ML23136B154
| ML23136B154 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Farley  |
| Issue date: | 07/03/2023 |
| From: | John Lamb Plant Licensing Branch II |
| To: | Brown R Southern Nuclear Operating Co |
| Devlin-Gill, Stephanie | |
| References | |
| EPID L-2022-LLA-0138 | |
| Download: ML23136B154 (17) | |
Text
July 3, 2023 Mr. R. Keith Brown Regulatory Affairs Director Southern Nuclear Operating Co., Inc.
3535 Colonnade Parkway Birmingham, AL 35243
SUBJECT:
JOSEPH M. FARLEY NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2, ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT NOS. 246 AND 243, REGARDING LICENSE AMENDMENT REQUEST TO REVISE TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION 4.3, FUEL STORAGE, TO CORRECT TABULATED VALUES FROM THE ASSOCIATED SPENT FUEL POOL (SFP) CRITICALITY ANALYSIS (EPID L-2022-LLA-0138)
Dear Mr. Brown:
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 246 to Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-2 and Amendment No. 243 to Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-8 for the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, respectively. The amendments consist of changes to the technical specifications (TSs) in response to your application dated September 21, 2022.
The amendments revise the TS 4.3, Fuel Storage to correct tabulated values from the associated spent fuel pool (SFP) criticality analysis.
A copy of the related Safety Evaluation is also enclosed. A Notice of Issuance will be included in the Commission's monthly Federal Register notice.
Sincerely,
/RA/
John G. Lamb, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch II-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-348 and 50-364
Enclosures:
- 1. Amendment No. 246 to NPF-2
- 2. Amendment No. 243 to NPF-8
- 3. Safety Evaluation cc: Listserv
SOUTHERN NUCLEAR OPERATING COMPANY, INC.
ALABAMA POWER COMPANY DOCKET NO. 50-348 JOSEPH M. FARLEY NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 1 AMENDMENT TO RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 246 Renewed License No. NPF-2
- 1.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) has found that:
A.
The application for amendment by Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.
(Southern Nuclear), dated September 21, 2022, complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's rules and regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I; B.
The facility will operate in conformity with the application, the provisions of the Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission; C.
There is reasonable assurance (i) that the activities authorized by this amendment can be conducted without endangering the health and safety of the public, and (ii) that such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations; D.
The issuance of this license amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public; and E.
The issuance of this amendment is in accordance with 10 CFR Part 51 of the Commission's regulations and all applicable requirements have been satisfied.
- 2.
Accordingly, the license is amended by changes to the Technical Specifications, as indicated in the attachment to this license amendment; and paragraph 2.C.(2) of Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-2 is hereby amended to read as follows:
(2)
Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A, as revised through Amendment No. 246, are hereby incorporated in the renewed license. Southern Nuclear shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications.
- 3.
This license amendment is effective as of its date of issuance and shall be implemented within 60 days of issuance.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Michael T. Markley, Chief Plant Licensing Branch II-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Attachment:
Changes to the Technical Specifications Date of Issuance: July 3, 2023 Michael T.
Markley Digitally signed by Michael T. Markley Date: 2023.07.03 11:01:20 -04'00'
SOUTHERN NUCLEAR OPERATING COMPANY, INC.
ALABAMA POWER COMPANY DOCKET NO. 50-364 JOSEPH M. FARLEY NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 2 AMENDMENT TO RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 243 Renewed License No. NPF-8
- 1.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) has found that:
A.
The application for amendment by Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.
(Southern Nuclear), dated September 21, 2022, complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's rules and regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I; B.
The facility will operate in conformity with the application, the provisions of the Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission; C.
There is reasonable assurance (i) that the activities authorized by this amendment can be conducted without endangering the health and safety of the public, and (ii) that such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations; D.
The issuance of this license amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public; and E.
The issuance of this amendment is in accordance with 10 CFR Part 51 of the Commission's regulations and all applicable requirements have been satisfied.
- 2.
Accordingly, the license is amended by changes to the Technical Specifications, as indicated in the attachment to this license amendment; and paragraph 2.C.(2) of Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-8 is hereby amended to read as follows:
(2)
Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A, as revised through Amendment No. 243, are hereby incorporated in the renewed license. Southern Nuclear shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications.
- 3.
This license amendment is effective as of its date of issuance and shall be implemented within 60 days of issuance.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Michael T. Markley, Chief Plant Licensing Branch II-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Attachment:
Changes to the Technical Specifications Date of Issuance: July 3, 2023 Michael T.
Markley Digitally signed by Michael T. Markley Date: 2023.07.03 11:01:56 -04'00'
ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 246 JOSEPH M. FARLEY NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 1 TO RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-2 DOCKET NO. 50-348 AND ATTACHMENT TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 243 JOSEPH M. FARLEY NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 2 TO RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-8 DOCKET NO. 50-364 Replace the following pages of the License and Appendix A Technical Specifications (TSs) with the enclosed pages. The revised pages are identified by amendment number and contain vertical lines indicating the areas of change.
Remove Pages Insert Pages License License License No. NPF-2, page 4 License No. NPF-2, page 4 License No. NPF-8, page 3 License No. NPF-8, page 3 TSs TSs 4.0-9 4.0-9 4.0-10 4.0-10
Farley - Unit 1 Renewed License No. NPF-2 Amendment No. 246 (2)
Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A, as revised through Amendment No. 246, are hereby incorporated in the renewed license. Southern Nuclear shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications.
(3)
Additional Conditions The matters specified in the following conditions shall be completed to the satisfaction of the Commission within the stated time periods following the Issuance of the renewed license or within the operational restrictions indicated. The removal of these conditions shall be made by an amendment to the renewed license supported by a favorable evaluation by the Commission.
- a.
Southern Nuclear shall not operate the reactor in Operational Modes 1 and 2 with less than three reactor coolant pumps in operation.
- b.
Deleted per Amendment 13
- c.
Deleted per Amendment 2
- d.
Deleted per Amendment 2
- e.
Deleted per Amendment 152 Deleted per Amendment 2
- f.
Deleted per Amendment 158
- g.
Southern Nuclear shall maintain a secondary water chemistry monitoring program to inhibit steam generator tube degradation.
This program shall include:
- 1)
Identification of a sampling schedule for the critical parameters and control points for these parameters;
- 2)
Identification of the procedures used to quantify parameters that are critical to control points;
- 3)
Identification of process sampling points;
- 4)
A procedure for the recording and management of data;
- 5)
Procedures defining corrective actions for off control point chemistry conditions; and
Farley - Unit 2 Renewed License No. NPF-8 Amendment No. 243 (2)
Alabama Power Company, pursuant to Section 103 of the Act and 10 CFR Part 50, Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities, to possess but not operate the facility at the designated location in Houston County, Alabama in accordance with the procedures and limitations set forth in this renewed license.
(3)
Southern Nuclear, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Part 70, to receive, possess and use at any time special nuclear material as reactor fuel, in accordance with the limitations for storage and amounts required for reactor operation, as described in the Final Safety Analysis Report, as supplemented and amended; (4)
Southern Nuclear, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40 and 70, to receive, possess, and use at any time any byproduct, source and special nuclear material as sealed neutron sources for reactor startup, sealed sources for reactor instrumentation and radiation monitoring equipment calibration, and as fission detectors in amounts as required; (5)
Southern Nuclear, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40 and 70, to receive, possess, and use in amounts as required any byproducts, source or special nuclear material without restriction to chemical or physical form for sample analysis or instrument calibration or associated with radioactive apparatus or components; and (6)
Southern Nuclear, pursuant to the Act and 10 CFR Parts 30, 40 and 70, to possess, but not separate, such byproduct and special nuclear materials as may be produced by the operation of the facility.
C.
This renewed license shall be deemed to contain and is subject to the conditions specified in the Commissions regulations set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I and is subject to all applicable provisions of the Act and to the rules, regulations, and orders of the Commission now or hereafter in effect; and is subject to the additional conditions specified or incorporate below:
(1)
Maximum Power Level Southern Nuclear is authorized to operate the facility at reactor core power levels not in excess of 2775 megawatts thermal.
(2)
Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A, as revised through Amendment No. 243, are hereby incorporated in the renewed license.
Southern Nuclear shall operate the facility in accordance with the Technical Specifications.
(3)
Delete per Amendment 144 (4)
Delete Per Amendment 149 (5)
Delete per Amend 144
Design Features 4.0 Farley Units 1 and 2 4.0-9 Amendment No. 246 (Unit 1)
Amendment No. 243 (Unit 2)
Table 4.3-3 Coefficients to Calculate the Minimum Required Fuel Assembly Burnup (Bu) as a Function of Decay Time and Initial Enrichment (En) for STD/RFA Fuel Fuel Category Decay Time (years)
Coefficients A1 A2 A3 A4 3
0 0.3997
-4.4670 28.2780
-44.1204 5
0.3637
-4.1462 26.6011
-41.6405 10 0.1856
-2.3309 20.2704
-34.6503 15 0.0892
-1.3905 17.0683
-31.1550 20 0.0388
-0.9253 15.5082
-29.4500 4
0
-0.6112 4.6655 6.7127
-21.8911 5
-0.3326 2.0713 12.8468
-26.1880 10
-0.1305 0.0505 18.3242
-30.7080 15 0.1360
-2.6856 26.5239
-38.3300 20 0.2321
-3.7177 29.5977
-41.1200
Design Features 4.0 Farley Units 1 and 2 4.0-10 Amendment No. 246 (Unit 1)
Amendment No. 243 (Unit 2)
Table 4.3-4 Coefficients to Calculate the Minimum Required Fuel Assembly Burnup (Bu) as a Function of Decay Time and Initial Enrichment (En) for OFA Fuel Fuel Category Decay Time (years)
Coefficients A1 A2 A3 A4 3
0 0.1692
-1.8852 18.5219
-32.7830 5
0.0191
-0.4154 13.4482
-27.1777 10
-0.0705 0.4300 10.5987
-24.0722 15
-0.1420 1.1146 8.2825
-21.5440 20
-0.1959 1.6375 6.5093
-19.6130 4
0 0.3726
-4.8740 33.7329
-45.9288 5
0.6544
-7.8532 42.6520
-54.1346 10 0.8557
-9.9883 49.1073
-60.1446 15 0.9692
-11.1551 52.5353
-63.2522 20 1.1873
-13.2641 58.6586
-68.8379
SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO. 246 TO RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-2 AND AMENDMENT NO. 243 TO RENEWED FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-8 SOUTHERN NUCLEAR OPERATING COMPANY, INC.
JOSEPH M. FARLEY NUCLEAR PLANT, UNITS 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-348 AND 50-364
1.0 INTRODUCTION
By letter dated September 21, 2022 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML22264A300), Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. (SNC, the licensee) requested changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) for Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-2 and NPF-8 for Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant (Farley), Units 1 and 2, respectively.
The NRC issued Amendment Nos. 229 and 226, dated October 6, 2020 (ML20196L929) for Farley, Units 1 and 2, respectively. Those amendments set the values in the Farley, Units 1 and 2, TSs Tables 4.3-1 through 4.3-5. Those values were determined in WCAP-18414-P, Revision 0, J. M. Farley Units 1 and 2 Spent Fuel Pool Criticality Safety Analysis. Amendments Nos.
229 and 226 set WCAP-18414-P, Revision 0, as the Analysis of Record (AOR) for both Farley, Units 1 and 2, spent fuel pool (SFP) criticality. Subsequently the licensee found errors in WCAP-18414-P that necessitate changes to Farley, Units 1 and 2, TSs Table 4.3-3 and Table 4.3-4.
This proposed LAR is to make those changes and will make WCAP-18414-P, Revision 3, the AOR for Farley, Units 1 and 2, SFP criticality.
2.0 REGULATORY EVALUATION
2.1 System Design and Operation In its letter dated September 21, 2022, SNC stated the following.
The SFP [spent fuel pool] is made up of one fuel storage rack design (region) that maintains 10.75-inch center-to-center spacing between spent fuel assemblies. The Farley Units 1 & 2 SFPs each consist of two 6 x 7, nineteen 7 x 7, and seven 7 x 8 storage racks. The spent fuel racks are freestanding and are free to move on the pool liner floor during a seismic event.
The revised SFP criticality safety analysis, J. M. Farley Units 1 and 2 Spent Fuel Pool Criticality Safety Analysis (WCAP-18414-P, R3 (Proprietary Version) and WCAP-18414-NP, R3 (Non-Proprietary Version) evaluates the SFP storage racks for the placement of fuel within the storage arrays defined in the technical specifications. Credit is taken for the negative reactivity associated with burnup and post-irradiation cooling time (decay time) for assemblies which have been operated in the reactor.
2.2 Proposed Changes The licensee proposed to revise the TS Table 4.3-3 and TS Table 4.3-4 as shown in of the letter dated September 21, 2022.
Current TS Table 4.3-3 states, in part, that:
Fuel Category Decay Time (Years)
Coefficients A1 A2 A3 A4 3
0 0.2251
-2.5199 21.4065
-36.6115 5
0.3002
-3.4376 24.0978
-38.9002 10 0.1856
-2.3309 20.2704
-34.6503 15 0.0892
-1.3905 17.0683
-31.1550 20 0.0388
-0.9253 15.5082
-29.4500 Revised TS Table 4.3-3 would state, in part, that (changes indicated in bold):
Fuel Category Decay Time (Years)
Coefficients A1 A2 A3 A4 3
0 0.3997
-4.4670 28.2780
-44.1204 5
0.3637
-4.1462 26.6011
-41.6405 10 0.1856
-2.3309 20.2704
-34.6503 15 0.0892
-1.3905 17.0683
-31.1550 20 0.0388
-0.9253 15.5082
-29.4500 Current TS Table 4.3-4, in part, states that:
4 0
0.4957
-6.0715 37.2851
-49.1282 5
0.7476
-8.7581 45.3241
-56.5172 10 0.9041
-10.4334 50.3246
-61.0800 15 1.0799
-12.2326 55.7508
-66.1820 20 1.2541
-13.9154 60.5977
-70.5720 Revised TS Table 4.3-4, would state, in part, that (changes indicated in bold):
4 0
0.3726
-4.8740 33.7329
-45.9288 5
0.6544
-7.8532 42.6520
-54.1346 10 0.8557
-9.9883 49.1073
-60.1446 15 0.9692
-11.1551 52.5353
-63.2522 20 1.1873
-13.2641 58.6586
-68.8379 2.3 Applicable Regulatory Requirements The applicable regulatory requirements are provided below.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulatory requirements related to the content of the TS are contained Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Section 50.36, Technical specifications. The regulation at 10 CFR 50.36(c)(4) states:
Design features. Design features to be included are those features of the facility such as materials of construction and geometric arrangements, which, if altered or modified, would have a significant effect on safety and are not covered in categories described in paragraphs (c) (1), (2), and (3) of this section.
The regulation at 10 CFR 70.24, Criticality accident requirements, paragraph (a)(1) states:
The monitoring system shall be capable of detecting a criticality that produces an absorbed dose in soft tissue of 20 rads of combined neutron and gamma radiation at an unshielded distance of 2 meters from the reacting material within one minute. Coverage of all areas shall be provided by two detectors.
On July 31, 1996 (ML20116D649), Farley, Units 1 and 2, were granted an exemption from 10 CFR 70.24(a)(1) regarding the requirement that a licensee have a criticality accident monitoring system with two detectors. The NRC staff granted the exemption from 10 CFR 70.24(a)(1) because the staff found that inadvertent or accidental criticality will be precluded through compliance with the Farley TSs, the geometric spacing of fuel assemblies in the new fuel storage facility and spent fuel storage pool, and administrative controls imposed on fuel handling procedures. The exemption from 10 CFR 70.24(a)(1) remains the licensing bases for new and spent fuel storage at Farley, Units 1 and 2.
Appendix A to 10 CFR Part 50, General Design Criteria [GDC] for Nuclear Power Plants, establishes the minimum requirements for the principal design criteria for water-cooled nuclear power plants. The principal design criteria establish the necessary design, fabrication, construction, testing, and performance requirements for structures, systems, and components (SSCs) important to safety. The applicable GDCs to this amendment include:
Criterion 61 (GDC 61), Fuel storage and handling and radioactivity control, states that the fuel storage and handling, radioactive waste, and other systems which may contain radioactivity shall be designed to assure adequate safety under normal and postulated accident conditions. These systems shall be designed (1) with a capability to permit appropriate periodic inspection and testing of components important to safety, (2) with suitable shielding for radiation protection, (3) with appropriate containment, confinement, and filtering systems, (4) with a residual heat removal capability having reliability and testability that reflects the importance to safety of decay heat and other residual heat removal, and (5) to prevent significant reduction in fuel storage coolant inventory under accident conditions.
Criterion 62 (GDC 62), Prevention of criticality in fuel storage and handling, states that criticality in the fuel storage and handling system shall be prevented by physical systems or processes, preferably by use of geometrically safe configurations.
The NRC staff considered the following guidance in reviewing the LAR.
The NRC staff's review was performed consistent with Section 9.1.1, Criticality Safety of Fresh and Spent Fuel Storage and Handling (ML070570006), and Section 9.1.2, New and Spent Fuel Storage, subsection I.11 area of review related to chemical engineering issues (ML070550057) of NUREG-0800, Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants: LWR [Light-Water Reactor] Edition (SRP).
Regulatory Guide 1.240, Fresh and Spent Fuel Pool Criticality Analyses, (ML20356A127) describes an approach that the NRC staff considers acceptable to demonstrate that NRC regulatory requirements are met for subcriticality of fuel assemblies stored in fresh fuel vaults and spent fuel pools at light-water reactor (LWR) power plants. It endorses, with clarifications and exceptions, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) guidance document NEI 12-16, Revision 4, Guidance for Performing Criticality Analyses of Fuel Storage at Light-Water Reactor Power Plants, (ML19269E069).
On September 29, 2011, the NRC staff issued Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) DSS-ISG-2010-01 (ML110620086). The purpose of the ISG is to provide updated review guidance to the NRC staff to address the increased complexity of recent SFP nuclear criticality safety (NCS) analyses and operations. The NRC staff also used ISG DSS-ISG-2010-01 for the review of the current application.
On August 19, 1998, the NRC staff issued an internal memorandum containing guidance for reviewing criticality analyses of fuel storage at light-water-reactor (LWR) power plants. This memorandum is known colloquially as the Kopp Letter (ML003728001), after the author, Laurence Kopp. While the Kopp Letter does not specify a methodology, it does provide some guidance on the more salient aspects of an NCS analysis, including computer code validation.
The guidance is germane to boiling-water reactors and pressurized-water reactors (PWRs), and to borated and unborated conditions. The NRC staff also used the Kopp Letter for the review of the current application.
3.0 TECHNICAL EVALUATION
3.1 Background
SNC found several errors in its current AOR (WCAP-18414-P, Revision 0). Those errors are described in Section 2.3 of the Enclosure to SNCs letter dated September 21, 2022. Since the errors were corrected in the licensees current AOR, the values in the Farley, Units 1 and 2, TSs Tables 4.3-3 and 4.3-4 require updates. The values in Farley, Units 1 and 2, TSs Tables 4.3-3 and 4.3-4 are coefficients used in third order polynomial equations to determine the burnup requirements for a given Uranium-235 (U235) enrichment. Accuracy in those coefficients could result in SNC incorrectly determining non-compliant burnup requirements. This proposed LAR updates Farley, Units 1 and 2, TSs Tables 4.3-3 and 4.3-4 to the corrected coefficients.
3.2 Proposed Change TS 4.3, Fuel Storage The proposed changes to TS 4.3 include:
The corrected Table 4.3-3 provides the fitting coefficients to calculate the minimum required fuel assembly burnup for fuel categories 3 and 4 for Standard Fuel Assembly (STD)/Robust Fuel Assembly (RFA) fuel.
The corrected Table 4.3-4 provides the fitting coefficients to calculate the minimum required fuel assembly burnup for fuel categories 3 and 4 for Optimized Fuel Assembly (OFA) fuel.
3.3 Technical Review SNCs current AOR using WCAP-18414-P, Revision 0, was approved in an NRC letter dated October 6, 2020. To support this proposed LAR, SNC submitted WCAP-18414-P, Revision 3.
The majority of WCAP-18414-P is unchanged. Since the NRC had previously approved WCAP-18414-P, Revision 0, the NRC staff focused on the differences between Revision 0 and Revision 3.
As discussed in WCAP-18414-P, Revision 3 section 5.2.2, target keff are established based on the biases and uncertainties at several U235 enrichment amounts. The burnup necessary to meet the target keff at the enrichments are calculated, and the results fitted with a third order polynomial to allow interpolation between the specific enrichment amounts, which were calculated. The coefficients to those polynomials are the contents of Farley TS Tables 4.3-3 and Table 4.3-4. Correcting the errors from WCAP-18414-P, Revision 0, changed some of the target keffs, this in turn, changed the burnup necessary to meet the target keff, and ultimately changed the coefficients of the polynomials used to represent the burnup/enrichment SFP loading requirements.
The NRC staff reviewed the changes that affected the target keffs. Those changes restored the margin that the NRC initially approved in Amendment Nos. 229 and 226, dated October 6, 2020, for Farley, Units 1 and 2, respectively. The NRC staff previously found that margin sufficient to provide reasonable assurance of safe storage of spent nuclear fuel in the Farley, Units 1 and 2, SFPs.
Based on the above, the NRC staff finds that the requested changes to the Farley, Units 1 and 2, SFP storage requirements are consistent with the basis for the exemption to 10 CFR 70.24 granted to the licensee.
3.4 Evaluation of the TS 4.3 Change SNC proposed changes to TS 4.3 to correct tabulated values to be consistent with Farley, Units 1 and 2, spent fuel pool criticality safety analysis. The corrections restore the SFP storage margins to what the NRC staff approved in the letter dated October 6, 2020.
Based on the NRC staffs analysis provided in Sections 3.1 through 3.3 of this SE, the proposed changes to TS 4.3 values allow for continued safe storage of spent fuel at Farley, Units 1 and 2, because inadvertent or accidental criticality will be precluded through compliance with the Farley TSs, the geometric spacing of fuel assemblies in the new fuel storage facility and spent fuel storage pool, and administrative controls imposed on fuel handling procedures. Therefore, the NRC staff finds that 10 CFR 50.36(c)(4) will continue to be met, because the proposed changes to TS 4.3 values allow for continued safe storage of spent fuel.
4.0 STATE CONSULTATION
In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the State of Alabama official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendments on May 16, 2023. On May 16, 2023, the Alabama State official confirmed that the State of Alabama had no comments.
5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
The amendments change the requirements with respect to installation or use of a facility component located within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20. The NRC staff has determined that the amendments involve no significant increase in the amounts and no significant change in the types of any effluents that may be released offsite and that there is no significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure. The Commission has previously issued a proposed finding that the amendments involve no significant hazards consideration published in the Federal Register on December 6, 2022 (87 FR 74669), and there has been no public comment on such finding. Accordingly, the amendments meet the eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9).
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b) no environmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared in connection with the issuance of the amendments.
6.0 CONCLUSION
The Commission has concluded, based on the considerations discussed above, that (1) there is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by operation in the proposed manner, (2) there is reasonable assurance that such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations, and (3) the issuance of the amendments will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.
Principal Contributors: Kent Wood Clinton Ashley Date: July 3, 2023
ML23136B154 OFFICE NRR/LPL2-1/PM NRR/LPL2-1/LA NRR/DSS/SFNB/BC NRR/DSS/STSB/BC NAME JLamb KGoldstein SKrepel VCusumano DATE 04/10/2023 05/17/2023 05/15/2023 04/10/2023 OFFICE OGC NRR/LPL2-1/BC NRR/LPL2-1/PM NAME MWright MMarkley JLamb DATE 06/12/2023 07/03/2023 07/03/2023