Amended Record of Decision for the Production of Tritium in Commercial Light Water Reactors, 63099-63100 [2023-19909]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
• National Nuclear Security Administration

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 177 (Thursday, September 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63099-63100]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19909]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Nuclear Security Administration


Amended Record of Decision for the Production of Tritium in 
Commercial Light Water Reactors

AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Amended record of decision.

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SUMMARY: The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a semi-
autonomous agency within the Department of Energy (DOE), is announcing 
this amendment to the June 22, 2016, Record of Decision (ROD) for the 
Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Production of 
Tritium in a Commercial Light Water Reactor (CLWR SEIS) (DOE/EIS-0288-
S1). NNSA is amending the 2016 decision in partnership with the 
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). TVA is considering increasing the 
number of TPBARs irradiated in their reactors at Watts Bar Nuclear 
Plant (WBN) using tritium-producing burnable absorber rods (TPBARs). 
NNSA initially decided to implement the CLWR SEIS Preferred 
Alternative, Alternative 6, which allows for the irradiation of up to a 
total of 5,000 TPBARs every 18 months using TVA reactors at both the 
Watts Bar and Sequoyah sites. Subsequent to the CLWR SEIS, WBN Unit 1 
increased tritium production under Unit 1 License Amendment #107 (July 
2016) and Unit 2 tritium production was authorized under Unit 2 License 
Amendment #27 (May 2019). Hence, TVA and NNSA are now opting to choose 
the previously analyzed CLWR SEIS Alternative 4, which allows for the 
irradiation of up to a total of 5,000 TPBARs every 18 months at the 
Watts Bar site using Watts Bar Units 1 and 2.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on NNSA's NEPA 
process, please contact Mr. James Sanderson, NEPA Compliance Officer, 
National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of General Counsel, 
Telephone (202) 586-1402; or by email to [email protected]. 
This Amended Record of Decision is available on the internet at https://energy.gov/nepa. The 2016 ROD, the CLWR SEIS, and related NEPA 
documents are available on the DOE NEPA website at https://www.energy.gov/nepa/doe-environmental-impact-statements.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NNSA is the lead Federal agency responsible 
for maintaining and enhancing the safety, security, reliability, and 
performance of the United States (U.S.) nuclear weapons stockpile. 
Tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, is an essential component 
of every weapon in the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile and must be 
replenished periodically due to its short half-life. In March 1999, DOE 
published the 1999 EIS, which addressed the production of tritium in 
the TVA's Watts Bar and Sequoyah nuclear reactors using TPBARs. The 
1999 EIS assessed the potential environmental impacts of irradiating up 
to 3,400 TPBARs per reactor per fuel cycle (a fuel cycle lasts about 18 
months). On May 14, 1999, DOE published the ROD for the 1999 EIS (64 FR 
26369) in which it announced its decision to enter into an agreement 
with TVA to irradiate TPBARs in the Watts Bar Unit 1 reactor (Watts Bar 
1) in Rhea County, Tennessee, near Spring City; and Sequoyah Units 1 
and 2 reactors (Sequoyah 1 and 2) in Hamilton County, Tennessee, near 
Soddy-Daisy. In 2002, TVA received license amendments from the U.S. 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to irradiate TPBARs in those 
reactors. (However, TVA's license for the Sequoyah reactors no longer 
allows for the irradiation of TPBARs.) Since 2003, TVA has been 
irradiating TPBARs for NNSA by irradiating TPBARs only in Watts Bar 1. 
(In 2020, TVA began irradiating TPBARs in Watts Bar 2.) After 
irradiation, NNSA transports the TPBARs to the Tritium Extraction 
Facility at the DOE Savannah River Site in South Carolina. NNSA's 
Interagency Agreement with TVA to irradiate TPBARs is in effect until 
the earlier of either (a) November 30, 2035, or (b) the date TVA no 
longer has a pressurized water reactor in operation.
    NNSA prepared the 2016 CLWR SEIS to update the environmental 
analyses in the 1999 Final Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Production of Tritium in a Commercial Light Water Reactor (DOE/EIS-
0288; the 1999 EIS). The 2016 CLWR SEIS provides analysis of the 
potential environmental impacts from TPBAR irradiation based on a 
conservative estimate of the tritium permeation rate through the TPBAR 
cladding, NNSA's revised estimate of the maximum number of TPBARs 
necessary to support the current and projected future tritium supply 
requirements, and a maximum production scenario of irradiating no more 
than a total of 5,000 TPBARs every 18 months. NNSA initially decided to 
implement the Preferred Alternative, Alternative 6, which allows for 
the irradiation of up to a total of 5,000 TPBARs every 18 months using 
TVA reactors at both the Watts Bar and Sequoyah sites. Although near-
term tritium requirements could likely be met with the irradiation of 
2,500 TPBARs every 18 months, at the time, this decision provided the 
greatest flexibility to meet potential future needs that could arise 
from various plausible but unexpected events. Subsequent to the 2016 
SEIS, WBN Unit 1 increased the irradiation of TPBARs under Unit 1 
License Amendment #107 (July 2016) and Unit 2 TPBAR irradiation was 
authorized under Unit 2 License Amendment #27 (May 2019). Hence, TVA 
and NNSA are now opting to choose the previously analyzed CLWR SEIS 
Alternative 4, which allows for the irradiation of up to a total of 
5,000 TPBARs every 18 months at the Watts Bar site using Watts Bar 1 
and 2. TVA noted new information or circumstances relevant to 
environmental concerns that could potentially have a bearing on the 
current proposal or its impacts. This new information was analyzed in a 
February 6, 2023 TVA memorandum, ``Determination of NEPA Adequacy, 
Production of Tritium in a Commercial Light Water Nuclear Reactor 
(Watts Bar Nuclear Plant), Tennessee Valley Authority.'' In this memo, 
TVA addressed their recent review of the

[[Page 63100]]

2016 CLWR SEIS to determine if additional environmental review under 
NEPA was needed, consistent with CEQ regulations at 40 CFR 1502.9(d). 
The analysis demonstrated that the current proposal does not represent 
a substantive change to operations, activities, and associated impacts 
assessed in existing NEPA documentation. Both the TVA analysis and the 
CLWR SEIS analysis indicate that there would not be any significant 
increase in radiation exposure associated with TPBAR irradiation for 
facility workers or the public. For all analyzed alternatives 
(including both Alternatives 4 and 6), estimated radiation exposures 
would remain well below regulatory limits. The calculated estimated 
exposures for normal reactor operations with even the maximum number of 
TPBARs are comparable to those for normal reactor operation without 
TPBARs.

Amended Decision

    NNSA is amending its previous decision (81 FR 40685), which was to 
choose the 2016 CLWR SEIS's Alternative 6 that assumes TVA would 
irradiate up to a total of 5,000 TPBARs every 18 months using both the 
Watts Bar and Sequoyah sites. Because TVA would irradiate a maximum of 
2,500 TPBARs in any one reactor, this could involve the use of one or 
both reactors at each of the sites. Instead, NNSA's new decision is to 
choose the 2016 CLWR SEIS's Alternative 4 that assumes TVA would 
irradiate up to a total of 5,000 TPBARs every 18 months at the Watts 
Bar site using Watts Bar 1 and 2 reactors. Since TVA would irradiate a 
maximum of 2,500 TPBARs in any one reactor, this would involve use of 
both Watts Bar reactors. Under this decision, TVA will not irradiate 
TPBARs for tritium production at the Sequoyah site.

Basis for Decision

    The environmental impacts of this proposed action have been 
addressed in previous environmental impact statements, i.e., the 1999 
Final EIS for the Production of Tritium in a Commercial Light Water 
Reactor (DOE/EIS-0288) and the 2016 CLWR SEIS. However, TVA staff 
reviewed new information or circumstances relevant to environmental 
concerns that could potentially have a bearing on the current proposal 
or its impacts. This new information was analyzed in a February 6, 2023 
TVA memorandum, i.e., ``Determination of NEPA Adequacy, Production of 
Tritium in a Commercial Light Water Nuclear Reactor (Watts Bar Nuclear 
Plant), Tennessee Valley Authority.'' In this memo, TVA addresses their 
recent review of the 2016 CLWR SEIS to determine if additional 
environmental review under NEPA was needed, consistent with CEQ 
regulations at 40 CFR 1502.9(d). During an interagency teleconference 
held in May 2021, NNSA requested information from TVA to help NNSA in 
its determination of the adequacy of the 2016 SEIS as far as TVA's 
updated proposal. Additional information given to NNSA addresses 
anticipated effects on the amount of spent fuel to be generated at 
Watts Bar, the fuel cycle there, and the amount of tritiated wastewater 
estimated to be generated from TPBAR irradiation. In terms of the 
amount of spent fuel to be generated at Watts Bar, TVA's current 
proposal would result in 36 additional fuel assemblies every 18 months. 
The SEIS assumed up to 41 additional fuel assemblies, so it provides a 
conservative bounding analysis of the approximately 2500 TPBAR 
equilibrium core designs. There would be additional spent fuel 
generated with the new proposal. However, TVA has assured NNSA that it 
has infrastructure in place to manage the increased volume of spent 
nuclear fuel assemblies. Regarding the new proposal's effects on the 
fuel cycle, the cycle length is only mentioned in the SEIS twice, and 
only in the context of being a ``potential uncertainty'' in determining 
if it was necessary to assume in the SEIS a higher, more conservative 
tritium permeation rate. TVA does not consider the operating cycle 
length to be uncertain, and it also does not anticipate that 
irradiation of up to 2500 TPBARs at each reactor would affect the 
typical fuel cycle. Therefore, the issue has no bearing on the review 
for adequacy of the SEIS for any future TVA action to irradiate up to 
5000 TPBARs at Watts Bar. Lastly, the estimated amount of tritiated 
wastewater (due to permeation from the TPBARs into the cooling water) 
was not identified in the SEIS, as it is difficult to separate this out 
from other releases from such things as turbine building sumps, floor 
drain collector sumps, groundwater sumps, etc. However, to keep maximum 
tritium concentrations low, TVA will use a ``feed and bleed'' 
technique, which will require additional cooling water per fuel cycle 
in order to ensure that TVA discharges are within regulatory limits. 
TVA estimates that using this technique will increase water usage by 
approximately 25% but is not expected to affect environmental impacts. 
The current proposal does not represent a substantive change to 
operations, activities, and associated impacts assessed in existing 
NEPA documentation. Therefore, the decision to choose the previously 
analyzed 2016 CLWR SEIS Alternative 4, along with the updated analysis 
provided by TVA (summarized previously) and confirmed by NNSA, is 
reasonable, and accordingly, no further NEPA analysis of this TVA 
proposal is required.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on June 29, 
2023, by Jill Hruby, Under Secretary for Nuclear Security and 
Administrator, NNSA, pursuant to delegated authority from the Secretary 
of Energy. That document with the original signature and date is 
maintained by DOE. For administrative purposes only, and in compliance 
with requirements of the Office of the Federal Register, the 
undersigned DOE Federal Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to 
sign and submit the document in electronic format for publication, as 
an official document of the Department of Energy. This administrative 
process in no way alters the legal effect of this document upon 
publication in the Federal Register.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on September 11, 2023.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2023-19909 Filed 9-13-23; 8:45 am]
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