ML20236V475

Environ Assessment & Finding of No Significant Impact Re Exemption from Certain Requirements of 10CFR73.55.Exemption Acceptable

ML20236V475
Person / Time
Site:	Haddam Neck File:Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co icon.png
Issue date:	07/01/1998
From:	Weiss S NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:
Shared Package
ML20236S176	List: ML20236S173 ML20236S190 ML20236V475
References
NUDOCS 9808030267
Download: ML20236V475 (4)

Text

I l

l 7590-01-P l

I UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

~ CONNECTICUT YANKEE ATOMfC POWER COMPANY i

HADDAM NECK PLANT l '

l DOCKET NO. 50-213 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT lMPACT

- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is considering issuance of l an exemption from certain requirements of its regulations to Facility Operating License No. DPR-61, a license held by the Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company (CYAPCO or i

the licensee). The exemption would apply to the Haddam Neck Plant, a permanently i shutdown and defueled plant located at the CYAPCO site in Middlesex County, Connecticut.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Identification of the Pronosed Action:

i The proposed exemption would modify security requirements to eliminate certain equipment, relocate certain equipment, modify certain procedures, and reduce the number l

l- of armed responders, due to the permanently shutdown and defueled status of the Haddam i L

Neck facility.

The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's application dated June 19,- l l- l 1997. The requested action would grant an exemption from certain requirements of i

10 CFR 73.55, " Requirements for physical protection of licensed activities in nuclear power i plant reactors against radiological sabotage."

l l

9800030267 990715 g PDR ADOCK 05000213 y PDR ;g  ;

t

2 Need for the Pronosed Action:

Haddam Neck was shut down on July 22,1996. On December 5,1996, the licensee informed the Commission that it had decided to permanently cease operations at Haddam

( Neck Plant and that all fuel had been permanently removed from the reactor. In accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(a)(2), the certifications in the letter modified the facility operating license to permanently withdraw CYAPCO's authority to operate the reactor and to load fuel into the reactor vessel. In this permanently shutdown condition, the facility poses a reduced risk to public health and safety. Because of this reduced risk, certain requirements of 10 CFR 73.55 are no longer appropriate. An exemption is required from portions of 10 CFR 73.55 to allow the licensee to implement a revised Defueled Security Plan that is l appropriate for the permanently shutdown and defueled reactor facility.

Environmental imoact of the Prooosed Action:

l l The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action. The Commission concludes that exemption from certain portions of 10 CFR 73.55 are acceptable given the reduced consequences of an act of sabotage resulting in the release of radioactive material contained in the spent fuel at a defueled reactor site. I i

The proposed change will not increase the probability or consequences of accidents, f

no changes are being made in the types of effluents that may be released off site, and there

j. l is no significant increase in the allowable individual or cumulative occupational exposure.

Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant radiological environmentalimpacts associated with the proposed action.

With regard to potential non-radiological lmpacts, the proposed action does involve features located entirely within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20. It does not i

_- . _ - __ _ -_ _ _ = . _ . _ _ - _ . - _ -- )

3 affect non-radiological plant effluents and has no other environmentalimpact. Therefore, I

t i

the Commission concludes that there are no significant non-radiological impacts associated i with the proposed action.

I

.' Alternatives to the Pronosed Action:

Since the Comrnission has concluded that there is no measurable environmental l

impact associated with the proposed action, any alternative with equal or greater L- environmentalimpact need not be evaluated. The principal alternative to the action would be to deny the request. Denial of the exemption request would result in no change in current environmentalimpacts. The environmentalimpacts of the proposed action and the f alternative action are similar.

Alternative Use of Resources:  !

l This action does not involve the use of any resources not previously considered in the i Final Environmental Statement for the Haddam Neck Plant.

Aoencias and Persons Consulted:

In accordance with its stated policy, on July 1,1998, the NRC staff consulted with Mr. Dwayne Gardner of the State of Connecticut, Department of Environmental Protection.

- regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The State official had no I

comments. '

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT Based upon the environmental assessment, the Commission concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment. l Accordingly, the Commission has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed action.

l l

)

. _ _ _ - _ -- - - - --_- - - --- _ - ._ a

l l

4 For further details with respect to this action, see the licensee's letter dated June 19, 1997, which is available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC, and at the Local Public Document Room at the Russell Public Ubrary,123 Broad Street, Middletown, Connecticut.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 1st day of July 1998.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ORIGINAL SIGNED BY:

Seymour H. Weiss, Director Non-Power Reactors and Decommissioning Project Directorate Division of Reactor Program Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation I

i

. - _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __- _ ._ -. _ _ _ - - _ - _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .