[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 53 (Friday, March 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13320-13321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6065]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-302; NRC-2010-0105]


Florida Power Corporation, et al., Crystal River Unit 3 Nuclear 
Generating Plant; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) 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. DPR 72 issued to Florida Power Corporation (the 
licensee), for operation of the Crystal River Unit 3 Nuclear Generating 
Plant (CR-3), located in Citrus County, Florida. In accordance with 10 
CFR 51.21, ``Criteria for and identification of licensing and 
regulatory actions requiring environmental assessments,'' 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 the CR-3 from the required 
implementation date of March 31, 2010, for two new requirements of 10 
CFR Part 73. Specifically, CR-3 would be granted an exemption from 
being in full compliance with certain new requirements contained in 10 
CFR 73.55, ``Requirements for physical protection of licensed 
activities in nuclear power reactors against radiological sabotage,'' 
by the March 31, 2010, deadline. The licensee has proposed alternate 
full compliance implementation dates of November 15 and December 15, 
2010, for the specific requirements identified within the

[[Page 13321]]

exemption request. The proposed action, extensions 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 CR-3 site.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated November 30, 2009 (Agencywide Documents Access and 
Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML093370143), as supplemented 
by letter dated January 15, 2010 (ADAMS Accession No. ML100191801).

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed to provide the licensee with 
additional time beyond the March 31, 2010, deadline to implement 
specific parts of the revised requirements that involve significant 
physical upgrades to the CR-3 security system. The licensee plans a 
major security project that includes the expansion of the Protected 
Area (PA). Other plant modifications that are significant in scope 
involve the construction of new facilities, extensive design and 
procurement efforts, and work with high voltage cabling and the 
personnel safety risk associated with such work. These modifications 
warrant a thorough review of the safety-security interface and must be 
coordinated with the steam generator replacement outage that is 
currently underway at CR-3. In addition to steam generators, other 
large components (e.g., moisture separators and large heat exchangers) 
are being replaced during this outage, requiring movement of personnel 
and materials into and out of the PA.

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-Stevens Act 
are expected. There are no impacts to the air or ambient air quality. 
There are no impacts to historical and cultural resources. There are no 
impacts 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 and will continue to provide acceptable physical protection of 
CR-3. Therefore, the extension of the implementation date for certain 
new requirements of 10 CFR Part 73 to November 15 and December 15, 
2010, 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 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 CR-3 
dated May 1973.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on January 20, 2010, the NRC 
staff consulted with the Florida State official, Mr. William A. Passeti 
of the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation 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.
    For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the 
licensee's letter dated November 30, 2009, as supplemented by letter 
dated January 15, 2010. Attachment 1 of the November 30, 2009, and 
January 15, 2009 submittals contain security-related information 
associated with the physical protection of the CR-3 and, accordingly, 
is not available to the public. Other parts of this document 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 11th day of March 2010.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Farideh E. Saba,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-2, Division of 
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2010-6065 Filed 3-18-10; 8:45 am]
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