[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 90 (Friday, May 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25069-25070]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-11526]


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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)(1) 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. 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 current licensed operator requalification program to exceed 24 
months. The requested exemption would extend the completion date for 
the current requalification program from December 31, 2004, to February 
28, 2005, and would include an extension to February 28, 2005, for 
completing the required annual operating tests and comprehensive 
biennial written examination. The next requalification program period 
would begin on March 1, 2005, and continue for 24 months to February 
28, 2007, with successive periods running for 24 months.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for exemption dated March 6, 2003.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would extend the current CR-3 requalification 
program from December 31, 2004, to February 28, 2005. The next 
requalification program period would begin on March 1, 2005, and 
continue for 24 months to February 28, 2007, with successive periods 
running for 24 months. The proposed action is needed to allow for 
minimal interruption of the licensed personnel based on scheduling 
difficulties associated with an end-of-the-year requalification program 
cycle. Specifically, the licensee has stated that moving operator 
annual and biennial exams to a January to February timeframe would 
support the following benefits for the licensee: (1) Minimize the fall 
refueling outage impact on exam development; (2) minimize the potential 
impact from any fall refueling outage extensions; (3) minimize the 
scheduling and resource impact from holidays; (4) minimize the 
potential scheduling and resource impact of any exam remediation or 
retesting requirements during the holidays; and (5) minimize the 
potential impact from future bargaining unit negotiations that occur 
periodically in the fourth calendar quarter. The licensee deems it 
prudent to allow the licensed personnel operating the plant to remain 
fully available to stand watch on operating

[[Page 25070]]

crews and not be distracted by completing the licensed operator 
requalification program by December 31, 2004.

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 completion date for the operator 
requalification program from December 31, 2004, to February 28, 2005.
    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 resources than 
those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for 
CR-3.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On May 1, 2003, 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 March 6, 2003. Documents may be examined, and/
or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located 
at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 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].

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day of May, 2003.

Allen G. Howe,
 Chief, Section 2, Project Directorate II, Division of Licensing 
Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 03-11526 Filed 5-8-03; 8:45 am]
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