[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 18, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11612-11613]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-5811]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-271; NRC-2009-0121]
Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power
Station; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of a revision of an existing exemption from Title 10 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) part 50, Appendix R, ``Fire
Protection Program of Nuclear Power Facilities Operating Prior to
January 1, 1979,'' for Automatic Fire Suppression, Separation, and
Repairs, issued to Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (the licensee), for
operation of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VY), located in
Windham County, Vermont. Therefore, as required by 10 CFR 51.21, the
NRC is issuing this environmental assessment and finding of no
significant impact.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would revise the exemption from the provisions
of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix R, Section III.G.2 (III.G.2), dated
December 1, 1986, which in part permitted a reduction in minimum
separation distance between cable trays in the northwest corner of Fire
Zone RB-3 of the reactor building to 18 feet. VY has requested a
revision of the existing exemption to permit the actual minimum
separation distance of 17 feet-7.5 inches.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated July 11, 2008, as supplemented by letter dated
November 20, 2008.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed revision of an existing exemption from 10 CFR part 50,
Appendix R, is needed to permit a reduction in minimum separation
distance between cable trays from 18 feet to 17 feet-7.5 inches. VY has
performed a Fire Protection evaluation, using NRC Generic Letter 86-10,
``Implementation of Fire Protection Requirements,'' and concluded that
[[Page 11613]]
there is no impact on VY's safe shutdown capability by this reduction
in separation.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its safety evaluation (SE) of the proposed
action and concludes that the further reduction in minimum separation
distance is sufficient to maintain an adequate level of safety to meet
the requirements of 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii) in that the application of
the regulation is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of
the rule. The details of the staff's SE will be provided in the
exemption that will be issued as part of the letter to the licensee
approving the exemption.
The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability
or consequences of accidents. No changes are being made in the types of
effluents that may be released off site. There is no significant
increase in the amount of any effluent released off site. There is no
significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure.
Therefore, there are no significant radiological environmental impacts
associated with the proposed action.
With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed
action does not have a potential to affect any historic sites. It does
not affect non-radiological plant effluents and has no other
environmental impact. Therefore, there are no significant non-
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC staff considered
denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative).
Denial of the application would result in no change in current
environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of the proposed action
and the alternative action are similar.
Alternative Use of Resources
The action does not involve the use of any different resources than
those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for
VY.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on January 15, 2009, the NRC
staff consulted with the Vermont State official of the Vermont
Department of Public Service regarding the environmental impact of the
proposed action. The State official had no comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC concludes
that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the
quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has determined
not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed
action.
For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the
licensee's letter dated July 11, 2008, Agencywide Documents Access and
Management System (ADAMS) accession number ML081000176, as supplemented
by letter dated November 20, 2008, ADAMS accession number ML083370180.
Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public
Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public File Area
O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland.
Publicly available records will be accessible electronically from the
ADAMS Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web
site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Persons who do not have
access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents
located in ADAMS should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by
telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or send an e-mail to
[email protected].
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 11th day of March 2009.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
James Kim,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch I-1, Division of Operating
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E9-5811 Filed 3-17-09; 8:45 am]
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