[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1785-1787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-809]



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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-244]


Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation, R. E. 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 amendment to Facility Operating License No. 
DPR-18, issued to Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation (the licensee) 
for operation of the Ginna Nuclear Power Plant (Ginna), located at the 
licensee's site in Wayne County, New York.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed action addresses potential environmental issues 
related to the licensee's application dated May 26, 1995, as 
supplemented by letters 

[[Page 1786]]
dated July 17, 1995, August 14, 1995, August 31, 1995, September 18, 
1995, October 6, 1995, October 18, 1995, November 1, 1995, November 16, 
1995, two letters of November 20, 1995, November 21, 1995, November 22, 
1995, two letters of November 27, 1995, November 30, 1995, December 8, 
1995, and December 28, 1995. The proposed action will replace the 
existing Ginna Technical Specifications (TSs) in their entirety with a 
new set of TSs based on Revision 1 to NUREG-1431, ``Standard Technical 
Specifications Westinghouse Plants,'' and the existing Ginna TSs.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    It has been recognized that nuclear safety in all plants would 
benefit from improvement and standardization of TS. The ``NRC Interim 
Policy Statement on Technical Specification Improvements for Nuclear 
Power Reactors,'' (52 FR 3788, February 6, 1987) and later the Final 
Policy Statement (58 FR 39132, July 22, 1993), addressed this need. 
Subsequently, the Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 50.36 were revised 
in accordance with the goals stated in the policy statements (60 FR 
36953, July 19, 1995). To facilitate the development of individual 
improved TSs, each reactor vendor owners group (OG) and the NRC staff 
developed standard TS (STS). For Westinghouse plants, the STS are 
published as NUREG-1431, and this document was the basis for the new 
Ginna TS. The NRC Committee to Review Generic Requirements (CRGR) 
reviewed the STS and made note of the safety merits of the STS and 
indicated its support of conversion to the STS by operating plants.

Description of the Proposed Change

    The proposed revision to the TS is based on NUREG-1431 and on 
guidance provided in the Final Policy Statement. Its objective is to 
completely rewrite, reformat, and streamline the existing TS. Emphasis 
is placed on human factors principles to improve clarity and 
understanding. The Bases section has been significantly expanded to 
clarify and better explain the purpose and foundation of each 
specification. In addition to NUREG-1431, portions of the existing TS 
were also used as the basis for the ITS. Plant-specific issues (unique 
design features, requirements, and operating practices) were discussed 
at length with the licensee, and generic matters with the OG.
    The proposed changes from the existing TS can be grouped into four 
general categories, as follows:
    1. Non-technical (administrative) changes, which were intended to 
make the ITS easier to use for plant operations personnel. They are 
purely editorial in nature or involve the movement or reformatting of 
requirements without affecting technical content. Every section of the 
Ginna TS has undergone these types of changes. In order to ensure 
consistency, the NRC staff and the licensee have used NUREG-1431 as 
guidance to reformat the TS and make other administrative changes.
    2. Relocation of requirements, which includes items that were in 
the existing Ginna TS but did not meet the criteria set forth in the 
Final Policy Statement for inclusion in the TS. In general, the 
proposed relocation of items in the Ginna TS to the Updated Final 
Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR), appropriate plant-specific programs, 
procedures and ITS Bases follows the guidance of the Westinghouse STS 
(NUREG-1431). Once these items have been relocated by removing them 
from the TS to licensee-controlled documents, the licensee may revise 
them under the provisions of 10 CFR 50.59 or other NRC staff-approved 
control mechanisms which provide appropriate regulatory and procedural 
means to control changes.
    3. More restrictive requirements, which consist of proposed Ginna 
ITS items that are either more conservative than corresponding 
requirements in the existing Ginna TS, or are additional restrictions 
which are not in the existing Ginna TS but are contained in NUREG-1431. 
Examples of more restrictive requirements include: placing a Limiting 
Condition for Operation (LCO) on plant equipment that is not required 
by the present TS to be operable; more restrictive requirements to 
restore inoperable equipment; and more restrictive surveillance 
requirements.
    4. Less restrictive requirements, which are relaxations of 
corresponding requirements in the existing Ginna TS which provided 
little or no safety benefit and placed unnecessary burdens on the 
licensee. These relaxations were the result of generic NRC action or 
other analyses. They have been justified on a case-by-case basis for 
Ginna as described in the staff's Safety Evaluation (SE) which will be 
issued with the license amendment.
    In addition to the changes described above, the licensee proposed 
certain changes to the existing TSs that deviated from the STSs in 
NUREG-1431 and constitute a relaxation of the existing TS. Each of 
these additional proposed changes is described in the licensee's 
application and in the staff's Notice of Consideration of Issuance of 
Amendment to Facility Operating License and Opportunity for a Hearing 
(60 FR 49636) and Notice of Consideration of Issuance of Amendment to 
Facility Operating License, Proposed No Significant Hazards 
Consideration, Determination, and Opportunity for a Hearing (60 FR 
60371). These changes have been justified on a case-by-case basis for 
Ginna as described in the staff's SE which will be issued with the 
license amendment.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes that the proposed TS conversion would not increase the 
probability or consequences of accidents previously analyzed and would 
not affect facility radiation levels or facility radiological 
effluents.
    Changes that are administrative in nature have been found to have 
no effect on technical content of the TS, and are acceptable. The 
increased clarity and understanding these changes bring to the TS are 
expected to improve the operator's control of the plant in normal and 
accident conditions.
    Relocation of requirements to other licensee-controlled documents 
does not change the requirements themselves. Future changes to these 
requirements may be made by the licensee under 10 CFR 50.59 or other 
NRC-approved control mechanisms, which ensures continued maintenance of 
adequate requirements. All such relocations have been found to be in 
conformance with 10 CFR 50.36, the guidelines of NUREG-1431 and the 
Final Policy Statement, and, therefore, to be acceptable.
    Changes involving more restrictive requirements have been found to 
be acceptable.
    Changes involving less restrictive requirements have been reviewed 
individually. When requirements have been shown to provide little or no 
safety benefit or to place unnecessary burdens on the licensee, their 
removal from the TS was found to be justified. In most cases, 
relaxations previously granted to individual plants on a plant-specific 
basis were the result of a generic NRC action, or of agreements reached 
during discussions with the OG and found to be acceptable for Ginna. 
Generic relaxations contained in NUREG-1431 as well as proposed 
deviations from NUREG-1431 have also been reviewed by the NRC staff and 
have been found to be acceptable.
    In summary, the proposed revision to the TS was found to provide 
control of plant operations such that reasonable assurance will be 
provided that the 

[[Page 1787]]
health and safety of the public will be adequately protected.
    These TS changes will not increase the probability or consequences 
of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of any effluent 
that may be released offsite, and there is no significant increase in 
the allowable individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure. 
Therefore, the Commission concludes that there are no significant 
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed TS 
amendment. 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.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    Since the Commission has concluded there is no measurable 
environmental impact associated with the proposed amendment, 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 did not involve the use of any resources not previously 
considered in the Final Environmental Statement related to the 
operation of the Ginna Nuclear Power Plant.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on December 20, 1995, the 
staff consulted with the New York State official, Mr. F. William 
Valentino, State Liaison Officer of the New York State 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 amendment.
    For further details with respect to this action, see the licensee's 
letters dated May 26, 1995, and supplemental letters dated July 17, 
1995, August 14, 1995, August 31, 1995, September 18, 1995, October 6, 
1995, October 18, 1995, November 1, 1995, November 16, 1995, two 
letters of November 20, 1995, November 21, 1995, November 22, 1995, two 
letters of November 27, 1995, November 30, 1995, December 8, 1995, and 
December 28, 1995, 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 Rochester Public Library, 115 South Avenue, Rochester, NY 14610.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 16th day of January 1996.

    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. 96-809 Filed 1-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P