[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 191 (Monday, October 4, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61225-61226]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-24811]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-397; NRC-2010-0029]
Energy Northwest; Columbia Generating Station Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering changes
to the Emergency Plan, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.54, ``Conditions of
licenses,'' paragraph (q), for Facility Operating License No. NPF-21,
issued to Energy Northwest (EN, the licensee) for operation of the
Columbia Generating Station (CGS), located in Benton County,
Washington. 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 revise the Emergency Plan to support U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) non-intrusive surveillance and
characterization activities within the 618-11 High-Level Waste Burial
Ground (618-11). The 618-11 site is an 8-acre parcel located on DOE
property that is directly adjacent to land leased by EN from the DOE,
and is located wholly within CGS's Exclusion Area Boundary. The site
was used from 1962 through 1967 and contains low- to high-activity
waste, fission products, some plutonium-contaminated waste, and
toxicological waste. The DOE intends to remediate 618-11 and other
waste burial ground locations on the Hanford Site. The licensee
proposes to modify the Emergency Plan to address inter-agency
coordination, cooperation, and responsibilities for potential 618-11
site events and to add specific emergency action level criteria and
actions associated with any potential toxic, flammable, or radioactive
material release from an abnormal event at the 618-11 site that could
pose a threat to the health and safety of licensee staff or visitors
within the CGS exclusion area.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated April 28, 2010 (Agencywide Documents Access and
Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML101250340), as supplemented
by letter dated August 9, 2010 (ADAMS Accession No. ML102300537).
The Need for the Proposed Action
The 618-11 site is an 8-acre parcel located on DOE property that is
directly adjacent to land leased by EN from the DOE, and is located
wholly within CGS's Exclusion Area Boundary. The site was used from
1962 through 1967 and contains low- to high-activity waste, fission
products, some plutonium-contaminated waste, and toxicological waste.
The Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order between the
DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the State of
Washington, is the legal document that binds DOE to milestones to
remediate the 618-11 site, among other waste burial ground locations,
on the Hanford Site. The non-intrusive surveillance and
characterization activities will obtain data and information necessary
for planning future intrusive activities and remediation strategies.
The licensee proposes to modify the Emergency Plan to address inter-
agency coordination, cooperation, and responsibilities for potential
618-11 site events during the DOE's non-intrusive surveillance and
characterization activities and to add specific emergency action level
criteria and actions associated with any potential toxic, flammable, or
radioactive material release from an abnormal event at the 618-11 site
that could pose a threat to the health and safety of licensee staff or
visitors within the CGS exclusion area.
The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and
concludes that the proposed changes to the CGS Emergency Plan meet the
standards of 10 CFR 50.47(b) and the requirements of Appendix E to 10
CFR part 50 and provide reasonable assurance that the licensee will
take adequate protective measures in a radiological emergency. The NRC
staff's safety evaluation will be provided with the license amendment
that will be issued to the licensee approving the changes to the
Emergency Plan.
In its application, the licensee also requested changes to the CGS
Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR). The NRC staff's determination
regarding the proposed changes to the FSAR will be provided by separate
correspondence.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its environmental assessment of the proposed
Emergency Plan changes to CGS. The staff has concluded that the changes
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 Final Safety Analysis
Report. There will be no change to radioactive effluents that affect
radiation exposures to plant workers and members of the public. No
changes will be made to plant buildings or the site property.
Therefore, no changes or different types of radiological impacts are
expected as a result of the proposed changes.
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 or 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 noticeable effect on socioeconomic conditions in the region.
Therefore, no changes or different types of non-radiological
environmental impacts are expected as a result of 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 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
CGS dated December 1981.
[[Page 61226]]
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on September 21, 2010, the
NRC staff consulted with the Washington State official, Mr. R. Cowley
of the Office 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 April 28, 2010, as supplemented by letter dated
August 9, 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 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 28th day of September 2010.
For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carl F. Lyon,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch IV, Division of Operating
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2010-24811 Filed 10-1-10; 8:45 am]
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