ML20249B795
| ML20249B795 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Cooper  |
| Issue date: | 05/14/1998 |
| From: | Hall J NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20249B796 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9806240225 | |
| Download: ML20249B795 (5) | |
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7590-01 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY OOMMISSION NEBRASKA PUBLIC POWER DISTMQI DOCKET NO. 50-298 COOPER NUCLEAR STATION 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 for Facility Operating License No.
DRP-46 issued to Nebraska Public Power District (the licsnsee), for operation of Cooper Nuclear Station located in Nemaha County, Nebraska.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSGSMENT Identification of Proposed Action:
The proposed action would exempt N.5raska Public Power District from the requirements of 10 CFR 70.24, which require a monitoring system that will energize clear audible alarms if accidental crio lity occurs in each area in which special nuclear material is handled, used, or stored. The proposed action would also exempt the licensee from the requirements ta maintain emergency procedures for each area in which this licensed special nuclear material is handled, j
used, or stored to ensure that all personnel withdraw to an area of safety upon the sounding of i
the alarm, to familiarize personnel with the evacuation plan, and to designate responsible individuals for determining the cause of the alarm, and to place radiation survey instruments in accessible locations for use in such an emergency.
The prr$ 0 sed action is in accordance with the licensee's application for exemption dated February 23,1998.
9006240225 980514
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hDR ADOCK 05000298 PDR L---------------
2 The Need for the Proposed Action:
T he purpose of 10 CFR 70.24 is to ensure that if a criticality were to occur dwing the handling of special nuclear material, personnel would be alerted to that fact and would take appropriate action. At a commercial nudser power plant the inadvertent criticality with which 10 CFR 70.24 is concemed could occur during fu.;.5endling operations. The special nuclear material that could be assembled into a et.dcai nrass 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
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is not enriched beyond 5.0 weight percent Uranium 235 and because commercial nuclear plant g
E licensees have procedures and design featuret that prevent inadvertent criticality, the staff has determined that it is unlikely that an inadvertent criticality could occur due to the handling of
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special nuclear material at a commercial power toactor. The requirements of 10 CFR 70.24, therefore, are not necessary to ensure the safety of personnel during the handling of s'pecial nuclear materials at commercial power reactors.
Environmentalimpacts of the Proposed Action:
The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and concludes that there is no significant environmentalimpact if the exemption is giunted. Inadvertent or accidental criticality will be precluded through compliance with the Cooper Nuclear Station Technical Specifications (TSs), the design of the fuel storage racks providing geometric spacing of fuel assemblies in their storage locations, and adminutrative controls imposed on fuel 1
E handling procedures. TSs requirements specify re3ctivity limits for the fuel storage racks and
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1 minimum spacing between the fuel assen:blies in the storage racks.
1 K
.g.,,
Appendix A of 10 CFR Part 50, " General Design Cetteria for Nuclear Power Plants,"
Criterion 62, requires the cribcality in the fuel storage and handling system shall tMe prevented by physical systems or processes, preferably by use of geometrically safe configurations. This is i
met at Cooper Nuciocc Station, as identified in the TSs and the U;Wated Safety Analysis Report (USAR). Cooper Nuclect Station TSs Section 5.5, Fuel Storage, states that, "The new fuel l
l storage vault shall be such that K, dry is less than 0.90 and flooded is less than 0.95. These K, limits are satisfied by maintaining the maximum, exposure dependent K of the indiwdual fuel bundles 51.29.* USAR Sechon X-2.0, New Fuel Storage, states that, "The new fuel rocks shall be designed with sufficient spacing between the new fuel assemblies to assure that under normal conditions (dry) the fully loaded array will have a Kpff < 0.90. Under abnormal conditions, in the event of complete flooding, the fully loaded array will have a Keff < 0.95.... The analysis, which shows that the new fuel storage vau;t will have a K, s 0.90 dry and a K, t 0.95 flooded, provided the maximum exposure-dependent K. 51.31, has been approved by the Nuclear B'egulatory Commission as a part of GESTAR ll." Note: to provide further assurance, the Technical Specifications have a more conservative limit than the USAR.
The proposed exemption would not result in any significant radiological impacts. The proposed susinption would not affect radiological plant effluents nor cause any significant occupational expcsures since the Technical Specifications, design controls (including geometric spacing of fuel assembly storage spaces),and administrative controls preclude inadvertent criticality. The amount of radioactive waste would not be changed by the proposed exemption.
The proposed exemption does not result in any significant noaradiological environmental impacts. The poposed eremption involves features located entirely within the restricted area as l
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~4-defined in 10 CFR Part 20. It does not affect non-rooiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant non-radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Attematives to the Proposed Action:
Since the Commission has concluded that there is no measumble environmental impact associated with the proposed action, any attematives with equal or graaf'ar environmental impact need not be evaluated. As an attemative to the proposed exemption, the staff considered denial of the requested ex9mption. Denial of the request would result in no change in curmnt environmentalimpacts. The environmentalimpacts of the proposed action and the altomative action are similar.
Attemative 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 Cooper Nuclear Station" dated February 1973.
Anencies and Persons Consulted:
In accordance with its stated policy, on May 7,1998, the staff consulted with Mr. John Fassell Health Physicist, of the Nebmska Department of Health, regarding the envi onmental impact of the proposed action. The State official had no comments.
FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT Based upon the environmental assessment, the Commission concludes hat the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment.
Accordingly, the Commission has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed action.
For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the licensee's letter dated February 23,1998, which is available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document j
Room, which is located at The Gelman Building,2120 L 8treet, NW., Washington, D. C., and at the local public document room located at the Aubum Memorial Ubrary,1810 Courthouse Avenue, Aubum, NE 68305.
Deted at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day of thy 19!E.
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FOR THE NUOLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 1
l nnat l
l J
s it. Hall, Senior Project Manager i
roject Directorate IV-1 Division of Reactor Projects Ill/IV Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation i
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