[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 246 (Friday, December 21, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66000-66001]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-31472]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-361 and 50-362]


Southern California Edison Company; San Onofre Nuclear Generating 
Station, Units 2 and 3 Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission, or NRC) is 
considering issuance of an exemption from Title 10 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations (10 CFR) part 50, Appendix E, sections IV.F.2.b and 
c to Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-10 and NPF-15, issued to 
Southern California Edison Company (the licensee), for operation of the 
San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Units 2 and 3, (SONGS), located 
in San Diego County, California. 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 is a one time exemption from the requirements 
of Appendix E, sections IV.F.2.b and c regarding conduct of a full 
participation exercise of the onsite and offsite emergency plans every 
2 years. Under the proposed exemption, as modified by the staff (which 
is discussed below), the licensee would reschedule the exercise 
originally scheduled for September 12, 2001, and complete the exercise 
requirements by December 31, 2002.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for an exemption dated September 18, 2001. The licensee 
requested a one-time exemption, in accordance with 10 CFR 50.12, 
``Specific exemptions,'' from the requirements in 10 CFR part 50, 
Appendix E, sections IV.F.2.b and c to perform a biennial exercise of 
the onsite and offsite emergency plans (EPs) with full participation of 
each offsite authority having a role under the offsite plan (i.e., a 
full participation exercise), for SONGS. A full participation exercise 
had been scheduled for SONGS for September 12, 2001; however, as a 
result of the national security events occurring in the United States 
on September 11, 2001, this exercise was canceled. The licensee 
requested that the biennial exercise for 2001 not be conducted as 
required by Appendix E, and the next full participation exercise be 
conducted in 2003 and every two years thereafter.
    Because the NRC's staff has concluded that it cannot grant the 
licensee's request to cancel the full participation exercise for 2001, 
and because the scheduled 2001 full participation exercise to meet the 
regulations was canceled for good cause, there is insufficient time 
before January 1, 2002, when the licensee would be in violation of the 
regulations, to prepare and conduct the exercise and the licensee has 
provided sufficient information to provide a basis for a one-year 
schedular extension to the requirements in the regulations, the NRC has 
concluded that such a one-year schedular exemption to the biennial 
exercise requirements in Appendix E to 10 CFR part 50 can be granted 
SONGS. The full participation exercise for SONGS scheduled for 2001 
would be conducted by December 31, 2002. Future exercises, however, 
will be performed as previously scheduled (i.e., granting of a 
schedular exemption for the current exercise does not reset the 2-year 
clock and the licensee will be expected to complete the next scheduled 
exercise in 2003).

The Need for the Proposed Action

    Sections IV.F.2.b and c, of Appendix E to 10 CFR part 50, require 
each licensee at each site to conduct an exercise of its onsite and 
offsite EPs every 2 years. Federal agencies (the NRC for the onsite 
exercise portion and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the 
offsite exercise portion) 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 
onsite and offsite EPs on September 12, 2001, within the required 2-
year interval. However, as a result of the national security events 
occurring in the United States on September 11, 2001, this exercise was 
canceled.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the revised proposed action 
to grant a one-year schedular extension exemption to SONGS for the 
biennial exercise requirements in Appendix E to 10 CFR part 50 and 
concludes that it involves an administrative activity (a schedular 
change in conducting an exercise) unrelated to plant operations.
    The revised 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

[[Page 66001]]

significant radiological environmental impacts ass ociated with the 
revised proposed action.
    With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the revised 
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 revised proposed 
action.
    Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the revised proposed action.

Environmental Impacts of Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the revised proposed action, the NRC staff 
considered denial of the action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). 
Denial of the revised proposed action 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 resources 
than those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement 
for SONGS dated April 1981.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On November 29 and December 17, 2001, the NRC staff consulted with 
the California State official, Ben Tong of the Governor's Office of 
Emergency Services, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed 
action. The State official had no comments on the environmental impact; 
however, the State official did not agree with rescheduling the 
exercise. The State official's comments will be addressed in the safety 
evaluation supporting the exemption. In addition, by phone on December 
3, 2001, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) indicated that 
it had no disagreement with rescheduling the exercise.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC concludes 
that the revised 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 
revised proposed action.
    For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the 
licensee's letter dated September 18, 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). 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 17th day of December, 2001.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jack Donohew,
Senior Project Manager, Section 2, Project Directorate IV, Division of 
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-31472 Filed 12-20-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P