[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 197 (Wednesday, October 14, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52823-52824]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-24722]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[NRC-2009-0452; Docket Nos. 50-413 and 50-414]
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 and
2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of amendments to Facility Operating License No. NPF-35 and
Facility Operating License No. NPF-52, issued to Duke Energy Carolinas,
LLC (the licensee), for operation of the Catawba Nuclear Station, Units
1 and 2 (Catawba 1 and 2), located in York County, South Carolina, in
accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR)
part 50. Therefore, as required by 10 CFR part 51, the NRC performed an
environmental assessment. Based on the results of the environmental
assessment, the NRC is issuing a finding of no significant impact.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would revise the Technical Specifications (TSs)
by removing and updating portions of the TSs which are outdated or are
obsolete including footnotes and references. The proposed changes are
editorial or administrative in nature as they update the current TSs to
reflect changes previously approved by the NRC.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated October 8, 2008, as supplemented by letter dated May
5, 2009.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed to update the TSs and remove out of
date and obsolete information.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its safety evaluation of the proposed action
and concludes that there are no environmental impacts associated with
granting the subject license amendment updating the TSs to remove
outdated or obsolete information. The details of the NRC staff's safety
evaluation will be provided in a letter to the licensee upon approval
of the license amendment.
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 offsite. There is no significant
increase in the amount of any effluent released offsite. 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 any foreseeable impacts to land, air, or water
resources, including impacts to biota. In addition, there are also no
known socioeconomic or environmental justice impacts associated with
such proposed action. 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
Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, NUREG-0921, dated January 1983
and Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (NUREG-1437,
Supplement 9) dated December 2002.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
On September 23, 2009, the NRC staff consulted with the South
Carolina State official, Mr. Michael Gandy, Department of Health and
Environmental Control, 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. No substantial changes to the
facility or its operation are associated with the proposed license
amendment. 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 October 8, 2008, as supplemented
[[Page 52824]]
by letter dated May 5, 2009. 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 7th day of October 2009.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jon Thompson,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-1, Division of Operating
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E9-24722 Filed 10-13-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P