[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 39 (Wednesday, February 27, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9008-9009]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-4590]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-285]


Omaha Public Power District Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, 
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an exemption from certain requirements of Appendix G to 
part 50 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR part 50) 
for Facility Operating License No. DPR-40, issued to the Omaha Public 
Power District (the licensee), for operation of the Fort Calhoun 
Station, Unit 1 (FCS), located in Washington County, Nebraska.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would exempt the licensee from certain 
requirements of Appendix G to 10 CFR part 50 to allow the application 
of the methodology approved for determining the pressure-temperature 
(P-T) limit curves in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers 
Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME Code), Section XI, Code Case N-
640 entitled, ``Alternate Reference Fracture Toughness for Development 
of P-T Curves for ASME Section XI, Division I.''
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for an exemption dated December 14, 2001.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The licensee wants to revise the currently approved methodology for 
P-T limit calculations to incorporate the methodology approved for use 
in Code Case N-640. Code Case N-640 allows the use of the 
KIC fracture toughness curve instead of the KIA 
fracture toughness curve, as required by Appendix G to Section XI, for 
determining P-T limits for reactor pressure vessel (RPV) materials. The 
exemption is needed because the methodology in Code Case N-640 is less 
conservative in determining P-T limits than the approved methodology in 
Appendix G of Section XI. The proposed action also supports the 
licensee's application for a license amendment dated December 14, 2001, 
to revise the P-T limits in the technical specifications to reflect an 
operating period of 40 effective full power years (EFPY).
    In the associated exemption, the staff has determined that, 
pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii), the underlying purpose of the 
regulation will continue to be served by the implementation of the code 
case.

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 RPV 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 
any 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 involve 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

    This action does not involve the use of any resources not 
previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for the FCS 
dated August 1972.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on February 12, 2002, the 
staff consulted with the Nebraska State official, Julia Schmitt of the 
Nebraska Consumer Health Services Agency, 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 December 14, 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. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically 
from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) 
Public Electronic Reading Room on the internet at the NRC Web

[[Page 9009]]

site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/html. 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 to 
[email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day of February 2002.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Stephen Dembek,
Project Directorate IV, Chief, Section 2, Division of Licensing Project 
Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 02-4590 Filed 2-26-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P