[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 10, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11698-11699]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6084]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-261]


Carolina Power & Light Company (H.B. Robinson Steam Electric 
Plant Unit No. 2), Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is 
considering issuance of an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 
70.24 to Carolina Power & Light Company (CP&L or the licensee) for 
operation of the H. B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2 (HBR) 
located at the licensee's site in Darlington County, South Carolina.

[[Page 11699]]

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed action would exempt the licensee from the requirements 
of 10 CFR 70.24(a), which requires in each area in which special 
nuclear material is handled, used, or stored a monitoring system that 
will energize clear audible alarms if accidental criticality occurs. 
The proposed action would also exempt the licensee from the 
requirements to maintain emergency procedures for each area in which 
this licensed special nuclear material is handled, used, or stored to 
ensure that all personnel withdraw to an area of safety upon the 
sounding of the alarm, to familiarize personnel with the evacuation 
plan, and to designate responsible individuals for determining the 
cause of the alarm, and to place radiation survey instruments in 
accessible locations for use in such an emergency.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for exemption dated April 23, 1997, as supplemented by 
letter dated August 27, 1997.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The purpose of 10 CFR 70.24 is to ensure that, if a criticality 
were to occur during the handling of special nuclear material, 
personnel would be alerted to that fact and would take appropriate 
action. At a commercial nuclear power plant, the inadvertent 
criticality with which 10 CFR 70.24 is concerned could occur during 
fuel handling operations. The special nuclear material that could be 
assembled into a critical mass at a commercial nuclear power plant is 
in the form of nuclear fuel; the quantity of other forms of special 
nuclear material that is stored on site is small enough to preclude 
achieving a critical mass. Because the fuel is not enriched beyond 5.0 
weight percent Uranium-235 and because commercial nuclear plant 
licensees have procedures and design features that prevent inadvertent 
criticality, the staff has determined that it is unlikely that an 
inadvertent criticality could occur due to the handling of special 
nuclear material at a commercial power reactor. The requirements of 10 
CFR 70.24(a), therefore, are not necessary to ensure the safety of 
personnel during the handling of special nuclear materials at 
commercial power reactors. However, an exemption to 10 CFR 70.24(a) is 
needed to permit a deviation from these requirements.

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 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 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 Statement Related to 
the Operation of H.B. Robinson Nuclear Steam Electric Plant, Unit 2,'' 
dated April 1975.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on February 10, 1998, the 
staff consulted with the South Carolina State official, Virgil Autry, 
South Carolina Department of Health, Bureau of Radiological Health and 
Environmental Control. 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 letters dated April 23 and August 27, 1997, which are 
available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document 
Room, which is located at The Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., 
Washington, DC, and at the local public document room located at the 
Hartsville Memorial Library, 147 West College Avenue, Hartsville, South 
Carolina 29550.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of February 1998.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Joseph W. Shea,
Project Manager, Project Directorate II-1, Division of Reactor 
Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 98-6084 Filed 3-9-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P