[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 53 (Friday, March 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13319-13320]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6063]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-443; NRC-2010-0108]


NextEra Energy Seabrook, LLC, et al.,* Seabrook Station, Unit No. 
1 Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
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    * NextEra Energy Seabrook, LLC is authorized to act as agent for 
the Hudson Light & Power Department, Massachusetts Municipal 
Wholesale Electric Company, and Taunton Municipal Light and has 
exclusive responsibility and control over the physical construction, 
operation and maintenance of the facility.
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    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 Facility Operating 
License No. NPF-86, issued to NextEra Energy Seabrook, LLC (the 
licensee), for operation of the Seabrook Station, Unit No. 1 
(Seabrook), located in Rockingham County, New Hampshire. In accordance 
with 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC prepared an environmental assessment 
documenting its finding. The NRC concluded that the proposed actions 
will have no significant environmental impact.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would exempt Seabrook from the required 
implementation date of March 31, 2010, for several new requirements of 
10 CFR Part 73. Specifically, Seabrook 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. Seabrook has proposed 
an alternate full compliance implementation date of June 4, 2010, 
approximately 2 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 Seabrook site.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated February 25, 2010, as supplemented by letter dated 
March 5, 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

[[Page 13320]]

the Seabrook security system due primarily to the impacts of the spring 
2010 adverse weather conditions and other factors.

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 would 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 would 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-Stevens Act 
are expected. There are no impacts to the air or ambient air quality.
    There would be 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 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 NRC staff considered 
denial of the proposed action (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 Seabrook 
Station, Unit No. 1, NUREG-0895, dated December 1982.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on March 5, 2010, the staff 
consulted with the New Hampshire and Massachusetts State officials, 
Messrs. M. Nawoj and J. Giarrusso, respectively, regarding the 
environmental impact of the proposed action. Neither State official had 
any 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 February 25, 2010, as supplemented by letter 
dated March 5, 2010. Portions of each of the submittals contain 
security-related information and, accordingly, some enclosures are not 
available to the public. Other parts of these 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 O-1F21, 11555 
Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland 20852. Publicly 
available records will be accessible electronically from the Agencywide 
Document 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 12th day of March 2010.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Dennis Egan,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch 1-2, Division of 
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2010-6063 Filed 3-18-10; 8:45 am]
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