ML20203B964

Environ Assessment Re 840928 & 851009 License Applications to Receive New Fuel.Finding of No Significant Impact Issued

ML20203B964
Person / Time
Site:	07003008
Issue date:	10/28/1985
From:	Crow W, Kodali K NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
To:
Shared Package
ML20203B934	List: ML20203B928 ML20203B936 ML20203B950 ML20203B964 ML20203B977
References
NUDOCS 8604180306
Download: ML20203B964 (4)

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., i-GCT281985 DOCKET: 70-3008 APPLICANTS: Duquesne Light Company (DLC)

Ohio. Edison Company Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company Toledo Edison Company FACILITY: Beaver Valley Power Station (BVPS), Unit 2

SUBJECT:

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT - LICENSE APPLICATION TO RECEIVE NEW FUEL Backaround By application dated September 28, 1984, its revision dated September 13, 1985, and its supplement dated October 9, 1985, Duquesne Light Company (DLC) acting on its own behalf and as agent for the above utilities applied for an NRC

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l license to permit the receipt, possession, inspection, and storage of special nuclear material in the form of unirradiated nuclear fuel assemblies. In addition, DLC as part of the license application, seeks authorization to i receive, possess, inspect, and use flux mapping moveable incore detectors, neutron detector systems, primary source rods, and various detectors and moni-

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tors and related calibration and check sources. The materials are for eventual use in BVPS, Unit 2. In accordance with 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC has prepared this assessment of the environmental impacts that may be caused by issuance of the requested license. Because of the form and small amount (gram quantities) of nuclear material contained in the various detectors, source rods, calibration, and check sources, storage _of these materials will pose no threat to the environ-ment. Therefore, the discussion below will be limited to assessing the potential for environmental impacts resulting from the storage of new fuel assemblies at BVPS, Unit 2.

The Proposed Action The proposed action is issuance of a special nuclear materials license pursuant to 10 CFR 70 that will authorize DLC to receive, possess, inspect, and store 157 fresh fuel assemblies at BVPS, Unit 2. The license would be effective until it can be superseded by DLC's operating license under 10 CFR

50. The fuel assemblies contain uranium dioxide (UO 2 ) pellets that have a maximum uranium-235 enrichment of 3.15 percent by weight and are encapsulated i in zircaloy tubing. Issuance of the license would result in the receipt, possession, inspection, and storage of the unirradiated fuel assemblies at BVPS, Unit 2. The transport of new fuel to BVPS, Unit 2, will be the responsibility of the fuel fabricator. However, the proposed license would authorize the applicant to transport or deliver to a carrier for transport the assemblies in approved packages if this should become necessary (e.g., to return defective fuel to the manufacturer).

8604180306 860409 l PDR ADOCK 07003008 C PDR I

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• 2 SM 2 81985 Need for the Proposed Action DLC proposes to receive and store fresh fuel prior to issuance of the Part 50 operating license in order to inspect the assemblies and to finalize fuel preparation (e.g. , add necessary hardware) needed to load the fuel into the reactor core vessel. Actual core loading, however, will not be authorized by the proposed license. Early completion of this fuel handling will help avoid delays in the BVPS, Unit 2, startup once its operating license is issued.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action Alternatives to the proposed action include complete denial of DLC's application.

Assuming the operating license will eventually be issued, denial of the storage only license now would merely postpone new fuel receipt at BVPS, Unit 2. Such action, as well as any other alternative that can be imagined, would not present an environmental advantage because, as discussed below, no environmental impacts are expected to result from the proposed action.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action A Final Environmental Statement (NUREG-1094) associated with the full-scale operation of BVPS, Unit 2, has already been issued by the NRC. Based on the evaluation in this statement, the environmental impacts of plant operation subject to proposed conditions for environmental protection are expected to be small. New fuel receipt and storage is only a small part of BVPS, Unit 2's overall operation that will eventually include handling of irradiated fuel

.which is significantly more hazardous. Accordingly, the environmental impact from handling unitradiated fuel is expected to be very minor.

Once at BVPS, Unit 2, the new fuel may be temporarily stored in their shipping containers prior to placement in their designated storage locations: new fuel storage racks and the spent fuel storage racks located in the Fuel Building.

The shipping container array to be utilized at BVPS, Unit 2, has been analyzed under all degrees of water moderation and/or reflection and found to be critically safe.

Assemblies are then removed from their shipping containers, monitored for external contamination, and inspected for damage. Assuming no external con-tamination is detected and the fuel meets DLC's technical specifications, the fuel is transferred to their designated storage locations. Criticality safety is assured during fuel handling operations by station administrative controls and procedures that restrict the number of fuel assemblies out of storage and their distance to each other and all other fuel.

Criticality safety of the storage locations (new fuel and spent fuel racks) is maintained by limiting the interaction between adjacent fuel assemblies. This condition is maintained in the new fuel racks such that the racks are engineered to maintain 21 inches center-to-center spacing between adjacent assemblies.

The staff has evaluated the new fuel storage array and found it to be critically safe for all degrees of water moderation and/or reflection. Interaction between fuel assemblies stored in the spent fuel racks is limited by the presence of

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$CT 2 W sheets of neutron poison securely fastened to all four sides of each storage location. The design of these storage locations, combined with plant proce-dures, 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 fuel bundle (< 4% U-235 enrichment), the exposure rate at 1 foot from the surface is less than 1 mr/hr; therefore, it is estimated that the exposure level to an individual from unirradiated fuel would be less than 25 percent of the maximum permissible exposure specified under 10 CFR 20. Because of the low-radiation exposure levels associated with the requested materials and activities and DLC's radiation protection procedures, the staff concludes that fuel handling and storage activities can be carried out without any significant radiological f impact to the environment.

I l Only a small amount, if any, of radioactive waste (e.g., smear papers and/or i

l contam nated packaging material) is expected to be generated during fuel  !

j handling and storage operations. Any waste that is produced will be properly l stored onsite until it can be shipped to a licensed disposal facility.

l In the event the applicant must return assemblies to the fuel fabricator, all t p .kaging and transport of fuel will be in accordance with 10 CFR 71. The paciage will meet NRC approval requirements for normal conditions of transport ,

and hypothetical accident conditions. No significant external radiation '

hazards are associated with the unirradiated assemblies because the radiation level from the fuel pellets is low and because the shipping packages must meet the external radiation standards in 10 CFR 71. Therefore, any shipment of unirradiated fuel by the applicant is expected to have an insignificant environmental impact.

DLC has installed engineered-safety features on equipment intended for use in fuel handling and storage operations. These safety features combined with administrative controls minimize the likelihood of an accident situation occurring during fuel handling activities. In the unlikely event that an assembly (either within or outside its shipping container) is dropped during transfer, the fuel cladding is not expected to rupture. Even if the fuel rod cladding were breached and the pellets were released, an insignificant environ-mental impact would result. The fuel pellets are composed of a ceramic UO 2 that has been pelletized and sintered to a very high density. In this form, release of UO 2 aerosol is unlikely except under conditions of deliberate '

grinding. Additionally, UO 2 is soluble only in acid solution so dissolution and release to the environment are extremely unlikely.

Conclusion Based upon the information presented above, the environmental impacts associated with new fuel storage at BVPS, Unit 2, are expected to be insignificant. Essen-tially no effluents, liquid or airborne, will be released and acceptable controls

a DCT 2 81985 will be implemented to prevent a radiological accident. Therefore, in accordance with 10 CFR 51.31, a Finding of No Significant Impact is considered appropriate for this action.

Ongmal siped by.

Kishore Kodali Kishore K. Kodali Uranium Process Licensing Section Uranium Fuel Licensing Branch Division of Fuel Cycle and Material _ Safety, NMSS Original signed by:

Approved by: W.T.Cmv W. T. Crow, Section Leader l l

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