[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 145 (Thursday, July 29, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45352-45353]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-17260]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-498 and 50-499]


South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company; South Texas 
Project Electric Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2; Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of exemptions from title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 
(10 CFR) part 50, section 50.44, section 50.46, and Appendix K, for 
Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-76 and NPF-80, issued to South 
Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company (the licensee), for operation 
of South Texas Project Electric Generating Station (STPEGS), Units 1 
and 2, located in Matagorda County, Texas. 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 exempt STPEGS, Units 1 and 2, from the 
requirements of 10 CFR part 50, section 50.44, section 50.46 and 
Appendix K, to allow the use of up to eight Lead Test Assemblies (LTAs) 
fabricated with Optimized ZIRLOTM, a cladding material that 
contains a nominally lower tin content than previously approved 
cladding materials.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated May 27, 2004.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    As the nuclear industry pursues longer operating cycles with 
increased fuel discharge burnups and more aggressive fuel management, 
the corrosion performance specifications for the nuclear fuel cladding 
become more demanding. Industry data indicates that corrosion 
resistance improves for cladding with a lower tin content. The optimum 
tin level provides a reduced corrosion rate while maintaining the 
benefits of mechanical strengthening and resistance to accelerated 
corrosion from abnormal chemistry conditions. In addition, fuel rod 
internal pressures (resulting from the increased fuel duty, use of 
integral fuel burnable absorbers, and corrosion/temperature feedback 
effects) have become more limiting with respect to fuel rod design 
criteria. By reducing the associated corrosion buildup, and thus, 
minimizing temperature feedback effects, additional margin to fuel rod 
internal pressure design criteria is obtained.
    As part of a program to address these issues, the Westinghouse 
Electric Company has developed an LTA program, in cooperation with the 
licensee, that includes a fuel cladding with a tin content lower than 
the currently licensed range for ZIRLOTM. The NRC's 
regulations in 10 CFR part 50, section 50.44, section 50.46, and 
Appendix K, make no provision for use of fuel rods clad in a material 
other than Zircalloy or ZIRLOTM. The licensee has requested 
the use of up to eight LTAs with a tin composition that is less than 
that specified in the licensing basis for ZIRLOTM, as 
defined in Westinghouse design specifications. Therefore, use of the 
LTAs calls for exemptions from 10 CFR part 50, section 50.44, section 
50.46, and Appendix K.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC staff has completed its safety evaluation of the proposed 
action and concludes that the proposed exemptions would not increase 
the probability or consequences of accidents previously analyzed, and 
would not affect facility radiation levels or facility radiological 
effluents that may be released offsite.

[[Page 45353]]

There is no significant increase in occupational or public radiation 
exposure. Therefore, there are no significant radiological 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. The details 
of the staff's safety evaluation will be provided in the exemption that 
will be issued as part of the letter to the licensee approving the 
exemption to the regulation.
    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 staff 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 NRC 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 
related to the Operation of South Texas Project Units 1 and 2,'' NUREG-
1171, dated August 1986.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On June 23, 2004, the staff consulted with the Texas State 
official, Mr. William Silva, Bureau of Radiation Control of the Texas 
Department of Health, 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 May 27, 2004. 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's 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 19th day of July, 2004.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Robert A. Gramm,
Chief, Section 1, Project Directorate IV, Division of Licensing Project 
Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 04-17260 Filed 7-28-04; 8:45 am]
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