ML20058N043

Environ Assessment & Finding of No Significant Impact Re Proposed Exemption from 10CFR70.24 That Would Allow Irradiated or Unirradiated Fuel Assemblies to Be Handled & Stored in Facilities Fuel Handling Bldg

ML20058N043
Person / Time
Site:	San Onofre
Issue date:	08/09/1990
From:	Larkins J Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:
Shared Package
ML20058N047	List: ML20058N043
References
NUDOCS 9008130183
Download: ML20058N043 (3)

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j 7590-01 j

1 Uf!!TED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COPtilSSION SOUTHErl; CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY. ET AL.

l SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION UNIT N05. 2 AND 3 l

DOCKET NOS. 50-361 AND 50-362 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AllD FINDING OF i;0 SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TheU.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommission(theCommission)isconsidering issuance of an exemption to Facility Operating License No. NPF-10 and Facility Operating License No. NPF-15 issued to Southern California Edision Company, San Diego Gas and Electric Company, the City of Riverside California, ett6. the City of Anaheim, California (the licensee), for operation of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 2 and 3, located in San Diego County, California.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Identification of Proposed Action The proposed exemption from 10 CFR 70.24 would allow-irradiated or unirradiated fuel assemblies to be handled and stored in the San Onofre Unit i

Nos. 2 and 3 fuel handling building without having two criticality monitoring systems. The exemption would be subject to the restriction that no more than one fuel assembly be outside an approved shipping container, storage rack, or the fuel transfer carriage at any time, although two fuel assemblies may be in the fuel transfer carriage.

The Need for the Proposed Action The proposed exemption is required to permit refueling operations at San Onofre Units 2 and 3 to be conducted without installing the criticality 1

detection systems specified by 10 CFR 70.24. Also, it will fctiiittte cci.it 01 9008130183 900809 PDR ADOCK 05000361 P

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element assembly transfers, neutron source transfers, efficient core offloads / fuel shuffled, and provide temporary setdown locations when. fuel handling difficulties occur in the reactor vessel.

Environmental Impacts of the Porposed Action The proposed action would not involve a significant change in the probability or consequences of any accident previously evaluated, nor does it involve a new or different kind of accident.

Consequently, ary radiological releases resulting from an accident would not be significantly greater that previously determined. The proposed exemption does not otherwise affect routine radiological plant effluents. Therefore,-the Commission concludes that there are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated

..with the proposed exemption. The Commission also concludes that the proposed action will not result in a significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.

With regard to nonradiological impacts, the proposed exemption does not affect nonradiological plant effluents and have no other environmental impact.

Therefore, the Commission concludes that there are no significant nonradiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed exemption.

Alternative to the Proposed Action Since the Commission concluded that there are no significant environmental effects that would result from the proposed action, any alternatives with equal or greater environmental impacts need not be evaluated.

L The principal alternative would be to deny the requested exemption.

This would not reduce environmental impacts of plant operation and would result in reduced operational flexibility.

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Alternative Use of Resources i

i This action does not involve the use of resources not previously considered in connection with the Final Environmental Statement related to the operation of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Units 2 and 3, dated April 1981 and its Errata dated June 1981.

Agencies and Persons Consulted The NRC staff reviewed the licensee's request that supports the proposed exemption, and did not consult other agencies or persons.

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The Comission has determined not to prepare an environmental impact l

l statement for the proposed exemption.

Based upon the foregoing environmental assessment, we conclude 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 application for I

exemption dated July 5, 1990 which is available for public inspection at the Comission's Public Document Room, 2120 L Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20555, and at the Main Library, University of California, P.O. Box 19557, Irvine, California 92173, l

A Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 9 day of ugust

1990, 1

i FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION John T. Larkins, Acting Director Project Directorate Y Division of Reactor Projects - III, IV, Y and Special Projects Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

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