[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 166 (Monday, August 28, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50948-50949]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-14202]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-438 and 50-439]
Tennessee Valley Authority; Bellefonte Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and
2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of a letter terminating Construction Permit No. CPPR-122 for
Bellefonte Nuclear Plant (BLN), Unit 1, and CPPR-123 for BLN, Unit 2,
issued to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, permittee). The facility
is located about 6 miles East-Northeast of Scottsboro, Alabama, on the
west shore of the Guntersville Reservoir at Tennessee River Mile 392,
in Jackson County, Alabama. This action is in accordance with the
permittee's request in a letter dated April 6, 2006, as supplemented by
letter dated June 29, 2006.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action is issuance of a letter that would terminate
Construction Permit No. CPPR-122 for BLN Unit 1 and CPPR-123 for BLN
Unit 2. Canceling construction of the existing facility and withdrawal
of the construction permits is necessary in order to close out the
existing BLN project. These actions also facilitate the consideration
of other possible uses of the BLN site.
Because there are other ongoing activities on the BLN site (i.e.,
training centers for the Transmission Service Organization and the
Tennessee Valley Public Power Association), and because the switchyard
at BLN is utilized as a substation for system operations in the region,
TVA would not withdraw existing environmental permits or remove
equipment associated with these other activities.
TVA would keep and maintain BLN in regulatory compliance.
Compliance activities would include National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System permits, division monitoring reports, demolition
permits, and air permits that are applicable to the entire site. These
measures would continue as long as TVA has ownership of the BLN site.
Maintaining and complying with these existing permits and regulations
would ensure the stability of the site, until such time that TVA may
decide, if or how the site would be alternatively utilized.
Because so much of the site will be maintained, the general
activities associated with the redress of the site are relatively minor
in nature. Most of the minor environmental impacts resulting from
redress would be associated with removal of equipment or structures not
identified as necessary for other site activities. Materials and
structures removed would be above grade or in areas that have
experienced substantial previous ground disturbance for the original
construction of the plant. TVA currently plans to maintain such major
components as the intake and discharge facilities, cooling towers,
wastewater system, and transmission switch yards. The existing
containment, turbine, and auxiliary buildings would not be demolished.
The other structures not identified as necessary would be sold, taken
apart, and removed from the site, abandoned in place, or demolished.
Most of these structures are metal and wood warehouses located along
the western portion of the site. Any unwanted construction material or
waste associated with disposition of equipment and structures would be
properly disposed of in appropriately permitted solid waste or other
disposal facilities in accordance with pertinent Federal, state, and
local laws, regulations and ordinances, as well as TVA processes and
procedures.
Equipment identified as unnecessary would have the power
disconnected and would either be reused by other TVA facilities, sold
for reuse, or abandoned in place. Such items may include, but are not
limited to: valves, strainers, battery boards and chargers, transfer
switches, vent fans, motors, cabinet panels, breakers, power systems,
shop equipment such as lathes, air compressors, and dryers; as well as
other miscellaneous equipment. Additional materials may include, but
are not limited to items such as: piping, tubing, conduit, cable,
instrumentation, and general construction materials. TVA would continue
to conduct periodic site inspections to ensure that none of the
equipment or materials are causing environmental, health, or safety
problems.
Redress would involve the removal of diesel generator fuel and
lube, or control fluids from the main turbine lube oil tanks, feedwater
pump lube oil tanks, reactor coolant pump motors, control fluid tanks,
and diesel generator lube oil
[[Page 50949]]
sumps. Fuel and lubricant would be removed, and storage containers
would be closed in accordance with all applicable Federal, state, or
local laws and regulations.
By letter dated June 29, 2006, the permitee stated that neither of
the units can be considered a utilization facility as defined in 10 CFR
50.2. At the time that construction of the units was deferred, TVA
considered Unit 1 to be 88 percent complete and Unit 2 to be 58 percent
complete. At this time, neither reactor has the necessary structures,
systems, or components in place to sustain a controlled nuclear
reaction. Over the past several years, key components such as the
control rod drive mechanisms for both Unit 1 and 2 have been removed
from the site, which precludes the ability of the units to operate as
nuclear reactors. The current condition of the plants does not allow
operation; therefore, neither plant can be considered a utilization
facility.
All special nuclear material was removed from the site, as verified
in NRC Inspection Reports 50-438/92-05 and 50-439/92-05 dated August
21, 1992. The only radioactive material to be disposed of is from the
removal of smoke detectors and exit signs from various buildings to be
sold, demolished, or abandoned in place. Upon removal, these materials
shall be sent to an NRC-approved recycler. Safeguards information has
been shredded or removed. Fenced areas are currently under industrial-
type security. The withdrawal of the construction permits will not
release air pollutants, generate water pollutants, generate wastewater
streams, or cause soil erosion. The BNL site is in an environmentally
stable condition that poses no significant hazard to persons on site.
The Need for the Proposed Action
TVA has terminated construction of both BLN Units 1 and 2. This
action by the NRC would terminate the construction permits.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
This administrative action would terminate the construction permits
to reflect the fact that there are no longer utilization facilities
under construction at the BLN site, and that the site has been
adequately stabilized. 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 resources than
those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for
the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, dated May 24, 1974.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on July 7, 2006, the staff
consulted with the Alabama State official, Mr. Kirk Whatley of the
Office of Radiation Control, Alabama Department of Public 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
permitee's letter dated April 6, 2006, as supplemented by letter dated
June 29, 2006, and TVA's Final Environmental Assessment dated January
30, 2006. 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 send an e-mail to
[email protected].
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 22nd day of August, 2006.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Douglas V. Pickett,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-2, Division of
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E6-14202 Filed 8-25-06; 8:45 am]
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