[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 132 (Tuesday, July 10, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36017-36018]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-17037]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-312]


Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Rancho Seco Nuclear 
Generating Station; 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 50.54 and 
10 CFR 73.55 and an associated amendment to Facility Operating License 
No. DPR-54, issued to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (the 
licensee), for the Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station, a 
permanently shutdown nuclear reactor facility located in Sacramento 
County, California.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would eliminate the security plan requirements 
from the 10 CFR part 50 licensed site after the spent nuclear fuel has 
been transferred to the 10 CFR part 72 licensed Independent Spent Fuel 
Storage Installation (ISFSI).
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for a license amendment and exemption dated February 20, 
2001.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    Sections 50.54 and 73.55 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations require that licensees establish and maintain physical 
protection and security for activities involving nuclear fuel within 
the 10 CFR part 50 licensed area of a facility. The proposed action is 
needed because there will no longer be any nuclear fuel in the 10 CFR 
part 50 licensed facility to protect against radiological sabotage or 
diversion after the transfer of the spent nuclear fuel to the Rancho 
Seco ISFSI. Subpart H of 10 CFR part 72 establishes physical protection 
and relies on 10 CFR 73.51 to

[[Page 36018]]

define the requirements for physical protection of spent nuclear fuel 
stored in an ISFSI under a specific license issued pursuant to 10 CFR 
part 72. The Rancho Seco ISFSI, which is located adjacent to the 10 CFR 
part 50 licensed site, has a separate NRC approved security plan to 
protect the spent nuclear fuel stored there from radiological sabotage 
and diversion as promulgated under 10 CFR part 72, subpart H. The 
proposed action will allow the licensee to conserve resources for 
decommissioning activities.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that exempting the facility from security requirements will 
not have any adverse environmental impacts. There will be minor savings 
of energy and vehicular use associated with the security force no 
longer performing patrols, checks, and normal security functions.
    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 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 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 
Rancho Seco Generating Station.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on June 18, 2001, the staff 
consulted with the California State official, Frank Hauck of the 
Radiological Preparedness Unit, 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 February 20, 2001. 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 Agencywide Documents Access and Management Systems (ADAMS) 
Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC web site, 
http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/index.html. If you do not have access to 
ADAMS or if there are problems in accessing the documents located in 
ADAMS, contact the NRC Public Document Room (PDR) Reference staff at 1-
800-397-4209, 301-415-4737 or by email to [email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of July 2001.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Stephen Dembek,
Chief, Section 2, Project Directorate IV, Division of Licensing Project 
Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-17037 Filed 7-9-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P