ML20062L280
| ML20062L280 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Pilgrim |
| Issue date: | 12/21/1993 |
| From: | Butler W Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20062L282 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9312290271 | |
| Download: ML20062L280 (4) | |
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Er closure QNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BOSTON EDIS0N COMPANY PILGRIM NUCLEAR POWER STATION DOCKET N0. 50-293 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING 0F NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is considering the approval af an exemption, pursuant to 10 CFR 20.2301, from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B, Table 1, to Boston Edison Company, for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station (PNPS) located in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The requested exemption would allow the use of a derived air concentration (DAC) of 10 for krypton-89 and a DAC of 10'5 for xenon-137, instead of using the generic value DAC of 10~7 ACi/ml that is specified in Appendix B to 10 CFR 20.1001 - 20.2402 for these two radionuclides, when determining when an area is, and requires posting as, an airborne radioactivity area in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR Part 20.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Identification of the Proposed Action:
The proposed action would approve the use of the requested DAC values for posting airborne radioactivity areas at PNPS.
Posting of airborne l
radioactivity areas is required by 10 CFR Part 20 as one means of controlling occupational radiation exposure.
l The Need for the Proposed Action:
lhe Boston Edison Company (BEco) states the requested exemption is needed because krypton-89 and xenon-137 are a significant fraction of the noble gas radioactivity in a boiling water reactor (BWR) and the DAC of 10*7 9312290271 931221 PDR ADOCK 05000293 P
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, l pCi/ml specified in Appendix B to 10 CFR 20.1001 - 20.2402 is too small for these particular radionuclides.
BECo further states that the use of the 10'7
- Ci/ml value for the krypton-89 and xenon-137 DACs would cause over posting of airborne radioactivity areas, which erodes the significance of the posting and BEco also states that the use of the 10 #C1/ml value consumes resources.
for the krypton-89 and xenon-137 DACs would result in undue hardship and would overburden operational staff by posting areas that are normally not required to be posted while providing little to no benefit.
Environmental Imoacts of the Proposed Action:
The Commission has evaluated the environmental impact of the proposed action and has concluded that the use of the proposed DACs for posting airborne radioactivity areas will not result in any significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
The radiation doses
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corresponding to the DAC values requested by BEco for krypton-89 and xenon-137 are within the radiation dose limits that were used to calculate the DAC values for the other radioisotopes of krypton and. xenon that are listed in j
Appendix B to 10 CFR 20.1001-20.2402. The staff has determined that this exemption involves no significant increase in the amounts, and no significant change in the types, of any effluents that may be released. Accordingly, the Commission has concluded that there are no significant radiological 4
environmental impacts associated with the proposed exemption.
1 With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed approval l
would not affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no other i
environmental impact. Therefore, the Commission concludes that there is no significant nonradiological environmental impact associated with the proposed exemption.
t Alternatives to the Proposed Action:
Since the Commission has concluded that the environmental effects of the proposed action are not significant, any alternatives with equal or greater
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environmental impact need not be evaluated.
The principal alternative would be to deny the requested exemption.
i This would not reduce the environmental impact attributable to this facility.
Alternative Use of Resources:
This action does not involve the use of any resources not previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, dated May 1972.
Aaencies and Persons Consulted:
The NRC staff consulted with Dr. Keith Eckerman, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, to obtain calculations of relevant radiation dose conversion factors for krypton-89 and xenon-137.
FINDING OF N0 SIGNIFICANT IMPACT 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. Accordingly, the Commission has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed action.
For further details with respect to this action, see the application for exemption dated September 13, 1993, which is available for public inspection J
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O i at the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington DC 20555, and at the local public document room located at the i
Plymouth Public Library,11 North Street, Plymouth Massachusetts 02360.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day of December 1993.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION G
Y k, L. '
Walter R. Butler, Director Project Directorate I-3 Division of Reactor Projects - I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
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