The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has determined there would be no significant environmental impact from a 40-year license renewal for the spent fuel storage pad at the retired Humboldt Bay nuclear power plant in California.
Owner Pacific Gas & Electric “is proposing no changes in how it handles or stores spent fuel at the Humboldt Bay ISFSI,” the federal agency said in an April 30 environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact (FONSI). “No significant changes in PG&E’s authorized operations for the Humboldt Bay ISFSI were requested as part of the license renewal application. The proposed action would not result in any new construction or expansion of the existing ISFSI footprint beyond that previously approved. The ISFSI is a passive facility that produces no liquid or gaseous effluents.”
The NRC notified PG&E of its finding in a May 1 letter, which was posted Friday to the agency website.
Humboldt Bay Power Plant Unit 3 operated from 1963 to 1976 in Eureka, Calif. It closed for upgrades and never reopened.
In November 2005, PG&E received a 20-year license from the federal regulator to take, hold, and transfer used fuel from the reactor via the ISFSI. The license was amended in 2013 to encompass storage of Greater-Than-Class C process waste, primarily solid waste left by operations and decommissioning of Unit 3.
The storage pad holds 390 used fuel assemblies, plus loose debris generally equivalent to one assembly, in casks produced by Holtec International.
The NRC expects this month to decide on the license renewal application, a spokesman said Tuesday.
