ML20245H234
| ML20245H234 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07003057 |
| Issue date: | 06/20/1989 |
| From: | Rouse L NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20245H224 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8906290432 | |
| Download: ML20245H234 (5) | |
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7590-01 U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY FOR A HEARING ISSUANCE OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIAL LICENSE NO. SNM-1986 TEXAS UTILITIES ELECTRIC COMPANY, ET. AL.
SOMERVELL COUNTY, TEXAS
-DOCKET NO. 70-3057 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is considering the issuance of Special Nuclear Material License No. SNM-1986 to Texas Utilities Electric Company, Texas Municipal Power Agency, and Tex-La Electric Cooperative of Texas, Inc., (the applicants) for the Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station, Unit 2, located in Somervell County, Texas.
SUMMARY
OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Identification of Proposed Action:
The proposed action would authorize the applicants to receive, possess, inspect, and store special nuclear material in the form of unirradiated fuel assemblies.
In addition, the license would authorize the applicants to receive, possess, inspect, store, and use neutron detector assembifes containing enriched U-235.
Because the detector assemblies are sealed, storage and use of these materials will pose no threat to the environment.
Therefore, the discussion below will be limited to assessing the potential for environmental impacts resulting from the handling and the storage of new fuel assemblies at Comanche Peak, Unit 2.
The Need for the Proposed Action:
The proposed license will allow the applicants to receive and store fresh fuel prior to issuance of the Part 50 8906290432 890622
[DR ADOCK 07003057 PNU
2 operating license in order to inspect the fuel assemblies and to finalize fuel preparation needed to load the fuel into the reactor vessel.
Actual core loading, however, will not be authorized by the proposed license.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action:
Once at Comanche Peak, Unit 2, the new fuel assemblies may be temporarily stored in their shipping containers prior to placement in their designated storage locations:
the new fuel storage racks and the spent fusi pool racks located in the Fuel Handling Building.
Temporary storage will be on the transportation vehicle or in the new fuel receipt area of the Fuel Building.
This temporary storage of assemblies in their shipping containers will present no significant environmental impact or significant radiation exposure to plant workers.
Upon removal of the fuel assemblies from the shipping containers, they are inspected and surveyed for external contamination.
The fuel assemblies are then transferred to their designated locations.
Criticality safety in the storage locations is maintained by limiting interaction between adjacent fuel assemblies.
In addition, the design of these storage locations, combined with plant procedures, will ensure acceptable protection of the general public and plant personnel either under normal or abnormal conditions.
Since the fresh fuel assemblies are sealed sources, the principal exposure pathway to an individual is via external radiation.
For a low-enriched uranium l
fuel assembly (<4 percent U-235 enrichment), the exposure at 1 foot from the surface is ns.nally less than 1 mR/hr; therefore, it is estimated that the exposure level to an individual from unirradiated fuel would be less than 25 l
percent of the maximum permissible exposure specified in 10 CFR Part 20.
l Because of the low radiation exposure levels associated with the requested materials and activities and the applicants' radiation protection procedures, l
the staff concludes that fuel handling and storage activities can be carried out without any significant occupational dose to workers or radiological impact to the environment.
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i Only a small amount, if any, of radioactive waste (e.g., smear papers and/or i
i contaminated packing material) is expected to be generated during fuel handling I
l and storage operations.
Any waste that is produced will be properly stored onsite until it can be shipped to a licensed disposal facility.
In the event that assemblies must be returned to the fuel fabricator, all packaging and transport of fuel will be in accordance with 10 CFR Part 71.
The package will meet NRC approval requirements for normal conditions of transport and hypothetical accident conditions.
No significant external radiation harards are associated with the unirradiated assemblies because the radiation level from the clad fuel pellets is low and because the shipping packages meet the external radiation standards in 10 CFR Part 71.
Therefore, any shipment of unirradiated fuel is expected to have an insignificant impact.
In the unlikely event that an assembly (either within or outside its shipping container) is dropped during transfer, fuel cladding is not expected to rupture.
Even if the cladding were breached and the pellets were released, an insignificant environmental impact would result.
The fuel pellets are composed of a ceramic UO that has been pelletized and sintered to a very high density.
2 In this form, release to UO aerosol is highly unlikely except under conditions 2
of deliberate grinding.
Additionally, U0 is soluble only in acid solution'so 2
dissolution and release to the environment are extremely unlikely.
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Conclusion:==
The environmental impacts associated with the handling and storage of new fuel at Comanche Peak, Unit 2, are expected to be insignificant.
Essentially no effluents, liquid or airborne, will be released, and acceptable l
I controls will be implemented to prevent a radiological accident.
Therefore, the staff concludes that there will be no significant impacts associated with the proposed action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action:
The principal alternative would be to deny the requested license.
Assuming the operating license will eventually be issued, denial of the storage only license would merely postpone new fuel
4 receipt at Comanche Peak, Unit 2.
Although denial of the special nuclear material license for Comanche Peak, Unit 2, is an alternative available to the Commission, it would be considered only if significant issues of public health and safety could not be resolved.
Alternative Use of Resources:
This action does not involve the use of resources not previously considered in connection with the Commission's Final Environmental Statement (NUREG-0775) dated September 1981 related to this facility.
j Agencies and Persons Consulted: The Commission's staff reviewed the applicants' request of January 29, 1988, and supplements dated March 25 and July 22, 1988, and May 4, 1989, and did not consult other agencies or persons.
Finding of No Significant Impact:
The Commission has prepared an Environmental Assessment related to the issuance of Special Nuclear Material License No.
On the basis of this assessment, the Commission has concluded that environmental impacts that would be created by the proposed licensing action would not be significant and do not warrant the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement.
Accordingly, _ it has been determined that a Finding of No Significant Impact is appropriate.
The Environmental Assessment and the above documents related to this proposed action are available for public inspection and copying at the Commission's Public Document Room at the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street NW., Washington, DC.
Copies of the Environmental Assessment may be obtained by calling (301) l 492-3358 or by writing to the Fuel Cycle Safety Branch, Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555.
OPPORTUNITY FOR A HEARING Any person whose ' interest may be affected by the issuance of this license may file a request for a hearing.
Any request for hearing must be filed with the
5 Executive Director for Operations, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555 within 30 days of the publication of this notice in the I
Federal Register, and must comply with the procedures set forth in the Co mission's regulation, 10 CFR Part 2, Subpart L, " Informal Hearing Procedures for Adjudications in Materials Licensing Proceedings." Subpart L of 10 CFR Part 2, which bec ae effective March 30, 1989, was published in the Federal Reoister on February 28, 1989.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this AO day of
, 1989.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION M cL Leland C. Rouse, Chief Fuel Cycle Safety Branch Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety, NMSS
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