[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 241 (Monday, December 16, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77085-77086]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-31609]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-318]


Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Inc., Calvert Cliffs Nuclear 
Power Plant, 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) Part 50.44, 46 and Appendix K for Renewed Facility 
Operating License No. DPR-69, issued to Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power 
Plant, Inc. (the licensee), for operation of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear 
Power Plant, Unit No. 2 (Calvert Cliffs), located in Calvert County, 
Maryland.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action, as described in the licensee's application for 
exemption dated August 6, 2002, would allow the licensee to use up to 
four lead fuel assemblies (LFAs) with an advanced cladding material, a 
zirconium-based alloy, that does not meet the definition of Zircaloy or 
ZIRLO, which are referred to in Title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations section 50.46(a)(1)(i). The LFAs are scheduled to be loaded 
into the Calvert Cliffs Unit 2 reactor core during the upcoming 
refueling outage and would remain in the core for 2 cycles.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed exemption from 10 CFR 50.44, 10 CFR 50.46, and 
Appendix K to 10 CFR Part 50 is needed because these regulations 
specifically refer to light-water reactors containing fuel consisting 
of uranium oxide pellets enclosed in zircaloy or ZIRLO tubes. A new 
zirconium-based alloy cladding has been developed, which is not the 
same chemical composition as zircaloy or ZIRLO. Therefore, the licensee 
needs an exemption to insert up to four assemblies containing the new 
fuel cladding material into the Calvert Cliffs reactor core for test 
during operation.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that, the proposed exemption will not present an undue risk 
to the public health and safety. The safety evaluation performed by 
Framatone ANP, Inc. demonstrates that the predicted chemical, 
mechanical, and material performance of the M5 cladding is acceptable 
under all anticipated M5TM operational occurrences and 
postulated accidents. Furthermore, the LFAs will be placed in non-
limiting core locations. In the unlikely event that cladding failures 
occur in the LFAs, environmental impact would be minimal and is bounded 
by previous environmental impact statements.
    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.
    In 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 Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant (CCNPP) dated April 1973 or the 
Final Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal for the CCNPP 
dated October 1999.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On September 5, 2002, the staff consulted with the Maryland State 
official, Richard McLean of the Maryland Department of the Environment, 
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

[[Page 77086]]

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 August 6, 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 6th day of December 2002.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Guy S. Vissing,
Acting Chief, Section 1, Project Directorate I, Division of Licensing 
Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 02-31609 Filed 12-13-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P