[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 233 (Tuesday, December 5, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70551-70552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-20568]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 72-35]
Energy Northwest, Columbia Generating Station Independent Spent
Fuel Storage Installation Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact Regarding a Proposed Exemption
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher M. Regan, Senior Project
Manager, Division of Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation, Office of
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555. Telephone: (301) 415-1179; fax
number: (301) 415-1179; e-mail: cmr1@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC
or Commission) is considering a request dated September 14, 2006, from
Energy Northwest (applicant or Energy Northwest) for an exemption from
certain requirements of Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR),
Part 72 (10 CFR part 72), specifically, 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2),
72.212(b)(2)(i)(A), 72.212(b)(7), and 72.214, pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7,
for the Columbia Generating Station (CGS) Independent Spent Fuel
Storage Installation (ISFSI), located on the CGS site in Benton County,
Washington. The CGS ISFSI is an existing facility constructed for
interim dry storage of spent nuclear fuel.
At the CGS ISFSI, Energy Northwest has stored spent nuclear fuel in
fifteen Holtec International HI-STORM 100 storage casks. As set forth
in 10 CFR 72.214, the NRC has approved use of the HI-STORM 100 Cask
System in Certificate of Compliance (CoC) 1014. The NRC has issued
Amendments 1 (effective date July 15, 2002) and 2 (effective date June
7, 2005) to CoC 1014. Energy Northwest loaded the spent nuclear fuel
into the HI-STORM 100 storage casks at the CGS ISFSI under Amendment 1.
If approved by the NRC, the exemption would apply to all HI-STORM 100
storage casks fabricated and used in accordance with Amendment 1 of CoC
1014 at the CGS ISFSI.
The exemption would authorize the applicant to perform analyses
consistent with that granted by the NRC in Amendment 2 to CoC 1014 in
lieu of certain analyses required by Amendment 1 to CoC 1014,
specifically, Appendix B, Section 3.4.3.a., Site Specific Parameters
and Analyses (concerning the determination of Holtec HI-STORM 100/ISFSI
pad interface coefficient of friction under environmental conditions
that may degrade the pad/cask interface, such as those caused by
icing).
The NRC has prepared an environmental assessment for this proposed
action in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR part 51. Based on
the environmental assessment, the NRC has concluded that a Finding of
No Significant Impact (FONSI) is appropriate with respect to the
proposed action.
Environmental Assessment (EA)
I. Identification of Proposed Action
By letter dated September 14, 2006, Energy Northwest requested an
exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 72.212(a), 72.212(b)(2)(i),
72.212(b)(7) and 72.214, specifically, exemption from complying with
Appendix B, Section 3.4.3.a., Site Specific Parameters and Analyses of
Amendment 1 to CoC 1014, which requires a determination of the HI-STORM
100/ISFSI pad interface coefficient of friction under environmental
conditions that may degrade the pad/cask interface, such as those
caused by icing. Approval of the exemption request would allow the
applicant to perform an analysis consistent with that granted by the
NRC in Amendment 2 to CoC 1014 when evaluating icing conditions between
the bottom of the HI-STORM 100 storage casks and the ISFSI pad in lieu
of determining the HI-STORM 100/ISFSI interface coefficient of
friction. The presence of ice formation at the interface between the
bottom of the HI-STORM 100 storage casks and the ISFSI pad can result
in the storage system being in an unanalyzed condition. Energy
Northwest determined that the HI-STORM 100 storage casks used at the
CGS ISFSI were susceptible to the icing phenomena and developed
compensatory measures during cold weather conditions to maintain the
friction coefficient in accordance with Amendment 1 to CoC 1014.
For the NRC to permit Energy Northwest to demonstrate the safe
condition of the HI-STORM 100 storage casks at the CGS ISFSI during
cold weather conditions by performing analyses consistent with methods
approved in Amendment 2 to CoC 1014, the NRC must grant Energy
Northwest an exemption from certain general license conditions defined
in 10 CFR 72.212 and the list of approved casks in 10 CFR 72.214. The
NRC regulation, 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), states that the general license
for the storage of spent nuclear fuel at power reactor sites is limited
to storage in casks approved under the provisions in 10 CFR part 72. By
exempting Energy Northwest from 10 CFR 72.214, 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2) and
certain other regulations in 10 CFR part 72.212 that concern compliance
with the applicable CoC, namely, 72.212(b)(2)(i)(A) and 72.212(b)(7),
Energy Northwest will be authorized to deviate from CoC 1014 (Amendment
1) Appendix B, Section 3.4.3.a, which requires determination of the HI-
STORM 100/ISFSI pad interface coefficient of friction.
II. Need for the Proposed Action
Fifteen HI-STORM 100 storage casks have been loaded under Amendment
1 of CoC 1014 and are stored at the CGS ISFSI. Energy Northwest is
currently performing compensatory measures during cold weather
conditions, including monitoring operator walkdowns, de-icing, and
clearing of a pathway on the ISFSI for draining, to maintain the
friction coefficient in accordance with Amendment 1 to CoC 1014.
Elimination of the need to continue implementation of these
compensatory measures would reduce worker radiation dose and free
operators to be more responsive to other duties.
III. Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The potential environmental impact of using the HI-STORM 100 Cask
[[Page 70552]]
System was initially analyzed in the environmental assessment for the
final rule to add the HI-STORM 100 Cask System to the list of approved
spent fuel storage casks in 10 CFR 72.214 (65 FR 25241; May 1, 2000).
In addition, the potential environmental impact of Amendment 2 changes
to CoC 1014 was analyzed in the environmental assessment for the final
rule that amended 10 CFR 72.214 to add Amendment 2 to CoC 1014 (70 FR
32977; June 7, 2005). Both environmental assessments concluded that
there would be no significant environmental impacts as a result of the
respective actions, and as such, the NRC made a finding of no
significant impact. The NRC staff finds that the conclusions set forth
in these environmental assessments continue to be valid.
The HI-STORM 100 Cask System is designed to mitigate the effects of
design basis accidents that could occur during storage. Design basis
accidents account for human-induced events and the most severe natural
phenomena reported for the site and surrounding area. Postulated
accidents analyzed for an ISFSI include tornado winds and tornado
generated missiles, design basis earthquake, design basis flood,
accidental cask drop, lightning effects, fire, explosions, and other
incidents. Considering the specific design requirements for each
accident condition, the design of the HI-STORM 100 Cask System, would
prevent loss of containment, shielding, and criticality control.
Amendment 1 to CoC 1014, Appendix B, Section 3.4.3.a, requires that
the Coulomb friction coefficient for the HI-STORM 100/ISFSI pad
interface be at least 0.53 under all conditions. Amendment 2 to CoC
1014, Appendix B, Section 3.4.3.a. includes a provision, that for free
standing casks, the response of the casks under the site's Design Basis
Earthquake (DBE) could be established using the best estimate of the
friction coefficient in an appropriate analysis model. The analysis
would demonstrate that the DBE would not result in cask tip-over or
cause a cask to fall off the pad, or cause an impact between casks, or
if an accident were to occur, would demonstrate that the maximum g-load
experienced by the stored spent nuclear fuel would be limited to 45
g's. The use of methods described in Section 3.4.3.a of Appendix B,
approved by the NRC in Amendment 2 to CoC 1014, in demonstrating the
safe storage of spent nuclear fuel during environmental conditions that
might degrade the pad/cask interface friction, such as those caused by
icing, will not result in any degradation of specific design
requirements, namely, containment, shielding or criticality control.
Without the loss of either containment, shielding, or criticality
control, the risk to public health and safety is not compromised.
By permitting the use of methods described in Section 3.4.3.a of
Appendix B, approved by the NRC in Amendment 2 to CoC 1014, there will
be a reduction in occupational exposure due to the relief from the
performance of compensatory measures. Therefore, the NRC staff has
determined that acceptable safety margins are maintained and that there
are no significant environmental impacts as a result of using the
methods described in Section 3.4.3.a of Appendix B, approved by the NRC
in Amendment 2 to CoC 1014, to demonstrate safe storage of spent
nuclear fuel at the CGS ISFSI.
IV. Alternatives to the Proposed Action
The staff evaluated the no action alternative, which would be a
denial of the exemption request. Denial of the exemption request would
result in continued performance of compensatory measures by Energy
Northwest, thereby continuing to subject workers to an increased
radiation dose than would be the case if the compensatory measures were
not conducted.
V. Agencies and Persons Consulted
On October 27, 2006, Mr. Michael Mills of the State of Washington
Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council was contacted about the EA for
the proposed action and had no concerns.
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. The
proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of
the human environment because the use of the Amendment 2 methodology
will reduce worker radiation dose, and further, will not result in any
degradation to specific cask design requirements, namely, containment,
shielding, or criticality control. As described in the foregoing EA,
the Commission finds that the proposed action of granting an exemption
from 10 CFR 72.212(a)(2), 72.212(b)(2)(i)(A), 72.212(b)(7), and 72.214,
pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7, which will permit Energy Northwest to perform
analyses consistent with that granted by the NRC in Amendment 2 to CoC
1014, Appendix B, Section 3.4.3.a at the CGS ISFSI, is not a major
Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human
environment and, therefore, an environmental impact statement is not
required.
Further Information
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of NRC's ``Rules of Practice,''
final NRC records and documents regarding this proposed action,
including the exemption request dated September 14, 2006, are
publically available in the records component of NRC's Agencywide
Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). These documents may be
inspected at NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room at http://
www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. These documents may also be viewed
electronically on the public computers located at the NRC's Public
Document Room (PDR), O1F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville
Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. The PDR reproduction contractor will copy
documents for a fee. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who
encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should
contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or
(301) 415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of November 2006.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Christopher M. Regan,
Senior Project Manager, Division of Spent Fuel Storage and
Transportation, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. E6-20568 Filed 12-4-06; 8:45 am]
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