[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 233 (Tuesday, December 6, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 72666]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-6893]



[[Page 72666]]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-280 AND 50-281]


Virginia Electric and Power Company, Surry Power 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 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 
Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-32 and DPR-37, issued to 
Virginia Electric and Power Company (the licensee), for operation of 
the Surry Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (Surry 1 and 2), located in 
Surry County, Virginia. 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 from the requirements of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix 
E, dated September 15, 2005, would allow the licensee to postpone the 
offsite full-participation emergency exercise from December 6, 2005, to 
February 7, 2006. The proposed action is in accordance with the 
licensee's application dated September 15, 2005, that requested an 
exemption from Section IV.F.2.b and c of Appendix E to 10 CFR part 50 
regarding the full participation by each offsite authority having a 
role under the plan. The NRC staff has determined that the requirements 
of Appendix E to 10 CFR part 50, Sections IV.F.2.b and 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 its 
letter dated September 15, 2005, that Surry 1 and 2 will resume its 
normal biennial exercise cycle in 2007.

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 Virginia Department of Emergency 
Management (DEM) has requested to delay the full participation exercise 
from December 6, 2005, to February 7, 2006. The Virginia DEM had 
requested this delay in order to utilize the new Emergency Operations 
Center, which is currently under construction and will not become fully 
operational until January 2, 2006. In its letter to the licensee on May 
20, 2005, the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved Virginia 
DEM's request to delay the full-participation exercise until February 
7, 2006.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its safety evaluation (SE) of the proposed 
action and concludes that the proposed exemption will not present an 
undue risk to the public health and safety. The details of the NRC 
staff's SE 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 off site. There is no significant 
increase in the amount of any effluent released off site. 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 the Final Environmental Statement 
related to the operation of Surry 1 and 2, May and June 1972, 
respectively.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on October 26, 2005, the NRC 
staff consulted with Mr. Les Foldesi, Director of the Bureau of 
Radiological Health, Department of Health, Commonwealth of Virginia, 
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 September 15, 2005. Documents may be examined, 
and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), 
located at One White Flint North, 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 send an e-mail to 
[email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 29th day of November 2005.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Stephen R. Monarque,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-1, Division of Operating 
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
 [FR Doc. E5-6893 Filed 12-5-05; 8:45 am]
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