[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 139 (Wednesday, July 21, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39177-39178]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-18634]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. STN 50-456, STN 50-457, STN 50-454, STN 50-455, 50-237, 
50-249, 50-373, 50-374, 50-254 and 50-265]


Commonwealth Edison Company: Braidwood Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 
2, Byron Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2, Dresden Station, Unit Nos. 2 and 
3, LaSalle County Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2, Quad Cities Station, 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 exemptions from certain requirements of its 
regulations to Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-72, NPF-77, NPF-37, 
NPF-66, DPR-19, DPR-25, NPF-11, NPF-18, DPR-29 and DPR-30 issued to the 
Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd, the licensee), for operation of 
Braidwood Station, located in Will County, Illinois; Byron Station 
located in Ogle County, Illinois; Dresden Station located in Grundy 
County, Illinois; LaSalle County Station located in LaSalle County, 
Illinois; and Quad Cities Station located in Rock Island County, 
Illinois, respectively.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed actions would exempt the licensee from the 
requirements of 10 CFR 50.71(e)(4) regarding submission of revisions to 
the Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR). Under the proposed 
exemptions, the licensee would submit updates to the UFSARs within 24 
calendar months of the previous UFSAR revision submittal. Braidwood and 
Byron share a common FSAR and the Dresden, Quad Cities, and LaSalle 
Stations maintain their own FSARs that are common to both units at each 
station.
    The proposed actions are in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated May 4, 1993.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The Code of Federal Regulations, 10 CFR 50.71(e)(4), requires 
licensees to submit updates to their FSARs annually or within 6 months 
after each refueling outage provided that the interval between 
successive updates does not exceed 24 months. Since the units for each 
station, and the Braidwood and Byron stations, share a common FSAR, the 
licensee must update the same document annually or within 6 months 
after a refueling outage for each unit. The underlying purpose of the 
rule was to relieve licensees of the burden of filing annual FSAR 
revisions while assuring that such revisions are made at least every 24 
months. The Commission reduced the burden, in part, by permitting a 
licensee to submit its FSAR revisions 6 months after refueling outages 
for its facility, but did not provide for multiple unit facilities 
sharing a common FSAR in the rule. Rather, the Commission stated: 
``with respect to the concern about multiple facilities sharing a 
common FSAR, licensees will have maximum flexibility for scheduling 
updates on a case-by-case basis' (57 FR 39355) (1992). Allowing the 
exemption would maintain the updated FSAR current within 24 months of 
the last revision.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed actions 
and concludes that they involve administrative activities unrelated to 
plant operation.
    The proposed actions will not increase the probability or 
consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of 
any effluents that may be released off site, and there is no 
significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. 
Therefore, there are no significant radiological environmental impacts 
associated with the proposed actions.
    With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed 
actions do not involve any historic sites. They do not affect non-
radiological plant effluents and have no other environmental impact. 
Therefore, there are no significant non-radiological environmental 
impacts associated with the proposed actions.
    Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with these actions.

Alternative to the Proposed Actions

    As an alternative to the proposed actions, the staff considered 
denial of the proposed actions (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). 
Denial of the exemptions would result in no change in current 
environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of the proposed 
actions and the alternative action are similar.

Alternative Use of Resources

    These actions do not involve the use of any resources not 
previously considered in the Final Environmental Statements for 
Braidwood, Byron, Dresden, LaSalle, or Quad Cities.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on May 14, 1999, the staff 
consulted with the Illinois official, Mr. Frank Nizeolik of the 
Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety, regarding the environmental 
impact of the proposed actions. The State official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    On the basis of the environmental assessment, the Commission 
concludes that the proposed actions will not have a significant effect 
on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the Commission 
has determined not to

[[Page 39178]]

prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed exemption.
    For further details with respect to this action, see the licensee's 
letter dated May 4, 1993, which is available for public inspection at 
the Commission's Public Document Room, The Gelman Building, 2120 L 
Street, NW., Washington DC.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day of July, 1999.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jon B. Hopkins,
Acting Chief, Section 2, Project Directorate III, Division of Licensing 
Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 99-18634 Filed 7-20-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P