[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 76 (Thursday, April 20, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19791-19792]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-9762]



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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-416]


Entergy Operations, 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 its 
regulations to Facility Operating License No. NPF-29, issued to Entergy 
Operations, Inc. (the licensee), for operation of the Grand Gulf 
Nuclear Station, Unit 1 (GGNS), located in Claiborne County, 
Mississippi.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated August 13, 1993, as supplemented by letters dated 
April 15, May 11, June 24, and July 20, 1994, pursuant to 10 CFR 
50.12(a), which would exempt Entergy Operations Inc. from Sections 
III.D.1(a), III.D.2, III.D.2(b)(i), III.D.2.(b)(iii) and III.D.3 of 10 
CFR Part 50, Appendix J, to permit the selection of containment leakage 
rate testing intervals for components on the basis of performance.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed to permit the licensee to defer a 
portion of the Type B and C tests from the April 1995 and September 
1996 refueling outages to the April 1998 refueling outage, thereby 
reducing the occupational radiation exposure received by the plant 
staff, saving the cost of performing the test, and eliminating the test 
period from the critical path time of the outage.
    Without this exemption, the licensee would incur additional 
personnel radiation exposure during system reconfigurations, and 
instrumentation setup and restoration.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes that the proposed exemption would not increase the 
probability or consequences of accidents previously analyzed and the 
proposed exemption would not affect facility radiation levels or 
facility radiological effluents. The licensee, as a condition of the 
proposed exemption, will perform the visual containment inspection 
although it is only required by Appendix J to be conducted in 
conjunction with Type A tests. The NRC staff considers that these 
inspections, though limited in scope, provide an important added level 
of confidence in the continued integrity of the containment boundary.
    The change will not increase the probability or consequences of 
accidents, no changes are being made in the types of any effluents that 
may be released offsite, and there is no significant increase in 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 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 the Final Environmental Statements related to 
operation of Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Unit 1.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on March 30, 1995 the staff 
consulted with the Mississippi State official, Mr. Eddie Fuente of the 
Mississippi State Department of Health, regarding the environmental 
impact of the proposed action. The State official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    Based upon the 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 August 13, 1993, as supplemented by letters dated 
April 15, May 11, June 24, and July 20, 1994, which are available for 
public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, The Gelman 
Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC, and at the local public 
document room located at the Judge George W. Armstrong Library, 220 S. 
Commerce Street, Natchez, Mississippi 39120.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 6th day of April 1995.

    [[Page 19792]] For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Paul W. O'Connor,
Senior Project Manager, Project Directorate IV-1, Division of Reactor 
Projects III/IV, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 95-9762 Filed 4-19-95; 8:45 am]
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