ML20199J884
| ML20199J884 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Limerick  |
| Issue date: | 01/23/1998 |
| From: | Buckley B NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20199J888 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9802060059 | |
| Download: ML20199J884 (4) | |
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7590-01.P QNITED STA ES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC COMPANY DOCKET No. 60 352 LIMERICK GENERATING STATION. UNIT.1 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF j
NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT i
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatey Commission (the Commission) is considering issuance of en exemplic.: from certain requirements of !!a regulations for Facility Operating Lloonse i'
No. NPF.39 lasued to Philadelphia Electric Company (the licensee), for operation of the Limerick Generating Station (LGS), Unit 1, located in Montgomery and Chat'or Counties, Pennsylvania.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Identification of the Proposed Action:
The proposed action would exempt Philadciphia Electric Company from the requirements of 10 CFR 70.24(a), which requires in each area in which special nuclear materia!Is handled, used, or stored, a monitoring system that will energize clear audible alarms if accidental criticality eccurs. The proposed action would also exempt the licensee 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 w;thdraw to an area of safety upon the sounding of the alarm, to familiarize personnel with the evacuation plan, and to designate responsible individuals for determining the cause of the alarm, and to place radiction survey instruments in accessible locations for use in such an emergency..
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i 2-The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's apphMion for exemption dated December 23,1997.
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IhgEeed for the Pronosed Action-The purpose of 10 CFR 70.24 is to ensure that if a enticality were to occur during the handling of special nuclear material, personnel would be alerted to that fact and would take j
appropriate action. At a commerical nuclear power plant the inadvertent criticality with which 10 CFR 70.24 is concemed could occur during fuel handling operations. The special nuclear 1
material that could be assembled into a critical
- ass 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 on site in any given location is small enough to preclude achieving a critical mass. Because the fuel is not enriched beyond 5.0 weight percent Uranium-235 and because commercial nuclear plant licensees have procedures and design features that prevent inadvertent criticality, the staff has determined that it is unlikely that an inadverient criticality could occur due to the handling of i
spe%I nuclear material at a commercial power reactor. The requirements of 10 CFR 70.24(a),
4 therefore, are not necesssary to ensure the safety of personnel during the handling of special l
nuclear materials at commercial power reactors, However, an exemption to 10 CFR 70.24(a) is needed to permit deviation from these requirements.
Environmentalimemcis of the Proposed Action:
The Commission has completed hs evaluation of the proposed action and concludes that the proposed action involves features located entirely within the protected area as defined in 10 CFR
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Part 20.
N proposed action will not resuN in an increase in the probability or consequences of accidents or result in a change in occupational or offsite dose. Therefore, there are no radiological impacts assoelated with the proposed action.
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The proposed action will not result in a change in nonradiological plant emuents and will have
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no other nonradiological environmental impact.
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i Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no environmentalimpacts associated with this action.
l Altematives to the Pmoosed Action:
Since the Commission has conduded there is no measurable environmental impact i
j associated with the p,oposed action, any attematives with equal or greater environmental impact need not be evaluated. As an altemative to the proposed exemption, the staff considered denial of the requested exemption. Denial of the request would result in no change in current environmentalimpacts. The environmentalimpacts of the proposed action and the altemative action are similar.
ANemative 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 Limerick Generating Station, Units 1 l.
and 2,* dated November 1g73.
Agangles and Persons Consulted:
In accordance with its stated policy, on January 23, igg 8, the staff consulted with the Pennsylvania State omcial, Mr. David Ney of the Bureau of Radiation Protection, Department of Envirorsmental Protection, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The State official had no comments.
FINDING.0F NO SIGNIElCANTJMPACI Based upon the environmental assessment, the Commission concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment.
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Accordingy, the Commission has determined not to prepare an environmental impact s'r nrwnt for the proposed action.
For further details with resped to the proposed scuon, see the licensee's kim AN December 23,1997, which is available for public inspection at the Commission's Pu%a Document Room, The Gelman Building,2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC, and at the local public document room located at the Pottstown Public Ubrary, 500 High street, Pettstown, PA 19464.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 23rd day ofJanuary1998.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGUL ATORY COMMISSION Bartholomew C. Buckley, Senior Project Manager Project Directorate 6 2 Division of Reactor Projects - t/11 office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation L
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