[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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