[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 5, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5322-5323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-2738]



[[Page 5322]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-387 and 50-388]


PPL Susquehanna, LLC, Allegheny Electric Cooperative, Inc., 
Susquehanna Steam Electric 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, section 50.60(a), and Appendix G, for 
Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-14 and NPF-22 issued to PPL 
Susquehanna, LLC (PPL, the licensee), for operation of the Susquehanna 
Steam Electric Station (SSES), Units 1 and 2 (SSES-1 and 2), located in 
Luzerne 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 PPL to use American Society of 
Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code Case N-640 as the basis for 
establishing the fracture toughness values used in pressure-temperature 
(P-T) limit calculations. Section 50.60(a) of 10 CFR part 50 requires 
nuclear power reactors to meet the fracture toughness requirements set 
forth in 10 CFR part 50, Appendix G. Appendix G of 10 CFR part 50 
requires that P-T limits be established for reactor pressure vessels 
(RPVs) during normal operating and hydrostatic or leak rate testing 
conditions. Specifically, 10 CFR part 50, Appendix G, states, ``The 
appropriate requirements on both the pressure-temperature limits and 
the minimum permissible temperature must be met for all conditions.'' 
Appendix G of 10 CFR part 50 specifies that the requirements for these 
limits are the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME Code), 
Section XI, Appendix G, limits. Code Case N-640 permits application of 
the lower bound static initiation fracture toughness value equation 
(KIc equation) as the basis for establishing the P-T curves 
in lieu of using the lower bound crack arrest fracture toughness value 
equation (i.e., the KIa equation, the method invoked by 
Appendix G to Section XI of the ASME Code) as the basis for the curves.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for exemption dated July 17, 2001, as supplemented by 
letters dated July 26, and October 15, 2001.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    ASME Code Case N-640 is needed to revise the method used to 
determine the P-T limits, since continued use of the present curves 
unnecessarily restricts the reactor coolant system (RCS) P-T operating 
window. The RCS P-T operating window is defined by the RPV P-T 
operating and test limit curves developed in accordance with the ASME 
Code, Section XI, Appendix G. Continued operation of SSES-1 and 2, with 
these P-T curves without the relief provided by ASME Code Case N-640 
would unnecessarily require the licensee to maintain the RCS 
temperature in a limited, high-temperature (over 200  deg.F) operating 
band during the pressure test. This results in challenges to plant 
operators in maintaining the RCS within the narrow allowable 
temperature band and challenges to personnel safety due to the high 
ambient drywell temperatures. Implementation of the proposed P-T 
curves, as allowed by ASME Code Case N-640, does not significantly 
reduce the margin of safety and would eliminate the challenges to plant 
operators and personnel safety by allowing the pressure test to be 
conducted at a lower coolant temperature.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that the exemption described above would provide an adequate 
margin of safety against brittle failure of the SSES-1 and 2 RPVs.
    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 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 
the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, dated June 1981.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On December 17, 2001, the staff consulted with the Pennsylvania 
State official, Mr. Michael Murphy of the Pennsylvania Department of 
Environmental Protection, 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 July 17, 2001, as supplemented by letters dated 
July 26, and October 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 Agencywide Documents Access and Management Systems Public 
Library (ADAMS) 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 30th day of January 2002.


[[Page 5323]]


    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Joel T. Munday,
 Acting Chief, Section 1, Project Directorate I, Division of Licensing 
Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 02-2738 Filed 2-4-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P