[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 92 (Friday, May 13, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-11655]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: May 13, 1994]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-247]

 

Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.; Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is 
considering issuance of an exemption from certain requirements of 10 
CFR part 50, Appendix J. Paragraph III.D.3, Type C tests, to the 
Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (the licensee), for the 
Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 2, located in Westchester 
County, New York.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The licensee would be exempt from the requirements of 10 CFR part 
50, appendix J. Paragraph III.D.3, to the extent that an extension 
would be allowed for performing Type C leak rate tests on containment 
isolation valves. These leak rate tests are currently required to be 
performed at intervals no greater than 2 years. The exemption would 
allow Type C leak rate tests to be performed at intervals no greater 
than 30 months.
    By letter dated January 28, 1994, the licensee requested an 
amendment to the Technical Specifications (TSs) and an exemption from 
the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) requirements to allow Type C leak 
rate tests to be performed at intervals no greater than 30 months.

Need for the Proposed Action

    The licensee commenced operating on 24-month fuel cycles, instead 
of the previous 18-month fuel cycles, starting with fuel cycle 12. Fuel 
cycle 12 started in April 1993. The requirements of 10 CFR part 50, 
appendix J, Paragraph III.D.3, indicate the Type C leak rate tests must 
be performed during each reactor shutdown for refueling at intervals no 
greater than 2 years (24 months). In order to conform with this 
regulation, the licensee could be required to shutdown Indian Point 
Nuclear Generating Unit No. 2 and enter a forced outage prior to the 
next refueling outage.
    The NRC staff had previously recognized that certain regulations 
would not accommodate fuel cycles longer than 18 months. Consequently, 
the NRC staff issued Generic Letter (GL) 91-04, ``Changes in Technical 
Specification Surveillance Intervals to Accommodate a 24-Month Fuel 
Cycle.'' This GL provides guidance to licensees on how to prepare 
requests for TS amendments and regulation exemptions which are needed 
to accommodate 24-month fuel cycles. The licensee's letter of January 
28, 1994, followed the guidance of GL 91-04.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The proposed exemption does not increase the probability or 
consequences of accidents previously analyzed and the proposed 
exemption does not affect facility radiation levels or facility 
radiological effluents. The requested exemption is based, in part, on 
increasing the margin to the allowed combined leakage limit for Type B 
and C tests by 25 percent. In addition, the licensee has reviewed the 
results of previous leak rate tests performed at Indian Point Nuclear 
Generating Unit No. 2, and provided a basis for concluding that 
containment leakage will be maintained within acceptable limits with a 
maximum test interval of 30 months. The NRC staff has determined that 
the licensee's submittal is consistent with the guidance provided in GL 
91-04. Therefore, the Commission concludes that there are no 
significant radiological environmental impacts associated with the 
proposed exemption.
    With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
exemption only involves leak rate tests on containment isolation 
valves. It does not affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no 
other environmental impact. Therefore, the Commission concludes that 
there is no significant nonradiological environmental impact associated 
with the proposed exemption.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    Since the Commission has concluded that there are no significant 
environmental effects that would result from the proposed exemption, 
any alternatives with equal or greater environmental impacts need not 
be evaluated. The principal alternative would be to deny the licensee's 
request for exemption. Such action would not reduce the environmental 
impacts of plant operations.

Alternate Use of Resources

    This action does not involve the use of any resources not 
previously considered in the ``Final Environmental Statements Related 
to the Operation of Indian Point Nuclear Generating Plant Unit No. 2,'' 
dated September 1972.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    The NRC staff reviewed the licensee's submittal that supports the 
proposed exemption discussed above. The NRC staff consulted with the 
State of New York regarding the environmental impact of the proposed 
exemption. The State of New York had no comments regarding this 
proposed action.

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 
exemption under consideration.
    For further details with respect to this action, see the licensee's 
application for exemption dated January 28, 1994, which is available 
for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, 2120 L 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20555, and at the White Plains Public 
Library, 100 Martine Avenue, White Plains, New York 10610.

    Detailed at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day of May 1994.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Robert A. Capra,
Director, Project Directorate I-1, Division of Reactor Projects-I/II, 
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 94-11655 Filed 5-12-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M