[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 209 (Monday, October 31, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-26884]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: October 31, 1994]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-286]

 

Power Authority of the State of New York; 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 Power 
Authority of the State of New York (the licensee) for the Indian Point 
Nuclear Generating Unit No. 3 (IP3), located in Westchester County, New 
York.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The licensee would be exempt from the requirement of 10 CFR Part 
50, Appendix J, Paragraph III.D.3, to the extent that a one-time 
schedular extension would be allowed for performing Type C local leak 
rate tests (LLRTs) on Residual Heat Removal (RHR) containment isolation 
valves AC-732, AC-741, AC-MOV-743, AC-MOV-744, and AC-MOV-1870. These 
LLRTs are currently required to be performed at intervals no greater 
than 30 months. The one-time schedular exemption would allow Type C 
LLRTs of the above listed valves to be deferred until the 9/10 
refueling outage, which is currently scheduled for the spring of 1996.
    By letter dated September 29, 1994, the licensee applied for a 
Technical Specifications (TSs) amendment and requested an Exemption 
from the Code of Federal Regulations requirements to allow Type C LLRTs 
to be deferred for the above listed RHR system valves until the 9/10 
refueling outage.

The 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 9. Fuel 
cycle 9 started in August 1992. The requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, 
Appendix J, Paragraph III.D.3, indicate that Type C LLRTs must be 
performed during each reactor shutdown for refueling at intervals no 
greater than 2 years (24 months). On January 12, 1993, the NRC staff 
issued an exemption to the licensee that allowed Type C LLRTs to be 
performed at intervals up to 30 months, thus, permitting operation on a 
24-month fuel cycle.
    Approximately 6 months after startup from the 8/9 refueling outage, 
IP3 began an extended unplanned non-refueling outage. Startup from the 
outage is currently expected for early 1995. After startup from the 
current outage, the plant will run until its next scheduled refueling 
outage (RFO 9/10) which is scheduled to begin in spring of 1996. In 
November and December of 1994 the RHR containment isolated valves AC-
732, AC-741, AC-MOV-743, AC-MOV-744, and AC-MOV-1870 are due for their 
Type C LLRTs. Currently, the interval for Type C testing of these 
valves is 30 months. These LLRTs are normally performed during a 
refueling outage when the reactor is defueled and the RHR system is not 
providing a source of cooling water. The current outage is a non-
refueling outage, therefore, the reactor is not defueled and RHR system 
is providing core cooling water. The licensee's procedure and the 
system design require the RHR system to be out-of-service in order to 
perform the LLRTs. If the RHR system is taken out-of-service to perform 
the LLRTs the reactor would not have a reliable source of cooling water 
to remove decay heat. Therefore, the licensee is requesting a one-time 
schedular exemption to allow Type C LLRTs of the above listed valves to 
be deferred until the 9/10 refueling outage, which is currently 
scheduled for the spring of 1996.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The proposed one-time exemption does not increase the probability 
or consequences of accidents previously analyzed and the proposed one-
time exemption does not affect facility radiation levels or facility 
radiological effluents. The licensee has analyzed the results of 
previous LLRTs performed at IP3, and has provided the methodology used 
in extrapolating the previous LLRT data to the proposed one time 
increase in the surveillance interval. The licensee has provided a 
sound basis for concluding that the containment leakage rate would be 
maintained within acceptable limits with the one time extension of the 
LLRT interval to the refueling outage 9/10. 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 LLRTs on containment penetrations and isolation 
valves. They do not affect nonradiological plant effluents and have no 
other environmental impact. Therefore, the Commission concludes that 
there are no significant nonradiological environmental impacts 
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.

Alternative Use of Resources

    This action does not involve the use of resources not previously 
considered in the ``Final Environmental Statement Related to the 
Operation of Indian Point Nuclear Generating Plant Unit No. 3,'' dated 
February 1975.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    The NRC staff consulted with the New York State official regarding 
the environmental impact of the proposed action. The State official had 
no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    Based on 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 September 29, 1994. This document 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.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day of October 1994.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ledyard B. Marsh,
Director, Project Directorate I-1, Division of Reactor Projects--I/II, 
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 94-26884 Filed 10-28-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M