[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 173 (Thursday, September 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52824-52826]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-14774]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-460; Nuclear Project No. 1 (WNP-1)]


Energy Northwest; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is terminating 
Construction Permit No. CPPR-134 issued to Washington Public Power 
Supply System (permittee, now doing business as Energy Northwest) for 
the Nuclear Project No. 1 (WNP-1). The facility is located at Energy 
Northwest's site on the Department of Energy's Hanford Reservation in 
Benton County, Washington, approximately 8 miles north of Richland, 
Washington.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed action is issuance of an Order that would terminate 
Construction Permit No. CPPR-134 for the partially completed and 
previously deferred WNP-1 facility. Because the construction permit for 
Unit 4 (WNP-4) was effectively subsumed in the Unit 1 construction 
permit on November 27, 1985, the proposed action would terminate NRC 
oversight at the Unit 1 and Unit 4 site area. The proposed action is in 
response to Energy Northwest's request dated August 9, 2005, 
supplemented by letter dated July 7, 2006.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed to allow the permitee to undertake 
other activities (aside from the construction and possible future 
operation of a nuclear power plant) at the WNP-1 and WNP-4 site area. 
For example, Energy Northwest is investigating the possible use of the 
WNP-\1/4\ site for an industrial park. An application for an operating 
license was filed with the NRC for WNP-1; the Operating License 
Proceeding was terminated by the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board on 
July 26, 2000. The construction permit for Unit 1 would have expired on 
June 1, 2011. Energy Northwest requested the termination of the WNP-1 
construction permit because it has determined that it will not complete 
construction of either WNP-1 or WNP-4; it has terminated the 
construction of the nuclear power plants as well as the maintenance of 
layup activities such that neither unit can be operated as a 
utilization facility.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The WNP-1 and adjacent WNP-4 sites are located on a portion of the 
Hanford Reservation in Washington State that the permittee has leased 
from U.S. Department of Energy. The environmental impacts associated 
with the construction of the facility have been previously discussed 
and evaluated in the Final Environmental Statement (FES) prepared as 
part of the NRC staff's review of the construction permit application, 
NUREG-75/012, March 1975. Construction was suspended on the partially-
completed WNP-1 Project in 1982.
    The construction of WNP-1 was approximately 65 percent complete; 
therefore, most of the construction impacts discussed in the FES have 
already occurred. This action would terminate the authorization to 
conduct any of the remaining construction activities described in the 
FES and would also terminate NRC's oversight for activities at the site 
area.
    Restoration of the site is being conducted in accordance with 
Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) 
Resolution No. 302 (Resolution). This resolution contains the 
requirements and schedule for restoration of the WNP-1 and WNP-4 sites, 
as agreed to by Energy Northwest, Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. 
Department of Energy, and the State of Washington. This agreement, 
approved by the four parties in December 2003, stipulated restoration 
activities in two phases--near term (within 18 to 24 months) and final 
restoration (within approximately 26 years, or by the end of 2029). The 
NRC staff assessed the scope of the restoration activities addressed in 
the Resolution and has determined that the goals and objectives of such 
activities, when carried out, would achieve an environmentally stable 
and aesthetically acceptable site. Energy Northwest has stated that all 
near term activities have been completed.
    Near term restoration activities that have been completed at the 
WNP-1 and WNP-4 site area include: removal of hazardous materials (such 
as asbestos, mercury vapor lights, transformer mineral oil or 
polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], diesel fuel, lubricants, and 
solvents); installation of secure access doors or permanent sealing of 
points of entry to the remaining structures on the sites; relocation of 
fencing and installation of new fencing to minimize the land area and 
to reduce unauthorized entry potential such that security patrols are 
not required; installation of ``No Trespassing'' signs; elimination of 
fall hazards; fencing of exterior substations and distribution load 
centers to minimize the potential for entry; and removal of temporary 
buildings that are neither safe nor feasible for reuse.
    The Unit 1 Containment Building has been cleaned to remove trash, 
debris, overhead hazards, scaffolding, and formwork. Under the 
Resolution, this building will remain intact as constructed--no further 
actions will be needed for the Unit 1 containment at the final 
restoration phase.
    The Unit 4 Containment Building has been cleaned to remove trash, 
debris, overhead hazards, scaffolding, and formwork. This building was 
filled with compacted earth to elevation 479' and a 6'' thick concrete 
floor was poured at that level. (The ground elevation around the 
containment and general services buildings at WNP-1 and WNP-4 is 
approximately 455' above mean sea level.) Openings in the Unit 4 
Containment Building were either sealed or fitted with anti-bird 
roosting screens; building protrusions were minimized or fitted with 
anti-bird roosting screens. Provision was made for water drainage. 
Under the Resolution, this building will remain in its existing 
condition--no further actions will be needed for the Unit 4 containment 
at the final restoration phase.

[[Page 52825]]

    The Unit 1 General Services Building has had concrete roofs poured 
at elevations 518' and 543'. Under the Resolution, this building will 
remain intact as constructed. The upper levels of the Unit 4 General 
Services Building interior has been cleaned to remove trash, debris, 
overhead hazards, scaffolding, and formwork. The lower areas of the 
Unit 4 General Services Building, where no access is required, will not 
be cleaned. The walls have been demolished to the 501' elevation. Metal 
roofing with a (painted polystyrene) coating has been installed at 
elevations 501' and 479' to seal the building. Under the Resolution, 
both buildings will remain in their current configuration--no further 
actions will be needed for the Unit 1 or the Unit 4 General Services 
Building at the final restoration phase.
    The interior of the Unit 1 Turbine-Generator Building has been 
cleaned to remove trash, debris, and overhead hazards. This building 
will be demolished and removed at the Final Restoration phase. Under 
the Resolution, the Unit 1 turbine pedestal will remain after 
demolition and removal of the building.
    Construction of the WNP-4 Turbine-Generator Building was halted 
following completion of the building shell (structural steel, floor 
slabs, walls, roof, exterior siding, etc.). These elements were 
demolished in 1990 prior to the restoration agreement with EFSEC. Only 
the turbine pedestal and portions of the ground floor slab remain. 
Under the Resolution, the Unit 4 turbine pedestal will remain intact as 
constructed--no further actions will be needed for the Unit 4 turbine 
pedestal at the final restoration phase.
    The Unit 1 and Unit 4 spray ponds have had separate fences 
installed around the ponds. The interiors of the Unit 1 and Unit 4 Pump 
House Buildings have been cleaned to remove trash, debris, overhead 
hazards, scaffolding, and formwork. Under the Resolution, final 
restoration for these structures will consist of removal of the 
buildings and backfilling of the spray ponds.
    The Unit 1 and Unit 4 cooling towers have had chain link fences 
with locked gates installed to secure access to the cooling tower 
stairwells. Anti-bird screens have been added to minimize access by 
birds. Under the Resolution, final restoration activities for the Unit 
1 and Unit 4 cooling towers will include demolition of the existing 
structures to grade and removal of the basin slabs.
    During the final restoration phase, all slabs and most structures 
(except for the Containment Buildings, General Services Buildings, and 
turbine pedestals) will be removed. The landfill will be closed and 
capped, the large underground circulating water lines will be 
backfilled, all roads and rail lines will be removed and graded, and 
all yard areas will be cleaned, contoured, graded and seeded 
implementing best management practices. After the final restoration 
activities have been completed, the structures remaining permanently in 
place at the sites will be limited to the Units 1 and 4 Containment 
Buildings, General Services Buildings, and turbine pedestals.
    The permit issued by the Army Corps of Engineers for the submerged 
river water intake structure requires that if Energy Northwest decides 
to abandon the intake structure, Energy Northwest must restore the area 
to a condition satisfactory to the district engineer. At this time, the 
river intake structure may be a part of future plans for use of the 
site and abandonment is not under consideration.
    The NRC staff conducted an audit of the site area encompassing WNP-
1 and WNP-4 on April 24 and 25, 2006, to determine whether posession of 
source, byproduct or special nuclear material was controlled as 
authorized, to determine whether the site area is being maintained in a 
safe and stable manner, and to assess key environmental aspects of the 
site. The staff observed selected portions of the Containment 
Buildings, General Services Buildings, spray ponds, cooling towers, the 
Unit 1 Turbine-Generator Building, Pump House Buildings, and other site 
buildings. The staff also observed that erosion controls were being 
maintained. The staff assessed the effectiveness of the measures 
already taken under the near term phase of site restoration plan and 
concluded that restoration activities appear to meet the goals and 
objectives of Washington State EFSEC Resolution No. 302.
    Based on the foregoing, the NRC staff has concluded that the 
proposed action would have no significant environmental impact. The 
staff also concluded that there is reasonable assurance that the 
remaining site restoration activities under the Resolution will achieve 
an environmentally stable and aesthetically acceptable site for 
whatever non-nuclear use may conform with local zoning laws and 
Department of Energy authorizations.
    The site area cannot be used for the utilization facility 
envisioned under CPPR-134. No nuclear fuel was ever received on site. 
The site area is in an environmentally stable condition that poses no 
significant hazard to persons onsite. The facility cannot be operated 
in its present condition. Because this proposed action would only 
terminate the construction permit, it does not involve any different 
impacts or involve a significant change to those impacts described and 
analyzed in the FES. Consequently, an environmental impact statement 
addressing the proposed action is not required.
    Because the proposed construction permit termination Order is for a 
project that was suspended 24 years ago, the action is judged to be 
administrative in nature and would have no significant environmental 
impact. It does not involve any different impacts as described and 
analyzed in the Staff's FES and will not involve any impacts beyond 
those already described and analyzed in the FES. The proposed action 
will terminate the NRC's involvement on the project.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    The only alternative to the proposed action would be to deny the 
request, i.e., the ``no action'' alternative. This alternative would 
still result in the conduct of the activities prescribed for final 
restoration in the four-party agreement dated December 3, 2003. This 
alternative would necessitate continued oversight by NRC of a project 
that has ceased construction and has no likelihood of completion; that 
will not be operated as a utilization facility; that has stable 
environmental conditions; and that continues to be subject to oversight 
by other regulatory agencies--all with no significant environmental 
benefit. The environmental impacts of the proposed action and the ``no 
action'' alternative are similar.

Alternative Use of Resources

    This action does not involve the use of resources not previously 
considered in the FES for WNP-1.

Agencies and Persons Contacted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on August 31, 2006, the staff 
consulted with the Washington State Official, Mr. Richard Cowley, 
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 this 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 this action.

[[Page 52826]]

    For further details with respect to this action, see the licensee's 
request for construction permit termination dated August 9, 2005, 
supplemented by letter dated July 7, 2006. Documents may be examined, 
and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room, located at 
One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, 
Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically 
from the Agency wide Documents Access and Management Systems (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 1-800-397-4029 or 301-415-4737, or send an e-mail to 
[email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 31st day of August 2006.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Brian J. Benney,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch IV, Division of Operating 
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E6-14774 Filed 9-6-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P