[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 193 (Thursday, October 4, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 50696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-24865]



[[Page 50696]]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-277 and 50-278]


Exelon Generation Company, LLC; Peach Bottom Atomic Power 
Station, Units 2 and 3; 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 R, Section III.F, ``Automatic 
Fire Detection'', for Facility Operating Licenses Nos. DPR-44 and DPR-
56, issued to Exelon Generation Company, LLC, et al. (the licensee), 
for operation of the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station (PBAPS), Units 2 
and 3, located in York County, Pennsylvania. Therefore, as required by 
10 CFR 51.21, the NRC is issuing this environmental assessment and 
finding of no significant impact.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would grant an exemption from the requirements 
of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix R, Section III.F, ``Automatic Fire 
Detection,'' to the extent that they require the installation of 
automatic fire detection systems in certain areas that contain or 
present an exposure fire hazard to safety-related or safe shutdown 
systems or components. The licensee is seeking an exemption from the 
requirements for an automatic fire detection system for room 222, a 
Unit 2 feedwater heater room in the turbine building, and room 429, the 
Unit 2 and Unit 3 turbine generator hall in the turbine building.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for exemption dated June 15, 2001.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed exemption is needed in order to preclude dose exposure 
for workers during maintenance and testing of detection systems, and 
considerable expense, should plant modifications be required to be 
made.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that with the proposed exemption there will be an adequate 
level of fire protection and the underlying purpose of 10 CFR part 50, 
Appendix R, Section III.F, will be met for the affected areas of the 
plant such that there would be no significant increase in the risk of 
fires at this facility.
    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 nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
action does not have a potential to affect 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.

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 significant 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 
PBAPS Units 2 and 3, dated April 1973.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On August 15, 2001, the staff consulted with the Pennsylvania State 
official, Dennis Dyckman of the Pennsylvania Department of 
Environmental Protection, Nuclear Safety Division, 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 15, 2001. Documents may be examined, and/
or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), 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 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 PDR Reference staff at 1-
800-397-4209, or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at [email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of September 2001.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John P. Boska,
Project Manager, Section 2, Project Directorate I, Division of 
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-24865 Filed 10-3-01; 8:45 am]
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