[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 202 (Wednesday, October 20, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56523-56524]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-27361]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-272 and 50-311]


Public Service Electric and Gas Company, Salem Nuclear Generating 
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 amendments to Facility Operating License Nos. 
DRP-70 and DRP-75, issued to Public Service Electric and Gas Company 
(the licensee) for operation of the Salem Nuclear Generating Station, 
Unit Nos. 1 and 2, located in Salem County, New Jersey.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would make administrative and editorial changes 
to correct errors in the Technical Specifications (TSs) that have 
either existed since initial issuance or were introduced during 
subsequent changes. In addition, surveillance requirements would be 
added that should have been incorporated within the TSs when the 
applicable amendment to the TSs was approved by the NRC.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for amendment dated November 14, 1997, as supplemented by 
letter dated August 25, 1999.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would correct administrative and editorial 
errors in the TSs. These changes can generally be described as:
    a. Revisions to the index to reflect correct page numbers of 
corresponding sections,
    b. Revisions to the section titles used in the TS sections, Bases, 
and Tables, as well as the correction and addition of subtitles to 
obtain standardization between both Salem units' TSs,
    c. Revision to the TS references that refer to other TS sections 
and tables to either provide the correct reference or to provide more 
specificity by reference to actual subsections,
    d. Spelling and grammatical corrections such as elimination of 
duplicate or extraneous words, proper pluralization, more standard 
abbreviations,
    e. Renumbering of TS Tables,
    f. Capitalize terms found in TS 1.0 when used in other TS sections,
    g. Add units of measure that were missing from acceptance 
criterion,
    h. Other administrative changes.
    The proposed action would also revise various surveillance 
requirements for instrumentation such as including the correct 
operational mode applicability and adding channel functional tests and 
channel checks that should have been incorporated when prior amendments 
were issued.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes that the administrative and editorial changes correct 
errors that currently exist in the TSs and add surveillance 
requirements that should have been included in prior amendments. The 
proposed action does not modify the facility or affect the manner in 
which the facility is operated. Further, the addition of missing 
surveillance requirements would better demonstrate the operability of 
the affected plant components.
    The proposed action 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 action.
    With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed 
action does not involve any historic sites. It does not affect non-
radiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. 
Therefore, there are no significant non-radiological environmental 
impacts associated with the proposed action.

[[Page 56524]]

    Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered 
denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). 
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 Statement for the 
Salem Nuclear Generating Station dated April 1973.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on September 14, 1999, the 
staff consulted with the New Jersey State official, Mr. Dennis Zannoni, 
Chief of the Bureau of Nuclear Engineering, regarding the environmental 
impact of the proposed action. The State official had no comments with 
respect to the environmental impact of the proposed action. However, 
the State commented that certain proposed corrections were no longer 
relevant due to previous amendments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    On the basis of 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 November 14, 1997, as supplemented by letter 
dated August 25, 1999, 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 Salem Free Public Library, 112 West Broadway, Salem, NJ 08079.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day of October, 1999.
Patrick D. Milano, Sr.,
Project Manager, Section 2, Project Directorate I, Division of 
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 99-27361 Filed 10-19-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P