[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 54 (Monday, March 22, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 13600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6199]



[[Page 13600]]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-338 and 50-339, Docket Nos. 50-280 and 50-281, NRC-
2010-0116]


Virginia Electric and Power Company, North Anna Power Station, 
Unit Nos. 1 and 2, Surry Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2; 
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an exemption from Title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (10 CFR), Part 20, Subpart N, Section 20.2301, associated 
with Section 20.1703(a), 20.1703(b), Section 20.1703(g) and Subpart O--
``Enforcement,'' Appendix A to Part 20,``Assigned Protection Factors 
For Respirators,'' Footnote ``a'' for Facility Operating License Nos. 
NPF-4, NPF-7, DPR-32, and DPR-37 issued to Virginia Electric and Power 
Company (the licensee), for operation of the North Anna Power Station, 
Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (NAPS), and Surry Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 
(SPS), located in Louisa, Virginia, and Surry, Virginia, respectively. 
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 permit the licensee the use of Mine 
Safety Appliance Company (MSA) Firehawk Air Mask (FireHawk) Self-
Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) charged with 35 percent oxygen/65 
percent nitrogen when making sub-atmospheric containment entries at 
NAPS and SPS.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated November 24, 2009.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed exemption is necessary to remove the prohibition 
against using supplemental oxygen delivered by SCBA that has not been 
tested/certified by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and 
Health.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that the proposed action to use an MSA Firehawk SCBA charged 
with 35 percent oxygen/65 percent nitrogen when making sub-atmospheric 
containment entries would not significantly affect plant safety and 
would not have a significant adverse effect on the probability of an 
accident occurring.
    The details of the staff's safety evaluation will be provided in 
the exemption that will be issued as part of the letter to the licensee 
providing the NRC's determination on the exemption to the regulation.
    The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability 
or consequences of accidents. No changes are being made in the types of 
effluents that may be released offsite. There is no significant 
increase in the amount of any effluent released offsite. There is no 
significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. 
Therefore, there are no significant radiological environmental impacts 
associated with the proposed action.
    With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed 
action does not have any foreseeable impacts to land, air, or water 
resources, including impacts to biota. In addition, there are also no 
known socioeconomic or environmental justice impacts associated with 
such proposed action. Therefore, there are no significant non-
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
    Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

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. The environmental impacts of the proposed action 
and the ``no-action'' alternative 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 
Related to the Continuation of Construction and the Operation'' for 
NAPS dated April 1973, and SPS dated May 1972 and June 1972, 
respectively, as supplemented through the ``Generic Environmental 
Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Supplements 6 
and 7 Regarding SPS and NAPS--Final Report (NUREG-1437, Supplements 6 
and 7),'' dated November 2002.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on February 3, 2010, the NRC 
staff consulted with the Virginia State official, Mr. Leslie Foldesi, 
Division of Radiological Health of the Virginia Department of Health, 
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 24, 2009. 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 O1 F21, 11555 
Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. 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 16th day of March 2010.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Karen Cotton,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch 2-I, Division of Operating 
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2010-6199 Filed 3-19-10; 8:45 am]
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