[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 53 (Friday, March 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13322-13323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6055]



[[Page 13322]]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-387 and 50-388; NRC-2010-0109]


PPL Susquehanna, LLC.: Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 
1 and 2 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 Nos. NPF-14 and NPF-22, issued to PPL Susquehanna, 
LLC (PPL or the licensee), for operation of the Susquehanna Steam 
Electric Station (SSES), Units 1 and 2, respectively, located in 
Luzerne County, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 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 the licensee from the required 
implementation date of March 31, 2010, for several new requirements of 
10 CFR Part 73. Specifically, the licensee 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. The licensee 
has proposed an alternate full compliance implementation date of 
October 29, 2010, for two requirements and until July 31, 2011, for one 
other requirement. 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 SSES Units 1 and 
2 site.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated December 3, 2009, as supplemented by letters dated 
January 8 and 29, 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 SSES Units 1 
and 2 security system due to resource and logistical impacts and other 
factors.
    The licensee has requested the proposed exemption from the specific 
requirements of 10 CFR 73.55, ``Requirements for physical protection of 
licensed activities in nuclear power reactors against radiological 
sabotage,'' for SSES Units 1 and 2 by extending the implementation 
deadline for certain security requirements issued by NRC in a Final 
Rule dated March 27, 2009 (74 FR 13926).
    Pursuant to the Final Rule, the new security requirements must be 
implemented by March 31, 2010. PPL has evaluated these new requirements 
and determined that many can be implemented by the required date. PPL 
has determined, however, that implementation of specific parts of the 
new requirements will require more time to implement since they are 
significant physical changes involving or requiring: (1) Specific parts 
that are proving to be long lead time items, (2) specialized industry 
expertise whose availability is being challenged by the significant 
demand for a limited resource, or (3) a major interface with the plant 
for installation that must be carefully planned and implemented to 
avoid impact to the plant protective strategy.
    Specifically, extensions are requested until October 29, 2010, for 
two requirements and until July 31, 2011, for one other requirement.

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 13967). 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. 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, 13967 (March 27, 2009)].
    The licensee currently maintains a security system acceptable to 
the NRC to provide acceptable physical protection of the SSES, Units 1 
and 2 in lieu of the new requirements in 10 CFR Part 73. Therefore, the 
extension of the implementation date of the new requirements of 10 CFR 
Part 73 until October 29, 2010, for two requirements and until July 31, 
2011, for one other requirement, would not have any significant 
environmental impacts.
    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 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 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 
the SSES Units 1 and 2 site, NUREG-0564, dated June 1981 as 
supplemented through the ``Generic Environmental Impact

[[Page 13323]]

Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Supplement 35 
Regarding Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 Final 
Report,'' dated March 2009.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on February 17, 2010, the NRC 
staff consulted with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State official, 
Larry Winker of the Department of Environmental Protection/Bureau of 
Radiation Protection, 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 3, 2009, as supplemented by letters 
dated January 8, 2010, and January 29, 2010. Portions of the letter 
dated December 3, 2009, as supplemented by letters dated January 8 and 
January 29, 2010, contain security sensitive information and, 
accordingly, are withheld from public disclosure in accordance with 10 
CFR 2.390. The redacted versions of the December 3, 2009, as 
supplemented by letters dated January 8 and January 29, 2010, 
(Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession 
Number ML093410632, ML100120657, and ML100330085, respectively), 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 O-F21, 11555 
Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available 
records will be accessible electronically from the 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 15th day of March 2010.

    For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Bhalchandra K. Vaidya,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch I-1, Division of Operating 
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2010-6055 Filed 3-18-10; 8:45 am]
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