[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 191 (Monday, October 4, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61219-61220]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-24808]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-458; NRC-2010-0315]
Entergy Operations, Inc.; River Bend Station, Unit 1;
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering changes
to the Emergency Plan, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.54, ``Conditions of
licenses,'' paragraph (q), for Facility Operating License No. DPF-47,
issued Entergy Operations, Inc. (Entergy, the licensee), for operation
of the River Bend Station, Unit 1 (RBS), located in West Feliciana
Parish, Louisiana. In accordance with 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 guidance in NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Table B-1, ``Minimum
Staffing Requirements for NRC Licensees for Nuclear Power Plant
Emergencies,'' for repair and corrective actions states that two
individuals, one Mechanical Maintenance/Radwaste Operator and one
Electrical Maintenance/Instrumentation and Control (I&C) technician,
should be designated for each shift, but their functions may be carried
out by shift personnel assigned other duties. The licensee is committed
to the guidance in NUREG-0654, but has requested a deviation.
Specifically, the proposed action would revise Section 13.3.4.2.2.4,
``Plant Systems Engineering, Repair, and Corrective Actions,'' and
Table 13.3-17, ``Shift Staffing and Augmentation Capabilities,'' of the
RBS Emergency Plan (E-Plan). The revision will allow two maintenance
positions on shift to be filled with any combination of the three
maintenance craft disciplines. Currently, Table 13.3-17 of the E-Plan
only allows Electrical or I&C technicians to fill these two positions.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated January 28, 2010 (Agencywide Documents Access and
Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML100320044).
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed change will allow the required shift complement of two
technicians to be any combination from the three maintenance groups.
Since the
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repair and corrective action function is currently filled by I&C
technicians, additional actions will be taken to ensure basic
electrical/l&C tasks can be performed by Mechanical Maintenance
personnel. Mechanical Maintenance personnel will receive training in
basic electrical and I&C tasks to ensure that tasks related to these
disciplines can be performed if needed in the first 90 minutes of an
event. The proposed change will reduce the burden related to scheduling
of only selected maintenance technicians on shift.
The NRC staff has concluded that the proposed change will provide
greater initial coverage than the NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Table B-1
requirement and will continue to provide maintenance support capability
in the early stages of an event. Based on the on-shift staffing
complement designated in the proposed E-Plan change for Repair and
Corrective Actions (which is in excess of Table B-1 of NUREG-0654/FEME-
REP-1) and the training that will be provided to the Mechanical
Maintenance personnel in basic electrical and I&C tasks, the NRC staff
believes that adequate on-shift resources exist to support Repair and
Corrective Actions within 90 minutes of an event, prior to being
relieved by the augmenting Emergency Response Organization.
In addition, the proposed changes to the on-shift and 90-minute
augmented I&C Maintenance staffing result in a total of nine personnel
designated for Repair and Corrective actions which is in excess of
NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Table B-1's minimum staffing guidance. This will
increase the licensee's capability to perform the Repair and Corrective
actions during an event.
Based on the above, the NRC staff concludes that the proposed
changes to the E-Plan meet the standards of 10 CFR 50.47(b) and the
requirements of Appendix E to 10 CFR part 50 and provide reasonable
assurance that the licensee will take adequate protective measures in a
radiological emergency.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its environmental assessment of the proposed
changes to the RBS E-Plan. The staff has concluded that the changes
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 Updated Safety Analysis
Report. There will be no change to radioactive effluents that affect
radiation exposures to plant workers and members of the public. No
changes will be made to plant buildings or the site property.
Therefore, no changes or different types of radiological impacts are
expected as a result of the proposed changes.
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 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 details of the NRC staff's safety evaluation will be provided
with the license amendment that will be issued to the licensee
approving the E-Plan changes.
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 alternative action 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 for
the RBS, dated January 1985.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on September 21, 2010, the
NRC staff consulted with the Louisiana State official, Ms. Ji Wiley, of
the Louisiana Emergency and Radiological Services Division, Louisiana
Department of Environmental Quality, 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 28, 2010. 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 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 28th day of September 2010.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Alan B. Wang,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch IV, Division of Operating
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2010-24808 Filed 10-1-10; 8:45 am]
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