ML101590461
| ML101590461 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Maine Yankee |
| Issue date: | 06/04/2010 |
| From: | Saverot P M NRC/NMSS/SFST/LID/LB |
| To: | |
| Goshen, JM, NNSS/SFST, 492-3325 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML101590340 | List: |
| References | |
| TAC L24420 | |
| Download: ML101590461 (7) | |
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U.S.NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION DOCKETS50-309.72-30 MAINE YANKEE ATOMICPOWERCOMPANY.
INDEPENDENT SPENT FUEL STORAGE INSTALLATION ISSUANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTANDFINDINGOFNO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT REGARDING THE REQUEST FOR EXEMPTION FROM REQUIREMENTSOF10CFRPART72 AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Issuance of Environmental AssessmentandFindingofNo Significant Impact.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:JohnGoshen, ProjectManager,DivisionofSpent Fuel Storage and Transportation,Officeof Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S.Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington,D.C.20555.
Telephone:(301)492-3325;Faxnumber:(301)492-3342;E-mail:
- ohn.goshen@nrc.gov.
INTRODUCTIONTheU.S.Nuclear Regulatory Commission(NRCor Commission)isconsideringthe issuanceofan exemptiontoMaineYankeeAtomicPower Company (MY), pursuantto10CFR 72.7,fromthe requirementsof10CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(2)(i), 72.212(b)(7),and72.214.MYisusingadrycaskstoragesystem,theNAC-UMS, Certificate of Compliance(CoC)No.1015,tostorespent nuclearfuelunderagenerallicenseinan independent spentfuelstorage installation (ISFSI)associatedwiththe decommissionedMaineYankeeplant,locatedin Wiscasset,Maine.MYstoresspentfuelinsixty NAC-UMScasksattheMYISFSI,allloaded under AmendmentNO.2toCoCNO.1015.Underthecurrent10CFRPart72regulations,the general licenseeisboundbythetermsand conditionsoftheCoC underwhichitloadedagiven cask.Amendment No.2willremainineffectforthecasksattheMYISFSIuntiltheNRC expressly approves the applicationofchangesauthorizedbyalaterCoC amendment.Suchanapprovalis typically accomplishedthrougha10CFR72.7exemption.Inits letter dated January15,2010,MYstatedthatitdesiredto adopt Amendment NO.5toCoCNO.1015forallsixty NAC-UMScasksatthesite.Adaptionofthechangesauthorized by AmendmentNO.5willallowavisual alternative to Technical Specification (TS)Surveillance Requirement3.1.6.1toverifythe operabilityofthe concretecaskheatremovalsystemtomaintainsafestorage conditionsandwillalsoremovethefora specificationintheCoCfor tamper indicatingdevices.CoCNo.1015, AmendmentNO.5wasissuedbytheNRCon September19,2007.MYinitiatedan evaluation to determineifthesixtycasksconformtothe requirements of AmendmentNO.5ofCoC No.1015.The evaluation concludedthat59ofthe60casksconform to AmendmentNO.5.Thesixtiethcask, NAC-UMS-TSC-790-016,didnotcomplywiththedayof requirementinTSLimitingConditionof Operation(LCO)3.1.4,"CanisterMaximumTime in TransferCask,"of AmendmentNO.5.MYrequestedan exemptionfromTSLCO3.1.4inits January15,2010letter.
Although not expresslyrequestedbyMY,implicitinMY's exemption requestisthe applicationofthechanges authorized by AmendmentNO.5tothecasksattheISFSI(whichare presently operated under Amendment No.2). Under the current10CFR72.212,a generallicensee,suchasMY,isnot authorized to apply changesallowedbya later CoC amendment(inthiscase, Amendment No.5)toacask loaded under an earlier CoC amendment(inthiscase, Amendment No.2)without express prior approvaloftheNRC.1Thus,in order to effectuate the requested exemption,theNRCwillhave to expandthescopeofthe requested exemptiontoincludethe application of the changes authorized by Amendment NO.5tothe subjectcasks.The applicableregulation,10CFR72.7, allowstheNRCto grant exemptionsuponitsowninitiative.MYalso requests continuationofthree exemptionsfromthetermsand conditions of Amendment No.5, similartothreepreviouslygranted exemptions of Amendment No.2.These are: 1.AppendixA,SectionA5.1, Training Program.Exemptionfromthe requirement to develop a systematic approachtotraining (SAT)that includes comprehensive instructionsforthe operation and maintenanceoftheISFSI, exceptforthe NAC-UMS Universal StorageSystem.Thiswas approvedbytheNRC letterinits lettertoMYdated December13,2004 (ADAMS Accession Number ML043620200).
2.Appendix A, SectionA5.5 (SectionA.5.4in Amendment No.2), Radioactive Effluent Control Program.Exemptionfromthe requirement to submit an annualreportpursuantto10CFR 72.44(d)(3)or10CFR50.36(a).Thiswas approvedbytheNRCletterinits lettertoMYdated December13,2004 (ADAMS Accession Number ML043620200).
3.Appendix B, SectionB3.4.2.6.Exemptionfromthe requirementtomaintaina coefficient of frictionontheISFSIpad surfaceofatleast0.5.Thiswas approvedbytheNRCinits lettertoMYdated February1,2004 (ADAMS Accession Number ML 0403507970).
The requestsforan exemptionfromthe requirements of AppendixA,SectionA5.5, Radioactive EffluentControlProgram,and Appendix A, SectionA5.1 J TrainingProgramare I See Enforcement Guidance Memorandum09-006,datedSeptember15,2009(ADAMS Accession No.ML091970035). categoricallyexcludedfrom further environmentalreviewin accordancewith10CFR 51.22(c)(25)(vi)(B)and(E),respectively.In accordancewiththe requirementsin10CFRPart51,theNRCpreparedan Environmental Assessmenttoanalyzethe remainderofMY's exemptionrequests.Basedonthe Environmental Assessment,theNRChasconcludedthataFindingofNo SignificantImpactis appropriate.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EA)IdentificationofProposedAction:TheNRCproposestoissue exemptionsthatwouldrelieveMYfrom complyingwiththe requirementsof10CFR 72.212(a)(2),72.212(b)(2)(i)(A), 72.212(b)(7),and72.214.Section 72.212(a)(2)providesthatthegenerallicenseislimitedto storageofspentfuelincasksapproved under the provisionsofPart72;Section 72.212(b)(2)(i)(A)requiresthegenerallicenseetoperformwritten evaluations,priortouseofacask,thatestablishthatthe conditionssetforthintheCoChavebeenmet;Section 72.212(b)(7)requiresthatthegenerallicensee complywiththetermsand conditionsoftheCoC;andSection 72.214liststhecask designsthathavebeenapprovedbytheNRCandareavailableforuseby general licenseesunderthe10CFRPart72generallicense.
Specifically,theproposedactionwouldbeallowingMYto applythechangesauthorized by AmendmentNO.5toCoCNo.1015tothecasksattheMYISFSIandfurther,to exempt MYfromthe requirementsofthefollowingtermsand conditions of AmendmentNO.5toCoCNo.1015:1.TSLCO3.1.4,"CanisterMaximumTimein TransferCask,"and 2.AppendixB,SectionB3.4.2.6.TheNRC's regulatory authority to grant these exemptionsis10CFR72.7. NeedfortheProposedAction:Approvalofthe proposed exemptionrequestswillprovideMYwith significant cost savingsandflexibility, without any decreaseinsafety.EnvironmentalImpactsoftheProposedAction:CoCNO.1015, Amendment No.5 has been previously evaluatedbytheNRC,anditsadoption presentsnoadditional radiological environmentalimpacts.The exemptionfromthe requirementtomaintaina coefficientoffrictionontheISFSIpadsurfaceofatleast0.5was previously evaluatedbythebytheNRC,anditwas determinedtoposenoincreasedrisktohealthandsafety.Theproposedactionalsoincludes considerationofan exemptionfromthe requirementsofTSLCO3.1.4of Amendment No.5 foronestorage canisterattheMYISFSI.Theaffected storage canisterhadaheatloadof9.59kW,andwasplacedina transfercaskforatotalof43daysbetween December28,2002,and February18,2003.AtthattimetheMYISFSIoperatedunderthe provisionsofCoC No.1 015, Amendment No.2,andtheLCO3.1.4timelimitfora canisterhavingacontent decayhearloadoflessthanorequalto14kWwasunlimited.Duringthisperiodthestorage canisterwasinfull compliancewithCoCNo.1015, Amendment No.2,anditsstoredspentfuelweremaintainedinasafeconditionduringthetimethe canisterwasinthe transfercask.The transferoftheloaded canister was completedinasafe mannertoensurethe transfercaskwasnotusedasatermstoragedevice.Further,NRChasevaluatedtheimpacttopublicsafetythatwouldresultfromgrantingtheproposedaction.Theapprovaloftheproposedactionwouldnotincreasethe probability or consequencesofaccidents,nochangeswouldbemadetothetypesof effluents releasedoffsite,andtherewouldbenoincreasein occupationalorpublicradiationexposure.Therefore,thereareno significant radiological environmental impacts associatedwiththeproposedaction.
Additionallytheproposedactionwouldnotinvolveany constructionorothergrounddisturbingactivities,wouldnotchangethe footprintoftheexistingISFSI,andwouldhaveno other significant non-radiologicalimpacts.Inthisregard,andastheISFSIislocatedon previously disturbedland,itis extremely unlikelythatapprovaloftheproposedactionwouldcreateany significant impactonthe aquaticorterrestrial habitatinthevicinityoftheplant,ortothreatened, endangered, or protected speciesunderthe Endangered SpeciesAct,ortoessentialfish habitatcoveredbythe Magnuson-StevensAct.Similarly,approvaloftheproposedactionisnotthetypeofactivitythathasthepotentialtocauseeffectsonhistoricorculturalproperties, assuming such propertiesarepresentatthesiteoftheMYISFSI.
AlternativetotheProposedAction:Sincethereisno significant environmental impact associatedwiththeproposedaction,any alternativeswithequalor greater environmental impactarenotevaluated.The alternativetotheproposedactionwouldbetodenyapprovaloftheexemption.This alternativewouldhavethesame environmental impact.Giventhatthereareno significant differences in environmentalimpactbetweenthe proposedactionandthe alternative consideredandthatthe applicanthasa legitimateneed,the Commission concludesthatthepreferred alternativeisto granttherequested exemptions.FINDINGOFNO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The environmentalimpactsoftheproposedactionhavebeenreviewedin accordancewiththe requirementssetforthin10CFRPart51.Basedupontheforegoing Environmental Assessment, the Commissionfindsthattheproposedactionof granting exemptions from10CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(2)(i)(A), 72.212(b)(7),and72.214,willnot significantly impact the qualityofthehuman environment.Accordingly,the Commission has determinednotto prepare an environmental impact statementfortheproposed exemptions. FURTHER INFORMATION In accordancewith10CFR2.390ofNRC's"Rulesof Practice,"NRCrecordsand documentsrelatedtothisaction,includingtheapplicationfor exemption and supporting documentation are available electronicallyattheNRC's ElectronicReadingRoom,at:
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.Fromthissite,youcanaccessNRC'sADAMS, which providestextandimagefilesofNRC'spublic documents.TheADAMS Accession Numberforthe application, dated January15,2010,isML 100260280.IfyoudonothaveaccesstoADAMS,orifthereareproblemsinaccessingthe documentslocatedinADAMS, contactNRC'sPublic DocumentRoom(PDR)Referencestaffat 1-800-397-4209,301-415-4737, or bye-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.
These documentsmayalsobeviewed electronicallyonthepublic computerslocatedat NRC's PDR, 01-F21,OneWhiteFlintNorth,11555RockvillePike,Rockville,MD20852.The PDR reproduction contractorwillcopy documents,forafee.DatedatRockville,Maryland,this4thdayofJune2010.FORTHE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
-PierreSaverot,ActingChiefLicensingBranchDivisionofSpentFuelStorageand TransportationOfficeof Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards