[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 52 (Thursday, March 16, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14322-14323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-6500]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-400]


Carolina Power & Light Company; Shearon Harris Nuclear Power 
Plant, Unit 1, Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant 
Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is 
considering issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License No. 
NPF-63, issued to Carolina Power & Light Company (CP&L, the licensee), 
for operation of the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 1, (HNP) 
located in Wake and Chatham Counties, North Carolina.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is a one time exemption from the requirements 
of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, 
Appendix E, Items IV.F.2.b and c regarding conduct of a full 
participation exercise of the onsite and offsite emergency plans every 
2 years. Under the proposed exemption, the licensee would reschedule 
the exercise originally scheduled for September 21, 1999, and complete 
the onsite and offsite exercise requirements in two parts. The licensee 
would use the onsite exercise conducted on January 11, 2000, without 
the participation of the State of North Carolina and local government 
response agencies, to meet the onsite requirement. The offsite portion 
of the exercise would be conducted on June 27, 2000, with the 
participation of the State of North Carolina and local government 
response agencies.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for an exemption dated December 7, 1999.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    10 CFR Part 50, Appendix E, Items IV.F.2.b and c requires each 
licensee at each site to conduct an exercise of its onsite and offsite 
emergency plan every 2 years. Federal agencies (the Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission for the onsite exercise portion and the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency for the offsite exercise portion) observe these 
exercises and evaluate the performance of the licensee, State and local 
authorities having a role under the emergency plan.
    The licensee had initially planned to conduct an exercise of its 
onsite and offsite emergency plan on September 21, 1999, within the 
required 2-year required interval. However, due to the significant 
impact and damage from hurricane ``Floyd,'' the State of North Carolina 
and the local emergency response agencies were occupied with responding 
to the natural disaster and were unable to participate in and could not 
support the exercise.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes that the proposed action involves an administrative 
activity (a schedular change in conducting an exercise) unrelated to 
plant operations.
    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 offsite, 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.
    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 
Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on February 22, 2000, the 
staff consulted with the North Carolina State official, Mr. Johnny 
James of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural 
Resources, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. 
The State official had no comments. In addition, by letter dated 
January 19, 2000, from Ms. Vanessa Quinn, the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency indicated support for rescheduling the exercise.

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.

[[Page 14323]]

    For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the 
licensee's letter dated December 7, 2000, 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 9th day of March 2000.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Richard J. Laufer,
Project Manager, Secton 2 Project Directorate II, Division of Licensing 
Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 00-6500 Filed 3-15-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P