[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 102 (Wednesday, May 28, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28906-28907]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13866]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-413 and 50-414; Docket Nos. 50-369 and 50-370]


Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2; McGuire Nuclear Station, 
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 to Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-35, NPF-52, NPF-9, 
and NPF-17. These licenses are issued to Duke Power Company (the 
licensee) for operation of the Catawba Nuclear Station Units 1 and 2, 
located in York County, South Carolina, and the McGuire Nuclear 
Station, Units 1 and 2, located in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed action is in response to the licensee's application 
dated February 24, 1997, for exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 
50.71(e)(4) regarding submission of revisions to the Updated Final 
Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR) and design change reports for facility 
changes made under 10 CFR 50.59 for the Catawba and McGuire nuclear 
stations. Under the proposed exemption, the licensee would schedule 
updates to the single, unified UFSAR for each of its two-unit sites 
based on the refueling cycle of Unit 2 of each station.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    Section 50.71(e)(4) requires licensees to submit updates to their 
FSAR within 6 months after each refueling outage providing that the 
interval between successive updates does not exceed 24 months. Since 
Units 1 and 2 of Catawba and McGuire nuclear stations share a common 
UFSAR, the licensee must update the same document within 6 months after 
a refueling outage for either unit. Allowing the exemption would 
maintain the UFSAR current within 24 months of the last revision and 
still would not exceed a 24-month interval for submission of the 10 CFR 
50.59 design change report for either unit.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    No changes are being made in the types or amounts of any 
radiological effluent that may be released off site. There is no 
significant increase in the allowable individual or cumulative

[[Page 28907]]

occupational radiation exposure. The Commission concludes that granting 
the proposed exemption would result in no significant radiological 
environmental impact.
    With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
exemption does not affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no 
other environmental impact. The Commission concludes that there are no 
significant nonradiological impacts associated with the proposed 
exemption.

Alternative to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered 
denial of the proposed action. Denial of the exemption would result in 
no change in current environmental impacts. The environmental impacts 
of the proposed exemption and this alternative 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 Catawba 
Nuclear Station and McGuire Nuclear Station.

Agencies and Persons Contacted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on May 13, 1997, the staff 
consulted with the South Carolina and North Carolina State officials, 
respectively, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed 
action. The State officials had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    Based upon the foregoing 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 
request for the exemption dated February 24, 1997, 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 rooms located at the York County Library, 138 East 
Black Street, Rock Hill, South Carolina 29730 for the Catawba Nuclear 
Station; and the J. Murrey Atkins Library, University of North Carolina 
at Charlotte, 9201 University City Boulevard, Charlotte, North Carolina 
28223 for the McGuire Nuclear Station.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day of May 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Herbert N. Berkow,
Director, Project Directorate II-2, Division of Reactor Projects--I/II, 
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-13866 Filed 5-27-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P