[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 97 (Wednesday, May 19, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 28951]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-11297]



[[Page 28951]]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-346]


FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company, Davis-Besse Nuclear Power 
Station; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
withdrawal of an exemption from title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (10 CFR) part 50, Appendix R, subsection III.L.1 for 
Facility Operating License No. NPF-3, issued to FirstEnergy Nuclear 
Operating Company (FENOC or the licensee), for operation of the Davis-
Besse Nuclear Power Station (DBNPS), located in Ottawa 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

    The proposed action would withdraw an exemption to 10 CFR part 50, 
Appendix R, subsection III.L.1, regarding the plant's capability to 
achieve cold shutdown within 72 hours by the alternative shutdown 
process, independent of offsite power.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated December 17, 2003.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The action is proposed because the licensee has now determined that 
DBNPS can achieve cold shutdown within 72 hours by the alternative 
shutdown process independent of offsite power; therefore, the exemption 
is no longer required.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that the proposed exemption withdrawal does not involve 
radioactive wastes, release of radioactive material into the 
atmosphere, solid radioactive waste, or liquid effluents released to 
the environment.
    The DBNPS systems were evaluated in the Final Environmental 
Statement (FES) dated October 1975 (NUREG 75/097). The proposed 
exemption withdrawal will not involve any change in the waste treatment 
systems described in the FES.
    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 offsite, 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 DBNPS FES dated October 1975.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On April 16, 2004, the staff consulted with Ohio State official, C. 
O'Claire of the Ohio Emergency Management 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 December 17, 2003 (ADAMS ML033600026). 
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].

    Dated in Rockville, Maryland, this 12th day of May, 2004.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jon B. Hopkins,
Senior Project Manager, Project Directorate III, Section 2, Division of 
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 04-11297 Filed 5-18-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P