[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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