[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 132 (Monday, July 10, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42402-42403]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-17343]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-206]


Southern California Edison, San Onofre Nuclear Generating 
Station, Unit 1; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant 
Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an exemption from certain requirements of 10 CFR part 73 
for Facility Operating License No. DPR-13, issued to Southern 
California Edison, (the licensee), for the San Onofre Nuclear 
Generating Station, Unit 1, a permanently shutdown nuclear reactor 
facility located in San Diego County, California.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed action would modify security requirements to eliminate 
certain equipment, to relocate certain equipment, to modify certain 
procedures, and reduce the number of armed responders, due to the 
permanently shutdown and defueled status of the San Onofre Nuclear 
Generating Station, Unit 1.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for exemption dated April 28, 2000. The requested action 
would grant an exemption from certain requirements of 10 CFR 73.55, 
``Requirements for physical protection of licensed activities in 
nuclear power reactors against radiological sabotage,'' specifically 
from 10 CFR 73.55(a), (c)(1), (c)(3), (c)(4), (c)(5), (c)(6), (c)(7), 
(d)(1), (e)(1), (e)(2), (h)(3) and (h)(6) as identified in the 
licensee's application for exemption dated April 28, 2000.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Unit 1 was permanently shut 
down on November 20, 1992. The reactor was permanently defueled and the 
possession-only license became effective on March 9, 1993. In this 
permanently shutdown condition, the facility poses a reduced risk to 
public health and safety. Because of this reduced risk, certain 
requirements of 10 CFR 73.55 are no longer appropriate. An exemption is 
required from portions of 10 CFR 73.55 to allow the licensee to 
implement a revised security plan that is appropriate for the 
permanently shutdown and defueled reactor facility.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that granting an exemption to those portions of 10 CFR 73.55 
identified above would not have a significant impact on the 
environment. Unit 1 has not operated since November 1992. As 
demonstrated by the licensee in its exemption application, the 
consequences of any possible act of sabotage are thus reduced, due to 
the reduced amount of radioactive material available for possible 
release from the Unit 1 spent fuel pool.
    The proposed action will not significantly 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 nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
action does not involve any historic sites. It does not affect 
nonradiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. 
Therefore, there

[[Page 42403]]

are no significant nonradiological environmental impacts associated 
with the proposed action.
    Accordingly, the NRC 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 San 
Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 1.

Agencies and Persons Contacted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on May 31, 2000, the staff 
consulted with the State of California official, Mr. Steven Hsu of the 
Radiologic Health Services, State Department of Health Services, 
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 NRC concludes 
that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the 
quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC 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 April 28, 2000 (Accession No. ML003709607), 
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 3rd day of July 2000.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
David J. Wrona,
Project Manager, Decommissioning Section, Project Directorate IV & 
Decommissioning, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of 
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 00-17343 Filed 7-7-00; 8:45 am]
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