Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 37 / Friday, February 23, 2024 / Notices 13757 

laboratory studies, and include at-scale 

tests in the field, ensuring that ocean 

observations are robust, sustained, and 

verifiable. The research program will 

support the effective regulation of 

marine CDR and inform decisions about 

the possible deployment and 

commercial application of marine CDR 

approaches in the future. It will identify 

the most urgent research priorities for 

Federal support and take into account 

related efforts by academia, industry, 

philanthropy, non-governmental 

organizations, and other governments. 

• Clarify permitting, regulatory, and 

other standards and policies, and 

establish guidelines for marine CDR 

research. The Marine CDR Plan will 

identify relevant domestic and 

international regulatory frameworks and 

clarify how they apply to marine CDR 

research, including at-scale tests in the 

field. The guidelines will identify 

considerations for measuring, 

monitoring, reporting, and verifying 

(MMRV) marine CDR to support 

permitting and regulation and the 

development of standards for carbon 

accounting. The Marine CDR Plan will 

also identify any critical gaps in 

knowledge and capabilities necessary to 

effectively regulate marine CDR. 

• Establish a Marine CDR Initiative to 

enable public-private partnerships and 

establish mechanisms to strengthen 

interagency coordination and promote 

public awareness and engagement. The 

Marine CDR Plan will establish a 

mechanism or mechanisms to: (1) 

strengthen the ability of Departments 

and Agencies across the Federal 

Government to collaborate on marine 

CDR research and regulation; (2) 

facilitate information sharing and 

stakeholder engagement, including with 

Indigenous communities and 

communities that may be affected by 

marine CDR; and (3) enable partnerships 

between the Federal Government and 

academia, industry, philanthropy, nongovernmental organizations and other 

governments, including to fund research 

jointly, such as through a Marine CDR 

Initiative. 

In developing these three actions in 

the Marine CDR Plan, the MCDR–FTAC 

will seek to harmonize and streamline 

existing Federal research efforts, the 

regulatory process, and public 

engagement and partnerships for marine 

CDR. 

Questions To Inform Development of 

the Strategy 

You may provide information for one 

or as many topics below as you choose. 

Clearly indicate in your submission 

which questions are being addressed. 

The MCDR–FTAC is seeking input from 

the public on the following: 

1. How would a Marine CDR Plan 

affect you, your organization, or your 

community? 

2. What questions or concerns do you 

have about the regulation of marine 

CDR, including marine CDR research? 

What tools or resources should the 

Federal Government provide to support 

the safety and effectiveness of marine 

CDR research, including testing at scale 

in the field? What knowledge exists, and 

what additional knowledge is needed to 

inform the safe and effective regulation 

of marine CDR research? What 

knowledge exists and what additional 

knowledge will be needed to inform 

decisions about the readiness of any 

marine CDR approach for full-scale 

deployment or commercial application? 

3. Which marine CDR techniques or 

what aspects of marine CDR do you 

believe the Federal Government should 

prioritize for research? Are there 

particular marine CDR approaches that 

you believe are especially promising 

with regard to climate change 

mitigation, ocean acidification, or other 

benefits? Are there particular marine 

CDR approaches that you believe are 

particularly more or less risky with 

regard to the environment, public health 

and communities, or other uses of the 

sea? 

4. What kinds of information about 

marine CDR would be most helpful for 

the Federal Government to make 

available to the public, research 

community, and other stakeholders? 

How should the government engage 

marine CDR stakeholders and the 

public, including Indigenous 

communities and communities that may 

be affected by marine CDR? 

5. What are the most significant 

marine CDR efforts being undertaken by 

academia, industry, philanthropy, nongovernmental organizations, and other 

governments that the Federal 

Government should be aware of? What 

factors should the Federal Government 

take into account when considering 

potential partnerships between these 

entities and the Federal Government? 

What are the biggest challenges that the 

Federal Government and potential 

partners may face in collaborating, and 

how could the Federal Government help 

overcome these challenges? What 

examples of partnerships are most 

relevant to potential marine CDR 

partnerships? 

6. What else would you like the 

Federal Government to consider as it 

develops a Marine CDR Plan? 

Dated: February 20, 2024. 

Suzanne H. Plimpton, 

Reports Clearance Officer, National Science 

Foundation. 

[FR Doc. 2024–03758 Filed 2–22–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7555–01–P 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY 

COMMISSION 

[Docket Nos. 50–390 and 50–391; NRC– 

2024–0035] 

Tennessee Valley Authority; Watts Bar 

Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2; 

Environmental Assessment and 

Finding of No Significant Impact 

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission (NRC) is considering 

issuance of amendments to Facility 

Operating License Nos. NPF–90 and 

NPF–96, issued on February 7, 1996, 

and October 22, 2015, respectively, and 

held by Tennessee Valley Authority 

(TVA, the licensee) for the operation of 

Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (Watts Bar), 

Units 1 and 2. The proposed 

amendments would revise the Watts 

Bar, Units 1 and 2, Technical 

Specification (TS) 4.2.1, ‘‘Fuel 

Assemblies,’’ and TS 5.9.6, ‘‘Reactor 

Coolant System (RCS) Pressure and 

Temperature Limits Report (PTLR),’’ to 

increase the maximum number of 

tritium producing burnable absorber 

rods (TPBARs) and to add supporting 

methodologies. The proposed 

amendments would also revise the 

Watts Bar Dual-Unit Updated Final 

Safety Analysis Report to modify the 

source term for design basis accident 

analyses. The NRC is issuing an 

environmental assessment (EA) and 

finding of no significant impact (FONSI) 

associated with the proposed 

amendments. 

DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in 

this document are available on February 

23, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID 

NRC–2024–0035 when contacting the 

NRC about the availability of 

information regarding this document. 

You may obtain publicly available 

information related to this document 

using any of the following methods: 

• Federal Rulemaking website: Go to 

https://www.regulations.gov and search 

for Docket ID NRC–2024–0035. Address 

questions about Docket IDs in 

Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; 

telephone: 301–415–0624; email: 

Stacy.Schumann@nrc.gov. For technical 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
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questions, contact the individual listed 

in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT section of this document. 

• NRC’s Agencywide Documents 

Access and Management System 

(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly 

available documents online in the 

ADAMS Public Documents collection at 

https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ 

adams.html. To begin the search, select 

‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.’’ For 

problems with ADAMS, please contact 

the NRC’s Public Document Room (PDR) 

reference staff at 1–800–397–4209, at 

301–415–4737, or by email to 

PDR.Resource@nrc.gov. The ADAMS 

accession number for each document 

referenced (if it is available in ADAMS) 

is provided the first time that it is 

mentioned in this document. In 

addition, for the convenience of the 

reader, the ADAMS accession numbers 

are provided in a table in the 

‘‘Availability of Documents’’ section of 

this document. 

• NRC’s PDR: The PDR, where you 

may examine and order copies of 

publicly available documents, is open 

by appointment. To make an 

appointment to visit the PDR, please 

send an email to PDR.Resource@nrc.gov 

or call 1–800–397–4209 or 301–415– 

4737, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern 

time (ET), Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kimberly Green, Office of Nuclear 

Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission, Washington, 

DC 20555–0001, telephone: 301–415– 

1627; email: Kimberly.Green@nrc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction 

The NRC is considering issuance of 

amendments to Facility Operating 

License Nos. NPF–90 and NPF–96, 

issued to TVA, for the operation of 

Watts Bar, Units 1 and 2, located in 

Rhea County, Tennessee. Therefore, as 

required by section 51.21, ‘‘Criteria for 

and identification of licensing and 

regulatory actions requiring 

environmental assessments,’’ of title 10 

of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 

CFR), the NRC performed an EA that 

analyzes the environmental impacts of 

the proposed licensing action and 

alternatives as appropriate. Based on the 

results of the EA that follows, and in 

accordance with 10 CFR 51.31(a), the 

NRC has determined not to prepare an 

environmental impact statement for the 

proposed licensing action and is issuing 

a FONSI. 

II. Environmental Assessment 

Description of the Proposed Action 

The proposed action would revise 

Watts Bar, Units 1 and 2, TS 4.2.1 to 

increase the limit on the maximum 

number of TPBARs that can be 

irradiated in the reactor core in an 

operating cycle from 1,792 to 2,496. The 

proposed action would also revise Watts 

Bar, Units 1 and 2, TS 5.9.6 to add 

supporting methodologies. 

Additionally, the proposed action 

would revise the Watts Bar Dual-Unit 

Updated Final Safety Analysis Report to 

modify the source term for design basis 

accident analyses to allow the core 

fission product inventory to be 

calculated using an updated version of 

the ORIGEN computer code. 

The proposed action is in accordance 

with the licensee’s application dated 

March 20, 2023 (ADAMS Accession No. 

ML23079A270). 

Need for the Proposed Action 

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) 

and TVA are cooperating in a program 

to produce tritium for the National 

Security Stockpile by irradiating 

TPBARs in the Watts Bar, Units 1 and 

2, reactor cores. Tritium is produced 

when the neutrons produced by nuclear 

fission in the core are absorbed by the 

lithium target material of the TPBARs. 

A solid zirconium metal cladding 

covering the TPBARs (called a ‘‘getter’’) 

captures the tritium produced. 

This proposed action is needed to 

support the DOE, National Nuclear 

Security Administration, National 

Security Stockpile, in accordance with 

Public Law (Pub. L.) 106–65. Section 

3134 of Public Law 106–65 directs the 

Secretary of Energy to produce new 

tritium at Watts Bar. By letters dated 

July 29, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. 

ML16159A057), and May 22, 2019 

(ADAMS Accession No. ML18347B330), 

the NRC approved similar amendments 

to irradiate up to 1,792 TPBARs in the 

Watts Bar reactor cores. The EA and 

FONSI for those licensing actions, 

completed on June 23, 2016, and 

February 6, 2019, can be found in 

ADAMS under Accession Nos. 

ML16138A045 and ML18332A013, 

respectively. 

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed 

Action 

The NRC staff has assessed the 

potential environmental impacts from 

the proposed increase in the maximum 

number of TPBARs that can be 

irradiated in the Watts Bar reactor cores. 

The non-radiological and radiological 

impacts on the environment that may 

result from the proposed action are 

summarized as follows. 

Non-Radiological Impacts 

The proposed action involves no new 

construction or modification of Watts 

Bar, Units 1 and 2, operational systems 

and would have no direct impact on 

land and water use or water quality, 

including terrestrial and aquatic biota. 

There would also be no change in the 

quality or quantity of non-radiological 

effluents and no need to modify the 

nuclear plant’s National Pollutant 

Discharge Elimination System permit. 

The proposed action would have no 

effect on air pollutant emissions or 

ambient air quality. In addition, the 

proposed action would have no 

noticeable effect on socioeconomic and 

environmental justice conditions in the 

region, and no adverse effect on historic 

and cultural resources. Therefore, the 

proposed action would have no 

significant non-radiological effect on the 

quality of the human environment. 

Radiological Impacts 

All nuclear power plants, including 

Watts Bar, Units 1 and 2, release small 

amounts of radioactive material to the 

environment as liquid or gaseous 

effluents as part of normal operations. 

The NRC summarizes U.S. nuclear 

power plant effluent data on its public 

website [https://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/doc-collections/nuregs/contract/ 

cr2907/index.html]. These effluents are 

controlled, monitored, and reported per 

NRC requirements to ensure that doses 

to the public are known and within 

acceptable guidelines that are as low as 

is reasonably achievable (ALARA). The 

Watts Bar Offsite Dose Calculation 

Manual (ODCM), documented in the 

Watts Bar Nuclear Power Plant 2022, 

Annual Radioactive Effluent Release 

Report (ADAMS Accession No. 

ML23117A100), provides the limits and 

methods used by TVA to ensure 

compliance with requirements that 

apply to radioactive effluents. Watts 

Bar, Units 1 and 2, use waste treatment 

systems to collect, process, and recycle 

plant fluids that contain radioactive 

material and to dispose of gaseous and 

liquid effluents and solid wastes in a 

safe and controlled manner within NRC 

and U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency radiation safety standards. 

Implementation of the proposed action 

would allow up to 2,496 TPBARs per 

cycle to be irradiated in the Watts Bar, 

Units 1 and 2, reactor cores. Increasing 

the number of TPBARs irradiated from 

1,792 to 2,496 per reactor core could 

increase the quantities of radioactive 

material released from Watts Bar to the 

environment because some of the 


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tritium that is produced permeates 

through the TPBAR cladding and is 

released into the reactor coolant system 

(RCS) fluid. Radioactive material in RCS 

fluid can be released as gaseous or 

liquid effluent. For the purposes of 

assessing the environmental impacts 

and the regulatory compliance of this 

proposed action for tritium production, 

TVA assumed a core load of 2,496 

TPBARs with a permeation rate of 5.0 

curies per TPBAR per year (Ci/TPBAR/ 

year) of tritium and was able to 

demonstrate that liquid and gaseous 

effluents would be within applicable 

limits. The assumed permeation rate is 

conservative in that it bounds the 

observed and maximum TPBAR tritium 

permeation rates at Watts Bar, Units 1 

and 2. Specifically, based on the 

licensee’s experience with TPBARs 

dating back to 2004, the licensee has 

observed a permeation rate for tritium 

production of less than 3.5 Ci/TPBAR/ 

year. Additionally, as provided in this 

document, the licensee demonstrated 

that other changes to the radioisotope 

inventory that can impact effluent levels 

would be minor and would not impact 

the licensee’s ability to meet applicable 

limits. Therefore, while the quantity of 

tritium generated during plant 

operations would increase under the 

proposed action, radioactive effluents 

from Watts Bar would remain within 

applicable limits. 

Radioactive Gaseous Effluents 

The Watts Bar units maintain a 

gaseous waste management system 

(GWMS) that is designed to process and 

control the release of radioactive 

gaseous effluents into the environment 

in accordance with the requirements of 

10 CFR 20.1301, ‘‘Dose limits for 

individual members of the public,’’ and 

to ensure consistency with the ALARA 

dose objectives set forth in appendix I, 

‘‘Numerical Guides for Design 

Objectives and Limiting Conditions for 

Operation to Meet the Criterion ‘As Low 

as is Reasonably Achievable’ for 

Radioactive Material in Light-WaterCooled Nuclear Power Reactor 

Effluents,’’ to 10 CFR part 50, ‘‘Domestic 

Licensing of Production and Utilization 

Facilities.’’ 

As stated in the license amendment 

request, TVA assumed a core load of 

2,496 TPBARs with a permeation rate of 

5.0 Ci/TPBAR/year of tritium, which is 

a conservative source term that bounds 

the observed and maximum TPBAR 

tritium permeation rate as seen from 

historic Watts Bar, Units 1 and 2, 

tritium production. 

To determine whether the resultant 

gaseous effluents would fall within the 

requirements of 10 CFR 20.1301, TVA 

calculated the sum of the ratios of each 

isotope concentration (C) to its 

corresponding gaseous Effluent 

Concentration Limit (ECL, as listed in 

10 CFR part 20, ‘‘Standards for 

Protection against Radiation,’’ appendix 

B, ‘‘Annual Limits on Intake (ALIs) and 

Derived Air Concentrations (DACs) of 

Radionuclides for Occupational 

Exposure; Effluent Concentrations; 

Concentrations for Release to 

Sewerage,’’ table 2, ‘‘Effluent 

Concentration,’’ column 1). Consistent 

with the requirements of 10 CFR 

20.1302(b)(2)(i), a C/ECL sum of less 

than 1.0 indicates that the annual 

average effluent release is within the 

limits of 10 CFR 20.1301. Tables 4.11– 

6 and 4.11–7 of the license amendment 

request demonstrate that TVA’s 

calculated C/ECL sums for gaseous 

effluent releases at the Watts Bar units 

from an assumed core load of 2,496 

TPBARs for containment purge without 

filtration would be 0.458 (single unit) 

and with continuous filtration would be 

0.402 (single unit). TVA’s calculated C/ 

ECL sums for gaseous effluent releases 

for both Watts Bar, Units 1 and 2 (dualunit operation) for containment purge 

without filtration would be 0.915 and 

with continuous filtration would be 

0.805. Therefore, the licensee 

demonstrated that the C/ECL ratios are 

less than 1.0 indicating that gaseous 

effluent releases from an assumed core 

load of 2,496 TPBARs would be within 

the limits of 10 CFR part 20. 

To determine whether the gaseous 

effluent releases would be consistent 

with the ALARA dose objectives set 

forth in appendix I to 10 CFR part 50 

(which are per-unit numbers), TVA 

calculated bounding public doses from 

the applicable plant effluent dose 

pathways with the tritium release 

attributable to TPBAR permeability. 

These doses were based on an assumed 

core load of 2,496 TPBARs and the 

methods and assumptions in the current 

Watts Bar ODCM. TVA calculated that 

the whole-body dose to a Maximally 

Exposed Individual from a single Watts 

Bar unit would be 0.60 millirem (mrem) 

(0.0060 millisievert (mSv)), which is 

much less than the whole-body dose 

objective in appendix I to 10 CFR part 

50 of 5.00 mrem (0.05 mSv). TVA also 

calculated that the organ dose (bone) to 

the Maximally Exposed Individual from 

a single Watts Bar unit would be 11.30 

mrem (0.113 mSv), which is less than 

the organ dose objective in appendix I 

to 10 CFR part 50 of 15.00 mrem (0.15 

mSv). 

Based on this information, TVA’s 

analyses demonstrate that Watts Bar, 

Units 1 and 2, can be operated with the 

proposed maximum core loading of 

2,496 TPBARs such that the current 

GWMS can maintain the gaseous 

effluents within the Effluent 

Concentration Limits listed in 10 CFR 

part 20, appendix B, to meet the dose 

limit requirements to members of the 

public in 10 CFR 20.1301, as well as to 

maintain doses to the public ALARA as 

per the dose objectives set forth in 

appendix I to 10 CFR part 50. Therefore, 

there would be no significant 

radiological effect on the quality of the 

human environment from gaseous 

effluents. 

Radioactive Liquid Effluents 

The Watts Bar units’ liquid 

radioactive waste system (LRWS) is 

used to collect and process radioactive 

liquid wastes to reduce radioactivity 

and chemical concentrations to levels 

acceptable for discharge to the 

environment. The LRWS maintains 

sufficient processing capability so that 

liquid waste may be discharged to the 

environment below the regulatory limits 

of 10 CFR 20.1301 and consistent with 

the ALARA dose objectives in appendix 

I to 10 CFR part 50. The Watts Bar units 

share three large storage tanks in the 

LRWS, which includes a tritiated water 

storage tank with a capacity of 500,000 

gallons. This storage tank supports 

managing large volume/high tritium 

concentrations in the RCS for both 

units. These storage tanks can be used 

for liquid effluent holdup, dilution, and 

timing of releases to ensure that 

regulatory requirements are met. The 

release of radioactive liquids from the 

LRWS only occurs after laboratory 

analysis of the storage tank contents. If 

the activity is found to be above ODCM 

limits, the liquid waste streams are 

returned to the system for further 

processing by a mobile demineralizer. If 

the activity is found to be below the 

ODCM limits, the liquid waste stream is 

pumped to a discharge pipe where it is 

monitored for radiation levels and 

flowrate before it enters the cooling 

tower blowdown line, where it can 

ultimately be discharged by permit into 

the Tennessee River. 

To determine whether the liquid 

effluents from an assumed core load of 

2,496 TPBARs would be within the 

requirements of 10 CFR 20.1301, TVA 

calculated the sum of the ratios of each 

isotope concentration (C) to its 

corresponding liquid Effluent 

Concentration Limit (ECL, as listed in 

10 CFR part 20, appendix B, table 2, 

column 2). Consistent with the 

requirements of 10 CFR 20.1302(b)(2)(i), 

a C/ECL sum of less than 1.0 indicates 

that the annual average effluent release 

is within the limits of 10 CFR 20.1301. 

Tables 4.11–3 through 4.11–5 of the 


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license amendment request show TVA’s 

calculated C/ECL sums for liquid 

effluent releases from an assumed core 

load of 2,496 TPBARs. Table 4.11–3 

indicates that extended effluent 

releases, without processing the liquid 

radioactive waste streams through the 

mobile demineralizer or allowing for 

sufficient dilution of the radioactive 

waste streams, would not meet the 

regulatory requirements of 10 CFR 

20.1301. The calculated C/ECL for a 

single Watts Bar unit in this scenario is 

5.28, which is greater than the 

maximum allowable C/ECL of 1.0. The 

operation of both Watts Bar, Units 1 and 

2 in this scenario would yield a C/ECL 

of 10.6. 

Table 4.11–4 of the license 

amendment request demonstrates that 

TVA’s calculated C/ECL sum for liquid 

effluent releases for a single Watts Bar 

unit processed through the mobile 

demineralizer would be 0.471. The 

operation of both Watts Bar, Units 1 and 

2 in this scenario would yield a C/ECL 

of 0.942. Table 4.11–5 demonstrates that 

TVA’s calculated C/ECL for liquid 

effluents not processed through the 

mobile demineralizer, but sufficiently 

diluted before release, for a single Watts 

Bar unit would be 0.476. The operation 

of both Watts Bar, Units 1 and 2 in this 

scenario would yield a C/ECL of 0.952. 

Therefore, the licensee demonstrated 

that the C/ECL ratios are less than 1.0 

indicating that liquid effluent releases 

from an assumed core load of 2,496 

TPBARs would be within the limits of 

10 CFR part 20. 

To determine whether the liquid 

effluent releases would be consistent 

with the ALARA dose objectives set 

forth in appendix I to 10 CFR part 50, 

TVA calculated bounding public doses 

from the applicable plant effluent dose 

pathways with the tritium release 

attributable to TPBAR permeability. 

These doses were based on an assumed 

core load of 2,496 TPBARs and the 

methods and assumptions in the current 

Watts Bar ODCM. TVA calculated that 

the whole-body dose to a Maximally 

Exposed Individual from liquid 

effluents from a single Watts Bar unit 

would be 0.39 mrem (0.0039 mSv), 

which is much less than the whole-body 

dose objective in appendix I to 10 CFR 

part 50 of 3.00 mrem (0.03 mSv). TVA 

also calculated that the organ dose 

(liver) to the Maximally Exposed 

Individual from liquid effluents from a 

single Watts Bar unit would be 0.50 

mrem (0.0050 mSv), which is much less 

than the organ dose objective in 

appendix I to 10 CFR part 50 of 10 

mrem (0.10 mSv). 

Based on this information, TVA’s 

analyses demonstrate that by processing 

liquid radioactive waste streams 

through the demineralizer or allowing 

for proper dilution of the liquid 

radioactive waste streams, the current 

LRWS can maintain the liquid effluents 

within the Effluent Concentration 

Limits listed in 10 CFR part 20, 

appendix B, such that Watts Bar, Units 

1 and 2, can be operated with the 

proposed maximum core loading of 

2,496 TPBARs. Specifically, doses from 

liquid effluents would meet the 

requirements regarding members of the 

public in 10 CFR 20.1301, as well as 

maintain the public ALARA dose 

objectives set forth in appendix I to 10 

CFR part 50. Therefore, there would be 

no significant radiological effect on the 

quality of the human environment from 

liquid effluents. 

Solid Radioactive Wastes 

Solid radioactive wastes generated by 

nuclear power plant operations at Watts 

Bar, Units 1 and 2, are processed, 

packaged, and stored onsite until they 

are shipped offsite for further processing 

or permanent disposal, or both. The 

storage areas have restricted access and 

shielding to reduce radiation rates to 

plant workers. Solid radioactive wastes 

are packaged and transported in 

compliance with the NRC’s regulations 

in 10 CFR parts 20, 61, ‘‘Licensing 

Requirements for Land Disposal of 

Radioactive Waste,’’ and 71, ‘‘Packaging 

and Transportation of Radioactive 

Material,’’ and the U.S. Department of 

Transportation’s regulations in 49 CFR 

parts 170 through 179. 

The implementation of the proposed 

action of allowing an increase in the 

number of TPBARs irradiated from 

1,792 to 2,496 per reactor core would 

increase the activity and volume of solid 

radioactive waste due to the irradiation 

of the TPBAR base plates and thimble 

plugs, which remain after TPBAR 

consolidation activities. As explained in 

a previous license amendment request, 

for the consolidation process, nuclear 

plant operators remove the irradiated 

TPBAR assemblies from the spent fuel 

assemblies, disassemble all the 

irradiated TPBARs for consolidation, 

and place them into consolidation 

canisters. The operators return the 

loaded consolidation canisters to the 

spent fuel racks, where they remain 

until removed from the site (ADAMS 

Accession No. ML17354B282). Offsite 

shipment and ultimate disposal would 

be conducted in accordance with 

agreements between TVA and the DOE. 

The disposal volume of the TPBAR base 

plates and thimble plugs is estimated to 

be 64 cubic feet (2.7 cubic meters) per 

year. This additional volume represents 

a slight increase in the Watts Bar, Units 

1 and 2, annual estimated solid waste 

generation from approximately 32,854 

cubic feet (930 cubic meters) per year to 

32,918 cubic feet (933 cubic meters) per 

year. This projected increase in volume 

can be handled by the existing 

equipment and plant procedures that 

control radioactive solid waste handling 

without modification. The licensee 

estimated the TPBAR cycle scope of 

work to evaluate the doses that are 

expected to workers during the TPBAR 

consolidation process. The TPBAR cycle 

scope, estimated at 1,200 person-hours 

per cycle, includes pre-cycle 

preparation activities, post-cycle 

removal and handling activities, TPBAR 

consolidation and shipping activities, 

and the processing, packaging, and 

shipping of irradiated components. This 

work will occur in an estimated 0.33 

mrem/hour radiation field. Therefore, 

while there would be an increase in 

solid radioactive waste associated with 

the implementation of the proposed 

action, the existing equipment and plant 

procedures that control radioactive solid 

waste handling would continue to be 

used to maintain doses to members of 

the public and plant workers within 

applicable dose limits. Therefore, based 

on this information, there would be no 

significant radiological effect on the 

quality of the human environment from 

solid radioactive waste management. 

Spent Fuel Generation, Storage, and 

Handling 

The number of spent fuel bundles 

would increase by approximately four to 

eight per cycle with the implementation 

of the proposed action. For Watts Bar, 

Units 1 and 2, spent fuel is currently 

stored in spent fuel pools on site and in 

an independent spent fuel storage 

installation. There would be adequate 

spent fuel storage available on site; 

therefore, based on this information, 

there would be no significant 

radiological effect on the quality of the 

human environment from spent fuel 

generation, storage, and handling. 

Occupational Radiation Doses 

At Watts Bar, Units 1 and 2, TVA 

maintains a radiation protection 

program to monitor radiation levels 

throughout the nuclear power plant to 

establish appropriate work controls, 

training, temporary shielding, and 

protective equipment requirements so 

that worker doses remain within the 

dose limits of 10 CFR part 20, subpart 

C, ‘‘Occupational Dose Limits.’’ The 

implementation of the proposed action 

would affect the quantities of 

radioactive material generated during 

plant operations since some tritium 

permeates through the TPBAR cladding 


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and is released into the RCS, as 

previously described. 

Separate from the environmental 

review for this EA, the NRC is reviewing 

the technical and safety analyses 

provided in TVA’s license amendment 

request to ensure that the licensee 

continues to meet NRC regulatory 

requirements for occupational dose. The 

results of this safety review will be 

documented in a safety evaluation that 

will be made publicly available 

following the issuance of the EA. If the 

NRC’s safety review determines that the 

irradiation of 2,496 TPBARs, per cycle, 

in Watts Bar, Units 1 and 2, complies 

with the NRC’s regulations for 

occupational dose, then the proposed 

license amendments would not have a 

significant radiological effect on 

workers. 

Design-Basis Accidents 

Design-basis accidents are evaluated 

to ensure that Watts Bar, Units 1 and 2, 

can withstand the spectrum of 

postulated accidents without undue 

hazard to public health and safety and 

ensure the protection of the 

environment. 

TVA’s technical and safety analyses 

must meet the NRC’s regulatory 

requirements for safe operation. The 

results of the NRC’s safety review will 

be made publicly available following 

the issuance of the EA. If this safety 

review determines that the irradiation of 

2,496 TPBARs, per cycle, in the Watts 

Bar, Units 1 and 2, cores comply with 

the NRC’s regulations, and there is 

reasonable assurance that public health 

and safety will not be endangered, then 

the proposed license amendments 

would not have a significant 

radiological effect on the quality of the 

human environment from design-basis 

accidents. 

Radiological Impacts Summary 

Based on the radiological evaluations 

presented in this EA, except for the 

impacts associated with occupational 

radiation doses and design-basis 

accidents which are being reviewed 

separately, the implementation of the 

proposed action would not have a 

significant radiological effect on the 

quality of the human environment. If 

the NRC’s safety review determines that 

2,496 TPBARs, per cycle, can be safely 

irradiated in Watts Bar, Units 1 and 2, 

and there is reasonable assurance that 

public health and safety will not be 

endangered, then implementing the 

proposed license amendments would 

not have a significant radiological effect 

on workers and the quality of the 

human environment. 

Environmental Impacts of the 

Alternatives to the Proposed Action 

As an alternative to the proposed 

action, the NRC considered denial of the 

proposed action (i.e., the ‘‘no-action’’ 

alternative). Denial of the license 

amendment request would mean that 

TVA would be allowed to continue 

irradiating the current allowable 

number of TPBARs (i.e., 1,792) for Watts 

Bar, Units 1 and 2. The environmental 

impacts of irradiating 1,792 TPBARs 

were previously considered and were 

determined to not have any significant 

radiological or non-radiological effect 

on the quality of the human 

environment. Therefore, the NRC 

concludes that denial of the license 

amendment request (i.e., the ‘‘noaction’’ alternative) would result in no 

change in current environmental 

effe cts, and would be not significant. 

The impacts of the ‘‘no-action’’ 

alternative would be similar to the 

impacts of the proposed action. 

Alternative Use of Resources 

There are no unresolved conflicts 

concerning alternative uses of available 

resources under the proposed action. 

Agencies and Persons Consulted 

On November 7, 2023, the NRC staff 

consulted with the State of Tennessee, 

regarding the environmental impact of 

the proposed action. The state official 

had no comments on the EA and FONSI. 

III. Finding of No Significant Impact 

TVA requests that the NRC approve 

amendments that would revise the 

Watts Bar, Units 1 and 2, TS 4.2.1 and 

TS 5.9.6 to increase the maximum 

number of TPBARs and to add 

supporting methodologies. The 

proposed amendments would also 

revise the Watts Bar Dual-Unit Updated 

Final Safety Analysis Report to modify 

the source term for design basis accident 

analyses to allow the core fission 

product inventory to be calculated using 

an updated version of the ORIGEN 

computer code. Based on the review of 

available information, the NRC 

determined that the proposed action 

would not have any significant 

radiological or non-radiological 

environmental impacts. Also, the 

impacts of the ‘‘no-action’’ alternative 

would be similar to the impacts of the 

proposed action. The NRC also 

considered the information provided in 

the licensee’s application and related 

TVA environmental documents. 

This FONSI and related 

environmental documents are available 

for public inspection online in the 

ADAMS Public Documents collection at 

https://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 email to PDR.Resource@nrc.gov. 

IV. Availability of Documents 

The documents identified in the 

following table are available to 

interested persons through ADAMS, as 

indicated. 

Document description 

ADAMS accession No./Federal 

Register citation 

Application to Revise Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Units 1 and 2 Technical Specifications to Change the Number of Tritium Producing Burnable Absorber Rods (WBN–TS–21–02) and Proposed Revision to Reactor Vessel Surveillance Capsule Removal Schedule for Units 1 and 2, dated March 20, 2023.ML23079A270 

Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1—Issuance of Amendment Regarding Revised Technical Specification 4.2.1 ‘‘Fuel Assemblies’’ to Increase the Maximum Number of Tritium Producing Burnable Absorber Rods (CAC No. MF6050), dated July 29, 

2016.

ML16159A057 

Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2—Issuance of Amendment Regarding Revision to Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 2, 

Technical Specification 4.2.1, ‘‘Fuel Assemblies,’’ and Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, Technical Specifications Related to Fuel Storage (EPID L–2017–LLA–0427), dated May 22, 2019.

ML18347B330 

Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1, Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Federal Register notice related to License Amendment Request to Revise Technical Specification 4.2.1, ‘‘Fuel Assemblies,’’ dated June 23, 2016.ML16138A045 

81 FR 43656 

Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Federal Register 

notice related to License Amendment Request to Revise Technical Specification 4.2.1, ‘‘Fuel Assemblies,’’ dated February 

6, 2019.

ML18332A013 

84 FR 3259 


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13762 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 37 / Friday, February 23, 2024 / Notices 

Document description 

ADAMS accession No./Federal 

Register citation 

Watts Bar Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2, 2022 Annual Radioactive Effluent Release Report, dated April 27, 2023 .......... ML23117A100 

Application to Revise Watts Bar Unit 2 Technical Specification 4.2.1, ‘‘Fuel Assemblies,’’ and Watts Bar Units 1 and 2 Technical Specifications Related to Fuel Storage (WBN–TS–17–028), dated December 20, 2017.ML17354B282 

Dated: February 16, 2024. 

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Kimberly J. Green, 

Senior Project Manager, Licensing Projects 

Branch II–2, Division of Operating Reactor 

Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor 

Regulation. 

[FR Doc. 2024–03665 Filed 2–22–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY 

COMMISSION 

[NRC–2024–0001] 

Sunshine Act Meetings 

TIME AND DATE: Weeks of February 26, 

March 4, 11, 18, 25, and April 1, 2024. 

The schedule for Commission meetings 

is subject to change on short notice. The 

NRC Commission Meeting Schedule can 

be found on the internet at: https://

www.nrc.gov/public-involve/publicmeetings/schedule.html. 

PLACE: The NRC provides reasonable 

accommodation to individuals with 

disabilities where appropriate. If you 

need a reasonable accommodation to 

participate in these public meetings or 

need this meeting notice or the 

transcript or other information from the 

public meetings in another format (e.g., 

braille, large print), please notify Anne 

Silk, NRC Disability Program Specialist, 

at 301–287–0745, by videophone at 

240–428–3217, or by email at 

Anne.Silk@nrc.gov. Determinations on 

requests for reasonable accommodation 

will be made on a case-by-case basis. 

STATUS: Public. 

Members of the public may request to 

receive the information in these notices 

electronically. If you would like to be 

added to the distribution, please contact 

the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 

Office of the Secretary, Washington, DC 

20555, at 301–415–1969, or by email at 

Betty.Thweatt@nrc.gov or 

Samantha.Miklaszewski@nrc.gov. 

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: 

Week of February 26, 2024 

There are no meetings scheduled for 

the week of February 26, 2024. 

Week of March 4, 2024—Tentative 

There are no meetings scheduled for 

the week of March 4, 2024. 

Week of March 11, 2024—Tentative 

There are no meetings scheduled for 

the week of March 11, 2024. 

Week of March 18, 2024—Tentative 

There are no meetings scheduled for 

the week of March 18, 2024. 

Week of March 25, 2024—Tentative 

There are no meetings scheduled for 

the week of March 25, 2024. 

Week of April 1, 2024—Tentative 

There are no meetings scheduled for 

the week of April 1, 2024. 

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

For more information or to verify the 

status of meetings, contact Wesley Held 

at 301–287–3591 or via email at 

Wesley.Held@nrc.gov. 

The NRC is holding the meetings 

under the authority of the Government 

in the Sunshine Act, 5 U.S.C. 552b. 

Dated: February 21, 2024. 

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Wesley W. Held, 

Policy Coordinator, Office of the Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2024–03909 Filed 2–21–24; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P 

POSTAL SERVICE 

Product Change—Priority Mail and 

USPS Ground Advantage® Negotiated 

Service Agreement 

AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Postal Service gives 

notice of filing a request with the Postal 

Regulatory Commission to add a 

domestic shipping services contract to 

the list of Negotiated Service 

Agreements in the Mail Classification 

Schedule’s Competitive Products List. 

DATES: Date of required notice: February 

23, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sean Robinson, 202–268–8405. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

United States Postal Service® hereby 

gives notice that, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 

3642 and 3632(b)(3), on February 16, 

2024, it filed with the Postal Regulatory 

Commission a USPS Request to Add 

Priority Mail & USPS Ground 

Advantage® Contract 191 to 

Competitive Product List. Documents 

are available at www.prc.gov, Docket 

Nos. MC2024–193, CP2024–199. 

Sean Robinson, 

Attorney, Corporate and Postal Business Law. 

[FR Doc. 2024–03658 Filed 2–22–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7710–12–P 

POSTAL SERVICE 

Product Change—Priority Mail and 

USPS Ground Advantage® Negotiated 

Service Agreement 

AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Postal Service gives 

notice of filing a request with the Postal 

Regulatory Commission to add a 

domestic shipping services contract to 

the list of Negotiated Service 

Agreements in the Mail Classification 

Schedule’s Competitive Products List. 

DATES: Date of required notice: February 

23, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sean Robinson, 202–268–8405. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

United States Postal Service® hereby 

gives notice that, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 

3642 and 3632(b)(3), on February 14, 

2024, it filed with the Postal Regulatory 

Commission a USPS Request to Add 

Priority Mail & USPS Ground 

Advantage® Contract 190 to 

Competitive Product List. Documents 

are available at www.prc.gov, Docket 

Nos. MC2024–191, CP2024–197. 

Sean Robinson, 

Attorney, Corporate and Postal Business Law. 

[FR Doc. 2024–03657 Filed 2–22–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7710–12–P 

POSTAL SERVICE 

Product Change—Priority Mail and 

USPS Ground Advantage® Negotiated 

Service Agreement 

AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Postal Service gives 

notice of filing a request with the Postal 

Regulatory Commission to add a 

domestic shipping services contract to 

the list of Negotiated Service 


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