[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 20 (Friday, January 30, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4543-4544]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-1944]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket 72-30]
Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company Independent Spent Fuel Storage
Installation Issuance of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for a Proposed Exemption
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) is
considering issuance of an exemption to Maine Yankee Atomic Power
Company (MYAPC or licensee), pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7, from specific
provisions of 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(2)(i), 72.212(b)(7), and
72.214. The licensee is using the NAC-UMS Storage System to store spent
nuclear fuel from the decommissioning reactor at an Independent Spent
Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI). The requested exemption would allow
MYAPC to deviate from requirements of the NAC-UMS Certificate of
Compliance No. 1015 (CoC or Certificate), Amendment 2, Appendix B,
Section B 3.4.2.6. Specifically, the exemption would relieve MYAPC from
the requirement to maintain a coefficient of friction between the
vertical concrete cask and ISFSI pad surface of at least 0.5.
Environmental Assessment (EA)
Identification of Proposed Action
By letter dated October 2, 2003, as supplemented on October 21,
2003, MYAPC requested an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR
72.212(a), 72.212(b)(2)(i), 72.212(b)(7), and 10 CFR 72.214 to deviate
from the requirements in CoC No. 1015, Amendment 2, Appendix B, Section
B 3.4.2.6. MYAPC is storing spent nuclear fuel under the general
licensing provisions of 10 CFR part 72 in the NAC-UMS Storage System at
an ISFSI located at the Maine Yankee Atomic Power Station in Wiscasset,
Maine. The licensee is loading additional spent fuel into storage at
the ISFSI.
The current requirements in CoC No. 1015, Amendment 2, Appendix B,
state that physical testing shall be conducted to demonstrate that the
coefficient of friction between the vertical concrete cask and ISFSI
pad surface is at least 0.5.
By exempting MYAPC from specific provisions of 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2),
72.212(b)(2)(i), 72.212(b)(7), and 10 CFR 72.214 for this request,
MYAPC will not be required to maintain a coefficient of friction
between the vertical concrete cask and ISFSI pad surface of at least
0.5.
[[Page 4544]]
The proposed action before the Commission is whether to grant this
exemption under the provisions of 10 CFR 72.7. The NRC staff has
reviewed the exemption request and determined that not maintaining a
coefficient of friction between the vertical concrete cask and the
ISFSI pad surface of at least 0.5, is consistent with the safety
analyses previously reviewed for the NAC-UMS system, and would have no
impact on the design basis and would not be inimical to public health
and safety.
Need for the Proposed Action
During the 2002-2003 winter, MYAPC discovered a condition in which
the surface area between the vertical concrete casks and the ISFSI pad
had a significant covering of ice (approximately 80-95 percent of the
surface). This winter icing condition may result in a reduced
coefficient of friction that does not meet the requirements of CoC No.
1015, Amendment 2, Section B 3.4.2.6, for a coefficient of friction of
at least 0.5 between the vertical concrete casks and the ISFSI pad
surface. The icing condition was unanticipated and therefore not
explicitly addressed in the cask licensing basis. The presence of ice
causes a loss of contact between the vertical concrete casks and the
ISFSI pad and leads to an indeterminate coefficient of friction. Since
the icing condition renders previous test results insufficient to
demonstrate a coefficient of friction greater than 0.5, MYAPC would not
be in compliance with the CoC during these icing conditions.
Granting the requested exemption will allow MYAPC to regain
compliance with CoC No. 1015, Amendment 2, in a timely manner. Section
B 3.4.2.6 is a requirement specific to MYAPC and applicable to no other
licensees.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The licensee requested the exemption from maintaining a coefficient
of friction between the vertical concrete cask and the ISFSI pad
surface of at least 0.5 as specified in CoC No. 1015, Amendment 2. The
NRC staff performed a safety evaluation of the proposed exemption.
Staff reviewed the analysis provided by MYAPC in the exemption request
for winter icing conditions which may result in a reduced coefficient
of friction between the vertical concrete cask and the ISFSI pad
surface, and limited vertical concrete cask sliding during a design
earthquake. Staff judged that the design earthquake will not cause
large sliding of the NAC-UMS vertical concrete cask on the ISFSI pad
surfaces. In the unlikely event of vertical concrete cask impacts,
staff evaluated the magnitude of the impact load between two colliding
casks and determined the impact load would be far less severe than that
encountered in a tip-over accident for which the NAC-UMS system has
been demonstrated structurally adequate. The staff concludes that the
NRC has reasonable assurance that the proposed exemption has no impact
on off-site doses, and is acceptable.
Therefore, the environmental impact of not maintaining a
coefficient of friction between the vertical concrete cask and the
ISFSI pad surface of at least 0.5, is no greater than the environmental
impact already assessed in the initial rulemaking for the NAC-UMS
storage system (65 FR 62581, dated October 19, 2000).
The proposed action will not increase the probability or
consequences of the analyzed accidents, no changes are being made to
the types of effluents that may be released offsite, and there is no
increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, there
are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with
the proposed action. Therefore, the staff has determined that there is
no reduction in the ability of the NAC-UMS system to perform its safety
function, nor significant environmental impacts, as a result of not
maintaining a coefficient of friction between the vertical concrete
cask and the ISFSI pad surface of at least 0.5.
Alternative to the Proposed Action
Since there is no significant environment impact associated with
the proposed action, alternatives with equal or greater environmental
impact are not evaluated. The alternative to the proposed action would
be to deny approval of the exemption. Denial of the exemption request
will have the same environmental impact.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
This exemption request was discussed with Mr. Charles Pray, State
Nuclear Safety Advisor for the State of Maine, on January 6, 2004, and
he stated that the State had no comments on the technical aspects of
the exemption. The NRC staff has determined that a consultation under
Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act is not required because the
proposed action will not affect listed species or critical habitat. The
NRC staff has also determined that the proposed action is not a type of
activity having the potential to cause effects on historic properties.
Therefore, no further consultation is required under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act.
Finding of No Significant Impact
The environmental impacts of the proposed action have been reviewed
in accordance with the requirements set forth in 10 CFR Part 51. Based
upon the foregoing EA, the Commission finds that the proposed action of
granting the exemption from specific provisions of 10 CFR 72.212(a),
72.212(b)(2)(i), 72.212 (b)(7), and 10 CFR 72.214, and not requiring
MYAPC to maintain a coefficient of friction between the concrete cask
and ISFSI pad surface of at least 0.5, will not significantly impact
the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the Commission has
determined that an environmental impact statement for the proposed
exemption is not warranted.
The request for exemption was docketed under 10 CFR part 72, Docket
72-30. For further details with respect to this action, see the
exemption request dated October 2, 2003, as supplemented. The NRC
maintains an Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS),
which provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. These
documents may be accessed through the NRC's Public Electronic Reading
Room on the Internet at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. If
you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are problems in accessing
the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC Public Document Room
Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to
[email protected].
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 23rd day of January, 2004.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Stephen C. O'Connor, Sr.,
Project Manager, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material
Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 04-1944 Filed 1-29-04; 8:45 am]
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