[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 1 (Friday, January 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 114-115]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-34170]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-317 and 50-318]


Baltimore Gas and Electric Company; Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power 
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 10 
CFR Part 50, Appendix A, General Design Criterion 2, ``Design Basis for 
Protection Against Natural Phenomena,'' to Baltimore Gas and Electric 
Company (the licensee), for operation of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear 
Power Plant, Unit

[[Page 115]]

Nos. 1 and 2, located in Calvert County, Maryland.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed exemption would allow relief from General Design 
Criterion 2 (GDC-2) during the upgrading of the Unit 1 emergency diesel 
generator (EDG) No. 1B. The proposed exemption will permit the 
temporary removal of two steel doors which provide protection for the 
EDG No. 1B, which will be out of service to allow modifications which 
will increase its load capacity, and also provides protection to the 
operating Calvert Cliffs Unit No. 2 EDG No. 2A and the support systems 
common to Unit 1 EDG 1B and the operating Unit 2 EDGs 2A and 2B. The 
support systems are required to be operable to support the operation of 
Unit 2.
    The upgrading of the Unit 1 EDG No. 1B will be performed during the 
upcoming Unit 1 refueling outage (RFO-14). RFO 14 is scheduled to 
commence on April 3, 1998, and be completed in early June 1998. The two 
steel missile doors will be required to be removed about 4 times during 
the outage. Only one door will be removed at a time. The licensee 
estimates that each of the removals will last for about 24 hours, which 
will result in a total removal time of about 100 hours during the 
scheduled 60-day RFO-14.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed temporary exemption is needed to permit the completion 
of the highly desirable upgrade to the Unit 1 EDG No. 1B without an 
unnecessary unit shutdown.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes that the proposed action involves features located 
entirely within the protected area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20.
    The proposed action will not result in an increase in the 
probability or consequences of accidents or result in a change in 
occupational or offsite dose. Therefore, there are no radiological 
impacts associated with the proposed action.
    The proposed action will not result in a change in nonradiological 
plant effluents and will have no other nonradiological environmental 
impact.
    Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no 
environmental impacts associated with this action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    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 and the alternative action 
are similar.
    The principal alternative to requesting the temporary exemption for 
implementation of the EDG upgrade would be to comply with the 
restrictive requirements of GDC-2. However, the alternative would not 
significantly enhance the protection of the environment and would 
result in significant loss of power generation since a dual unit outage 
would be required.

Alternative Use of Resources

    This action does not involve the use of any resources not 
previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement dated April 
1973 for the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on October 2, 1997, the staff 
consulted with the Maryland State official, Richard J. McLean of the 
Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 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 September 12, 1997, as supplemented November 3, 
1997, 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 
Calvert County Library, Prince Frederick, Maryland.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 23d day of December 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Darl S. Hood,
Acting Director, Project Directorate I-1, Division of Reactor 
Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-34170 Filed 12-31-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P