[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 117 (Friday, June 18, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34776-34777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-14751]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-250 and 50-251; NRC-2010-0212]
Florida Power & Light Company; Turkey Point Nuclear Generating
Plant, Units 3 and 4; 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 26, Section 26.9, for Facility Operating
License Nos. DPR-31 and DPR-41, issued to Florida Power & Light Company
(the licensee), for operation of the Turkey Point Nuclear Generating
Plant, Units 3 and 4, located in Florida City, Florida. 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 consider approval of an exemption for
Turkey Point, Units 3 and 4, from certain requirements of 10 CFR part
26, ``Fitness for Duty Rule.'' Specifically, the licensee requests
approval of an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 26.205(c),
``Work hours scheduling,'' and (d), ``Work hour controls.''
The licensee states that during severe weather conditions, for
example, tropical storms or hurricane force winds, adherence to all
work hour controls requirements could impede the licensee's ability to
use whatever staff resources may be necessary to prepare the site for a
pending severe weather event and ensure that the plant reaches and
maintains a safe and secure status.
The exemption would only apply to severe weather conditions where
tropical storm or hurricane force winds are predicted onsite requiring
severe weather preparations and activation and sequestering of the
Turkey Point storm crew.
The proposed exemption will allow the licensee not to meet the
requirements of 10 CFR 26.205(c) and (d), from the time severe weather
site preparation begins until exit conditions are satisfied. The
exemption would only apply to individuals on the storm crew who perform
duties identified in 10 CFR 26.4(a)(1) through (a)(5). When storm crew
sequestering exit conditions are met, full compliance with 10 CFR
26.205(c) and (d) will be required.
The proposed action does not involve any physical changes to the
reactor, fuel, plant, structures, support structures, water, or land at
the Turkey Point Units 3 and 4, site.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated October 13, 2009.
The Need for the Proposed Action:
Proposed action is needed because the licensee is unable to meet
the requirements of 10 CFR 26.205(c) and (d) during declarations of
severe weather conditions that could result due to prevailing tropical
storm or hurricane force winds impacting the facility.
Compliance with work hour control requirements could impede the
licensee's ability to use whatever staff resources may be necessary to
respond to a plant emergency and ensure that the plant reaches and
maintains a safe and secure status.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action:
The NRC staff has completed its environmental assessment of the
proposed exemption. The NRC staff has concluded that the proposed
exemption from the implementation of the requirements of 10 CFR
26.205(c) and (d) during declaration of severe weather conditions,
would not significantly affect plant safety and would not have a
significant adverse affect on the probability of occurrence of an
accident.
The proposed action would not result in any increased radiological
hazards beyond those previously evaluated by the NRC staff in the
Safety Evaluation Report, dated March 15, 1972, related to operation of
Turkey Point, Units 3 and 4. 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.
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 or the plant, or to threatened,
endangered, or
[[Page 34777]]
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 would be no
noticeable effect on socioeconomic conditions in the region. Therefore,
no changes or different types of non-radiological environmental impacts
are expected as a result of the proposed action. Accordingly, the NRC
concludes that there are no significant environmental impacts
associated with the proposed action.
The licensee currently maintains a Hurricane Plan that provides
directions for activation of the storm crew. The storm crew is
activated upon the direction of the Emergency Coordinator, typically
the site Plant General Manager or designee. This individual is
qualified as an Emergency Coordinator during a declared emergency. The
Plan provides specific entry conditions for the start of the emergency
and specific conditions that will terminate the emergency. The licensee
states that the impact on personnel manning for implementation of the
site hurricane staffing and severe weather preparations is similar to
entering the Emergency Plan. Although the proposed exemption would
allow the licensee not to meet work hour controls during storm crew
activation, sufficient numbers of management and supervision will be
available during storm crew manning and activation to ensure that
public health and safety is adequately protected.
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
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 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 were denied, the licensee
would have to comply with the fatigue rules in 10 CFR 26.205(c) and
(d). This would cause unnecessary burden on the licensee, without a
significant benefit in environmental impacts. 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 Turkey
Point Units 3 and 4, Docket Nos. 50-250 and 50-251, issued in 1972 and
Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear
Plants Regarding Turkey Point, Units 3 and 4, Final Report (NUREG-1437,
Supplement 5), issued January 31, 2002.
Agencies and Persons Consulted:
In accordance with its stated policy, on May 13, 2010, the staff
consulted with the Florida State official, William A Passetti of the
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.
Further Information
For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the
licensee's letter dated October 13, 2009 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML092950342). 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 9th day of June 2010.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jason C. Paige,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-2, Division of Operating
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2010-14751 Filed 6-17-10; 8:45 am]
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