[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 26, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20512-20513]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-10207]



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[[Page 20513]]

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-244]


Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation; Ginna Nuclear Power 
Plant; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is 
considering issuance of an exemption from Facility Operating License 
No. DPR-18, issued to Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation (RG&E), 
(the licensee), for operation of the Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, located 
in Wayne County, New York.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would grant a one-time exemption from 
performing Type C tests for certain containment isolation valves (CIVs) 
during the 1995 refueling outage and extend the schedule required by 10 
CFR Part 50, Appendix J, Section III.D.3, up to 1-month of the 2-year 
interval.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for the exemption dated March 15, 1995.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is requested on a one-time basis only to 
support the current refueling outage schedule. Requiring a plant 
shutdown before the next scheduled refueling outage in April 1996, 
soley to perform surveillance tests would cause an unnecessary thermal 
transient on the plant and could result in unnecessary exposure to 
personnel. The performance of the CIVs and the plant's overall 
containment integrity have been good. RG&E proposes to limit the 
exemption to exclude those valves: (1) On which maintenance has been 
performed; and (2) on those valves that have not demonstrated 
acceptable leakage rate testing during the past two leakage tests.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes that the proposed exemption would allow RG&E to conduct 
the local leak rate tests during the next refueling outage, an 
extension of up to 1 month. There will be no changes to the facility or 
the environment as a result of the exemption.
    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 does involve 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.

Alternatives 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 NRC staff 
considered denial of the proposed action. Denial of the application 
would result in no change in current 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 Statement for the 
Ginna Nuclear Power Plant.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on April 11, 1995, the staff 
consulted with the New York State official, Donna Ross, Acting State 
Liaison Officer of the New York Energy, Research, and Development 
Authority, 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 the proposed action, see the 
licensee's letter dated March 15, 1995, which is 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 Rochester Public Library, 115 South 
Avenue, Rochester, New York.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 19th day of April 1995.

    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. 95-10207 Filed 4-25-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M