[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 112 (Thursday, June 11, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33297-33299]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-14292]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-272, 50-311, and 50-354; NRC-2015-0148]


PSEG Nuclear, LLC; Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1 
and 2 Hope Creek Generating Station

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact; 
issuance.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of amendments to Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-
70 and DPR-75, issued on June 30, 2011, and Renewed Facility Operating 
License No. NPF-75, issued on July 20, 2011, and held by PSEG Nuclear 
LLC (PSEG or the licensee) for operation of Salem Nuclear Generating 
Station Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (Salem) and Hope Creek Generating Station 
(Hope Creek) located in Lower Alloways Creek Township, Salem County, 
New Jersey. The proposed amendments would revise the PSEG Environmental 
Protection Plans (Non-Radiological) (EPPs), contained in Appendix B to 
the Salem and Hope Creek renewed facility operating licenses. The NRC 
concluded that the proposed actions will have no significant 
environmental impact.

DATES: The environmental assessment and finding of no significant 
impact referenced in this document is available on June 11, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2015-0148 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may obtain publicly available information related to this document 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2015-0148. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact 
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 
this document.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the NRC 
Public Documents collection at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and 
then select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, 
please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 
1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by email to [email protected]. The 
ADAMS accession number for each document referenced in this notice (if 
that document is available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a 
document is referenced. For the convenience of the reader, the ADAMS 
accession numbers are also provided in a table in the ``Availability of 
Documents'' section of this document.
     NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public 
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carleen Parker, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-1603; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The NRC is considering issuance of amendments to Renewed Facility 
Operating License Nos. DPR-70, DPR-75, and NPF-57 issued to PSEG for 
operation of Salem and Hope Creek, located in Lower Alloways Creek 
Township, Salem County, New Jersey. Therefore, as required by Section 
51.21 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), the NRC 
performed an environmental assessment (EA) to document its findings 
related to the proposed license amendments. The PSEG submitted its 
license amendment request by letter dated December 9, 2014 (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML14343A926), and subsequently supplemented its 
application by letter dated April 9, 2015 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML15099A766). A notice of consideration of issuance, proposed no 
significant hazards consideration determination, and opportunity for a 
hearing for the proposed license amendments was issued in the Federal 
Register on April 14, 2015 (80 FR 20024). Based on information provided 
in PSEG's application and associated supplement and the NRC staff's 
independent review, the NRC did not identify any significant 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed license amendments.
    Based on the results of the EA documented herein, the NRC has 
determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the 
proposed license amendments and is issuing a finding of no significant 
impact (FONSI), in accordance with 10 CFR 51.32.

II. Environmental Assessment

Plant Site and Environs

    Salem is a two-unit station with pressurized water reactors that 
use a once-through cooling system that withdraws water from and 
discharges heated water to the Delaware Estuary. Hope Creek is a one-
unit station with a boiling-water reactor that uses a closed-cycle 
cooling water system that includes a natural draft cooling tower and 
intake and discharge structures on the Delaware Estuary. Both 
facilities also withdraw water from the estuary for their service water 
systems.
    Salem and Hope Creek lie at the southern end of Artificial Island 
along the east bank of the Delaware River in Lower Alloways Creek 
Township, Salem County, New Jersey. Artificial Island is a 1,500-acre 
(ac; 600-hectare [ha]) man-made island consisting of industrial lands, 
tidal marsh, and grassland. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created 
the island by depositing hydraulic dredge spoil material atop a natural 
sand bar. The average elevation of the island is about 9 feet (ft; 3 
meters [m]) above mean sea level (MSL), and the maximum elevation is 
approximately 18 ft (5.5 m) above MSL. The PSEG owns approximately 740 
ac (300 ha) at the southern end of the Artificial Island, of which 
Salem occupies 220 ac (89 ha) and Hope Creek occupies 153 ac (62 ha). 
The remainder of Artificial Island is owned by the U.S. Government and 
the State of New Jersey; this portion of the island remains 
undeveloped. The northernmost tip of Artificial Island (owned by the 
U.S. Government) is within the State of Delaware boundary. Artificial 
Island lies approximately 8 miles (mi; 13 kilometers [km]) southwest of 
the City of Salem, New Jersey, 17 mi (27 km) south of the Delaware 
Memorial Bridge, 35 mi (56 km) southwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
    The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), the NRC's predecessor 
agency, and the NRC have previously conducted environmental reviews of 
Salem and Hope Creek in several documents, and the descriptions therein 
continue to accurately depict the Salem and Hope Creek site and 
environs. Those documents include the AEC's April

[[Page 33298]]

1973 Final Environmental Statement (FES) Related to Operation of Salem 
Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1 and 2 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML110400162); the NRC's March 2011 Generic Environmental Impact 
Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Regarding Hope Creek 
Generating Station and Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1 and 
2--Final Report (NUREG-1437, Supplement 45) (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML11089A021); and the NRC's December 2010 Biological Assessment for 
Salem and Hope Creek License Renewal (ADAMS Accession No. ML103350271).

Description of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would amend the Salem and Hope Creek EPPs to 
clarify that PSEG must adhere to the currently applicable biological 
opinion issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The 
proposed changes would also simplify the Aquatic Monitoring section of 
the EPPs to preclude the need for a new license amendment request in 
the event NMFS issues a new biological opinion in the future, modify 
reporting requirements related to New Jersey Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System (NJPDES) permits to remove the requirement to submit 
copies of proposed changes or renewals to the NRC since the NRC does 
not issue or oversee these permits, modify the criteria for reporting 
Unusual or Important Environmental Events to eliminate the need for 
duplicative reporting, and remove the requirement for PSEG to submit an 
Annual Environmental Operating Report. The information contained in the 
Annual Environmental Operating Report would continue to be submitted to 
the NRC in accordance with other sections of the EPP or would be 
available for NRC inspection. The proposed action is in accordance with 
the licensee's application dated December 9, 2014, as supplemented by 
letter dated April 9, 2015.
    More specifically, by amending the Aquatic Monitoring sections of 
the EPPs to clarify that PSEG must adhere to the currently applicable 
biological opinion, the proposed action would require PSEG's compliance 
with the National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) July 17, 2014, 
biological opinion (ADAMS Accession No. ML14202A146). PSEG does not 
anticipate any changes to station operation as a result of implementing 
the Reasonable and Prudent Measures and Terms and Conditions included 
in the biological opinion's Incidental Take Statement. However, PSEG 
may alter station procedures that contain protocol on inspection of the 
cooling water intake structures, maintenance of lighting at the Salem 
intake structure and trash racks, and availability of sea turtle rescue 
equipment at the Salem intake structure and trash racks.
    The proposed EPP revisions would not result in or require any 
physical changes to Salem or Hope Creek systems, structures, or 
components, including those intended for the prevention of accidents.

Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is administrative in nature. It is needed to 
reflect the new biological opinion issued by NMFS on July 17, 2014. The 
proposed action would also remove outdated program information and 
relieve PSEG of the burden of submitting unnecessary or duplicative 
information to the NRC.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that the proposed changes are administrative in nature and 
have no effect on plant equipment or plant operation. No changes will 
be made to the design bases for either Salem or Hope Creek. The 
proposed action would not have a significant adverse effect on the 
probability or consequences of an accident occurring.
    With regard to potential radiological impacts, the proposed action 
would not increase the probability or consequences of accidents, would 
not change the types of effluent that may be released offsite, would 
not increase the amount of any effluents that may be release offsite, 
and would result in no 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 any foreseeable impacts on land, air, or water 
resources, including impacts to biota. In addition there are no known 
socioeconomic or environmental justice impacts associated with the 
proposed action. 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 license amendments (i.e., the ``no-action'' 
alternative). Denial of the application would result in no change in 
current environmental conditions or impacts. Accordingly, the 
environmental impacts of the proposed action and no-action alternative 
are similar.

Alternative Use of Resources

    The action does not involve the use of any different resources than 
those previously considered in NUREG-1437, Supplement 45 prepared for 
license renewal of Salem and Hope Creek.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    The staff did not enter into a consultation with any other Federal 
Agency or with the State of New Jersey regarding the environmental 
impact of the proposed action. On May 12, 2015, the New Jersey State 
official was notified. The State official had no comments.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    The NRC is considering issuing amendments for Renewed Facility 
Operating License Nos. DPR-70, DPR-75, and NPF-75, issued to PSEG for 
operation of Salem and Hope Creek. The proposed amendments would revise 
the Salem and Hope Creek EPPs to clarify that PSEG must adhere to the 
currently applicable biological opinion. The proposed changes would 
also simplify the Aquatic Monitoring section of the EPPs, modify 
reporting requirements related to NJPDES permits, modify the criteria 
for reporting Unusual or Important Environmental Events, and remove the 
requirement for PSEG to submit an Annual Environmental Operating 
Report. The NRC's evaluation considered information provided in the 
licensee's application and its associated supplement, as well as the 
NRC's staff independent review of other environmental documents. 
Section IV below lists the environmental documents related to the 
proposed action and includes information on the availability of these 
documents.
    The NRC decided not to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
for the proposed action. On the basis of the EA presented in Section II 
above and incorporated by reference in this finding, 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 
that a finding of no significant impact is appropriate.

IV. Availability of Documents

    The following table identifies the environmental and other 
documents

[[Page 33299]]

cited in this document and related to the NRC's FONSI. These documents 
are available for public inspection online through ADAMS at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html or in person at the NRC's PDR as 
described previously.

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                Document                       ADAMS accession No.
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             Documents Related to License Amendment Request
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PSEG Nuclear LLC. License Amendment      ML14343A926
 Request to Update Appendix B to the
 Renewed Facility Operating Licenses.
 Dated December 9, 2014.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.      ML15055A377
 Request for Additional Information Re:
 Request to Update Appendix B to the
 Renewed Facility Operating Licenses.
 Dated March 10, 2015.
PSEG Nuclear LLC. Response to Request    ML15099A766
 for Additional Information Re: Request
 to Update Appendix B to the Renewed
 Facility Operating Licenses. Dated
 April 9, 2015.
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                       Other Referenced Documents
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National Marine Fisheries Service.       ML14202A146
 Biological Opinion for Continued
 Operation of Salem and Hope Creek
 Nuclear Generating Stations (NER-2010-
 6581). Dated July 17, 2014.
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. Final     ML110400162
 Environmental Statement Related to the
 Operation of Salem Nuclear Generating
 Station, Units 1 and 2. Dated April
 30, 1973.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.      ML11089A021
 Generic Environmental Impact Statement
 for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants:
 Regarding Hope Creek Generating
 Station and Salem Nuclear Generating
 Station, Units 1 and 2--Final Report
 (NUREG-1437, Supplement 45). Dated
 March 31, 2011.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.      ML103350271
 Biological Assessment for Salem and
 Hope Creek License Renewal. Dated
 December 13, 2010.
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    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 4th day of June 2015.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Douglas A. Broaddus,
Chief, Plant Licensing Branch I-2, Division of Operating Reactor 
Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2015-14292 Filed 6-10-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P