[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8150-8151]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-3498]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-498 and 50-499; NRC-2010-060]
STP Nuclear Operating Company
South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2 Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an exemption, pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR) Section 73.5, ``Specific exemptions,'' from the
implementation date for certain new requirements of 10 CFR Part 73,
``Physical protection of plants and materials,'' for Facility Operating
[[Page 8151]]
Licenses numbered NPF-76 and NPF-80, issued to STP Nuclear Operating
Company (the licensee), for operation of South Texas Project (STP),
Units 1 and 2, located in Matagorda County, Texas. In accordance with
10 CFR 51.21, the NRC prepared an environmental assessment documenting
its finding. The NRC concluded that the proposed actions will have no
significant environmental impact.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would exempt STP, Units 1 and 2, from the
required implementation date of March 31, 2010, for certain new
requirements of 10 CFR Part 73. Specifically, STP, Units 1 and 2, would
be granted an exemption from being in full compliance with certain new
requirements contained in 10 CFR 73.55 by the March 31, 2010, deadline.
The licensee for STP, Units 1 and 2, has proposed an alternate full
compliance implementation date of June 30, 2010, 3 months beyond the
date required by 10 CFR Part 73. The proposed action, an extension of
the schedule for completion of certain actions required by the revised
10 FR Part 73, does not involve any physical changes to the reactor,
fuel, plant structures, support structures, water, or land at the STP,
Units 1 and 2, site.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated November 18, 2009.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed to provide the licensee with
additional time required to perform the required upgrades to the STP,
Units 1 and 2 security systems.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC staff has completed its environmental assessment of the
proposed exemption. The NRC staff has concluded that the proposed
action to extend the compliance implementation deadline would not
significantly affect plant safety and would not have a significant
adverse effect on the probability or consequences of an accident.
The proposed action would not result in any increased radiological
hazards beyond those previously analyzed in the environmental
assessment and finding of no significant impact made by the Commission
in promulgating its revisions to 10 CFR Part 73 as discussed in a
Federal Register notice dated March 27, 2009 (74 FR 13926). There will
be no change to radioactive effluents that affect radiation exposures
to plant workers and members of the public. Therefore, no changes or
different types of radiological impacts are expected as a result of the
proposed exemption.
The proposed action does not result in changes to land use or water
use, or result in changes to the quality or quantity of non-
radiological effluents. No changes to the National Pollution Discharge
Elimination System permit are needed. No effects on the aquatic or
terrestrial habitat in the vicinity of the plant, or to threatened,
endangered, or protected species under the Endangered Species Act, or
impacts to essential fish habitat covered by the Magnuson-Stevens Act
are expected. There are no impacts to the air or ambient air quality.
There are no impacts to historical and cultural resources. There
would be no impact to socioeconomic resources. Therefore, no changes to
or different types of non-radiological environmental impacts are
expected as a result of the proposed exemption.
Accordingly, the NRC staff concludes that there are no significant
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. In addition,
in promulgating its revisions to 10 CFR Part 73, the Commission
prepared an environmental assessment and published a finding of no
significant impact (Part 73, Power Reactor Security Requirements, 74 FR
13926 (March 27, 2009)).
With its request to extend the compliance implementation deadline,
the licensee has proposed compensatory measures to be taken in lieu of
full compliance with the new requirements specified in 10 CFR Part 73.
The licensee currently maintains a security system acceptable to the
NRC. The proposed compensatory measures will continue to provide
acceptable physical protection of the STP, Units 1 and 2, in lieu of
the new requirements in 10 CFR Part 73. Therefore, the extension of the
implementation date of the new requirements of 10 CFR Part 73 to June
30, 2010, would not have any significant environmental impacts.
The NRC staff's safety evaluation will be provided as part of a
letter to the licensee approving the exemption to the regulation, if
granted.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC staff considered
denial of the proposed actions (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative).
Denial of the exemption request would result in no change in current
environmental impacts. If the proposed action was denied, the licensee
would have to comply with the March 31, 2010, compliance implementation
deadline. The environmental impacts of the proposed exemption and the
``no-action'' alternative are similar.
Alternative Use of Resources
The action does not involve the use of any different resources than
those considered in the Final Environmental Statement for the STP,
Units 1 and 2, NUREG-1172, dated August 1986.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on February 1, 2010, the NRC
staff consulted with the Texas State official, Ms. Alice Rogers of the
Texas State Department of Health, regarding the environmental impact of
the proposed action. The Texas 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 November 18, 2009. Portions of November 18,
2009, submittal contains security related information and, accordingly,
are not available to the public. Other parts of the 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 O-1F21, 11555
Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland 20852. Publicly
available records will be accessible electronically from the Agencywide
Documents Access and Management System (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 16th day of February 2010.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Mohan C. Thadani,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch LPLIV, Division of
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2010-3498 Filed 2-22-10; 8:45 am]
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