ML20154D808
| ML20154D808 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | McGuire, Mcguire  |
| Issue date: | 05/13/1988 |
| From: | Matthews D Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20154D814 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8805190355 | |
| Download: ML20154D808 (6) | |
Text
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l 7590-01 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION DUKE POWER COMPANY DOCKET NOS. 50-369 AND 50-370 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING 0F NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is considering issuance of airendments to Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-9 and NPF-17, issued to Duke Power Company, (the licensee), for operation of the McGuire Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, located in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT identification of Propg ed Action:
The amendments would change Technical Specification (TS) 5.3.1 "Fuel Assemblies" to provide increased flexibility in the substitution of solid stainless steel rods and open water channels (i.e., vacancies) for fuel rods in reconstitutible fuel assemblies to be reinserted in the reactor core during a refueling outage.
Presently, TS 5.3.1 requires that each fuel assembly contain 264 fuel rods clad with Zircaloy-4, except that limited substitutions of fuel rods with filler rods consisting of Zircaloy-4 or stainless steel, or 1
by vacancies, may be made in peripheral fuel assemblies if justified by cycle-specific reload analyses.
The revised TS S.3.1 would require that each fuel 4
assembly nominally contain 264 fuel rods : lad with Zircaloy-4, except that substitutions of fuel rods by filler rods consisting of Zircaloy-4 or stainless steel, or by vacancies, may be made in fuel assemblies if justified by cycle-l 8905190355 080513 0500g9 DR ADOCK
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i
' specific reload analyses using NRC-approved methodology.
The proposed revision would also state that should more than 30 rods in the core, or 10 rods in any assembly, be replaced per refueling, a special report describing the number of rods replaced would be submitted to the Connission pursuant to Specification 6.9.2 within 30 days af ter cycle startup.
The Need for the Proposed Action:
The proposed TS change which removes TS requirements concerning "limited substitutions" and "peripheral fuel assemblies" is needed to provide increased ope ~ tional flexibility.
Under the proposed change, limitations on fuel rod substitutions or omissions and limitations regarding core locations are those implicit in the justifying analyses required to be performed by the licensee for each fuel cycle using NRC-approved methodology to demonstrate that existing design limits and safety analyses criteria continue to be met.
The proposed flexibility is intended to provide for improved fuel performance by permitting the timely removal of individual fuel rods which are found to be leaking during a refueling outage.
The requirement for special reporting is proposed in response to the NRC's request to be informed in the event a significant deviation from past fuel performances should be observed during a refueling outage.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action:
The purpose of the change is to provide for reductions in future occup:tional radiation exposure and plant radiological releases through improvements in the licensee's fuel performance program.
The licensee's present goal for fuel reliability improvement is that the cycle average steady-state Iodine-131 activity, corrected for tramp contribution and normalized to a common purification rate, remain below 0.02 microcuries per gram.
This corresponds to about 12 leaking fuel rods.
The licensee's goal is to achieve one-half the present goal, or
0.01 microcuries per gram, by 1990 and beyond.
This will be achieved, in part, by an action plan of outage inspections and reconstitution; if the I-131 activity exceeds 0.05 microcuries per gram anytime during the cycle, then all of the reconstitutable assemblies to be reinserted will be examined by special ultrasonic testing (UT) ecuipment for defects in individual failed rods and results used for r'. constitution decisions.
Fuel handling, UT, and reconstitution of failed asser:9 sies of a reconstitutable top-nozzle design would be conducted in parallel during refueling outages.
The licensee estimates the fuel improvement program will reduce the total station occupational dose by at least 5 to 10 percent. Radiological releases from the station during normal operation would also be significantly reduced because of improved fuel performance.
The Commission has completed its review of the proposed amendments to revise the TS. The revision does not result in any significant adverse change in the process for determining the adequacy for reload designs and plant operation.
The licensee will continue to justify each cycle specific relead by analyses using NRC-approved methodology in order to demonstrate that existing design and operating limits are mJt in advance of operation.
Therefore, the proposed change does not increase the probability or consequences of accidents.
As discussed above, no adverse changes are being made it; the types or amounts of effluents that may be released offsite, and there is no significant increase in the allowable individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that this proposed action would result in no significant adverse radiological environmental impact.
With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed change to the TS involves systems located within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20.
It does not affect non-radiological plant effluents and has no other L
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environmental impact.
Therefore, the Commission concludes that there are no significant non-radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed amendment.
Oll!CE!!!!!.19.10!EC2295!9.0$11901 Since the Commission concluded that there are no significant environmental effects that would result from the proposed action, any alternatives with eoual or greater environmental impacts need not be evaluated.
The principal alternative would be to deny the requested amendments.
This would not reduce environrental impacts of plant operation and would result in reduced operational flexibility.
Alternative Use of Resources:
This action does not involve the use of resources not previously considered in the "Final Environmental Statement Relating to Operation of William 8. McGuire -
Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2." dated April 1976 or its addendum dated January 1981.
OS!EE11S_!E$_f!CSEDS.Cggsu!!ggi The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's request and did not consult other agencies or persons.
FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The Commission has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed license amendment.
Based upon the foregoing environmental assessment, we conclude that the proposed action will not have a significant adverse effect on the quality of the human environment.
. For further details with respect to this action, see the application for amendments dated April 1,1988 and a previous application of February 5,1988 which it replaced. Also see D. Hood memorandum of April 1, 1988, entitled "Summary of March 28, 1988 meeting on TS channes R9 d '., bse of Steel Rods and Open Water Channels in Reconsititutable fuel Assemblies." These documents are available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, 1717 H Street, N.
W., Washington, D.C., and at the Atkins Library, University of North Carolina, Charlotte (UNCC Station), North Carolina 28223.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 13*h day of May 1988.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Original signed by:
David B. Matthews, Director Project Directorate it-3 Division of Reactor Projects I/li Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 9
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"PD'II-3 Rhading MRood DHood May 13, 1988 ooOKET No. s. 50-369 50-370 I
Rules and Procedures Branch MEMORANOUM FOR:
Division of Rules and Records Office of Administration FT.0M:
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation l
l susJECT:
McGuire Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2 (Duke Power Company) l i
t One signed original of the Federal Reg / ster Notice identified below is enclosed for your transmittal to the Office of the Federal
(
Register for publication. Additional conformed copies (
5 )of the Notice are enclosed for your use.
Notice of Receipt of Application for Construction Permit (O and Operadng License (s).
Notice of Receipt of Partial Application for Construction Perrn 4.) and Facility License (s): Time for Submission of Views on Antitrust Matters.
Notice of Consideration ofissuance of Amendment to Facility Operating License.
Notice of Receipt of Application for Facility License (s); Notice of Avaltability of Applicant's Environmental Report; and l
Notice of Consideration of issuance of Facility License (s) and Notice of Opportunity for Heanng.
Notice of Availability of NRC Draf t/ Final Environmental Statement.
)
Notice of Limited Work Authorization.
I Notice of Availability of Safety Evaluation Report.
Notice of issuance of Construction Permit (s).
Notice of Issuance of Facility Operating License (s) of Amendment (s).
O' der.
Exemption.
Notice of Granting Exemption.
Environmental Assessment.
Notice of Preparation of Environmental Assessment.
Other:
1 I
Of fice of Nuclear Reactor Regulation l
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Enclosure:
As stated
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