[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 203 (Monday, October 22, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59560-59561]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20731]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-382]


Entergy Operations, Inc.; Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 
3 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, Section 50.46 and Appendix K, for Facility Operating 
License No. NPF-38, issued to Entergy Operations, Inc. (Entergy, the 
licensee), for operation of the Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 
3 (Waterford 3), located in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. 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, section 50.46 and Appendix K to allow the use of 
Optimized ZIRLOTM fuel rod cladding as the allowable fuel 
rod cladding material. The proposed action is in accordance with 
Entergy's application dated April 24, 2007.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The NRC's regulations in 10 CFR part 50, section 50.46 and Appendix 
K, make no provision for use of fuel rod clad in a material other than 
Zircaloy or ZIRLOTM. Optimized ZIRLOTM has a 
lower tin content than either Zircaloy or ZIRLOTM; 
therefore, use of Optimized ZIRLOTM fuel rod clad calls for 
an exemption from 10 CFR part 50, section 50.46 and Appendix K.
    For cladding with a lower tin content, corrosive resistance has 
been found to improve, as indicated by available industry data from the 
American Nuclear Society, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the 
Electric Power Research Institute, and Westinghouse Electric 
Corporation. The optimum tin level provides a reduced corrosion rate 
while maintaining the benefits of mechanical strength and resistance to 
accelerated corrosion from abnormal chemistry conditions. In addition, 
fuel rod internal pressures (resulting from increased fuel duty, use of 
integral fuel burnable absorbers and corrosion/temperature feedback 
effects) have become more limiting with respect to fuel rod design 
criteria. Reducing the associated corrosion buildup, and thus, 
minimizing temperature feedback effects, provides additional margin to 
fuel rod internal pressure design criteria. The NRC previously granted 
a similar exemption in July 2004 for Waterford 3 for use of Optimized 
ZIRLOTM in four lead-test assemblies.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC staff has completed its safety evaluation of the proposed 
action and concludes that the proposed exemptions would continue to 
satisfy the underlying purpose of 10 CFR part 50, sections 50.46 and 
Appendix K, and will not increase the probability or consequences of 
accidents previously analyzed and would not affect facility radiation 
levels or facility radiological effluents.
    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 amendment to the regulation.
    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 ``no-action'' alternative 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 
Waterford 3, dated September 1981.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on August 17, 2007, the staff 
consulted with the Louisiana State official, Ms. Nan Calhoun of the 
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, 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

[[Page 59561]]

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 April 24, 2007. 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 O1F21, 1555 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 25th day of September 2007.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Nageswaran Kalyanam,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch IV, Division of Operating 
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E7-20731 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P