Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2002/03/15/02-6228/list-of-approved-spent-fuel-storage-casks-nac-mpc-revision
Timestamp: 2018-08-17 18:10:37
Document Index: 786458215

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 72', 'art 72', '§\u200972', 'art 72', '§\u200972', 'art 72', 'art 51', 'art 72', '§\u200972', 'art 72', '§\u200972', 'art 121']

A Rule by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on 03/15/2002
The final rule is effective May 29, 2002, unless significant adverse comments are received by April 15, 2002. A significant adverse comment is a comment where the commenter explains why the rule would be inappropriate, including challenges to the rule's underlying premise or approach, or would be ineffective or unacceptable without a change. If the rule is withdrawn, timely notice will be published in the Federal Register.
11566-11569 (4 pages)
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/02-6228 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/02-6228
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations revising the NAC International Multi-Purpose Canister (NAC-MPC) cask system listing within the “List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks” to include Amendment 2 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) Number 1025. This amendment will allow for modification of the design of the cask system to accommodate a new type of fuel. The NAC-MPC system component modifications include increased length of the fuel basket and canister, transfer cask, and vertical concrete cask. Changes also include a redesigned fuel basket to accommodate 26 fuel assemblies, with an alternate 24-fuel assembly configuration and increased transfer cask radial shielding. The CoC has been revised in its entirety to include a reference to the new type of fuel and a revised format. The Technical Specifications (TS) have also been revised in their entirety to include specifications for the new type of fuel, new operational limits, and to incorporate a revised format for the TS.
Documents created or received at the NRC after November 1, 1999, are also available electronically at the NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at http://www.nrc.gov/​reading-rm/​adams.html. From this site, the public can gain entry into the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), which provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. An electronic copy of the proposed CoC and preliminary safety evaluation report (SER) can be found under ADAMS Accession No. Start Printed Page 11567ML013480571. If you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC PDR Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737 or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.
CoC No. 1025, the revised Technical Specifications, the underlying Safety Evaluation Report for Amendment 2, and the Environmental Assessment, are available for inspection at the NRC Public Document Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD. Single copies of these documents may be obtained from Roger W. Broseus, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone (301) 415-7608, e-mail RWB@nrc.gov.
To implement this mandate, the NRC approved dry storage of spent nuclear fuel in NRC-approved casks under a general license by publishing a final rule in 10 CFR part 72 entitled, “General License for Storage of Spent Fuel at Power Reactor Sites” (55 FR 29181; July 18, 1990). This rule also established a new subpart L within 10 CFR part 72, entitled “Approval of Spent Fuel Storage Casks” containing procedures and criteria for obtaining NRC approval of spent fuel storage cask designs. The NRC subsequently issued a final rule on March 9, 2000 (65 FR 12444) that approved the NAC-MPC cask design and added it to the list of NRC-approved cask designs in § 72.214 as CoC No. 1025.
NAC International, the certificate holder for CoC No. 1025, submitted an application to the NRC to amend the CoC on May 19, 2000; supplemental information to support the application was submitted on September 6, October 2, and 12, 2000; and April 13, September 6, October 5, 10, and 15, and November 21, 2001. The applicant requested an amendment to permit a part 72 licensee to store a new type of fuel in the NAC-MPC. The NAC-MPC system component modifications include increased length of the fuel basket and canister, transfer cask, and vertical concrete cask. Changes include a redesigned fuel basket to accommodate 26 fuel assemblies, with an alternate 24-fuel assembly configuration and increased transfer cask radial shielding. The CoC has been revised in its entirety to include a reference to the new type of fuel and a revised format. No other changes to the NAC-MPC cask system design were requested in this application. The NRC staff performed a detailed safety evaluation of the proposed CoC amendment request and found that an acceptable safety margin is maintained. In addition, the NRC staff has determined that there is still reasonable assurance that public health and safety and the environment will be adequately protected.
This direct final rule revises the NAC-MPC cask design listing in § 72.214 by adding Amendment 2 to CoC No. 1025. The amendment includes a revision of the TS in their entirety to revise the format of the TS and to include specifications for the new type of fuel and new operational limits. Details on specific changes to the TS are discussed in the SER.
The redesigned NAC-MPC cask system, when used in accordance with the conditions specified in the CoC, the TS, and NRC regulations, will meet the requirements of Part 72; thus, adequate protection of public health and safety will continue to be ensured.
Certificate No. 1025 is revised by adding the effective date of Amendment 2.
This rule is limited to the changes contained in Amendment 2 to CoC No. 1025 and does not include other aspects of the NAC-MPC cask system design. The NRC is using the “direct final rule procedure” to issue this amendment because it represents a limited and routine change to an existing CoC that is expected to be noncontroversial. Adequate protection of public health and safety continues to be ensured. The amendment to the rule will become effective on May 29, 2002. However, if the NRC receives significant adverse comments by April 15, 2002, then the NRC will publish a document that withdraws this action and will address the comments received in response to the proposed amendments published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. A significant adverse comment is a comment where the commenter explains why the rule would be inappropriate, including challenges to the rule's underlying premise or approach, or would be ineffective or unacceptable without a change. A comment is adverse and significant if:
These comments will be addressed in a subsequent final rule. The NRC will not initiate a second comment period on this action. However, if the NRC receives significant adverse comments by April 15, 2002, then the NRC will publish a document that withdraws this action and will address the comments received in response to the proposed amendments published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
Under the “Policy Statement on Adequacy and Compatibility of Agreement State Programs” approved by the Commission on June 30, 1997, and published in the Federal Register on September 3, 1997 (62 FR 46517), this rule is classified as compatibility Start Printed Page 11568Category “NRC.” Compatibility is not required for Category “NRC” regulations. The NRC program elements in this category are those that relate directly to areas of regulation reserved to the NRC by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (AEA) or the provisions of the Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Although an Agreement State may not adopt program elements reserved to NRC, it may wish to inform its licensees of certain requirements via a mechanism that is consistent with the particular State's administrative procedure laws, but does not confer regulatory authority on the State.
Under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the NRC regulations in subpart A of 10 CFR part 51, the NRC has determined that this rule, if adopted, would not be a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment and, therefore, an environmental impact statement is not required. The rule would amend the CoC for the NAC-MPC cask system within the list of approved spent fuel storage casks that power reactor licensees can use to store spent fuel at reactor sites under a general license. Amendment 2 will allow for modification of the design of the cask system to accommodate a new type of fuel. The NAC-MPC system component modifications include increased length of the fuel basket and canister, transfer cask, and vertical concrete cask. Changes also include a redesigned fuel basket to accommodate 26 fuel assemblies, with an alternate 24-fuel assembly configuration and increased transfer cask radial shielding. The CoC has been revised in its entirety to include a reference to the new type of fuel and a revised format. The Technical Specifications (TS) have also been revised in their entirety to include specifications for the new type of fuel, new operational limits, and to incorporate a revised format for the TS. The environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact on which this determination is based are available for inspection at the NRC Public Document Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD. Single copies of the environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact are available from Roger W. Broseus, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone (301) 415-7608, e-mail RWB@nrc.gov.
On July 18, 1990 (55 FR 29181), the NRC issued an amendment to 10 CFR part 72 to provide for the storage of spent nuclear fuel under a general license in cask designs approved by the NRC. Any nuclear power reactor licensee can use NRC-approved cask designs to store spent nuclear fuel if it notifies the NRC in advance, spent fuel is stored under the conditions specified in the cask's CoC, and the conditions of the general license are met. A list of NRC-approved cask designs is contained in § 72.214. On March 9, 2000 (65 FR 12444), the NRC issued an amendment to part 72 that approved the NAC-MPC cask design by adding it to the list of NRC-approved cask designs in § 72.214. On May 19, 2000, the certificate holder, NAC International, submitted an application to the NRC to amend CoC No. 1025; supplemental information to support the application was submitted on September 6, October 2, and 12, 2000; and April 13, September 6, October 5, 10, and 15, and November 21, 2001. Amendment 2 will allow for modification of the design of the cask system to accommodate a new type of fuel. The MPC system component modifications include increased length of the fuel basket and canister, transfer cask, and vertical concrete cask. Changes also include a redesigned fuel basket to accommodate 26 fuel assemblies, with an alternate 24-fuel assembly configuration and increased transfer cask radial shielding. The CoC has been revised in its entirety to include a reference to the new type of fuel and a revised format. The Technical Specifications (TS) have also been revised in their entirety to include specifications for the new type of fuel, new operational limits, and to incorporate a revised format for the TS.
In accordance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (5 U.S.C. 605(b)), the NRC certifies that this rule will not, if issued, have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. This direct final rule affects only the licensing and operation of nuclear power plants, independent spent fuel storage facilities, and NAC International. The companies that own these plants do not fall within the scope of the definition of “small entities” set forth in the Regulatory Flexibility Act or the Small Business Size Standards set out in regulations issued by the Small Start Printed Page 11569Business Administration at 13 CFR part 121.
[FR Doc. 02-6228 Filed 3-14-02; 8:45 am]