[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 188 (Friday, September 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55254-55255]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-19245]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-286]
Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., Indian Point Nuclear Generating
Unit No. 3; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant
Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of a revision of existing exemptions from Title 10 of the Code
of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) part 50, appendix R, ``Fire Protection
Program for Nuclear Power Facilities Operating Prior to January 1,
1979,'' for Fire Areas ETN-4 and PAB-2, issued to Entergy Nuclear
Operations, Inc. (the licensee), for operation of Indian Point Nuclear
Generating Unit No. 3 (IP3), located in Westchester County, NY.
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 revise the January 7, 1987 safety
evaluation (SE) to reflect that the installed Hemyc electrical raceway
fire barrier system (ERFBS) configurations provide either a 30-minute
fire resistance rating, or in one case a 24-minute fire resistance
rating, in lieu of the previously stated 1-hour fire resistance rating.
The licensee states that a Hemyc ERFBS fire resistance rating will
provide sufficient protection for the affected raceways, with adequate
margin, to continue to meet the intent of the original requests for
exemption and conclusions presented in the NRC's January 7, 1987, SE.
The licensee concludes that the revised fire resistance rating of the
Hemyc ERFBS does not reflect a reduction in overall fire safety, and
presents no added challenge to the credited post-fire safe-shutdown
capability which remains materially unchanged from the configuration
originally described in previous letters and as credited in the January
7, 1987, SE.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated July 24, 2006, as supplemented by letters dated April
30, May 23, and August 16, 2007.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed revision of existing exemptions from 10 CFR part 50,
appendix R, is needed in response to NRC Information Notice 2005-07.
The information notice provided licensees the details of Hemyc ERFBS
full-scale fire tests conducted by the NRC's Office of Nuclear
Regulatory Research. The test results concluded that the Hemyc ERFBS
does not provide the level of protection expected for a 1-hour rated
fire barrier, as originally designed. The proposed revision to existing
exemptions would revise the fire resistance rating of Hemyc ERFBS
configurations.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its SE of the proposed action and concludes
that the configuration of the fire zones under review provide
reasonable assurance that a severe fire is not plausible and the
existing fire protection features are adequate. The details of the
staff's SE will be provided in the exemptions that will be issued as
part of the letter to the licensee approving the exemption. Based on
the presence of redundant safe-shutdown trains, minimal fire hazards
and combustibles, automatic cable tray fire suppression system, manual
fire suppression features, fire barrier protection, existing Hemyc
configuration, and the installed smoke detection system, the NRC staff
finds that the use of this Hemyc fire barrier in these zones will not
significantly increase the consequences from a fire in these fire
zones.
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 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
IP3, dated February, 1975.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on February 13, 2007, the NRC
staff consulted with the New York State official, Alyse Peterson of the
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, 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 July 24, 2006, Agencywide Documents Access and
Management System (ADAMS) accession number ML062140057, as supplemented
on April 30, 2007, ADAMS accession number ML071280504, May 23, 2007,
ADAMS accession number ML071520177, and August 16, 2007, ADAMS
accession number ML072400369. Documents may be examined, and/or copied
for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR),
[[Page 55255]]
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 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 24th day of September 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John P. Boska,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch I-1, Division of
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E7-19245 Filed 9-27-07; 8:45 am]
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