[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 12, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19108-19109]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-1680]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-424 and 50-425]


Southern Nuclear Operating Company; Vogtle Electric Generating 
Plant, Units 1 and 2; 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 50, Appendix E, Section IV.F.2.b and c for 
Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-68 and NPF-81, issued to Southern 
Nuclear Operating Company (SNC or the licensee), for operation of the 
Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP), Units 1 and 2 located in Burke 
County, Georgia. 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, as described in the licensee's application for 
a one-time exemption to the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix E, 
dated December 10, 2004, would allow the licensee to postpone the 
offsite full-participation emergency exercise until February 2005. The 
licensee's letter dated December 10, 2004, requested an exemption from 
Section IV.F.2.e of Appendix E to 10 CFR Part 50 regarding the 
requirement to conduct a biennial full-participation exercise. The NRC 
staff determined that the requirements of Section IV.F.2.e are not 
applicable to the circumstances of the licensee's request and, 
accordingly, no exemption

[[Page 19109]]

from those requirements is being granted. However, the NRC staff has 
determined that the requirements of Appendix E to 10 CFR Part 50, 
Sections IV.F.2.b and 2.c are applicable to the circumstances of the 
licensee's request and that an exemption from those requirements is 
appropriate. The licensee also stated in it's December 10, 2004, letter 
that VEGP will resume it's normal biennial exercise cycle in 2006.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed exemption from 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix E, Section 
IV.F.2.b and c is needed because the planned full-participation 
exercise originally scheduled for September 22, 2004, was not performed 
by the end of calendar year 2004. The Federal Emergency Management 
Agency (FEMA), which normally participates in the evaluated full-
participation exercises, informed the licensee that the Georgia 
Emergency Management Agency was unable to provide the necessary 
resources for the exercise due to the impact of Hurricanes Frances, 
Ivan, and Jeanne.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its safety evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes the proposed exemption will not present an undue risk to 
the public health and safety. The details of the NRC 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. The action relates to the exercising of the emergency 
response plan, which has no effect on the operation of the facility.
    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 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 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 NUREG-1087, ``Final Environmental 
Statement related to the operation of the VEGP, Units 1 and 2,'' dated 
December 1985.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on January 6, 2005, the NRC 
staff consulted with the Georgia State official, Mr. Jim Hardeman of 
the Department of Natural Resources, 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 10, 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 O1F21, 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 at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day of April, 2005.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Christopher Gratton, Sr.,
Project Manager, Section 1, Project Directorate II, Division of 
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E5-1680 Filed 4-11-05; 8:45 am]
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