[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 235 (Thursday, December 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63417-63418]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-30238]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-352 and 50-353]


Exelon Generation Company, LLC, Limerick Generating Station, 
Units 1 and 2; 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 E, Item IV.F.2. c, for Facility 
Operating License Nos. NPF-39 and NPF-85, issued to Exelon Generation 
Company, LLC (Exelon, the licensee), for operation of the Limerick 
Generating Station, Units 1 and 2, located in Montgomery 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 allow a one-time exemption from the 
requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix E, Item IV.F.2. c, regarding 
conduct of a full-participation exercise of the offsite emergency plan 
every 2 years. Under the proposed exemption, the licensee would 
reschedule the exercise originally scheduled for November 1, 2001, and 
complete the exercise requirements by March 14, 2002.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for an exemption dated October 16, 2001.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    Currently under 10 CFR part 50, Appendix E, Item IV.F.2. c, each 
licensee at each site is required to conduct a full-participation 
exercise of its offsite emergency plan every 2 years. Federal agencies, 
such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, observe these 
exercises and evaluate the performance of the licensee, state, and 
local authorities having a role under the emergency plan.
    The licensee had initially planned to conduct an exercise of its 
offsite emergency plan on November 1, 2001, which was within the 
required 2-year interval. However, due to the ongoing national security 
threat in the United States, and the response, recovery, and other 
offsite agency activities associated with the September 11, 2001, 
terrorist attacks, the licensee has decided to postpone the exercise. 
The licensee does not plan to conduct the full-participation exercise 
until after the 2-year interval has expired.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that the proposed action involves an administrative activity 
unrelated to plant operations.
    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 offsite, 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 Commission 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 different resource than 
those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for 
the Limerick Generating Station, Units 1 and 2, dated April 1984.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On November 13, 2001, the staff consulted with the Pennsylvania 
State official, Dennis Dyckman of the Pennsylvania Department of 
Environment and Natural Resources, regarding the environmental impact 
of the proposed action. The State official had no comments. In 
addition, the licensee notified the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, who indicated support 
for rescheduling the exercise.

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.
    Further details with respect to the proposed action can be found in 
the licensee's letter dated October 16, 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

[[Page 63418]]

(the Electronic Reading Room). Persons who do not have access to ADAMS 
or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, 
should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-
4209, or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at [email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day of November 2001.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Christopher Gratton,
Sr. Project Manager, Section 2, Project Directorate 1, Division of 
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-30238 Filed 12-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P