[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 25, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20291-20292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-10124]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2; Environmental Assessment
and Finding of No Significant Impact
[Docket Nos. 50-390 and 50-391]
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering incorporating an exemption from certain requirements of its
regulations in the operating licenses for operation of the Watts Bar
Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, located in Spring City, Tennessee.
Operating licenses have not been issued for Watts Bar; Units 1 and 2
are currently under Construction Permits CPPR-91 and CPPR-92,
respectively.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of Proposed Action
10 CFR 73.55(c)(10) requires a license applicant whose application
was submitted prior to August 31, 1994, to incorporate a land vehicle
bomb control program into the site physical security plan and implement
it by the date of receipt of the operating license. Since Watts Bar
Unit 1 will seek to obtain an operating license ahead of the schedule
by which operating power reactors are required to fully implement the
vehicle control measures, the applicant requested, by letter dated
November 30, 1994, that Watts Bar be granted the same implementation
date (February 29, 1996) imposed on operating reactor licensees to
implement the land vehicle bomb control program. [[Page 20292]]
The Need for the Proposed Action
The Commission extended the implementation schedule for operating
plants to 18 months from the effective date of the rule, given that it
involves a new power for power reactor sites, that some procurement
problems may arise and that scheduling problems may occur. Under the
present rule and current licensing schedule, the applicant would be
required to implement the rule several months (depending on the actual
date of operating license issuance) ahead of operating power reactors.
The applicant will implement interim compensatory measures to justify
the scheduler exemption.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The applicant's request for scheduler exemption involves delaying,
by several months, implementation of control measures per the
regulation. The proposed action will not increase the probability or
consequences of accidents, makes no changes in the types of any
effluents that may be released offsite, and does not increase the
allowable individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed
action involves features located entirely within the restricted area as
defined in 10 CFR Part 20. It does not affect nonradiological plant
effluents and has no other environmental impact. Accordingly, the
Commission concludes that there are no significant nonradiological
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Alternative to the Proposed Action
Since the Commission has concluded there is no measurable
environmental impact associated with the proposed action, any
alternatives with equal or greater environmental impact need not be
evaluated. As an alternative to the proposed action, the Commission
considered denial of the proposed action. 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
This action did not involve the use of any resources not previously
considered in the Final Environmental Statement and Supplement 1
related to operation of the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, dated December
1978 and April 1995, respectively.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, the NRC staff consulted with
the Tennessee State official regarding the environmental impact of the
proposed action. The State official had no comment.
Finding of No Significant Impact
Based upon the foregoing environmental assessment, the Commission
concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect
on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the Commission
has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the
proposed action.
For further details with respect to this action, see the request
for exemption dated November 30, 1994, which is available for public
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, 2120 L Street NW.,
Washington, DC, and at the local public document room located at the
Chattanooga-Hamilton County Library, 1101 Broad Street, Chattanooga,
Tennessee.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 18th day of April 1995.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Peter S. Tam,
Senior Project Manager, Project Directorate II-3, Division of Reactor
Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 95-10124 Filed 4-24-95; 8:45 am]
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