beyond design basis cladding fire in the spent fuel pool resulting in significant onsite contamination is extremely remote and insurance coverage to recover from this accident scenario is unnecessary.
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s Based on a thorough evaluation of potential accidents at the Trojan site, the staff concludes that a significant reduction in onsite liability coverage to stabilize and decontaminate the site is warranted.
Environmental Imoacts of the Proposed Action:
The proposed action does not involve any measurable environmental impacts, since the facility configuration or plant operations will not change.
PGE conducted a safety analysis in support of the exemption request which documents that there is no credible accident sequence that would result in significant onsite contamination or radiation doses greater than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Protective Action Guides.
The NP.C staff, based on independent evaluation, finds that the licensee analyses demonstrates sufficient bases to conclude that the consequences of radiological accidents which may potentially result in a radiological release or site contamination are greatly decreased for Trojan given the permanently shutdown and defueled status of the facility. A reduction in onsite liability insurance coverage is therefore warranted.
Therefore, the proposed action does not increase the probability or consequences of any 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 occupational radiation exposure onsite.
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that this proposed action would result in no significant radiological environmental impact.
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s With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed action does not affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no other environmental f
impact. Therefore, the Commission concludes that there are no significant nonradiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Alternative to the Proposed Action:
Since the Commission concluded that there are no significant environmental effects that would result from the proposed action, any alternative with equal or greater environmental impacts need not be evaluated.
The principal alternative would be to deny the action. This would not reduce environmental impacts of activities at the plant and would not enhance the protection of the environment nor public health and safety.
Alternative Use of Resources:
This action does not involve the use of any resources not previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for the Trojan Nuclear Plant, dated August 1973.
Aaencies and Persons Consulted:
The NRC staff consulted with representatives of the State of Oregon Department of Energy regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The State representatives had no comment.
FINDING 0F NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT:
The Commission has determined not to preparo an environmental impact statement for the proposed exemption.
.s Based upon the foregoing environmental assessment, the Commission concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment.
For further details with respect to this action, see the licensee application for exemption dated July 8,1993, which is available for public inspection at the Commission Public Document Room, Gelman Building, i
2120 L Street, NW., Washington, 'DC 20555, and at the Local Public Document Room for the Trojan Nuclear Plant at the Branford Price Millar Library, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon 97207.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 12th day of November 1993.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Richard F. Dudley, Jr., Acting Director Non-Power Reactors and Decommissioning Project Directorate Division of Operating Reactor Support Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation