[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 159 (Thursday, August 17, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42924-42925]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-20379]



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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-293]


Boston Edison Company; Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station; 
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. DPR-35, issued to Boston 
Edison Company (the licensee), for operation of the Pilgrim Nuclear 
Power Station located in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated June 21, 1995, for an exemption from certain 
requirements of 10 CFR 73.55, ``Requirements for physical protection of 
licensed activities in nuclear power plant reactors against 
radiological sabotage.'' The requested exemption would allow the 
implementation of a hand geometry biometric system of site access 
control in conjunction with photograph identification badges, and would 
allow the badges to be taken offsite.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    Pursuant to 10 CFR 73.55(a), the licensee is required to establish 
and maintain an onsite physical protection system and security 
organization.
    The Code of Federal Regulations at 10 CFR 73.55(d), ``Access 
Requirements,'' specifies in part that: ``The licensee shall control 
all points of personnel and vehicle access into a protected area.'' The 
Code of Federal Regulations at 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5), specifies in part 
that: ``A numbered picture badge identification system shall be used 
for all individuals who are authorized access to protected areas 
without escort.'' It further indicates that an individual not employed 
by the licensee (e.g., contractors) may be authorized access to 
protected areas without an escort provided the individual, ``receives a 
picture badge upon entrance into the protected area which must be 
returned upon exit from the protected area.''
    Currently, unescorted access for both employee and contractor 
personnel into the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station is controlled through 
the use of picture badges. Positive identification of personnel who are 
authorized and request access into the protected area is established by 
security personnel making a visual comparison of the individual 
requesting access and that individual's picture badge. The picture 
badges are issued, stored, and retrieved at the entrance/exit location 
to the protected area. These picture badges are not taken offsite. This 
current practice is in accordance with the applicable requirements of 
10 CFR Part 73 discussed above.
    The licensee proposes to implement an alternative unescorted access 
control system which would eliminate the need to issue and retrieve 
picture badges at the entrance/exit location to the protected area. The 
proposal would also allow all individuals, including contractors, who 
have unescorted access to keep their picture badges in their possession 
when departing the Pilgrim site. Thus, an exemption is required from 10 
CFR 73.55(d)(5) to allow contractors who have unescorted access to keep 
their picture badges in their possession when departing the Pilgrim 
site.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action. 
In addition to their picture badges, all individuals with authorized 
unescorted access will have the physical characteristics of their hand 
(hand geometry) registered with their picture badge number in a 
computerized access control system. Therefore, all authorized 
individuals must not only have their picture badges to gain access into 
the protected area, but must also have their hand geometry confirmed.
    All other access processes, including search function capability 
and access revocation, will remain the same. A security officer 
responsible for access control will continue to be positioned within a 
bullet-resistant structure. The proposed system is only for individuals 
with authorized unescorted access and will not be used for individuals 
requiring escorts.
    The underlying purpose for requiring that individuals not employed 
by the licensee must receive and return their picture badges at the 
entrance/exit is to provide reasonable assurance that the access badges 
could not be compromised or stolen with a resulting risk that an 
unauthorized individual could potentially enter the protected area. 
Although the proposed exemption will allow individuals to take their 
picture badges offsite, the proposed measures require not only that the 
picture badge be provided for access to the protected area, but also 
that verification of the hand geometry registered with the badge be 
performed as discussed above. Thus, the proposed system provides an 
identity verification process that is equivalent to the existing 
process.
    Accordingly, the Commission concludes that the exemption to allow 
individuals not employed by the licensee to take their picture badges 
offsite will not result in an increase in the risk that an unauthorized 
individual could potentially enter the protected area. Accordingly, the 
Commission concludes that there are no significant radiological impacts 
associated with the proposed action.
    The proposed exemption 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. The principal alternative to the proposed action would be to 
deny the requested action. Denial of the requested action would not 
significantly enhance the environment in that the proposed action will 
result in a process that is equivalent to the existing identification 
verification process. 

[[Page 42925]]


Alternate Use of Resources

    This action does not involve the use of any resources not 
previously considered in the April 1973 Final Environmental Statement 
for the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on July 17, 1995, the staff 
consulted with the Massachusetts State official, James Muckerheide of 
the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency 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 exemption.
    For further details with respect to this action, see the licensee's 
letter dated June 21, 1995, which is available for public inspection at 
the Commission's Public Document Room, The Gelman Building, 2120 L 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20555, and at the local public document 
room located at the Plymouth Public Library, 11 North Street, Plymouth, 
MA 02360.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day of August 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. 95-20379 Filed 8-16-95; 8:45 am]
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