ML20209H374
| ML20209H374 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Yankee Rowe |
| Issue date: | 01/22/1987 |
| From: | Mckenna E Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20209H343 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8702060037 | |
| Download: ML20209H374 (5) | |
Text
..
7590-01 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION YANKEE ATOMIC ELECTRIC COMPANY YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION DOCKET NO.50-029 NOTICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Connission) is considering issuance of an exemption from certain requirements of 10 CFR 50.62 to Yankee Atomic Electric Company (the licensee) for the Yankee Nuclear Power Station (Yankee) located at the licensee's site near Rowe, Massachusetts.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Identification of Proposed Action:
The exemption would provide relief from requirements of 10 CFR 50.62 for the Yankee Nuclear Power Station. The proposed exemption is in accordance with the licensee's request for exemption submitted by letters dated October 15, 1985 and January 21, 1987.
The Need for the Proposed Action:
10 CFR 50.62, " Reduction of Risk from Anticipated Transients Without Scram (ATWS) Events for Light-Water-Cooled Nuclear Power Plants," requires that each pressurized water reactor must have equipment from sensor output to final actuation device, that is diverse from the reactor trip system, to automatically initiate the auxiliary (or emergency) feedwater system and initiate a turbine trip under conditions indicative of an ATWS.
For the Yankee
%FA88u81848g,,
7590-01 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION YANKEE ATOMIC ELECTRIC COMPANY YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION DOCKET NO.50-029 NOTICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT i
The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission (the Comission) is considering issuance of an exemption from certain requirements of 10 CFR 50.62 to Yankee
~
Atomic Electric Company (the licensee) for the Yankee Nuclear Power Station (Yankee) located at the licensee's site near Rowe, Massachusetts.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT 4
Identification of Proposed Action:
),
The exemption would provide relief from requirements of 10 CFR 50.62 for I
the Yankee Nuclear Power Station. The proposed exemption is in accordance with the licensee's request for exemption submitted by letters dated October 15, 1985 and January 21, 1987.
The Need for the Proposed Action:
10 CFR 50.62, " Reduction of Risk from Anticipated Transients Without Scram (ATWS) Events for Light-Water-Cooled Nuclear Power Plants," requires that i
J each pressurized water reactor must have equipment from sensor output to final actuation device, that is diverse from the reactor trip system, to i
j automaticallyinitiatetheauxiliary(oremergency)feedwatersystemand initiate a turbine trip under conditions indicative of an ATWS.
For the Yankee l
FM88Ngggg,
7590-01,
plant, the licensee maintains that the risk from ATWS is sufficiently low, considering such factors as power level, unique design features, remaining plant lifetime and remote siting, that addition of diverse actuation of emergency feedwater and turbine trip is not necessary or justified.
Therefore, the licensee requested an exemption to these requirements in its October 15, 1985 and 1anuary 21, 1987 application.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action:
The proposed exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 50.62 for Yankee will
~
not result in a significant environmental impact because:
(1) the Yankee plant is a relatively small pressurized water reactor, about one-fifth the size of new plants. There are significant margins in secondary system inventory, and system operating temperatures and pressure; (2) the plant is located in a sparsely populated area; (3) the long operating history of Yankee shows that the frequency of plant trips / transients is lower than the industry average and that the emergency feedwater system has never been challenged; and (4) the reactor trip system at Yankee does not utilize undervoltage trip devices; a loss of power to the trip breaker also de-energizes the rod holding coils so the rods will insert by gravity. Thus, the likelihood of core melt or radiological release from an ATWS at Yankee is low.
Our evaluation of the proposed exemption indicates that the exemption will not significantly increase the probability or consequences of any radiological releases, and there is no significant increase in occupational exposures. Therefore, the Comission concludes that there are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with this proposed exemption.
7590-01.
With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed exemption involves systems located entirely within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20.
It does not affect non-radiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. Therefore, the Commission concludes that there are no significant non-radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed exemption.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action:
Since we have concluded that the environmental effects of the proposed action are not significant, any alternatives with equal or greater environmental impacts need not be evaluated.
The principal alternative would be to deny the requested exemption.
This would not reduce the environmental impacts and could result in the licensee being in violation of the Commission's regulations.
Alternative Use of Resources:
This action does not involve the use of resources beyond the scope of resources used during normal plant operation.
Agencies and Persons Consulted:
The NRC staff reviewed the licensee's request and did not consult other agencies or persons.
FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The Ccmmission has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed exemption.
7590-01.
O 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 request for exemption submittals dated October 15, 1985 and January 21, 1987 which are available for public inspection at the Comission's Public Document Room,1717 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
20555, and at the Greenfield Community College, 1 College Drive, Greenfield, Massachusetts 01301.
Dated at Bethesda, Maryland, this 22nd day of January of 1987.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION IC AK Eileen M. McKenna, Acting Director Project Directorate #1 Division of PWR Licensing-A 1
- r. -
JAN 2 21387 s
Distribution Copies:
{MIUi@t NRC PDR Local PDR TNovak Glear EMcKenna PShuttleworth OGC-Bethesda EJordan BGrimes JPartlow ACRS (10)
OPA PAD #1 r/f PAD #1 s/f LFMB (TAC No. 60037)
.