[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56188-56189]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-8220]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-250 and 50-251]
Florida Power and Light Company; Turkey Point Nuclear Plant, Unit
Nos. 3 and 4 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 R, Subsection III.G.3, for
Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-31 and DPR-41, issued to Florida
Power and Light Company (the licensee), for operation of the Turkey
Point Nuclear Plant, Units 3 and 4, respectively, located in Miami-Dade
County, approximately 25 miles south of Miami, Florida. 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 the licensee from the requirements
of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix R, Subsection III.G.3 for fixed suppression
in the Mechanical Equipment Room and for detection and fixed
suppression in the subsection of the Control Building that contains the
Control Room Roof at the Turkey Point Nuclear Plant.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated December 27, 2004, as supplemented by letters dated
May 23, 2005, January 13, 2006, and July 12, 2006.
The Need for the Proposed Action
Fire protection features for assuring alternative or dedicated
shutdown capability in the event of a fire are addressed in 10 CFR,
part 50, Appendix R, Subsection III.G.3, which requires that fire
detection and a fixed fire suppression system be installed in the area,
room, or zone where equipment or components are relied on for the
assured shutdown capability.
The NRC approved the alternate shutdown capability proposed by the
licensee for Turkey Point, Units 3 and 4, for compliance with the
requirements of III.G.3, in a safety evaluation dated April 16, 1984.
The Control Room was one of the areas approved. However, the Mechanical
Equipment Room and Control Room Roof, which are identified in the plant
fire protection program report as part of the Control Room fire area,
were not included. In February 2004, during an NRC triennial fire
inspection at Turkey Point, the inspection team reviewed fire
protection systems, features, and equipment, and found that all fire
zones supporting the alternate safe shutdown function for the Control
Room do not provide fire detection and a fixed suppression system in
accordance with the requirements of III.G.3, for both Turkey Point
units. Specifically, the Mechanical Equipment Room does not have full
area detection and fixed suppression. In response to this inspection
finding, the licensee declared the detection and suppression inoperable
for the Mechanical Equipment Room (and the Control Room Roof, which
also fails to provide detection and fixed suppression) and established
an hourly fire watch. The licensee proposed to install a fire detection
system in the Mechanical Equipment Room and requested exemption from
the requirements for fixed suppression in the Mechanical Equipment Room
and for detection and fixed suppression on the Control Room Roof. The
proposed action would restore system operability and eliminate the need
to institute compensatory measures.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its safety evaluation of the proposed action
and concludes that, based on the existing fire protection features, the
proposed installation of new detection equipment in the Mechanical
Equipment Room, low combustible loading, existing administrative
controls for combustibles, and availability of nearby suppression
equipment, there is reasonable assurance of adequate suppression
capability in the affected fire zones. Also, in the event of a fire-
induced failure of safety-related equipment resulting in a loss of
Control Room heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment, there
is reasonable assurance that there would be adequate time to evacuate
the Control Room, if necessary, and shut down the plant from the
Alternate Shutdown Panel. Therefore, assurance of alternative or
dedicated shutdown capability in the event of a fire is achieved.
The proposed action is contingent upon installation of new area
fire detection equipment in the Mechanical Equipment Room, maintaining
existing or comparable separation and protection for redundant safe
shutdown equipment on the Control Room Roof, the availability of manual
fire fighting and associated fire fighting equipment, and maintaining
existing or comparable administrative controls for combustibles. 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.
The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability
or consequences of accidents because the exemption is based on the
existing fire barriers at Turkey Point, fire protection measures,
availability of nearby suppression equipment, low combustible loading,
existing administrative controls for combustibles, and installation of
new fire detection equipment in the Mechanical Equipment Room. No new
accident precursors are created by the proposed exemption and the
consequences of postulated accidents are not increased. No changes are
being
[[Page 56189]]
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 nonradiological impacts, the proposed
action does not have a potential to affect any historic sites. It does
not affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no other
environmental impact. Therefore, there are no significant
nonradiological 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 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
Turkey Point Units 3 and 4, dated January 1972, and Final Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement (NUREG-1437 Supplement 5) dated January
2002.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on August 7, 2006, the staff
consulted with the Florida State official, William Passetti of the
Bureau of Radiation Control, 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 27, 2004, as supplemented by letters
dated May 23, 2005, January 13, 2006, and July 12, 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 20th day of September 2006.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Brendan T. Moroney,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-2, Division of Operating
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 06-8220 Filed 9-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P