[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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