[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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