[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 1, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 21787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10824]



[[Page 21787]]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Docket No. 50-305


Nuclear Management Company LLC; Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant 
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of exemptions from 10 CFR 50.61 and apendices G and H to part 
50 to Facility Operating License No. DPR-43 issued to the Nuclear 
Management Company, LLC (NMC or the licensee), for operation of the 
Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP or Kewaunee), located in Kewaunee 
County, Wisconsin.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action allows the incorporation of the use of fracture 
toughness (KJC) test data for evaluating the integrity of the Kewaunee 
Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) reactor pressure vessel (RPV) 
circumferential beltline weld. The licensee submittal requested NRC 
staff approval of a new methodology for assessing the integrity of the 
RPV circumferential beltline weld based on the use of the 1997 Edition 
of American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard Test 
Method E-1921 and American Society for Mechanical Engineering (ASME) 
Code Case N-629. The licensee submittal included: (1) An exemption from 
10 CFR 50.61 to use a proposed alternative methodology based on ASME 
Code Case N-629 and WCAP-15075; (2) an exemption from Appendix H to 
Part 50, which specifies use of ASTM E185-82 for testing of 
surveillance materials, to use a proposed alternative, ASTM E185-98, 
which allows use of ASTM E1921-97 for testing of surveillance capsule 
material; (3) an exemption from appendices G and H to part 50, which 
specifies Charpy V-Notch impact and drop weight testing, to use a 
proposed alternative ASTM E1921-97; and, (4) a reassessment of the KNPP 
RPV's compliance with 10 CFR 50.61 (concerning pressurized thermal 
shock, PTS) for end of license (EOL) condition.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for exemptions dated June 7, 1999, as supplemented by 
letters dated February 4, September 26, and December 18, 2000.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    KNPP is a pressurized water reactor (PWR) which commenced 
commercial operation in 1974, and its current operating license will 
expire in December 2013. The proposed action, exemptions from 10 CFR 
50.61, Appendix G of Part 50, and appendix H of part 50, is needed to 
allow the use of the proposed alternative methodology. The exemption is 
necessary since the alternative methodology differs from the current 
methodology specified in the regulations. The proposed exemptions would 
permit the use of a proposed methodology to use fracture toughness data 
as an alternative to the Charpy V-notch and to use a drop weight-based 
methodology to adequately evaluate the integrity of the KNPP RPV, 
establish pressure-temperature limit curves, and ensure that the RPV is 
protected from failure by PTS.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that the exemptions and assessment methodology described 
above would provide an adequate evaluation of the reactor vessel 
fracture toughness for KNPP for end of license (EOL) condition. The 
proposed action would use an alternate methodology from the methodology 
currently utilized. The proposed action does not result in any physical 
or operational changes to the plant.
    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 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 this action.

Alternatives to the Proposed

    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 significant 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 
Kewaunee.

Agencies and Persons Contacted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on November 14, 2000, the NRC 
staff consulted with the Wisconsin State official, S. Jenkins of the 
Wisconsin Public Service Commission, 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 June 7, 1999, as supplemented by letters dated 
February 4, September 26, and December 18, 2000, which are available 
for public inspection at the NRC's Public Document Room, located at One 
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, 
Maryland. Publicly available records are 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 12th day of February, 2001.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Tae J. Kim,
Acting Section Chief, Section 1, Project Directorate III, Division of 
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-10824 Filed 4-30-01; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P