[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 3, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9619-9620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-4383]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-395; NRC-2010-0077]
South Carolina Electric & Gas Company; Virgil C. Summer Nuclear
Station; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering the
issuance of an exemption from Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, (10 CFR), Section 50.46, ``Acceptance criteria for
emergency core cooling systems for light-water nuclear power
reactors,'' and 10 CFR 50, Appendix K, AECCS Evaluation Models, for the
Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-12, issued to South Carolina
Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G, the licensee), for operation of the
Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station (VCSNS), located in Fairfield County,
South Carolina. In accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR part 51,
the NRC has prepared an Environmental
[[Page 9620]]
Assessment (EA) in support of this exemption. Based on the EA, the NRC
has concluded that a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is
appropriate.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would allow SCE&G to use Optimized ZIRLO\TM\,
an advanced alloy fuel cladding material for pressurized-water
reactors. The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated June 9, 2009 (Agencywide Documents Access and
Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML091620072).
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed so that SCE&G can use Optimized
ZIRLO\TM\, an advanced alloy for fuel rod cladding and other assembly
structural components at the VCSNS.
Section 50.46 of 10 CFR and 10 CFR part 50, appendix K, make no
provisions for use of fuel rods clad in a material other than zircaloy
or ZIRLO\TM\. Since the chemical composition of the Optimized ZIRLO\TM\
alloy differs from the specifications for zircaloy or ZIRLO, a plant-
specific exemption is required to allow the use of the Optimized
ZIRLO\TM\ alloy as a cladding material or in other assembly structural
components at the VCSNS.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its environmental assessment of the proposed
exemption. The staff has concluded that the proposed action to approve
the use of an additional fuel rod cladding material would not
significantly affect plant safety and would not have a significant
adverse effect on the probability of an accident occurring.
The proposed action would not result in an increased radiological
hazard beyond those previously analyzed in the Final Environmental
Statement for the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Unit No. 1, NUREG-
0719, dated May 1981 (ADAMS Accession No. ML072750234) and the Generic
Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants,
NUREG-1437, Supplement 15, dated February 2004 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML040540718). There will be no change to radioactive effluents that
affect radiation exposures to plant workers and members of the public.
Therefore, no changes or different types of radiological impacts are
expected as a result of the proposed exemption.
The proposed action does not result in changes to land use or water
use, or result in changes to the quality or quantity of non-
radiological effluents. No changes to the National Pollution Discharge
Elimination System permit are needed. No effects on the aquatic or
terrestrial habitat in the vicinity of the plant, or to threatened,
endangered, or protected species under the Endangered Species Act, or
impacts to essential fish habitat covered by the Magnuson-Steven's Act
are expected. There are no impacts to the air or ambient air quality.
There are no impacts to historical and cultural resources. There
would be no impact to socioeconomic resources. Therefore, no changes to
or different types of non-radiological environmental impacts are
expected as a result of the proposed exemption.
Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. The NRC
staff's safety evaluation will be provided in the exemption that will
be issued as part of the letter to the licensee approving the exemption
to the regulation, if granted.
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 request 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 considered in the Final Environmental Statement for the Virgil C.
Summer Nuclear Station, Unit No. 1, NUREG-0719, dated May 1981 (ADAMS
Accession No. ML072750234) and the Generic Environmental Impact
Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, NUREG-1437, Supplement
15, dated February 2004 (ADAMS Accession No. ML040540718).
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on January 11, 2010, the
staff consulted with the South Carolina State official, Susan Jenkins
of the South Carolina 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. Accordingly, the NRC has determined
not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed
action.
Further Information
Documents related to this action, including the application for an
exemption and license amendment and supporting documentation, are
available electronically at the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. From this site, you can access the
NRC's Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS), which
provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. The ADAMS
accession number for the document related to this notice, ``License
Amendment Request for Use of Optimized Zirlo\TM\ Fuel Rod Cladding,''
dated June 9, 2009, is ML091620072. If you do not have access to ADAMS
or if there are problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS,
contact the NRC Public Document Room (PDR) Reference staff at 1-800-
397-4209, 301-415-4737 or by e-mail to [email protected].
The document may also be viewed electronically on the public
computers located at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), O 1 F21, One
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. The PDR
reproduction contractor will copy documents for a fee.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 24th day of February 2010.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Robert E. Martin,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-1, Division of
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2010-4383 Filed 3-2-10; 8:45 am]
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