[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 193 (Wednesday, October 4, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59216-59217]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25463]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-368]


Entergy Operations, Inc.; Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 2 
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an exemption from 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J, for Facility 
Operating License No. NPF-6, issued to Entergy Operations, Inc. (the 
licensee), for operation of Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 2 (ANO-2), 
located in Pope County, Arkansas.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would provide a one-time exemption to Entergy 
Operations, Inc. from the requirements of Title 10 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Appendix J, ``Primary Reactor 
Containment Leakage Testing For Water-Cooled Power Reactors,'' which 
requires that licensees of all power reactors conduct integrated 
leakage rate tests (ILRT) under conditions representing design basis 
loss-of-coolant accident containment peak pressure. The licensee 
requires an exemption in order to conduct the ILRT at the same pressure 
that is used for the structural integrity test (SIT).
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for exemption dated June 29, 2000.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The ANO-2 steam generators (SGs) are scheduled for replacement 
during the fall of 2000. The replacement SGs (RSGs) will require that 
an access opening be cut in the containment building structure. Upon 
closure of the structure, an ILRT will be required to test for primary 
containment leakage integrity.
    The ANO-2 containment building was originally designed and tested 
for an internal pressure of 54 psig. The ANO-2 containment building has 
recently been reevaluated, to address the containment post-accident 
response resulting from the RSGs, for an increase in accident pressure 
to 58 psig with a design pressure of 59 psig, and shown to be 
acceptable as discussed in a letter to the NRC dated November 3, 1999, 
as revised by a letter dated June 29, 2000. As a result of this 
increase, an SIT will be performed to evaluate the ANO-2 containment 
building for the change in containment design pressure. The purpose of 
the SIT is to verify that the containment building structure can safely 
carry design loads and that the structural behavior is similar to that 
predicted by analysis. The post-RSG SIT will be performed at 68 psig 
(1.15 times the revised design pressure). The licensee would like to 
also perform the ILRT concurrently with the post-RSG SIT, at the SIT 
pressure of 68 psig, in order to recover approximately 30 hours of 
projected plant outage time. However, Appendix J requires that the ILRT 
be conducted at a pressure representing the design basis loss-of-
coolant accident containment peak pressure, which is 58 psig. Hence, 
the need for the proposed exemption.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that 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 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 Related to 
the Operation of Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 2,'' dated June 1977.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on September 7, 2000, the 
staff consulted with the Arkansas State official, Bernie Bevill of the 
Arkansas Department of Health, 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

[[Page 59217]]

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 June 29, 2000, which may be examined, and/or 
copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room, located at One 
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, 
Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically 
from the ADAMS Public Library component on the NRC Web site, 
http:\\www.nrcgov (the Electronic Reading Room).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of September 2000.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Mohan C. Thadani,
Acting Chief, Section 1, Project Directorate IV-1 & Decommissioning 
Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 00-25463 Filed 10-3-00; 8:45 am]
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