[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 53 (Wednesday, March 19, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13335-13336]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-6543]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-440]


FirstEnergy Corporation; Perry Nuclear Power Plant; 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(b) for Facility Operating 
License No. 59, issued to FirstEnergy Corporation (the licensee), for 
operation of the Perry Nuclear Power Plant (PNPP), located in Lake 
County, Ohio. 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

    10 CFR 50.60 requires that pressure-temperature (P-T) limits be 
established for reactor pressure vessels during normal operating and 
hydrostatic or leak rate testing conditions in accordance with 
appendices G and H to part 50. 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 American Society of Mechanical 
Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (Code), section XI, 
appendix G limits. The licensee requested in its submittal that the 
staff exempt PNPP from application of specific requirements of 10 CFR 
part 50, section 50.60(a) and appendix G, and substitute use of ASME 
Code Case N-640. Code Case N-640 permits the use of an alternate 
reference fracture toughness (KIC fracture toughness curve 
instead of Kla fracture toughness curve) for reactor vessel 
materials in determining the P-T limits. Since the KIC 
fracture toughness curve shown in ASME section XI, appendix A, Figure 
A-2200-1 (the KIC fracture toughness curve) provides greater 
allowable fracture toughness than the corresponding Kla 
fracture toughness curve of ASME section X appendix G, Fixture G-2210 
(the Kla fracture toughness curve); using Code Case 
[chyph]N-640 for establishing the P-T limits would be less conservative 
than the methodology currently endorsed by 10 CFR part 50, appendix G. 
Therefore, an exemption from 10 CFR 50.60 would also be required. It 
should be noted that,

[[Page 13336]]

although Code Case N-640 was incorporated into the ASME Code recently, 
an exemption is still needed because the P-T limits required by 10 CFR 
50.60 are based on the 1989 edition of the ASME Code.
    The new P-T limits calculated by the methodologies that are subject 
to the exemptions are incorporated into the PNPP Technical 
Specifications by an associated proposed license amendment submitted by 
the licensee. The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for exemption and amendment dated June 4, 2002.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The revised P-T limits are desired to allow required reactor vessel 
hydrostatic and leak tests to be performed at a significantly lower 
temperature. These tests are to be performed during the upcoming 
refueling outage scheduled to commence in April 2003. The lower 
temperature for the tests can reduce refueling outage critical path 
time by reducing or eliminating the heatup time to achieve required 
test conditions.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has evaluated the proposed action and concludes that 
the exemption and associated license amendment described above would 
provide an adequate margin of safety against brittle failure of the 
PNPP reactor vessel. Since the proposed changes do not adversely affect 
the integrity of the reactor vessel, the function of the vessel to act 
as a radiological barrier during an accident is not affected.
    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 not significant 
increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, there 
are not significant 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 is not 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 that 
those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for 
the PNPP, dated April 1974.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On March 11, 2003, the staff consulted with the Illinois State 
Official, Frank Niziolek of the Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety, 
regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The Staff 
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 June 4, 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 13th day of March, 2003.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Anthony J. Mendiola,
Chief, Section 2, Project Directorate III-2, Division of Licensing 
Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 03-6543 Filed 3-18-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M