[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 4, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10654-10655]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-5529]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-275 and 50-323]


Pacific Gas and Electric Co,; Diablo Canyon 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 its 
regulations for Facility Operating Licenses Nos. DPR-80 and DPR-82, 
issued to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (the licensee), for 
operation of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant (DCNPP), Unit Nos. 1 
and 2, located in San Luis Obispo County, California.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed action is in response to the licensee's application 
dated December 8, 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 the facility 
changes made under 10 CFR 50.59 for DCNPP. Under the proposed 
exemption, the licensee would schedule updates to the single, unified 
FSAR for DCNPP based on the refueling cycle of Unit 2.

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 DCNPP share a common FSAR, the licensee must update 
the same document within 6 months after a refueling outage for either 
unit. Allowing the exemption would maintain the FSAR 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 
occupational radiation exposure. The Commission concludes that granting 
the proposed exemption would result in no significant radiological 
environmental impact.
    With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed 
exemption does not affect non-radiological plant effluents and has no 
other environmental impact. The Commission concludes that there are no 
significant non-radiological impacts associated with the proposed 
exemption.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed exemption, the staff considered 
denial of the requested exemption. Denial of the request 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 Statements related to 
the operation of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 
2 dated May 1973.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on February 26, 1998, 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 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 the proposed action, see the 
licensee's letter dated December 8, 1997, which is available for public 
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, which is located 
at The Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, D.C., 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.


[[Page 10655]]


    Dated at Rockville, Md. this 26th day of February 1998.

    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. 98-5529 Filed 3-3-98; 8:45 am]
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