[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 212 (Thursday, November 2, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64566-64568]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-18466]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-387 and 50-388]
Notice of Acceptance for Docketing of the Application, Notice of
Opportunity for Hearing and Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement and Conduct Scoping Process for Facility
Operating License Nos. NPF-14 and NPF-22 for an Additional 20-Year
Period PPL Susquehanna LLC., Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units
1 and 2
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is
considering an application for the renewal of Operating License Nos.
NPF-14 and NPF-22, which authorizes PPL Susquehanna LLC. (PPL), to
operate the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station (SSES), Units 1 and 2 at
3489 megawatts thermal. The renewed license would authorize the
applicant to operate the SSES, Units 1 and 2 for an additional 20 years
beyond the period specified in the current license. SSES, Units 1 and 2
are located in Salem Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania,
approximately five miles northeast of Berwick, Pennsylvania. The
current operating licenses for the SSES expire on July 17, 2022, and
March 23, 2024, for Units 1 and 2, respectively.
On September 13, 2006, the NRC staff received the application from
PPL to renew the Operating License Nos. NPF-14 and NPF-22 for SSES,
Units 1 and 2, pursuant to 10 CFR Part 54. A Notice of Receipt and
Availability of the license renewal application (LRA) was published in
the Federal Register on October 2, 2006 (71 FR 58014).
The NRC staff has reviewed the LRA for its acceptability and has
determined that PPL has submitted sufficient information in accordance
with 10 CFR 54.19, 54.21, 54.22, 54.23, and 51.53(c), and the
application is acceptable for docketing. The current Docket Nos. 50-387
and 50-388 for Operating License Nos. NPF-14 and NPF-22 will be
retained. The docketing of the renewal application does not preclude
requesting additional information as the review proceeds, nor does it
predict whether the Commission will grant or deny the application.
Before issuance of each requested renewed license, the NRC will
have made the findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as
amended (the Act), and the Commission's rules and regulations. In
accordance with 10 CFR 54.29, the NRC may issue a renewed license on
the basis of its review if it finds that actions have been identified
and have been or will be taken with respect to: (1) Managing the
effects of aging during the period of extended operation on the
functionality of structures and components that have been identified as
requiring aging management review, and (2) time-limited aging analyses
that have been identified as requiring review, such that there is
reasonable assurance that the activities authorized by the renewed
license will continue to be conducted in accordance with the current
licensing basis (CLB), and that any changes made to the plant's CLB
comply with the Act and the Commission's regulations. The Commission
also must first find that the requirements of Subpart A of 10 CFR 51
have been satisfied, and that matters raised under 10 CFR 2.335 have
been addressed.
Within 60 days after the date of publication of this Federal
Register Notice, the applicant may file a request for a hearing, and
any person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding and who
wishes to participate as a party in the proceeding must file a written
request for a hearing and a petition for leave to intervene with
respect to the renewal of the license. Requests for a hearing and a
petition for leave to intervene shall be filed in accordance with the
Commission's ``Rules of Practice for Domestic Licensing Proceedings''
in 10 CFR part 2.
Interested persons should consult a current copy of 10 CFR 2.309,
which is available at the Commission's Public Document Room (PDR),
located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
Maryland 20852 and is accessible from the Agencywide Documents Access
and Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the
Internet at 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's PDR reference staff
by telephone at 1-800-397-4209, or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at
[email protected]. If a request for a hearing/petition for leave to intervene
is filed within the 60-day period, the Commission or a presiding
officer designated by the Commission or by the Chief Administrative
Judge of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel will rule on the
request/petition; and the Secretary or the Chief Administrative Judge
of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will issue a notice of a
hearing or an appropriate order. In the event that no request for a
hearing/petition for leave to intervene is filed within the 60-day
period, the NRC may, upon completion of its evaluations and upon making
the findings required under 10 CFR parts 51 and 54, renew the license
without further notice.
As required by 10 CFR 2.309, a petition for leave to intervene
shall set forth with particularity the interest of the petitioner in
the proceeding, and how that interest may be affected by the results of
the proceeding, taking into consideration the limited scope of matters
that may be considered pursuant to 10 CFR parts 51 and 54. The petition
must specifically explain the reasons why intervention should be
permitted with particular reference to the following factors: (1) The
nature of the requestor's/petitioner's right under the Act to be made a
party to the proceeding; (2) the nature and extent of the requestor's/
petitioner's property, financial, or other interest in the proceeding;
and (3) the possible effect of any decision or order which may be
entered in the proceeding on the requestor's/petitioner's interest. The
petition must also set forth the specific contentions which the
petitioner/requestor seeks to have litigated at the proceeding.
Each contention must consist of a specific statement of the issue
of law or fact to be raised or controverted. In addition, the
requestor/petitioner shall provide a brief explanation of the bases
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of each contention and a concise statement of the alleged facts or the
expert opinion that supports the contention on which the requestor/
petitioner intends to rely in proving the contention at the hearing.
The requestor/petitioner must also provide references to those specific
sources and documents of which the requestor/petitioner is aware and on
which the requestor/petitioner intends to rely to establish those facts
or expert opinion. The requestor/petitioner must provide sufficient
information to show that a genuine dispute exists with the applicant on
a material issue of law or fact.\1\ Contentions shall be limited to
matters within the scope of the action under consideration. The
contention must be one that, if proven, would entitle the requestor/
petitioner to relief. A requestor/petitioner who fails to satisfy these
requirements with respect to at least one contention will not be
permitted to participate as a party.
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\1\ To the extent that the application contains attachments and
supporting documents that are not publicly available because they
are asserted to contain safeguards or proprietary information,
petitioners desiring access to this information should contact the
applicant or applicant's counsel to discuss the need for a
protective order.
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The Commission requests that each contention be given a separate
numeric or alpha designation within one of the following groups: (1)
Technical (primarily related to safety concerns); (2) environmental; or
(3) miscellaneous.
As specified in 10 CFR 2.309, if two or more requestors/petitioners
seek to co-sponsor a contention or propose substantially the same
contention, the requestors/petitioners will be required to jointly
designate a representative who shall have the authority to act for the
requestors/petitioners with respect to that contention.
Those permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding,
subject to any limitations in the order granting leave to intervene,
and have the opportunity to participate fully in the conduct of the
hearing. A request for a hearing or a petition for leave to intervene
must be filed by: (1) First class mail addressed to the Office of the
Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC, 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications
Staff; (2) courier, express mail, and expedited delivery services:
Office of the Secretary, Sixteenth Floor, One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, Attention: Rulemaking and
Adjudications Staff; (3) e-mail addressed to the Office of the
Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, [email protected];
or (4) facsimile transmission addressed to the Office of the Secretary,
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC, Attention:
Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff at 301-415-1101, verification
number is 301-415-1966.\2\ A copy of the request for hearing and
petition for leave to intervene must also be sent to the Office of the
General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001, and it is requested that copies be transmitted either by
means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-3725 or by e-mail to
[email protected]. A copy of the request for hearing and petition
for leave to intervene should also be sent to the attorney for the
applicant, Mr. David Lewis, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, 2300 N
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20037.
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\2\ If the request/petition is filed by e-mail or facsimile, an
original and two copies of the document must be mailed within 2
(two) business days thereafter to the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; Attention:
Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff.
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Non-timely requests and/or petitions and contentions will not be
entertained absent a determination by the Commission, the presiding
officer, or the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board that the petition,
request and/or contentions should be granted based on a balancing of
the factors specified in 10 CFR 2.309(a)(1)(i)-(viii).
In addition, the purpose of this notice is to inform the public
that the NRC will be preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS)
related to the review of the LRA and to provide the public an
opportunity to participate in the environmental scoping process, as
defined in 10 CFR 51.29. In accordance with 10 CFR 51.95(c), the NRC
will prepare an EIS that will be used as a supplement to the
Commission's NUREG-1437, ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement for
License Renewal of Nuclear Power Plants'' (GEIS), dated May 1996.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.26, and as part of the environmental scoping
process, the NRC staff intends to hold a public scoping meeting. In
addition, as outlined in 36 CFR 800.8, ``Coordination with the National
Environmental Policy Act,'' the NRC plans to coordinate compliance with
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act in meeting the
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA).
In accordance with 10 CFR 51.53(c) and 10 CFR 54.23, PPL prepared
and submitted the Environmental Report (ER) as part of the LRA. The LRA
and the ER are publicly available at the NRC's PDR, located at One
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852, or
from the NRC's ADAMS. The ADAMS Public Electronic Reading Room is
accessible at http://adamswebsearch.nrc.gov/dologin.htm. The ADAMS
Accession Numbers for the LRA and the ER are ML062630225 and
ML062630235, respectively. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS, or
who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS,
should contact the NRC's PDR reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-
4209, or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at [email protected]. The LRA and the ER
may also be viewed on the Internet at http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/susquehanna.html. In addition,
the LRA and the ER are available for public inspection near the SSES,
Units 1 and 2 at the following public library: Berwick Public Library,
205 Chestnut Street, Berwick, Pennsylvania 18603, and the Mill Memorial
Library, 495 E. Main Street, Nanticoke, Pennsylvania 18634.
Possible alternatives to the proposed action (license renewal)
include no action and reasonable alternative energy sources. The NRC is
required by 10 CFR 51.95 to prepare a supplement to the GEIS in
connection with the renewal of an operating license. This notice is
being published in accordance with 10 CFR 51.26.
The NRC staff will first conduct a scoping process for the
supplement to the GEIS and, as soon as practicable thereafter, will
prepare a draft supplement to the GEIS for public comment.
Participation in the scoping process by members of the public and
local, State, Tribal, and Federal Government agencies are encouraged.
As described in 10 CFR 51.29, the scoping process for the supplement to
the GEIS will be used to accomplish the following:
a. Define the proposed action which is to be the subject of the
supplement to the GEIS.
b. Determine the scope of the supplement to the GEIS and identify
the significant issues to be analyzed in depth.
c. Identify and eliminate from detailed study those issues that are
peripheral or that are not significant.
d. Identify any environmental assessments and other ElSs that are
being or will be prepared that are related to, but are not part of, the
scope of the supplement to the GEIS being considered.
e. Identify other environmental review and consultation
requirements related to the proposed action.
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f. Indicate the relationship between the timing of the preparation
of the environmental analyses and the Commission's tentative planning
and decision-making schedule.
g. Identify any cooperating agencies and, as appropriate, allocate
assignments for preparation and schedules for completing the supplement
to the GEIS to the NRC and any cooperating agencies.
h. Describe how the supplement to the GEIS will be prepared, and
include any contractor assistance to be used.
The NRC invites the following entities to participate in scoping:
a. The applicant, PPL Susquehanna, LLC.
b. Any Federal agency that has jurisdiction by law or special
expertise with respect to any environmental impact involved, or that is
authorized to develop and enforce relevant environmental standards.
c. Affected State and local government agencies, including those
authorized to develop and enforce relevant environmental standards.
d. Any affected Indian tribe.
e. Any person who requests or has requested an opportunity to
participate in the scoping process.
f. Any person who has petitioned or intends to petition for leave
to intervene.
In accordance with 10 CFR 51.26, the scoping process for an EIS may
include a public scoping meeting to help identify significant issues
related to a proposed activity and to determine the scope of issues to
be addressed in an EIS. The NRC will hold public meetings for the SSES,
Units 1 and 2 license renewal supplement to the GEIS, at the Eagles
Building,107 South Market St., Berwick, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday,
November 15, 2006. There will be two identical meetings to accommodate
interested parties. The first meeting will convene at 1:30 p.m. and
will continue until 4:30 p.m., as necessary. The second meeting will
convene at 7 p.m. and will continue until 10 p.m., as necessary. Both
meetings will be transcribed and will include: (1) An overview by the
NRC staff of the NRC's license renewal review process; (2) an overview
by the NRC staff of the NEPA environmental review process, the proposed
scope of the supplement to the GEIS, and the proposed review schedule;
and (3) the opportunity for interested government agencies,
organizations, and individuals to submit comments or suggestions on the
environmental issues or the proposed scope of the supplement to the
GEIS. Additionally, the NRC staff will host informal discussions one
hour prior to the start of each session at the same location. No formal
comments on the proposed scope of the supplement to the GEIS will be
accepted during the informal discussions. To be considered, comments
must be provided either at the transcribed public meetings or in
writing, as discussed below. For more information about the proposed
action, the scoping process, and the EIS, please contact the NRC
Environmental Project Manager, Mrs. Alicia Mullins, at Mail Stop O-
11F1, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, by
telephone at 1-800-368-5642, extension 1224, or by e-mail at
[email protected]. Persons may register to attend or present oral comments
at the meetings on the scope of the NEPA review by contacting Mrs.
Mullins. Members of the public may also register to speak at the
meeting within 15 minutes of the start of each meeting. Individual oral
comments may be limited by the time available, depending on the number
of persons who register. Members of the public who have not registered
may also have an opportunity to speak, if time permits. Public comments
will be considered in the scoping process for the supplement to the
GEIS. Mrs. Mullins will need to be contacted no later than November 6,
2006, if special equipment or accommodations are needed to attend or
present information at the public meeting, so that the NRC staff can
determine whether the request can be accommodated.
Members of the public may send written comments on the
environmental scope of the SSES, Units 1 and 2 license renewal review
to: Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative
Services, Office of Administration, Mail Stop T-6D59, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, and should cite the
publication date and page number of this Federal Register notice.
Comments may also be delivered to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Mail Stop T-6D59, Two White Flint North, 11545 Rockville
Pike, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. during
Federal workdays. To be considered in the scoping process, written
comments should be postmarked by December 18, 2006. Electronic comments
may be sent by e-mail to the NRC at [email protected], and should
be sent no later than December 18, 2006, to be considered in the
scoping process. Comments will be available electronically and
accessible through ADAMS.
Participation in the scoping process for the supplement to the GEIS
does not entitle participants to become parties to the proceeding to
which the supplement to the GEIS relates. Matters related to
participation in any hearing are outside the scope of matters to be
discussed at this public meeting.
At the conclusion of the scoping process, the NRC will prepare a
concise summary of the determination and conclusions reached, including
the significant issues identified, and will send a copy of the summary
to each participant in the scoping process. The summary will also be
available for viewing in ADAMS. The staff will then prepare and issue
for comment the draft supplement to the GEIS, which will be the subject
of separate notices and separate public meetings. Copies will be
available for public viewing at the above-mentioned addresses, and one
copy per request will be provided free of charge, to the extent of
supply. After receipt and consideration of the comments, the NRC will
prepare a final supplement to the GEIS, which will also be available
for public viewing.
Information about the proposed action, the supplement to the GEIS,
and the scoping process may be obtained from Mrs. Mullins at the
aforementioned telephone number or e-mail address.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 26th day of October 2006.
For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Frank P. Gillespie,
Director, Division of License Renewal, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation.
[FR Doc. E6-18466 Filed 11-1-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P