[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 239 (Tuesday, December 14, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 69806]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-32309]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Commonwealth Edison Co.; Zion Nuclear Power Station, Units 1 and 
2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

[Docket Nos. 50-295 and 50-304]
    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is 
considering issuance of an exemption from certain requirements of its 
regulations for Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-39 and DPR-48, 
issued to Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd or the licensee) for the 
Zion Nuclear Power Station (ZNPS) Units 1 and 2, located in Lake 
County, Illinois.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed exemption would exempt ZNPS, because of its 
permanently shutdown and defueled status, from certain requirements of 
10 CFR 50.54(w) regarding the amount of onsite property insurance 
required and from the requirements of 10 CFR 140.11 regarding the 
amount of offsite liability insurance required. Specifically, the 
exemption would allow the licensee to reduce onsite insurance coverage 
to $50 million, offsite coverage to $100 million, and withdraw from 
participation in the secondary insurance pool based on the permanently 
defueled status of ZNPS.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for exemption dated October 22, 1999.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    ZNPS was shut down permanently in February 1997. ComEd certified 
the permanent shutdown on February 13, 1998, and, on March 9, 1998, 
certified that all fuel had been removed from the reactor vessels. In 
accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(a)(2), upon docketing of the 
certifications, the facility operating license no longer authorizes 
ComEd to operate the reactor or to load fuel into the reactor vessel. 
In this permanently shutdown condition, the facility poses a reduced 
risk to public health and safety. Because of this reduced risk, full 
compliance with all the requirements in 10 CFR 50.54(w) and 10 CFR 
140.11 is no longer necessary. The requested exemptions from portions 
of 10 CFR 50.54(w) and 10 CFR 140.11 are needed to allow a reduction in 
the insurance coverage to a level that is appropriate for ZNPS in its 
permanently shutdown and defueled condition.

Environmental Impact of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that since the exemption only involves changes to indemnity 
insurance, the proposed action will not increase the probability or 
consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of 
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.
    The only potential environmental impacts associated with the 
proposed action would be economic in nature in the event of an 
accident, if insurance coverage is not sufficient. The NRC staff 
determined in SECY-96-256, ``Changes to the Financial Protection 
Requirements for Permanently Shutdown Nuclear Power Reactors, 10 CFR 
50.54(w) and 10 CFR 140.11,'' that $50 million in on-site coverage and 
$100 million in offsite coverage is sufficient for the most limiting 
accident associated with a permanently shutdown defueled plant. 
Therefore, given that the proposed action conforms to the dollar 
amounts of SECY-96-256, the staff has concluded that there would be no 
significant economic impact on the surrounding community in the event 
of an accident.
    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 resources not previously 
considered in the Final Environmental Statement for the Zion Nuclear 
Power Station, Units 1 and 2, dated December 1972.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on November 23, 1999, the 
staff consulted with the Illinois State officials, Mr. Gary Wright and 
Mr. Neill Howey, of the Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety (IDNS) 
regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The State 
official had no comments.

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 July 30, 1999, which is available for public 
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, The Gelman 
Building, 2120 L Street, NW, Washington, DC. Publicly available records 
will be accessible electronically from the ADAMS Public Library 
component on the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov (the Electronic 
Reading Room).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day of December 1999.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Dino C. Scaletti,
Project Manager, Decommissioning Section, Project Directorate IV & 
Decommissioning Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of 
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 99-32309 Filed 12-13-99; 8:45 am]
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