[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 5 (Friday, January 7, 1994)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1037-1038]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-340]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: January 7, 1994]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-305]

 

Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, Wisconsin Power and Light 
Company, Madison Gas and Electric Company, Kewaunee Nuclear Power 
Plant; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is 
considering issuance of a partial exemption from the requirements of 10 
CFR part 50 appendix J, section III.D.1.(a) and an amendment to 
Facility Operating License No. DPR-43 to Wisconsin Public Service 
Corporation, Wisconsin Power and Light Company, and Madison Gas and 
Electric Company (the licensees), for the Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant 
located in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed action would grant a partial exemption from the 
requirements of section III.D.1.(a) of appendix J to 10 CFR part 50. 
This section requires that a set of three Type A tests be performed at 
approximately equal intervals during each 10-year service period and 
that the third test of each set be conducted when the plant is shut 
down for the 10-year plant inservice inspection (ISI). The licensees' 
request is for an exemption from the requirement to perform the third 
Type A test when the plant is shutdown for the 10-year plant ISI. 
Additionally, the proposed action would amend the Facility Operating 
License by removing the current Technical Specification requirement 
that couples the performance of the Type A leakage tests to the 10-year 
inservice inspection program requirements.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensees' request 
for exemption and application for amendment dated November 16, 1993.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed exemption and license amendment is needed to avoid 
unnecessary restraints in outage scheduling. The licensees propose to 
perform the three Type A tests at approximately equal intervals within 
each 10-year period, with the third test of each set conducted as close 
as practical to the end of the 10-year period. However, there would be 
no required connection between the Appendix J 10-year interval and the 
inservice inspection (ISI) 10-year interval. The Type A tests and the 
10-year ISI program are independent of each other and provide 
assurances of different plant characteristics. The licensees perform 
the ISI inspection requirements throughout the 10-year inspection 
interval. As a result, there is no extended outage in which the 10-year 
ISI examinations are performed. Consequently, the subject coupling 
requirement offers no benefit either to safety or to economical 
operation of the facility.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission's staff has determined that granting the proposed 
exemption and license amendment would not significantly increase the 
probability or amount of expected primary containment leakage and that 
containment integrity would, thus, be maintained.
    The only difference between the proposed requirements and the 
current requirements of 10 CFR part 50 appendix J, section III.D.1.(a) 
and the technical specifications would be that the third Type A test 
for each 10-year service period would not necessarily be conducted when 
the plant is shutdown for the 10-year plant inservice inspection. The 
number of required Type A tests and the periodicity of these tests 
would not be changed.

Alternative to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff 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 does not involve the use of any resources not 
previously considered in connection with the Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission's Final Environmental Statement, dated December 1972, 
related to the operation of the Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    The staff consulted with the State of Wisconsin regarding the 
environmental impact of the proposed action. The state official had no 
comment.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    The Commission has determined not to prepare an environmental 
impact statement for the proposed exemption and license amendment. 
Based upon the foregoing environmental assessment, we conclude that the 
proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of 
the human environment.
    For further details with respect to this action, see the request 
for exemption and license amendment dated November 16, 1993, which is 
available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document 
Room, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington DC and at the University of 
Wisconsin Library Learning Center, 2420 Nicolet Drive, Green Bay, 
Wisconsin 54301.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 29th day of December 1993.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John N. Hannon,
Director, Project Directorate III-3, Division of Reactor Projects III/
IV/V, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 94-340 Filed 1-6-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M