[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 124 (Wednesday, June 26, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33146-33147]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-16268]



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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-275 and 50-323]


Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Diablo Canyon Power Plant, 
Units 1 and 2; 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 for Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-80 and DPR-82,

[[Page 33147]]

issued to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E, the licensee), for 
operation of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP), Units 1 and 2, 
located in San Luis Obispo County, California.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would allow a one-time extension of 3 months to 
the period for filing the subsequent revision to the FSAR to 9 months, 
rather than 6 months, after the completion of the Unit 2 seventh 
refueling outage.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated May 7, 1996, for exemption from certain requirements 
of 10 CFR 50.71, ``Maintenance of records, making of reports.''

The Need for the Proposed Action

    Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.71(e)(4), the licensee must file subsequent 
revisions annually or 6 months after each refueling outage provided the 
interval between successive updates to the FSAR does not exceed 24 
months. The revision must reflect all changes up to a maximum of 6 
months prior to the date of the filing.
    Currently, licensees file their revision to the FSAR 6 months 
following the completion of their Unit 2 refueling outage.
    The licensee proposes a one-time exemption to allow Revision 11 of 
the FSAR update to be filed 9 months, rather than 6 months, after the 
completion of the Unit 2 seventh refueling outage. The revision will 
meet the requirement to be current to within 6 months of the time of 
the filing.
    An exemption from certain requirements of 10 CFR 50.71(e)(4) is 
required to allow PG&E to complete its comprehensive review of the 
Diablo Canyon Power Plant FSAR update to ensure its completeness and 
accuracy and to incorporate any inaccuracies into Revision 11 of the 
FSAR update.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action. 
The change will not increase the probability or consequences of 
accidents, no changes are being made in the types of any effluent that 
may be released off site, 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 not affect nonradiological plant effluents and would have 
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 that the environmental effects 
of the proposed action are not significant, any alternatives with equal 
or greater environmental impact need not be evaluated. The principal 
alternative would be to deny the requested exemption. Denial of the 
exemption would result in no change in current environmental impacts. 
The environmental impacts of the proposed action and the alternative 
action are identical.

Alternative Use of Resources

    This action does not involve the use of any resources not 
previously considered in the Final Environmental Statements for the 
Diablo Canyon Power Plant dated May 1973.

Agencies and Persons Contacted

    In accordance with NRC policy, on June 18, 1996, the staff 
consulted with the California State official, Mr. Steve Hsu of the 
Radiologic Health Branch of the State Department of Health Services, 
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 May 7, 1996, 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 California Polytechnic State University, 
Robert E. Kennedy Library, Government Documents and Maps Department, 
San Luis Obispo, California 93407.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of June 1996.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Steven D. Bloom,
Project Manager, Project Directorate IV-2, Division of Reactor Projects 
III/IV, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 96-16268 Filed 6-25-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P