[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 213 (Tuesday, November 4, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59753-59754]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-29139]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-315 and 50-316]


Indiana Michigan Power Company; Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant, 
Unit Nos. 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-58 and DPR-74, 
issued to Indiana Michigan Power Company (the licensee), for operation 
of the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2, located in 
Berrien County, Michigan.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is in response to the licensee's application 
dated August 5, 1997, for exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 
50.71(e)(4) regarding submission of revisions to the Final Safety 
Analysis Report (FSAR) and design change reports for facility changes 
made under 10 CFR 50.59 for the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant, Unit Nos. 
1 and 2. Under the proposed exemption, the licensee would schedule 
updates to the single, unified FSAR for the two units that comprise the 
Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant once per Unit 1 fuel cycle.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    Section 50.71(e)(4) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 
requires licensees to submit updates to their UFSAR within 6 months 
after each refueling outage providing that the interval between 
successive updates does not exceed 24 months. Since the Donald C. Cook 
Nuclear Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2, share a common FSAR, the licensee 
must update the same document within 6 months after a refueling outage 
for either unit. Because the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant units have 
alternating refueling outages, the regulatory requirement to submit an 
update after the completion of one unit's refueling outage when the 
other unit is scheduled for a refueling outage within 6 to 12 months 
results in an administrative burden which does not significantly 
enhance safety. The proposed exemption is needed to permit a single 
update of the unified FSAR for the two Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant 
units per each Unit 1 fuel cycle.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes that it will not alter or affect plant operation. 
Allowing the exemption would maintain the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant 
FSAR current within 24 months of the last revision and would not exceed 
the 24-month interval for submission of the 10 CFR 50.59 design change 
report for either unit.
    No changes are being made in the types or amounts of any 
radiological effluent that may be released offsite and there is no 
increase in the allowable individual or cumulative occupational 
exposure. Therefore, there are no significant radiological impacts 
associated with the proposed action.
    With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
action will not change nonradiological plant effluents and will have no 
other nonradiological environmental impact. Therefore, there are no 
significant nonradiological impacts associated with the proposed 
action.
    Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    Since the Commission has concluded that 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 NRC 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 does not involve the use of any resources not 
previously considered in the Final Environmental

[[Page 59754]]

Statement for the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2, 
dated August 1973.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on September 30, 1997, the 
NRC staff consulted with the Michigan State official, Dennis Hahn of 
the Michigan Department of Public Health, Nuclear Facilities and 
Environmental Monitoring, regarding the environmental impact of the 
proposed action. The State official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    Based upon its 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 August 5, 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 room located at the Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library, 
500 Market Street, St. Joseph, MI 49085.

    Dated at Rockville, MD, this 29th day of October 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John B. Hickman,
Project Manager, Project Directorate III-3, Division of Reactor 
Projects III/IV, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-29139 Filed 11-3-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P