ML073201027

Biweekly Notice Memo, Notice of Consideration, Amends the Technical Specifications to Delete Many Operational & Administrative Requirements Upon Transfer of Spent Nuclear Fuel Assemblies.

ML073201027
Person / Time
Site:	Humboldt Bay
Issue date:	11/27/2007
From:	Hickman J B NRC/FSME/DWMEP/DURLD/RDB
To:	NRC/FSME/DWMEP/DURLD/RDB
Hickman J B (301)415-3017
References
TAC J00336
Download: ML073201027 (4)

Text

November 27, 2007

MEMORANDUM TO: Biweekly Notice Coordinator /RA/

FROM: John B. Hickman, Project Manager Reactor Decommissioning Branch Decommissioning and Uranium Recovery Licensing Directorate Division of Waste Management and Environmental Protection Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs

SUBJECT:

REQUEST FOR PUBLICATION IN BIWEEKLY FR NOTICE - NOTICE OF CONSIDERATION OF ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE, PROPOSED NO SIGNIFICANT HAZARDS CONSIDERATION DETERMINATION, AND OPPORTUNITY FOR A HEARING (TAC No. J00336)

Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Docket No. 50-133, Humboldt Bay Power Plant (HBPP), Unit 3 Humboldt County, California Date of amendment request: November 5, 2007 Description of amendment request: The licensee has proposed amending the technical specifications (TS) to delete many operational and administrative requirements upon transfer of spent nuclear fuel assemblies and fuel fragment containers from the Spent Fuel Pool (SFP) to the Humboldt Bay Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI). Some TS requirements will be relocated to the HBPP Quality Assurance Plan. Basis for proposed no significant hazards consideration determination: As required by 10 CFR 50.91(a), the licensee has provided its analysis of the issue of no significant hazards consideration, which is presented below:

(1) Does the change involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated?

Response: No.

2 The proposed changes reflect the transfer of spent fuel from the Spent Fuel Pool to the Humboldt Bay (HB) Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation. Design basis accidents related to the SFP are discussed in the Humboldt Bay Power Plant Unit 3 Defueled Safety Analysis Report (DSAR). These postulated accidents are predicated on spent fuel being stored in the SFP. With the removal of the spent fuel from the SFP, there are no important-to-safety systems, structures or components required to function or to be monitored. In addition, there are no remaining credible accidents involving spent fuel or the SFP that require actions of a Certified Fuel Handler or Noncertified Fuel Handler to prevent occurrence or to mitigate consequences. The proposed change to the Design Features section of the Technical Specifications (TS) clarifies that the spent fuel is being stored in dry casks within an ISFSI. The probability or consequences of accidents at the ISFSI are evaluated in the HB ISFSI Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) and are independent of the accidents evaluated in the HBPP Unit 3 DSAR.

Therefore, the proposed changes will not involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated

(2) Does the change create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident evaluated?

Response: No.

The proposed changes reflect the reduced operational risks as a result of the spent fuel being transferred to dry casks within an ISFSI. The proposed changes do not modify any systems, structures or components. The plant conditions for which the HBPP Unit 3 DSAR design basis accidents relating to spent fuel and the SFP have been evaluated are no longer applicable. The aforementioned proposed changes do not affect any of the parameters or conditions that could contribute to the initiation of an accident. Design basis accidents associated with the dry cask storage of spent fuel are already considered in the HB ISFSI FSAR. No new accident scenarios are created as a result of deleting nonapplicable operational and administrative requirements. Therefore, the proposed changes will not create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from those previously evaluated.

(3) Does the change involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety?

Response: No.

The proposed changes reflect the reduced operational risks as a result of the spent fuel being transferred to dry casks within an ISFSI. The design basis and accident assumptions within the HBPP Unit 3 DSAR and the TS relating to spent fuel are no longer applicable. The proposed changes do not affect remaining plant operations, nor structures, systems, or components supporting decommissioning activities. In addition, the proposed changes do not result in a change in initial conditions, system response time, or in any other parameter affecting the course of a decommissioning activity accident analysis. Therefore, the proposed changes will not involve a significant reduction in the margin of safety.

3 The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's analysis and, based on this review, it appears that the three standards of 10 CFR 50.92(c) are satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff proposes to determine that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration.

Attorney for licensee: Ms. Jennifer K. Post, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, 77 Beale Street, B30A, San Francisco, CA NRC Branch Chief: Andrew Persinko

3 The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's analysis and, based on this review, it appears that the three standards of 10 CFR 50.92(c) are satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff proposes to determine that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration.

Attorney for licensee: Ms. Jennifer K. Post, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, 77 Beale Street, B30A, San Francisco, CA NRC Branch Chief: Andrew Persinko

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ML073201027 OFFICE DWMEP DWMEP OGC RDB/BC NAME JHickman TMixon APersinko

DATE 11/17/07 11/16/07 11/ 20/07 11/27/07 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY