ML20058D675

Environmental Assessment & Fonsi in Consideration of Issuance of Exemption from Requirements of 10CFR140.11(a)(4) to License DPR-54

ML20058D675
Person / Time
Site:	Rancho Seco
Issue date:	11/12/1993
From:	Dudley R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:
Shared Package
ML20058D632	List: ML20058D629 ML20058D648 ML20058D675
References
NUDOCS 9312030257
Download: ML20058D675 (4)

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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION SACRAMENTO MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT RANCHO SECO NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION DOCKET NO. 50-312 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission (the Comission) is considering issuance of an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 140.ll(a)(4) to Facility Operating License No. DPR-54, issued to the Sacramento Municipal District (SMUD or the licensee), for the Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating l

Station located at the licensee site in Sacramento County, California.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT i

Identification of Proposed Action-The proposed action would grant an exemption from the requirements from 10 CFR 140.11(a)(4) to the extent that primary financial protection in the amount of $100,000,000 shall be maintained and exemption from participation in the industry retrospective rating plan (secondary level financial protection) for the Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station. The licensee requested the exemption in a letter dated November 14, 1990, and supplemented by letter i

dated October 15, 1992.

The Need for the Proposed Action:

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The Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station (Rancho Seco) was permanently shut down on June 7,1989, and completely defueled on December 8,1989. The NRC in license Amendment No.117, dated March 17, 1992, modified Facility Operating License DPR-54 to a Possession Only License (POL). The license is

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conditioned so that SMUD is not authorized to operate or place fuel in the 9312030257 931119 PDR ADOCK 05000312 P

pon i

l l i reactor vessel, thus formalizing the licensee commitment to permanently cease power operations. The plant has not operated for approximately four years and I

three months and radioactive decay has significantly reduced the radioactive j

nuclide inventory and decay heat of the spent fuel. Since a sufficieat spent fuel cooling period of three years has elapsed, the potential for causing significant offsite consequences no longer exists at Rancho Seco. Therefore, the requested exemption addresses two areas for relief in financial protection requirements:

(1) a reduction in the primary financial prctection coverage requirements from $200,000,000 to $100,000,000 and (2) withdrawal from participation in the industry retrospective rating plan. Since Rancho Seco no longer contributes as great a risk to the industry retrospective rating plan participants as an operating plant, this reduction in risk should be reflected in the indemnification requirements to which the licensee is subject.

Approval of this request would allow a more equitable allocation of financial risk.

1 Environmental Impact of the Proposed Action:

The proposed action does not involve any environmental impacts.

The proposed exemption is in a subject area, changes in surety, insurance and/or indemnity requirements, for which the Commission in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(10) has determined that a license amendment would meet the criteria for categorical exclusion from the need for either an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement.

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Since the proposed action does not involve a change in plant operation or configuration, there is reasonable assurance that the proposed action would not increase the probability or the consequences of an accident or reduce the margin of safety, no changes would be made in the types or quantities of effluents that may be released offsite, and there would be no significant increase in the allowable individual or cumulative radiation exposure.

Accordingly, the Commission concludes that this proposed action would result in no significant radiological environmental impact.

With regard potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed action does not affect non-radiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. Therefore, the Commission concludes that there are no significant non-radiological impacts associated with the proposed action.

Alternatives to the Procosed Action:

Since the Commission has concluded that there are no measurable environmental impacts associated with 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 plant operation 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 resources not previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for the Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station dated March 1973.

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. i Aaencies and Persons Qonsulted:

The NRC staff consulted with a representative of the State of California regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action.

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT:

The Comission has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed exemption.

I 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 November 14, 1990, and supplemented by letter dated October 15, 1992, which is available for public inspection at the i

Commission Public Document Room, Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW.,

Washington, DC 20555, and at the Local Public Document Room for the Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station at the Central Library, Government Documents, l

828 I Street, Sacramento, California 95814.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 12th day of November 1993.

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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 f

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