[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 48 (Monday, March 13, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13477-13478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-6062]



[[Page 13477]]

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 72-10]


Northern States Power Co.; Independent Spent Fuel Storage 
Installation; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant 
Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is 
considering issuance of an exemption from certain requirements of its 
regulations, to Northern States Power Company (NSP), located in 
Minneapolis, Minnesota. The requested exemption would allow NSP to 
submit the report of preoperational test acceptance criteria and test 
results at least three days (instead of 30 days) prior to the receipt 
of fuel at its independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) at 
the Prairie Island plant (Docket Nos. 50-282/306) located near Red 
Wing, Minnesota.

Environmental Assessment

    Identification of Proposed Action: The request, proposed by NSP 
letter dated January 4, 1995, would exempt NSP from the requirements of 
10 CFR 72.82(e), which states that ``A report of the preoperational 
test acceptance criteria and test results must be submitted * * * at 
least 30 days prior to the receipt of spent fuel or high-level 
radioactive waste.'' NSP proposed to submit this report three days 
prior to the receipt of spent fuel at its ISFSI. Granting the exemption 
at this time would enable NSP to proceed with activities to support its 
scheduled Unit 2 refueling outage.
    The Need for the Proposed Action: NSP request for exemption is to 
ensure the availability of adequate storage space in the spent fuel 
pool in order to support NSP's scheduled Unit 2 refueling outage. A 
fuller discussion of the need for the exemption follows.
    In July 1993, NSP suspended cask fabrication and site construction 
activities until the Minnesota State Legislature authorized the Prairie 
Island ISFSI on May 10, 1994. After authorization, the ISFSI 
construction resumed and the facility was completed in November 1994, 
and the first cask was received on January 26, 1995.
    NSP plans to receive new fuel, in March 1995, for the refueling 
outage which is scheduled to begin May 13, 1995. Subsequent to receipt, 
new fuel is transferred from the new fuel storage racks into the spent 
fuel pool in preparation for refueling activities. Because the Prairie 
Island spent fuel pool is nearly full, and because there is limited 
space in the spent fuel pool area, the multiple activities, associated 
with storage cask loading and the refueling outage, cannot be conducted 
at the same time. Therefore, the first storage cask must be loaded and 
transported to the ISFSI prior to receipt of new fuel.
    NSP estimates that approximately 30 days will be required for the 
preoperational testing of the first cask and the associated equipment, 
and about two weeks will be required to load the cask and transport it 
to the ISFSI. Including the 30-day waiting period required in 10 CFR 
72.82(e), it will take about two and one-half months from cask receipt 
until it is placed on the storage pad. Even if cask loading started 
before the end of the waiting period (which is allowed under 10 CFR 
72.82(e)-- there would not be enough time to complete the activities 
prior to receipt of new fuel, assuming the full 30-day waiting period.
    The purpose of the 30-day period, for the licensee to submit a 
report of the preoperational test acceptance criteria and test results, 
is to establish a sufficient hold point so as to ensure that the NRC 
has enough time to inspect a new licensee's preparations and, if 
necessary, exercise its regulatory authority before fuel is received at 
an ISFSI. For example, an ISFSI located at an away-from-reactor site 
may not have a resident inspector; therefore, the full 30-day period 
might be necessary to provide enough time for the NRC to review the 
licensee's records and preoperational test results and, if needed, send 
inspectors to the site. The Prairie Island ISFSI is located on a 
reactor site that has resident inspectors, and the resident and other 
NRC inspectors will both be present at the ISFSI to observe portions of 
the preoperational testing activities while they are being conducted. 
The NRC inspectors will also have ongoing access to the licensee's test 
procedures and test results in order to be able to conduct the 
appropriate review. Thus, in view of the NRC's oversight presence 
during the preoperational testing phase at Prairie Island, as well as 
the NRC's immediate access to the licensee's procedures and test 
results, the Commission concludes that the full 30 days, provided for 
in the rule, will not be needed in order for NRC to complete its 
inspection activities and determine whether any further regulatory 
action is needed before spent fuel is received at the Prairie Island 
ISFSI. Therefore, the licensee's submission of the required report in 
less time than the required 30-day period, before fuel receipt at the 
ISFSI, is acceptable. However, based on the ongoing observations of 
preoperational tests by inspectors, NRC may determine that more time 
than the three-day period, requested by the licensee, is needed to 
review additional licensee records and preoperational test results. 
Therefore, in granting the requested exemption, NRC reserves the right 
to require additional time, if necessary, to complete its activities.
    Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action: The Commission has 
evaluated the environmental impacts of the proposed action. The NRC 
reviewed the Prairie Island Safety Analysis Report (SAR), and in July 
1933, issued a Safety Evaluation Report (SER) approving the SAR. On 
July 28, 1992, the NRC issued an Environmental Assessment and Finding 
of no Significant Impact for the ISFSI (57 FR 34319, dated August 4, 
1992). On the basis of these reviews NRC concluded that spent fuel 
could be stored in the ISFSI at Prairie Island without significant 
environmental impact.
    The proposed exemption will not alter or affect the impacts of 
operation of the ISFSI previously evaluated by NRC. Rather, it merely 
allows NSP to submit the report of preoperational test acceptance 
criteria and test results three days prior to receipt of fuel at the 
ISFSI instead of the required 30-day period. As previously noted the 
30-day period is to provide the NRC sufficient opportunity to review 
the licensee's submittals. With inspectors of site, a shorter period 
will, in this case, provide the same, sufficient opportunity. In 
addition, the proposed exemption does not involve any change that 
increases the probability or consequences of accidents, that changes 
the types of any effluents that may be released offsite, or that would 
significantly increase the allowable individual or cumulative 
occupational radiation exposure. The Commission accordingly concludes 
that this proposed exemption will have no significant radiological or 
nonradiological environmental impacts.
    Alternative to the Proposed Action: 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. The staff considered the 
alternative of denying the requested exemption. Denial could result in 
the delay of the plant refueling outage planned for May 13, 1995, and 
would not reduce or change the environmental impacts that currently 
exist.
    Agencies and Persons Consulted: The Commission's staff reviewed 
NSP's request and did not consult other agencies or persons.
    Finding of No Significant Impact: Based upon the foregoing 
environmental [[Page 13478]] assessment, the Commission concludes that 
the proposed action would 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 
exemption.
    For further details with respect to this action, the request for 
exemption dated January 4, 1995, and other documents are available for 
public inspection and for copying (for a fee) at the NRC Public 
Document Room, 2120 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20555, and at the 
Local Public Document Room located in the Minneapolis Public Library, 
300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day of March, 1995.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Donald A. Cool,
Director, Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety, Office of 
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 95-6062 Filed 3-10-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M