[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 208 (Tuesday, October 28, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55837-55838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28531]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-416]


Entergy Operations, Inc., System Energy Resources, Inc., South 
Mississippi Electric Power Association, Entergy Mississippi, Inc.; 
Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Unit 1; Environmental Assessment and 
Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is 
considering the issuance of an exemption to Facility Operating License 
No. NPF-29, which was issued to Entergy Operations, Inc. (the 
licensee), for operation of the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Unit 1, 
(GGNS) located in Claiborne County, Mississippi.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would exempt the licensee from the criticality 
monitoring requirement in 10 CFR 70.24(a), ``Criticality Accident 
Requirements,'' which requires a monitoring system that will energize 
clear audible alarms if accidental criticality occurs in each area in 
which special nuclear material (SNM) is handled, used, or stored. The 
proposed action is for monitoring the storage of SNM in the form of (1) 
not-in-use in-core nuclear instrumentation (e.g., source range 
monitors), which contain very small quantities of SNM, and (2) 
unirradiated fuel. For the unirradiated fuel, the exemption is 
requested for the unirradiated fuel that is packaged in accordance with 
10 CFR Part 71, ``Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive 
Material,'' while the fuel is onsite and taken from the shipping trucks 
to the spent fuel pool area to be removed from the packaging, and the 
unirradiated fuel that is stored in the new fuel vault. The 
unirradiated fuel that would be stored in the spent fuel pool would 
have the required 70.24(a) criticality accident monitoring system.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated July 15, 1996, as supplemented by the letters dated 
March 7 and April 29, 1997.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would allow the licensee an exemption from the 
requirement to provide criticality accident monitoring for the above 
two forms of SNM, listed in its application, while the forms are being 
stored at the site within the security fence in different plant areas 
(in-core nuclear

[[Page 55838]]

instrumentation), or in the new fuel vault (unirradiated fuel), or 
while the unirradiated fuel is being transferred from shipping trucks 
to the spent fuel pool area to be removed from the Part 71 packaging.
    The licensee stated that compliance to the criticality accident 
monitoring system requirements of 10 CFR 70.24(a) would result in a 
considerable expenditure of resources to install, maintain and operate 
a criticality monitoring system for the storage of the two forms of 
SNM, and there should be no concern about criticality ever occurring 
with the two forms of SNM as they are being stored onsite. There is too 
small a quantity of SNM, in the form of very thin coatings, present in 
the nuclear instrumentation for criticality, and unirradiated fuel 
assemblies would only be removed from the NRC-approved (i.e., Part 71) 
packaging before being stored in the spent fuel pool where criticality 
monitors are in use, or in the new fuel vault where there are no 
criticality monitors.
    In the new fuel vault, the unirradiated fuel would be stored in 
racks which are designed, as Safety Class 2 and Seismic Category I, to 
withstand all credible loadings to prevent damage and distortion of the 
racks, and to keep the subcriticality margin of at least 0.95 whether 
the vault is dry or flooded with water. The new fuel vault is in a 
concrete, Seismic Category I building that is designed to preclude the 
deleterious effects on the fuel by natural phenomena such as 
earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, tornado missiles and floods.
    The Part 71 package design ensures that a geometrically safe 
configuration for the fuel is maintained during transport, handling, 
storage and accident conditions, and precludes introduction of any 
moderating agents due to leak-tight construction, and; therefore, 
criticality is precluded due to the construction of the package and the 
storage configuration of the fuel in the package.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes that there is no significant environmental impacts if the 
exemption is granted. Inadvertent or accidental criticality will be 
precluded through compliance with the Technical Specifications (TS), 
the design of the fuel storage racks providing geometric spacing of 
unirradiated fuel assemblies in their storage locations, and 
administrative controls imposed on fuel handling procedures and the in-
core nuclear instrumentation. TS requirements specify reactivity limits 
for the fuel storage racks and minimum spacing between the fuel 
assemblies in the storage racks.
    The proposed exemption to 10 CFR 70.24(a) does not affect the 
design or operation of the plant, does not involve any modifications to 
the plant or any increase in the licensed power for the plant, and will 
not create any new or unreviewed environmental impacts that were not 
considered in the Final Environmental Statement (FES) related to the 
operation of GGNS, NUREG-0777, dated September 1981. The proposed 
action will not increase the probability or consequences of any 
accidents. No changes are being made to any structure, system, or 
component in the plant, to how the plant is operated, in the types or 
amounts of any effluents that may be released offsite, and in the 
allowable individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure for 
the plant. The amount of radioactive waste would not be changed by the 
proposed exemption. Accordingly, the Commission concludes that the 
proposed exemption would not result in any significant radiological 
impacts.
    With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
action involves features located entirely within the restricted area as 
defined in 10 CFR Part 20. It does not affect the nonradiological plant 
effluents and has no other environmental impact. Accordingly, the 
Commission concludes that there are no significant nonradiological 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Actions

    Since the Commission has concluded there is no measurable 
environmental impact associated with the proposed action, any 
alternatives with equal or greater environmental impact need not be 
evaluated.
    As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered 
denial of the proposed action. Denial of the request 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

    This action does not involve the use of any resources not 
previously considered in the FES for the GGNS.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on October 20, 1997, the 
staff consulted with the Mississippi State official, Robert Goff of the 
Division of Radiological Health, State Board of Health, regarding the 
environmental impact of the proposed action. The State official had no 
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. Accordingly, the Commission 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 letters dated July 15, 1996, March 7 and April 29, 1997, 
which are available for public inspection at the Commission's Public 
Document Room, The Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC, 
and at the local public document room located at the Judge George W. 
Armstrong Library, 220 S. Commerce Street, Natchez, Mississippi 39120.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day of October, 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
David L. Wigginton,
Acting Director, Project Directorate IV-1, Division of Reactor Projects 
III/IV, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-28531 Filed 10-27-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P