[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 32 (Thursday, February 15, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6044-6045]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-3400]



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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-261]


Carolina Power & Light Company; H.B. Robinson Steam Electric 
Plant, Unit No. 2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering issuance of 
an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix R, to 
Carolina Power & Light Company (CP&L or the licensee), for H. B. 
Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2 (HBR), located in Darlington 
County, South Carolina.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed exemption would allow the use of the diesel-backed 
security lighting system for access and egress to, and operation of, 
auxiliary feedwater (AFW) valves AFW-1 and AFW-104 and instrument air 
(IA) valve IA-297.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed exemption is needed because failure to isolate valves 
AFW-1 and AFW-104 due to poor lighting could result in overfilling the 
condensate storage tank (CST) with service water after switchover of 
the AFW cooling source from the CST to the service water system.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The proposed exemption does not involve any measurable 
environmental impacts since the proposed lighting would provide 
adequate lighting to allow for operation of the safe shutdown equipment 
identified in the licensee's request. Plant configuration and 
operations are not changed. Thus, the proposed exemption would not 
affect the probability or consequences of a potential reactor accident 
and would not otherwise affect radiological plant effluents. 
Consequently, the Commission concludes that there are no significant 
radiological impacts 

[[Page 6045]]
associated with the proposed exemption.
    With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
exemption does not affect nonradiological plant effluents and there are 
no other nonradiological environmental impacts associated with the 
proposed exemption.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    The principal alternative to the exemption would be to require 
strict compliance with 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Section III, for the 
licensee at HBR to provide emergency lighting units with at least an 8-
hour battery power supply in all areas needed for operation of post-
fire safe shutdown equipment and in access and egress routes thereto.
    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 are of a very low 
likelihood and therefore insignificant.

Alternative Use of Resources

    This exemption does not reduce the use of resources that were not 
already considered in the Final Environmental Statement of HBR. Thus, 
the requested exemption would provide only relief from the requirement 
to install 8-hour emergency lighting where existing security lighting 
is adequate to meet the underlying purpose of the rule.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on February 8, 1996, the NRC 
staff consulted with the South Carolina State official, Mr. James 
Peterson of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental 
Control, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The 
State official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    Based upon the foregoing environmental assessment, the Commission 
concludes that the proposed action would 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 
application dated February 2, 1995, as supplemented May 15, 1995, and 
September 29, 1995, which is available for public inspection at the 
Commission's Public Document Room, 2120 L Street, NW, Washington, DC, 
and at the local public document room located at the Hartsville 
Memorial Library, 147 West College Avenue, Hartsville, SC 29550.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 9th day of February 1996.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
David B. Matthews,
Director, Project Directorate II-1, Division of Reactor Projects--I/II, 
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 96-3400 Filed 2-14-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P