[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 170 (Thursday, September 2, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 53984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-21944]
[[Page 53984]]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-338 and 50-339, Docket Nos. 50-280 and 50-281, NRC-
2010-0283]
Virginia Electric and Power Company North Anna Power Station,
Unit Nos. 1 and 2 Surry Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an exemption from Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR), Part 50, Section 50.46 ``Acceptance criteria for
emergency core cooling systems for light-water nuclear power
reactors,'' and Appendix K to 10 CFR part 50, ``ECCS (emergency core
cooling system) Evaluation Models,'' to allow the use of Optimized
ZIRLO fuel rod cladding in future core reload applications for North
Anna Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (NAPS), for Renewed Facility
Operating License Nos. NPF-4 and NPF-7, and Surry Power Station, Unit
Nos. 1 and 2 (Surry) for Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-32
and DPR-37, issued to Virginia Electric and Power Company (the
licensee), for operation of NAPS and Surry located in Lake Anna,
Virginia, and Surry, Virginia, respectively. 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 add Optimized ZIRLO as an acceptable fuel
rod cladding materials. The proposed action is in accordance with the
licensee's applications dated May 6 (Agencywide Documents Access and
Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML101260517) and February 10,
2010 (ADAMS Accession No. ML100470738).
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed because the regulation in 10 CFR
50.46 contains acceptance criteria for the ECCS for reactors that have
fuel rods fabricated either with Zircaloy or ZIRLO. Appendix K to 10
CFR part 50, paragraph I.A.5, requires the Baker-Just equation to be
used to predict the rates of energy release, hydrogen concentration,
and cladding oxidation for the metal-water reaction. The Baker-Just
equation assumed the use of a zirconium alloy different than Optimized
ZIRLO; therefore, an exemption is required.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and
concludes that the exemption does not present undue risk to public
health and safety, and is consistent with common defense and security.
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 offsite. There is no significant
increase in the amount of any effluent released offsite. There is no
significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure.
Therefore, there are no significant radiological environmental impacts
associated with the proposed action.
Based on the nature of the 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 historic and cultural
resources. There would be no noticeable effect on socioeconomic
conditions in the region.
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
Related to the Continuation of Construction and the Operation,'' for
NAPS dated April 1973, and Surry dated May 1972 and June 1972,
respectively, as supplemented through the ``Generic Environmental
Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Supplements 6
and 7 Regarding Surry and NAPS--Final Report (NUREG-1437, Supplements 6
and 7),'' dated November 2002.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on May 5, 2010, the staff
consulted with the Virginia State official, Leslie P. Foldesi, Director
of the Division of Radiological Health, 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 letters dated May 6 and February 10, 2010. 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 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 26th day of August 2010.
For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Karen Cotton,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch 2-1, Division of Operating
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2010-21944 Filed 9-1-10; 8:45 am]
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