[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 53 (Friday, March 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13322-13323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6055]
[[Page 13322]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-387 and 50-388; NRC-2010-0109]
PPL Susquehanna, LLC.: Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, 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 Renewed Facility
Operating License Nos. NPF-14 and NPF-22, issued to PPL Susquehanna,
LLC (PPL or the licensee), for operation of the Susquehanna Steam
Electric Station (SSES), Units 1 and 2, respectively, located in
Luzerne County, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Therefore, as required by
10 CFR 51.21, the NRC performed an environmental assessment. Based on
the results of the environmental assessment, the NRC is issuing a
finding of no significant impact.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would exempt the licensee from the required
implementation date of March 31, 2010, for several new requirements of
10 CFR Part 73. Specifically, the licensee 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
has proposed an alternate full compliance implementation date of
October 29, 2010, for two requirements and until July 31, 2011, for one
other requirement. The proposed action, an extension of the schedule
for completion of certain actions required by the revised 10 CFR Part
73, does not involve any physical changes to the reactor, fuel, plant
structures, support structures, water, or land at the SSES Units 1 and
2 site.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated December 3, 2009, as supplemented by letters dated
January 8 and 29, 2010.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed to provide the licensee with
additional time to perform the required upgrades to the SSES Units 1
and 2 security system due to resource and logistical impacts and other
factors.
The licensee has requested the proposed exemption from the specific
requirements of 10 CFR 73.55, ``Requirements for physical protection of
licensed activities in nuclear power reactors against radiological
sabotage,'' for SSES Units 1 and 2 by extending the implementation
deadline for certain security requirements issued by NRC in a Final
Rule dated March 27, 2009 (74 FR 13926).
Pursuant to the Final Rule, the new security requirements must be
implemented by March 31, 2010. PPL has evaluated these new requirements
and determined that many can be implemented by the required date. PPL
has determined, however, that implementation of specific parts of the
new requirements will require more time to implement since they are
significant physical changes involving or requiring: (1) Specific parts
that are proving to be long lead time items, (2) specialized industry
expertise whose availability is being challenged by the significant
demand for a limited resource, or (3) a major interface with the plant
for installation that must be carefully planned and implemented to
avoid impact to the plant protective strategy.
Specifically, extensions are requested until October 29, 2010, for
two requirements and until July 31, 2011, for one other requirement.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its environmental assessment of the proposed
exemption. The staff has concluded that the proposed action to extend
the implementation deadline would not significantly affect plant safety
and would not have a significant adverse effect on the probability of
an accident occurring.
The proposed action would not result in an increased radiological
hazard 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 13967). 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-Steven's 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 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, 13967 (March 27, 2009)].
The licensee currently maintains a security system acceptable to
the NRC to provide acceptable physical protection of the SSES, 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 until October 29, 2010, for two requirements and until July 31,
2011, for one other requirement, would not have any significant
environmental impacts.
The NRC staff's safety evaluation will be provided in the exemption
that will be issued as part of the 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 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. If the proposed action was denied, the licensee
would have to comply with the March 31, 2010, implementation deadline.
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
the SSES Units 1 and 2 site, NUREG-0564, dated June 1981 as
supplemented through the ``Generic Environmental Impact
[[Page 13323]]
Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Supplement 35
Regarding Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 Final
Report,'' dated March 2009.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on February 17, 2010, the NRC
staff consulted with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State official,
Larry Winker of the Department of Environmental Protection/Bureau of
Radiation Protection, 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 December 3, 2009, as supplemented by letters
dated January 8, 2010, and January 29, 2010. Portions of the letter
dated December 3, 2009, as supplemented by letters dated January 8 and
January 29, 2010, contain security sensitive information and,
accordingly, are withheld from public disclosure in accordance with 10
CFR 2.390. The redacted versions of the December 3, 2009, as
supplemented by letters dated January 8 and January 29, 2010,
(Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession
Number ML093410632, ML100120657, and ML100330085, respectively), 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-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 15th day of March 2010.
For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Bhalchandra K. Vaidya,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch I-1, Division of Operating
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2010-6055 Filed 3-18-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P