ML24123A170
| ML24123A170 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/09/2024 |
| From: | Donald Palmrose NRC/NMSS/DREFS/ELRB |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML24123A170 (12) | |
Text
Environmental Review Considerations for Advanced Reactor Used Fuel Donald Palmrose, Ph.D.
Senior Reactor Engineer Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)
Used Fuel Management Conference May 7-9, 2024
Key Points
- Continued Storage rule and GEIS (NUREG-2157) addresses current LWR long-term used fuel management
- Has some applicability to advanced nuclear reactors
- Past non-LWR used fuel management experiences
- Recent advanced nuclear reactor licensing environmental evaluations
- Several issues remain to be resolved regarding future used fuel management that will affect related environmental reviews May 7-9, 2024 Used Fuel Management Conference, Orlando, FL 2
§ 51.23 Environmental impacts of continued storage of spent nuclear fuel beyond the licensed life for operation of a reactor
- NUREG-2157 (CS GEIS) generically determines the environmental impacts of spent nuclear fuel storage beyond the licensed life for operation of a reactor
- Applies to construction permits, early site permits, combined license stage, license renewals, and independent spent fuel storage installations
- Clarifies how the generic determination will be used in future NRC environmental reviews
- Conforming changes to 10 CFR Part 51 Table B-1 for license renewals regarding:
- Onsite storage of spent nuclear fuel
- Offsite radiological impacts
- Rule published under 79 FR 56238 May 7-9, 2024 Used Fuel Management Conference, Orlando, FL 3
What impacts are identified in NUREG-2157?
- The full range of environmental resource areas were evaluated for LWR fuels
- Impacts assessed for at-reactor and away-from-reactor storage:
- Short-term storage (60 years of continued storage) after the end of a reactor's licensed life for operation
- Long-term storage (60 years plus 100 years)
- Indefinite storage (a repository never becomes available)
- Most impacts are SMALL with some resource areas with SMALL to MODERATE and SMALL to LARGE (see Summary Tables 8-1, 8-2,and 8-3)
- Advanced reactors/reprocessing were eliminated from review however:
- If becomes viable, then continued storage impacts to be considered in individual licensing proceedings May 7-9, 2024 Used Fuel Management Conference, Orlando, FL 4
NRC Environmental Evaluations Using NUREG-2157
- NUREG-2249 Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Advanced Nuclear Reactors
- Provided to the Commission in November 2021 (ML21222A055); SRM issued on April 18, 2024 (ML24108A199)
- Sets plant parameter envelope values for SMALL environmental impacts
- States NUREG-2157 applicable to non-LWR fuel, provided stored in Part 72 compliant casks.
- NUREG-2266 Environmental Evaluation of Accident Tolerant Fuels with Increased Enrichment and Higher Burnup Levels
- Draft Report published on August 29, 2023 (ML23240A756)
- NUREG-2157 would still be bounding for the environmental impacts of spent Accident Tolerant Fuels May 7-9, 2024 Used Fuel Management Conference, Orlando, FL 5
Fort Saint Vrain (Source: Fort St. Vrain in Pictures: 1 ANS website)
Prior Long-Term Storage of Non-LWR Used Fuels
- TRISO (Fort Saint Vrain)
- NWTRB (2020) Department of Energy-Managed Spent Nuclear Fuel at Fort St. Vrain (ML22107A007)
- ISFSI renewal EA and FONSI issued in May 2011 (ML111110339)
- This ISFSI is within the scope of NUREG-2157 as stated on page 2-10 May 7-9, 2024 Used Fuel Management Conference, Orlando, FL 6
EBR-II (Source: The design and legacy of Experimental Breeder Reactor-II ANS website)
Prior Long-Term Storage of Non-LWR Used Fuels (cont.)
- Metallic Fuel (e.g., EBR-l & -ll, Fermi-1, N-Reactor, FFTF)
- DOE/EIS-0306 (2000) Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Treatment and Management of Sodium-Bonded Spent Nuclear Fuel
- DOE/EA-2087 (2019) Final Environmental Assessment for the Use of Department of Energy-Owned High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium Stored at Idaho National Laboratory
- K Basins at the Hanford Site - PNNL-14052 (2002) Reactive Behavior of K-Basin Spent Nuclear Fuel May 7-9, 2024 Used Fuel Management Conference, Orlando, FL 7
Prior Long-Term Storage of Non-LWR Used Fuels (cont.)
- Liquid Fueled Molten Salt (ORNL MSRE)
- NTRD-MSR-2018-000379, PNNL-27723 (2018) Identification of Potential Waste Processing and Waste Form Options for Molten Salt Reactors (prepared for DOE MSR Campaign)
- ORNL MSRE studies and reports May 7-9, 2024 Used Fuel Management Conference, Orlando, FL 8
MSRE (Source: ORNL.gov)
Recent Environmental Evaluations of Non-LWR Spent Fuel
- FEIS published in August 2023 (ML23214A269)
- Sufficient on-site storage for operational license (4 years)
- Wet storage followed by dry storage
- Abilene Christian University CP (Liquid Fueled Molten Salt)
- EA published in March 2024 (ML23300A053)
- Sufficient on-site storage
- Management of spent fuel salt like at ORNLs MSRE
- These are small projects that by their very nature have small environmental impacts May 7-9, 2024 Used Fuel Management Conference, Orlando, FL 9
From Abilene Christian University Preliminary Safety Analysis Report Figure 3.1-2 From Kairos Hermes Non-Power Reactor Environmental Report
What Does the Future Hold?
With recent interest in advanced nuclear reactors, potential applicants should consider fuel life-cycle in their applications and environmental reports, including:
- On-site storage management for the licensing period (e.g., ISFSI integrated into a sites footprint, future expansion of ISFSI)
- Applying NUREG-2157 (CS GEIS) and, once final, NUREG-2249 (ANR GEIS) & NUREG-2266 (ATF with IE & HBU)
- Certification of storage systems and transport packages for advanced fuels
- Reprocessing/recycling developments May 7-9, 2024 Used Fuel Management Conference, Orlando, FL 10
What Does the Future Hold? (cont.)
Also:
- Consolidated Interim Storage Facility licenses legal status
- DOE progress for consent-based storage and/or disposal
- Congressional directed actions (e.g., NEPA reforms in the Fiscal Responsibility Act)
Due to the number of parallel activities occurring in the new/advanced nuclear reactor area, early and frequent engagement is strongly encouraged by NRC's environmental staff.
May 7-9, 2024 Used Fuel Management Conference, Orlando, FL 11
Environmental Review Considerations for Advanced Reactor Used Fuel Donald Palmrose, Ph.D.
Senior Reactor Engineer Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)
Used Fuel Management Conference May 7-9, 2024