[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 101 (Thursday, May 26, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-12859]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: May 26, 1994]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-438 and 50-439]

 

Bellefonte Nuclear Plant; Environmental Assessment and Finding of 
No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is 
considering issuance of extensions of the latest construction 
completion dates specified in Construction Permit Nos. CPPR-122 and 
CPPR-123 issued to Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, applicant) for the 
Bellefonte Nuclear Plant (BLN), Units 1 and 2, respectively. The 
facility is located at the applicant's site on the west shore of 
Guntersville Reservoir, about 6 miles east-northeast of Scottsboro, 
Alabama.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed action would extend the latest construction completion 
date of Construction Permit No. CPPR-122 from July 1, 1994 to October 
1, 2001 and the latest construction completion date of Construction 
Permit No. CPPR-123 from July 1, 1996 to October 1, 2004. The proposed 
action is in response to the applicant's request dated April 19, 1994.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed because the construction of the 
facility is not yet fully completed. The applicant requested the 
extensions because construction activities had been deferred in 1988 
due, in part, to a lower than expected load forecast. On March 23, 
1993, TVA notified NRC that it planned to resume completion activities 
120 days from the date of the letter. As a result of the delay from the 
inactivity during the construction deferral, TVA is unable to complete 
the construction of the two units before the expiration dates of the 
construction permits, therefore extensions are now necessary. In 
addition, pursuant to the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, 
TVA is currently engaged in an Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) 
process to consider the least cost options for providing an adequate 
supply of electricity to TVA's customers. As part of this planning 
process, TVA will evaluate the completion of the BLN units along with 
other generating options. The IRP process is presently scheduled for 
completion in November 1995. Additional delays associated with the 
above efforts to ensure that BLN meets regulatory requirements and 
licensing commitments make it necessary for TVA to request extensions 
of the expiration dates for Construction Permit Nos. CPPR-122 and CPPR-
123.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The environmental impacts associated with the construction of the 
facility have been previously discussed and evaluated in the staff's 
Final Environmental Statement (FES) issued in June 1974 for the 
construction permit stage which covered construction of both units.
    The proposed extensions will not allow any work to be performed 
that is not already allowed by the existing construction permit. The 
only change is that the environmental impacts discussed and evaluated 
in the FES will be gradual and extend to longer periods of time than 
the construction periods considered in the FES. The probability of 
accidents has not been increased and post-accident radiological 
releases will not be greater than previously determined, nor do the 
proposed extensions otherwise affect radiological plant effluents. 
Therefore, the Commission concludes that there are no significant 
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed 
extensions.
    Based on the foregoing, the NRC staff has concluded that the 
proposed action would have no significant environmental impact. Since 
this action would only extend the period of construction activities 
described in the FES, it does not involve any different impacts or a 
significant change to those impacts described and analyzed in the 
original environmental impact statement. Consequently, an environmental 
impact statement addressing the proposed action is not required.

Alternatives Considered

    A possible alternative to the proposed action would be to deny the 
request. Under this alternative, the applicant would not be able to 
complete construction of the facility. This would result in a denial of 
the benefit of power production. This option would not eliminate the 
environmental impacts of construction already incurred.
    If construction were halted and not completed, site redress 
activities would restore some small areas to their natural states. This 
would be a slight environmental benefit, but much outweighed by the 
economic losses from denial of use of a facility that is nearly 
completed. (Unit 1 is about 85% complete, and Unit 2 is about 45% 
complete). Therefore, this alternative is rejected.

Alternative Use of Resources

    This action does not involve the use of resources not previously 
considered in the FES for Bellefonte.

Agencies and Persons Contacted

    The NRC staff reviewed the applicant's request and applicable 
documents referenced therein that support the extensions. The NRC did 
not consult other agencies or persons.

Finding Of No Significant Impact

    The Commission has determined not to prepare an environmental 
impact statement for this action. Based upon the environmental 
assessment, the staff concludes that this action will not have a 
significant effect on the quality of the human environment.
    For details with respect to this action, see the request for 
extensions dated April 19, 1994, which is available for public 
inspection at the Commission Public Document Room, 2120 L Street, NW., 
Washington, DC and at the Local Public Document Room, Scottsboro Public 
Library, 1002 South Broad Street, Scottsboro, Alabama 37402.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 19th day of May 1994.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Frederick J. Hebdon,
Director, Project Directorate II-4, Division of Reactor Projects I/II, 
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 94-12859 Filed 5-25-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M