[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 9, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10835-10836]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-4940]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-285; NRC-2010-0087]
Omaha Public Power District, Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1,
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an exemption, pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR) Section 73.5, ``Specific exemptions,'' from the
implementation date for certain new requirements of 10 CFR part 73,
``Physical protection of plants and materials,'' for Renewed Facility
Operating License No. DPR-40, issued to Omaha Public Power District
(OPPD, the licensee), for operation of Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1
(FCS), located in Washington County, Nebraska. Therefore, as required
by 10 CFR 51.21, 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 exempt FCS from the required
implementation date of March 31, 2010, for several new requirements of
10 CFR part 73. Specifically, FCS would be granted an exemption from
being in full compliance with certain new requirements contained in 10
CFR 73.55 by the March 31, 2010, deadline. OPPD has proposed an
alternate full compliance implementation date of October 5, 2011,
approximately 19 months beyond the date required by 10 CFR part 73. The
proposed action, an extension of the schedule for completion of certain
actions required by the revised 10 CFR part 73, does not involve any
physical changes to the reactor, fuel, plant structures, support
structures, water, or land at the FCS site.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated December 31, 2009, as supplemented by letter dated
January 21, 2010.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed to provide the licensee with
additional time to perform the required upgrades to the FCS security
system due to the time required for significant design, procurement,
and installation activities needed to implement the required upgrades.
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 extend
the implementation deadline 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 environmental assessment
and finding of no significant impact made by the Commission in
promulgating its revisions to 10 CFR part 73 as discussed in a Federal
Register notice dated March 27, 2009 (74 FR 13926). 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.
[[Page 10836]]
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. In addition,
in promulgating its revisions to 10 CFR part 73, the Commission
prepared an environmental assessment and published a finding of no
significant impact [Part 73, Power Reactor Security Requirements, 74 FR
13926 (March 27, 2009)].
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 actions, the NRC staff considered
denial of the proposed actions (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative).
Denial of the exemption request would result in no change in current
environmental impacts. If the proposed action was denied, the licensee
would have to comply with the March 31, 2010, implementation deadline.
The environmental impacts of the proposed exemption and the ``no-
action'' alternative 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 FCS dated
August 1972, as supplemented through the ``Generic Environmental Impact
Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Fort Calhoun Station
Unit 1--Final Report (NUREG-1437, Supplement 12).''
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on February 4, 2010, the NRC
staff consulted with the Nebraska State official, Julia Schmitt, of the
Department of Health and Human Services Regulation and Licensure,
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 December 31, 2009, as supplemented by letter
dated January 21, 2010. The January 21, 2010, submittal and portions of
the December 31, 2009, submittal contain security-related information
and, accordingly, are exempt from public disclosure. Other parts of the
December 31, 2009, document may be examined, and/or copied for a fee,
at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint
North, Room O-1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville,
Maryland 20852. 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 2nd day of March 2010.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Lynnea Wilkins,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch IV, Division of Operating
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2010-4940 Filed 3-8-10; 8:45 am]
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