ML20198R394

Environ Assessment & Finding of No Significant Impact Re Exemption from Requirements of 10CFR70.24,which Requires in Each Area Where Special Nuclear Matl Handled,Used or Stored Monitoring Sys That Will Energize Clear Audible Alarms

ML20198R394
Person / Time
Site:	Davis Besse
Issue date:	10/30/1997
From:	Marcus G NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:
Shared Package
ML20198R397	List: ML20198R394
References
NUDOCS 9711130263
Download: ML20198R394 (4)

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7590-01-P UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION IQLEDO EC 3ON COMPANY CENTERIOR SERVICE COMPANY 1

8.N.Q THE CLEVELAND ELECTRIC ILLUMINATING COMPANY

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DOCKET NO. 50-346 DAVIS-BESSE NUCLEAR POWER STATION. UNIT 1 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is considering issuance of an exemption from certain requirements of its regulations to Facility Operating License No.

NPF-3, issued to Toledo Edison Company, Centerior Service Company, and The Cleveland Electric illuminating Company (the licensees), for operation of tne Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station, Unit 1, located in Ottawa County, Ohio.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Identification of the Proposed Action:

The proposed action would exempt the licensees from the requirements of 10 CFR 70.24, which requires in each area in which special nuclear material is handled, used, or stored a monitoring system that will energize clear audible alarms if accidental criticality occurs. The proposed action would also exempt the licens.-.es from the requirements to maintain emergency procedures for each area in which this licensed special nuclear material is handled, used, or stored to ensure that all personnel withdraw to an area of safety upon 9711130263 971030 PDR ADOCK 05000346 P

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the sounding of the alarm, to familiarize personnel with the evacuation plan, to designate

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responsible individuals for determining the cause of the alarm, and to place radiation survey I

instrurrents in accessible locations for use in such an emergency.

The proposed action is in accordance with the licensees' application for exemption i

dated January 30,1997, as supplemented May 28 and October 3,1997.

Ihgjeed for the Proposed Action:

j The purpose of 10 CFR 70.24 is to ensure that if a criticality were to occur during the i

handling of special nuclear material, personnel would be alerted to that fact and would take appropriate action. At a commercial nuclear power plant, the inadvertent critle,ality with which j

10 CFR 70.24 is concemed could occur during fuel handling operations. The special nuclear j

material that could be assembled into a critical mass at a commercial nuclear power plant is in the form of nuclear fuel; the quantity of other forms of special nuclear material that is stored onsite in any given location is small enough to preclude achieving a critical mass, Because the fuelis not enriched beyond 5.0 weight percent uranium-235, and because commercial nuclear plant licensees have procedures and design features that prevent i

i-inadvertent criticality, the staff has determined that it is unlikely that an inadvertent criticality could occur due to the handling of special nuclear material at a commercial power reactor.

Therefore, the requirements of 10 CFR 70.24 are not necessary to ensure the safety of j

personnel during the handling of special nuclear materials at commercial power reactors.

i Environmental imoacts of the Proposed Action:

The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and concludes that inadver+.ent or accidental criticality will be precluded through compliance with the Davis-i Besse Technical Specifications, the design of the fuel storage racks providing geometric i

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i-spacing of fuel assemblies in their storage locations, and administrative controls imposed on I

l fuel handling procedures.

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The proposed exemption would not result in an increase in the probability or consequences of accidents, affect radiological plant effluents, or cause any significant occupetional exposures. Therefore, there are no radiological impacts associated with the proposed exemption.

i The proposed exemption does not result in a change in nonradiological effluents and I

will have no other nonradiological environmental impact.

Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

Attematives to the Proposed Action:

Since the Commission has concluded that there is no measurable environmental impact associated with the proposed action, any attomatives with equal or greater environmental impact need not be evaluated. As an attomative to the proposed oxemption, the staff considered denial of the requested exemption. Denial of the request would result in no change in current environmantal impacts. The environmental impacts of the proposed action and the altamative action are similar.

Altemative Use of Resources-This action does not involve the use of any resources not previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement related to the operation of Davis-Besse dated October 1975.

Aaencies and Persons Consulted:

In accordance with its stated policy, on July 30,1997, the staff consulted with the Ohio State offi,cial, Carol O'Claire, of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency,

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regading the environmentalimpact of the proposed action. The State official had no i

comments.

f FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT l

Based upon the environmental ' assessment, the Commission concludes that the i

proposed action will not have a nignificant effect on the quality of the human environment.

Accordingly, the Commission has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed action.

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For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the licensees' letters dated 1

l January 30, May 28, and October 3,1997, which are available for public inspecilon at the 1

j Commission's Public Document Room located at the Gelman Building,2120 L Street, NW.,

i Washington, DC, and at the local public document rocm located at the University of Toledo, i

l William Carlson Library, Govemment Documents Cc!Iection,2801 West Bancroft Avenue, Toledo, OH 43606, 1

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30thday of October 1997.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION i

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m Gail H. Marcus, Director Project Directorate ill-3 Division of Reactor Projects Ill/IV Office of Nuclear Reactor Regu!stion g

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