[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 238 (Wednesday, December 11, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76198-76199]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-31215]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-302]


Florida Power Corporation; Crystal River Unit 3; 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 55, section 55.59(c) for Facility Operating 
License No. DPR-72, issued to Florida Power Corporation (the licensee), 
for operation of Crystal River Unit 3 (CR-3), located in Citrus County, 
Florida. 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 constitute a one-time exemption to allow 
the licensed operator requalification examinations for CR-3 to be 
rescheduled. The requested exemption would extend the completion date 
for the examinations from December 31, 2002, to February 28, 2003.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for exemption dated November 18, 2002.

[[Page 76199]]

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would extend the current CR-3 requalification 
program from December 31, 2002, to February 28, 2003. The proposed 
action is needed to allow for minimal interruption of the licensed 
personnel operating the plant during a potential labor action. 
Specifically, should such a labor action occur, the licensee has stated 
that CR-3 will be operated by personnel with current NRC licenses not 
affected by the labor action. The licensee deems it prudent to allow 
the licensed personnel operating the plant to remain fully available to 
stand watch on operating crews and not be distracted by completing the 
licensed operator requalification program by December 31, 2002.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that there are no significant environmental impacts 
associated with the extension of the operator requalification 
examinations from December 31, 2002, to February 28, 2002.
    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 non-radiological impacts, the 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 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 resources than 
those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for 
CR-3.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On November 22, 2002, the staff consulted with the Florida State 
official, William Passetti of the Florida Department of Health Bureau 
of Radiation Control, 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 November 18, 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 4th day of December 2002.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Allen G. Howe,
Chief, Section 2, Project Directorate II, Division of Licensing Project 
Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 02-31215 Filed 12-10-02; 8:45 am]
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