[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 27, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35264-35265]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-12431]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 exemptions from Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 
(10 CFR), Part 50, Appendix G, ``Fracture Toughness Requirements'' and 
10 CFR Part 50, Section 50.61, ``Fracture toughness requirements for 
protection against pressurized thermal shock events,'' 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 
dated June 13, 2006 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS) Accession No. ML061650080), would allow use of an alternate 
method, as described in Framatome Advanced Nuclear Power Topical Report 
BAW-2308, Revision 1, ``Initial RTNDT of Linde 80 Weld 
Materials,'' for determining the adjusted reference nil-ductility 
temperature (RTNDT) of the Linde 80 weld materials present 
in the beltline region of the Surry 1 and 2 reactor pressure vessels 
(RPVs). On August 4, 2005, NRC approved the Topical Report BAW-2308, 
Revision 1 (ADAMS Accession No. ML052070408).

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The underlying purpose of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix G, and 10 CFR 
50.61 is to protect the integrity of the reactor coolant pressure 
boundary by ensuring that each RPV material has adequate fracture 
toughness. Per 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix G, and 10 CFR 50.61, the 
methodology for evaluating RPV material fracture toughness is based on 
Charpy V-notch and drop weight data. This methodology has been shown to 
be overly conservative when used to predict the transition from ductile 
to brittle failure in Linde 80 welds. As a result, the licensee 
proposes to use an alternate methodology as described in the NRC 
approved Topical Report BAW-2308, Revision 1, and this alternate 
methodology still yields conservative results for demonstrating 
compliance with the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix G, and 10 
CFR 50.61.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its safety evaluation (SE) of the proposed 
action and concludes that the proposed exemptions 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 exemptions that will be issued as 
part of the letter to the licensee approving the exemptions to the 
regulation. The exemptions would allow the licensee to use an 
alternative methodology to make use of fracture toughness test data for 
evaluating the integrity of the Surry 1 and 2 RPV circumferential 
beltline welds; do not compromise the safe operation of the reactors, 
and ensure that RPV integrity is maintained. Further, these exemptions 
will not increase the potential for failure of RPV due to PTS. 
Therefore, these exemptions have no significant environmental impacts.
    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 April 25, 2007, the NRC 
staff consulted with Mr. Les Foldesi, Director of the Bureau of 
Radiological Health, Commonwealth of Virginia, regarding the 
environmental impact of the proposed action. The State official had no 
comments.

[[Page 35265]]

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 June 13, 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 21st day of June 2007.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Siva P. Lingam,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-1, Division of Operating 
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E7-12431 Filed 6-26-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P