[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]
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