[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 205 (Monday, October 23, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63265-63266]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-27178]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-250 and 50-251]


Florida Power and Light Company, Turkey Point Plant, Units 3 and 
4; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an exemption from Title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Appendix G, for Facility Operating 
License Nos. DPR-31 and DPR-41, issued to Florida Power and Light 
Company (FPL, the licensee), for operation of the Turkey Point Plant, 
Units 3 and 4, located in Dade County, Florida.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed exemption would allow FPL to apply the methodologies 
of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code Cases N-588 
and N-641 for the Turkey Point Plant reactor vessel circumferential 
welds.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for exemption dated July 7, 2000, as supplemented October 
4, 2000.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    10 CFR part 50, Appendix G, requires that pressure-temperature (P/
T) limits be established for reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) during 
normal operating and hydrostatic pressure or leak-testing conditions. 
Specifically, 10 CFR part 50, Appendix G states that ``The appropriate 
requirements on both the pressure-temperature limits and the minimum 
permissible temperature must be met for all conditions.'' Appendix G 
further specifies that the requirements for these limits are the ASME 
Code, Section XI, Appendix G Limits.
    To address provisions of amendments to the technical specification 
(TS) P/T limits, low temperature overpressure protection (LTOP) system 
setpoints and LTOP system effective temperature (Tenable), 
the licensee requested in its submittals that the staff exempt Turkey 
Point Units 3 and 4 from application of specific requirements of 10 CFR 
part 50, Section 50.60(a) and Appendix G, and substitute use of ASME 
Code Cases N-588 and N-641. Code Case N-588 permits the use of 
circumferentially-oriented flaws in circumferential welds for 
development of P/T limits. Code Case N-641 permits the use of an 
alternate reference fracture toughness (KIC fracture 
toughness curve instead of KIa fracture toughness curve) for 
reactor vessel materials in determining the P/T limits, LTOP setpoints 
and Tenable. Since the KIC fracture toughness 
curve shown in ASME Section XI, Appendix A, Figure A-2200-1, provides 
greater allowable fracture toughness than the corresponding 
KIa fracture toughness curve of ASME Section XI, Appendix G, 
Figure G-2210-1 (the KIa fracture toughness curve), using 
Code Case N-641 for establishing the P/T limits, LTOP setpoints and 
Tenable would be less conservative than the methodology 
currently endorsed by 10 CFR part 50, Appendix G and, therefore, an 
exemption to apply the Code Case would be required by 10 CFR 50.60. It 
should be noted that although the use of the KIC fracture 
toughness curve in Code Case N-641 was recently incorporated into the 
Appendix G to Section XI of the ASME Code, an exemption is still needed 
because the proposed P/T limits, LTOP setpoints and Tenable 
(excluding Code Case N-641) are based on the 1996 edition (and 1997 
addenda) of the ASME Code.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR part 50, 
Appendix G, to allow

[[Page 63266]]

utilization of Code Cases N-588 and N-641 would provide an adequate 
margin of safety against brittle failure of the Turkey Point reactor 
vessels.
    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 (that is, 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 
Turkey Point Plant, Units 3 and 4.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on October 10, 2000, the 
staff consulted with the Florida State official, William A. Passetti of 
the Bureau of Radiation Control, 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 July 7, 2000, as supplemented October 4, 2000. 
Documents 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.nrc.gov (the Electronic Reading Room).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 17th day of October 2000.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Richard P. Correia,
Chief, Section 2, Project Directorate II, Division of Licensing Project 
Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 00-27178 Filed 10-20-00; 8:45 am]
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