[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 58 (Friday, March 26, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14634-14635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6719]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-245, 50-336, and 50-423; NRC-2010-0128]


Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc.; Millstone Power Station, Unit 
Nos. 1, 2, and 3; 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 Facility Operating 
License Nos. DPR-21, DPR-65, and NPF-49, issued to Dominion Nuclear 
Connecticut, Inc. (DNC or the licensee) for operation of Millstone 
Power Station, Unit Nos. 1, 2, and 3 (MPS1, MPS2, and MPS3, 
respectively), located in New London County, Connecticut. 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 MPS1, MPS2, and MPS3 from the 
required implementation date of March 31, 2010, for several new 
requirements of 10 CFR part 73. Specifically, MPS1, MPS2, and MPS3 
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. DNC has proposed an alternate full compliance 
implementation date of September 30, 2010, approximately 6 months 
beyond the date required by 10

[[Page 14635]]

CFR part 73, for certain alarm station requirements. DNC has also 
proposed an alternate full compliance date of August 31, 2010, 5 months 
beyond the date required by 10 CFR part 73, for certain uninterruptible 
power supply requirements. 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 MPS1, 
MPS2, and MPS3 site.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated January 12, 2010 (Agencywide Documents Access and 
Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML100131116), as supplemented 
by letter dated January 12, 2010 (ADAMS Accession No. ML100131115).

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 combined MPS1, 
MPS2, and MPS3 security system due to the procurement needs and 
installation activities.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its environmental assessment of the proposed 
exemption. The NRC 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 13926). 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 (74 FR 13926).
    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 (FES) for MPS1, 
dated June 1973, or the FES for MPS2, dated June 1973, as supplemented 
through the ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License 
Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Millstone Power Station, Units 2 and 3--
Final Report (NUREG-1437, Supplement 22),'' or the FES for MPS3, NUREG-
1064, dated December 1984, as supplemented through the ``Generic 
Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: 
Millstone Power Station, Units 2 and 3--Final Report (NUREG-1437, 
Supplement 22).''

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on February 18, 2010, the NRC 
staff consulted with the Connecticut State official, Mr. Michael 
Firsick of the Connecticut Department of Environmental 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 January 12, 2010, as supplemented by letter 
dated January 12, 2010. Portions of the submittal contain safeguards 
information and, accordingly, 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, 
Room O-1 F21, 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 19th day of March, 2010.

    For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carleen J. Sanders,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch I-2, Division of Operating 
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2010-6719 Filed 3-25-10; 8:45 am]
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