[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 172 (Friday, September 5, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52801-52802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-22609]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-285]


Omaha Public Power District, Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, 
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 20, section 20.1003 for Facility Operating 
License No. DPR-40, issued to Omaha Public Power District (OPPD/the 
licensee), for operation of the Fort Calhoun Station, Unit No. 1 (FCS), 
located in Washington County, Nebraska. 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 provide an exemption from the 10 CFR 
20.1003 definition of total effective dose equivalent (TEDE), which is 
the sum of the deep-dose equivalent (for external exposures) and the 
committed effective dose equivalent (for internal exposures). The 
proposed exemption would change the definition of TEDE to mean the sum 
of the effective dose equivalent or the deep-dose equivalent (for 
external exposures) and the committed effective dose equivalent (for 
internal exposures). The staff has determined that the new method for 
calculating TEDE, under certain conditions, is a more accurate means of 
estimating worker radiation exposure.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated January 8, 2003.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed because the current method of 
calculating TEDE, under certain conditions, can significantly 
overestimate the dose received.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that revising the methodology for calculating the dose 
received by individuals will not have any significant environmental 
impacts.
    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 
the FCS dated August 1972.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On August 8, 2003, the staff consulted with the Nebraska State 
official, Julia Schmitt of the Nebraska Consumer Health Services 
Agency, 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 8, 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 01 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

[[Page 52802]]

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 28th day of August, 2003.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Stephen Dembek,
Chief, Section 2, Project Directorate IV, Division of Licensing Project 
Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 03-22609 Filed 9-4-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P