[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 196 (Thursday, October 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58363-58364]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-25605]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-423]
Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc., Millstone Power Station, Unit
No. 3; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of exemptions from Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations
(10 CFR) part 50, section 50.44, section 50.46, and appendix K, for
Facility Operating License No. NPF-49, issued to Dominion Nuclear
Connecticut (the licensee), for operation of the Millstone Power
Station, Unit No. 3 (MP3), located in Waterford, Connecticut.
Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC is issuing this
environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would exempt MP3 from the requirements of 10
CFR part 50, section 50.44, section 50.46 and appendix K, to allow the
use of up to eight Lead Test Assemblies (LTAs) fabricated with
Optimized ZIRLO, a cladding material that contains a nominally lower
tin content than previously approved cladding materials.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated July 1, 2003.
The Need for the Proposed Action
As the nuclear industry pursues longer operating cycles with
increased fuel discharge burnups and more aggressive fuel management,
the corrosion performance specifications for the nuclear fuel cladding
become more demanding. Industry data indicates that corrosion
resistance improves for cladding with a lower tin content. The optimum
tin level provides a reduced corrosion rate while maintaining the
benefits of mechanical strengthening and resistance to accelerated
corrosion from abnormal chemistry conditions. In addition, fuel rod
internal pressures (resulting from the increased fuel duty, use of
integral fuel burnable absorbers and corrosion/temperature feedback
effects) have become more limiting with respect to fuel rod design
criteria. By reducing the associated corrosion buildup, and thus,
minimizing temperature feedback effects, additional margin to fuel rod
internal pressure design criteria is obtained.
As part of a program to address these issues, the Westinghouse
Electric Company has developed an LTA program, in cooperation with the
licensee, that includes a fuel cladding with a tin content lower than
the currently licensed range for ZIRLO. The NRC's regulations in 10 CFR
part 50, section 50.44, section 50.46, and appendix K, make no
provision for use of fuel rods clad in a material other than Zircalloy
or ZIRLO. The licensee has requested the use of up to eight LTAs with a
tin composition that is less than that specified in the licensing basis
for ZIRLO, as defined in Westinghouse design specifications. Therefore,
use of the LTAs calls for exemptions from 10 CFR part 50, section
50.44, section 50.46, and appendix k.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC staff has completed its environmental evaluation of the
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proposed action and concludes that the proposed exemptions would not
increase the probability or consequences of accidents previously
analyzed, and would not affect facility radiation levels or facility
radiological effluents.
The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability
or consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of
effluents that may be released offsite, and there is no significant
increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, there
are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with
the proposed action.
With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed
action does not involve any historic sites. It does not affect
nonradiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact.
Therefore, there are no significant nonradiological environmental
impacts associated with the proposed action.
Accordingly, the NRC staff concludes that there are no significant
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered
denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative).
Denial of the application would result in no change in current
environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of the proposed action
and the alternative action are similar.
Alternative Use of Resources
The action does not involve the use of any different resources than
those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for
MP3, dated December 1984.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
On August 22, 2003, the staff consulted with the Connecticut State
official, Mr. Michael Firsick, of the Connecticut Department of
Environmental Protection, regarding the environmental impact of the
proposed action. The State official had no comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC concludes
that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the
quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has determined
not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed
action.
For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the
licensee's letter dated July 1, 2003. Documents may be examined, and/or
copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located at
One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike
(first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be
accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents Access and
Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the
internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
Persons who do not have access to ADAMS, or who encounter problems in
accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC's PDR
Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by
e-mail to [email protected].
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of October 2003.
For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
James W. Clifford,
Chief, Section 2, Project Directorate I, Division of Licensing Project
Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 03-25605 Filed 10-8-03; 8:45 am]
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