[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 194 (Monday, October 7, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 62503]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-25388]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-410]


Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, LLC, Nine Mile Point Nuclear 
Station, Unit No. 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) Section 54.17(c) for Facility Operating License 
No. NPF-69, issued to Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, LLC (NMPNS), for 
operation of Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Unit No. 2 (NMP2) located 
in Oswego County, New York. 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 a schedular exemption from the 
provision of 10 CFR 54.17(c), which stipulates that a licensee may not 
apply for a renewed operating license earlier than 20 years before the 
current license expires. The exemption would allow NMPNS to submit a 
renewal application for NMP2 earlier than 20 years before expiration of 
its operating license.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would allow NMPNS to submit one application for 
renewal of the operating licenses of both nuclear units located at the 
site, with the goal of attaining efficiencies for preparation and 
review of the application.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that the issuance of the proposed exemption will not have a 
significant environmental impact. The proposed schedular exemption 
pertains solely to the future submission of an application to renew the 
NMP2 operating license. It causes no changes to the current design or 
operation of NMP2, and imparts no prejudice in the future review of the 
application for license renewal.
    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 
NMP2, dated June 1973.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On September 27, 2002, the NRC staff consulted with the New York 
State official, Mr. John P. Spath of the New York State Energy Research 
and Development Authority, 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 January 4, 2002, as supplemented on June 27, 
2002. 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 System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on 
the Internet at the NRC Web 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 1st day of October 2002.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Peter S. Tam,
Senior Project Manager, Section 1, Project Directorate I, Division of 
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 02-25388 Filed 10-4-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P