Portland General Electric Co.; Issuance of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Regarding the Proposed Exemptions From Requirements of 10 CFR Part 71

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No.: 71-9271]

Portland General Electric Co.; Issuance of Environmental

Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Regarding the Proposed

Exemptions From Requirements of 10 CFR Part 71

Portland General Electric Company (PGE or applicant) has applied

for a package approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

(NRC) for the one-time shipment of the Trojan Reactor Vessel Package

(TRVP), with internals intact, from the Trojan Nuclear Plant site at

Rainier, Oregon, to the US Ecology radioactive waste disposal facility

near Richland, Washington. As part of its application, PGE has

requested exemptions, pursuant to 10 CFR 71.8, from requirements 10 CFR

71.71(c)(7) and 10 CFR 71.73(c)(1). This Environmental Assessment (EA)

was prepared to assess the potential environmental impacts of granting

these exemptions as well as an exemption from 10 CFR 71.73(b) to the

extent it is needed to grant an exemption from 10 CFR 71.73(c)(1).

Identification of Proposed Action

By letter dated March 31, 1997, PGE requested, in part, approval

for the one-time shipment of the TRVP by means of two specific

exemptions, under 10 CFR 71.8, from the requirements of 10 CFR

71.71(c)(7) and 71.73(c)(1), in the 10 CFR part 71 regulations

governing the packaging and transportation of licensed materials.

The TRVP is the Trojan reactor vessel prepared for transport as a

shipping package. The reactor vessel is a large, thick-walled, steel

structure measuring approximately 13 m (42 feet, 6 inches) in length

and 5.2 m (17 feet, 1 inch) in outside diameter. The reactor vessel

void space, with internals installed and intact, will be filled with

low-density cellular concrete, to prevent movement of radioactive

material within the reactor vessel. The vessel will be sealed and

shielded as necessary to meet the dose limit requirements of 10 CFR

71.47 and 10 CFR 71.51. Impact limiters will be installed to minimize

reactor vessel stresses associated with the analyzed TRVP drops. The

impact limiters are each approximately 1.5 m (4 feet, 10 inches) in

width and 7.6 m (28 feet) in outside diameter. The maximum gross weight

of the TRVP is conservatively 925 metric tons (2.04 million pounds).

The TRVP will be shipped approximately 482 km (300 miles) as a one-

time, exclusive use, radioactive material transportation package for

the purpose of disposal at the US Ecology low-level radioactive waste

facility on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation near Richland, Washington.

During the shipment, the TRVP is expected to be outside the Trojan

Nuclear Plant site and US Ecology facility boundaries less than 72

hours.

Section 71.71(c)(7) requires an evaluation of the package design

under normal conditions of transport and must include a determination

of the effect, on that design, of a free drop of the specimen through a

distance of 0.3 m (1 foot) [for a package weighing more than 15000 kg

(33,100 pounds)] ``* * * onto a flat, essentially unyielding,

horizontal surface in a position for which maximum damage is

expected.''

Before shipment, the TRVP will be prepared as a shipping package

and will be loaded and tied down onto a specially designed transporter.

The loaded transporter will be moved onto

[[Page 57714]]

a specially selected barge and secured using an engineered tie-down

system. The barge will be grounded during this evolution. The TRVP

loaded transporter will be barged up the Columbia River to the Port of

Benton where a heavy-haul mover will connect to the transporter and

move it off the barge and overland to the disposal facility. The TRVP

will be off-loaded at the disposal facility.

The TRVP will be rotated to a horizontal position (i.e., the

centerline longitudinal axis of the package will be horizontal) during

preparation in the Trojan Nuclear Plant industrial area. During

transport, the TRVP will remain oriented in the horizontal position.

Because of the unique size and mass of the package and the method of

support of the package, no other orientation is reasonable during TRVP

transport. Once loaded onto the transporter, the TRVP will not be

removed from the transporter at any time during transport.

Based on the above conditions and the special handling and

operational controls to be exercised, PGE requested exemption from the

requirement to consider the 0.3 m (1 foot) drop (in any orientation) as

a normal condition of transport. PGE has, however, designed and

analyzed the TRVP with impact limiters to withstand the effects of a

0.3 m (1 foot) horizontal orientation drop.

Section 71.73(c)(1) concerns tests for hypothetical accident

conditions and requires: ``A free drop of the specimen through a

distance of 9 m (30 feet) onto a flat, essentially unyielding,

horizontal surface, striking the surface in a position for which

maximum damage is expected.'' Based on the Safety Analysis Report (SAR)

specified transportation route, method of shipment, and special

controls [including 18.5 km/h (10 knots) and 8 km/h (5 mi/h) speed

limits for river and road, respectively], the PGE contends the 9 m (30-

foot) drop should not be considered a hypothetical accident condition

for the TRVP shipment. PGE determined that the maximum postulated

distance that the TRVP could drop during a hypothetical transport

accident is 3.3 m (11 feet), based on the transportation system, route,

and operational controls. This drop height and horizontal orientation

were used as a design basis for the TRVP. Because the TRVP shipment is

conditioned on a minimum initial TRVP temperature of 50 deg.F, and on

a forecasted minimum daily low temperature during transport of 40

deg.F, the 11-foot drop and puncture were evaluated at 45 deg.F,

rather than the -20 deg.F which otherwise would be required by 10 CFR

71.73(b).

PGE designed the TRVP and analyzed its performance under accident

conditions that are not as rigorous as those specified in 10 CFR

71.73(c)(1), and therefore requested exemption from that requirement.

To assure comparable shipment safety, PGE has committed to the use of

stringent operational and administrative controls. The purpose of these

controls is to ensure that the probability of the TRVP encountering

accident conditions beyond those for which it has been analyzed is low.

Need for the Proposed Action

The Trojan Nuclear Plant was shut down in November 1992. On January

27, 1993, PGE notified the NRC of its decision to permanently cease

power operations and subsequently defueled the reactor, storing the

spent fuel in the Trojan spent fuel pool. Currently, PGE has a

possession-only license under 10 CFR part 50, and on January 25, 1995,

applied to terminate its license by submitting a decommissioning plan.

PGE proposed to decommission the facility using a dismantlement or

DECON approach as defined in the ``Final Generic Environmental Impact

Statement on Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities,'' NUREG-0586, dated

August 1988.

In accordance with the NRC-approved decommissioning plan, PGE's

plans for decommissioning the Trojan Nuclear Plant include

decontamination and dismantlement of contaminated structures, systems,

and components. The removal of the Trojan reactor vessel and the

internals is an evolution that is discussed in the decommissioning

plan, and is necessary for completion of decommissioning and release of

the site for unrestricted use.

Certain normal- and accident-condition test requirements of 10 CFR

71 [i.e., 10 CFR 71.71(c)(7) and 71.73(c)(1)] are impractical for the

proposed shipment of the TRVP. They would significantly increase the

size and cost of impact limiters attached to the reactor vessel. Larger

impact limiters would raise the center of gravity of the TRVP in its

transport configuration, resulting in a larger actual drop height that

could occur during the shipment. Larger impact limiters could also make

the shipment by barge physically impossible because a slightly taller

package would not fit under the minimum overhead clearance point for

the shipment route. Furthermore, installation of larger impact limiters

would result in an increase in occupational dose to the workers

performing the installation, which is not in keeping with the as low as

reasonably achievable (ALARA) concept. Thus, exemptions from the

requirements of 10 CFR 71.71(c)(7), and 71.73(c)(1) and the related

exemption from 71.73(b), are needed to approve use of the TRVP for

transport.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

NRC has considered the impacts of radioactive material

transportation in general in its ``Final Environmental Statement on the

Transportation of Radioactive Material by Air and Other Modes,''

(NUREG-0170, December 1977). The one-time, short-duration shipment of

the TRVP will be made along a well-defined, favorable transportation

route to the U.S. Ecology licensed radioactive waste disposal facility.

The staff has established, by evaluation of the revised SAR and

transportation Probabilistic Safety Study (PSS) and by personal

interviews with the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Department of

Transportation (DOT), that the operational and administrative controls

provide reasonable assurance that the TRVP will not encounter accident

conditions during the shipment beyond those for which it has been

analyzed. Therefore, any stress to the TRVP from normal or credible

accidents is not expected to have impacts that would lead to

radiological releases.

The PSS shows that the most likely of the accident scenarios is a

TRVP barge collision, with the TRVP lost overboard (probability of

10-\6\ for the shipment). PGE has developed a recovery plan for this

scenario that indicates that the TRVP would be recovered in about 30

days. Since the probability of accidents that could damage the package

and lead to potential health impacts is less than 10-\6\, these

accidents were not evaluated by the staff. The staff concluded that the

TRVP shipment will not significantly affect the public health and

safety, or adversely impact the environment.

Alternative to the Proposed Action

The alternative to the proposed action is to not grant the

exemptions from 10 CFR part 71, which would then require other

approaches to disposition of the Trojan reactor vessel and evaluation

of its environmental impacts. Three other disposition scenarios were

considered for the disposal of the reactor vessel and internals from

the Trojan Nuclear Plant:

A. No Action

Storage of the reactor vessel on site. On-site storage of the

reactor vessel with its internals intact is not considered to be a

viable alternative. Federal regulations (10 CFR 50.82(a)) provide for

decommissioning within 60 years, unless a longer period is approved by

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the Commission, in accordance with the regulations. Storing the vessel

on-site for 50 years before removal is similar to the SAFSTOR

decommissioning alternative, which was addressed in NUREG-0586, ``Final

Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Decommissioning of Nuclear

Facilities.'' On-site storage for 50 years is not consistent with the

DECON decommissioning alternative that was selected by PGE and approved

by NRC. The DECON decommissioning alternative has also been accepted

and approved by the State of Oregon for the decommissioning of the

Trojan Nuclear Plant. On-site storage of the reactor vessel would

result in retaining the part 50 license and necessary staff to maintain

radiological controls and other part 50 required programs. Other

results include, but are not limited to, performance of required

periodic surveys, increased exposure to workers, and increased cost.

Although radioactive decay would reduce shielding requirements, the

reactor vessel would still have to be disposed of using one of the

alternatives described below. Since insignificant gain would be

realized, this scenario was not evaluated further.

B. Modified Reactor Vessel and Internals Removal (Modified TRVP)

Disposal of the reactor vessel in one piece with only the non-

greater than Class C (non-GTCC) internals left inside. The TRVP, with

all internals included, is classified as Class C waste. Certain

internals, if removed from the TRVP, would likely be classified as GTCC

waste. The GTCC internals would have to be segmented underwater, placed

into containers, and stored in the spent fuel pool or the independent

spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) at the Trojan Site. The vessel

and remaining internals would be shipped via barge in a single package

similar to the TRVP alternative. Depending on the package shipped, NRC

and/or DOT exemptions might still be required. The GTCC internals would

be shipped at an unknown date in the future when a suitable repository

becomes available to accept the waste.

C. Separate Disposal

Separate disposal of the reactor vessel and internals. The reactor

vessel internals would be segmented underwater. The non-GTCC internals

would be placed in shielded casks and shipped to the US Ecology

disposal facility via truck. The GTCC internals would be stored in the

spent fuel pool or the ISFSI at the Trojan site. The reactor vessel

would be disposed of separately from the internals and either shipped

whole, via barge, or segmented and shipped, via truck, to the disposal

facility. Depending on the package shipped, NRC and/or DOT exemptions

might still be required. The GTCC internals would be shipped at an

unknown date in the future when a suitable repository becomes available

to accept the waste.

Radiation exposures for the proposed action and the other

disposition options were analyzed for on-site personnel, transportation

personnel, general public, and disposal facility workers. The number of

radioactive waste shipments for each scenario was based on the amount

and configuration of the waste produced. Dose estimates do not include

doses resulting from on-site storage and future shipment of GTCC waste

to a waste repository (date and site unknown).

The proposed TRVP action has one radioactive waste shipment and a

total exposure of 0.674 person-Sv (67.4 person-rem) [0.671 person-Sv

(67.1 person-rem) of occupational exposure to on-site personnel].

Alternative A is inconsistent with the NRC-approved decommissioning

plan for the site, and the impacts do not differ significantly from the

proposed action. Alternative B would entail three radioactive waste

shipments and a total exposure of 0.881 person-Sv (88.1 person-rem)

[0.878 person-Sv (87.8 person-rem) of occupational exposure to on-site

personnel]. Alternative C would involve 47 radioactive waste shipments

and a total exposure of 1.389 to 1.399 person-Sv (138.9 to 139.9

person-rem) (1.332 person-Sv (133.2 person-rem) of occupational

exposure to on-site personnel).

Agencies and Persons Contacted

Officials from the DOT Office of Hazardous Materials Technology,

and the U.S. Coast Guard, Marine Safety Office/Group Portland, were

contacted regarding impacts of the proposed action and had no concerns.

Finding of No Significant Impact

The environmental impacts of the proposed action have been reviewed

in accordance with the requirements of part 51. Based on the foregoing

EA, the Commission finds that the proposed action of: (1) Granting an

exemption from 10 CFR 71.71(c)(7), so that PGE need not evaluate a free

drop of 0.3 m (1 foot) under normal conditions of transport; and (2)

granting an exemption from 10 CFR 71.73(c)(1) and 71.73(b), so that PGE

need not evaluate a free drop of 9 m (30 feet) under hypothetical

accident conditions, will not significantly impact the quality of the

human environment. Accordingly, the Commission has determined not to

prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed exemption.

This application was docketed under part 71, Docket 71-9271. For

further details about this action, see Dockets 50-344 and 72-017, which

are available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document

Room, 2120 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20555, and the Local Public

Document Room at Portland State University Library, Science Library,

951 Southwest Hall Street, Portland, Oregon 97201.

Dated at Rockville, MD, this 22nd day of October 1998.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

M. Wayne Hodges,

Acting Director, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material

Safety and Safeguards.

[FR Doc. 98-28813 Filed 10-27-98; 8:45 am]

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