[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 169 (Thursday, August 30, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 45874]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-21939]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-289]


Amergen Energy Company, LLC; Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, 
Unit 1 Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering issuance of 
an exemption from 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix G, and 10 CFR 50.61, for 
Facility Operating License No. DPR-50, issued to AmerGen Energy 
Company, LLC (the licensee), for operation of the Three Mile Island 
Nuclear Station, Unit 1 (TMI-1), located in Dauphin County, 
Pennsylvania.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would exempt the licensee from application of 
specific requirements of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix G, for TMI-1 and 
allow instead the use of American Society of Mechanical Engineers 
(ASME) Code Cases N-588 and N-640. In addition, the proposal would 
exempt the licensee from application of specific requirements of 10 CFR 
50.61 for TMI-1 and allow instead the use of the master curve approach 
for determining the initial reference temperature value for weld metal 
WF-70.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated March 29, 2001, as supplemented by letters dated June 
27 and July 24, 2001.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed in order to address the use of 
alternative methods used in the development of amendments to the TMI-1 
Technical Specification reactor pressure vessel pressure-temperature 
(P-T) limit curves. These alternative methods include (1) Code Case N-
588, which permits the use of circumferentially oriented flaws in 
circumferential welds for development of the P-T limits; (2) Code Case 
N-640, which permits application of the lower bound static initiation 
fracture toughness value equation as the basis for establishing the P-T 
curves in lieu of using the lower bound crack arrest fracture toughness 
value equation; and (3) the master curve approach, which is an 
alternative to Paragraph NB-2331 of the ASME Code (used in 10 CFR 
50.61(a)(5)) to define RTNDT(U), the reference temperature 
for unirradiated reactor vessel material.
    The staff has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12.(a)(2)(ii), 
the underlying purpose of the regulation to protect the integrity of 
the reactor coolant pressure boundary will continue to be served with 
the implementation of the Code Cases.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes, as set forth below, that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the use of the alternative 
analysis methods to support the revision of the reactor pressure vessel 
P-T limit curves.
    The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability 
or consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of 
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 have a potential to affect 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.

Environmental Impacts of the 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

    The action does not involve the use of any different resource than 
those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for 
TMI-1 dated December 1972.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On August 1, 2001, the staff consulted with the Pennsylvania State 
official 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 March 29, 2001, as supplemented by letters 
dated June 27 and July 24, 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. Publically available records will be accessible 
electronically from the ADAMS Public Library component on the NRC Web 
site, http://www.nrc.gov (the Public Electronic Reading Room). 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, or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at 
[email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 24th day of August 2001.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Timothy G. Colburn,
Senior Project Manager, Section 1, Project Directorate I, Division of 
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-21939 Filed 8-29-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P