[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 198 (Thursday, October 14, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63213-63214]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-25878]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-282 and 50-306; NRC-2010-0324]
Northern States Power Company--Minnesota; Prairie Island Nuclear
Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2; Environmental Assessment and Finding
of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering the
issuance of an exemption from Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, (10 CFR), 50.46, ``Acceptance criteria for emergency core
cooling systems for light-water nuclear power reactors'', and 10 CFR
50, Appendix K, ``AECCS Evaluation Models,'' for Facility Operating
License Nos. DPR-42 and DPR-60, issued to Northern States Power
Company, a Minnesota corporation (NSPM, the licensee), for operation of
the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2 (PINGP),
located in Goodhue County, Minnesota. In accordance with 10 CFR 51.21,
the NRC performed an environmental assessment in support of this
requested exemption. 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
PINGP to the requirements of 10 CFR 50.46 and 10 CFR Appendix K, by
allowing NSPM to use Optimized ZIRLOTM, an advanced alloy
fuel cladding material for pressurized-water reactors. The proposed
action is in accordance with the licensee's application dated November
24, 2009 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)
Accession No. ML093280883), as supplemented by letter dated May 26,
2010 (ADAMS Accession No. ML101480083).
[[Page 63214]]
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed so that NSPM can use Optimized
ZIRLOTM, an advanced alloy for fuel rod cladding and other
assembly structural components at the PINGP.
Section 50.46 of 10 CFR and 10 CFR part 50, Appendix K, make no
provisions for use of fuel rods clad in a material other than zircaloy
or ZIRLOTM. Since the chemical composition of the Optimized
ZIRLOTM alloy differs from the specifications for zircaloy
or ZIRLOTM, a plant-specific exemption is required to allow
the use of the Optimized ZIRLOTM alloy as a cladding
material or in other assembly structural components at the PINGP.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its environmental assessment of the proposed
exemption. The staff has concluded that the proposed action to approve
the use of an additional fuel rod cladding material would not
significantly affect plant safety and would not have a significant
adverse effect on the probability of an accident occurring.
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.
The proposed action would not result in an increased radiological
hazard beyond those previously analyzed in the Final Environmental
Statement for the PINGP dated May 1973 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML081840311). 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-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 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.
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 request 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 considered in the Final Environmental Statement for the PINGP
dated May 1973 (ADAMS Accession No. ML081840311).
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on September 3, 2010, the
staff consulted with the Minnesota State official, Mr. Stephen Rakow of
the Minnesota Office of Energy Security, 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 November 24, 2009 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML093280883), as supplemented by letter dated May 26, 2010 (ADAMS
Accession No. ML101480083). 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 27th day of September 2010.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Thomas J. Wengert,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch III-1, Division of
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2010-25878 Filed 10-13-10; 8:45 am]
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