[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 228 (Monday, November 29, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73135-73136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-29940]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-348 and 50-364; NRC-2009-0375]
Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. Joseph M. Farley Nuclear
Plant, 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 10 CFR
Part 73, ``Physical protection of plants and materials,'' for Facility
Operating License Nos. NPF-2 and NPF-8, issued to Southern Nuclear
Operating Company, Inc. (SNC, the licensee), for operation of the
Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 (FNP), located in Houston
County, Alabama. 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 the FNP from the required
implementation date of March 31, 2010, for several new requirements of
10 CFR Part 73. Specifically, FNP 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. Instead, the licensee has
proposed an alternate full compliance implementation date of July 15,
2011. 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 the FNP site.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated September 10, 2010, as supplemented by letter dated
October 5, 2010.
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 FNP security
system due to resource and logistical constraints. Previously, by
letters dated June 9 and July 31, 2009, SNC submitted a request for an
exemption from the compliance date identified in 10 CFR 73.55 for three
specific requirements of 10 CFR 73.55. The NRC staff reviewed the
request and by letter dated August 27, 2009, granted an exemption to
the March 31, 2010, compliance date for the 3 specific requirements
identified within the SNC exemption request until December 15, 2010.
Subsequently, by letters dated September 10 and October 5, 2010, SNC
submitted an additional request for an exemption to the compliance date
identified in 10 CFR 73.55. The licensee has requested a further
exemption from the March 31, 2010, compliance date stating that a
number of issues, including unforeseen growth in the amount of design
work required, design product loss due to computer hardware failures,
and weather-related construction delays, will present a significant
challenge to timely completion of the project related to certain
requirements in 10 CFR 73.55. Specifically, the request is to extend
the compliance date for three specific requirements from the current
March
[[Page 73136]]
31, 2010 deadline, as extended for this specific licensee to December
15, 2010, by the exemption granted on August 27, 2009, until July 15,
2011. Being granted this exemption for these items will allow the
licensee to complete the modifications designed to update equipment and
incorporate state-of-the-art technology to meet the noted regulatory
requirement.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC staff has completed its environmental assessment of the
proposed exemption and 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. There
will be no change to radioactive effluents that effect radiation
exposures to plant workers and members of the public. The proposed
action does not involve a change to plant buildings or land areas on
the FNP site. 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
staff concludes that there are no significant environmental impacts
associated with the proposed action.
The licensee currently maintains a security system acceptable to
the NRC and the NRC expects that the licensee will continue to maintain
the effectiveness of the overall physical protection program and
protective strategy for the duration of this exemption. Therefore, the
extension of the implementation date of the new requirements of 10 CFR
Part 73 to July 15, 2011, would not have any significant environmental
impacts.
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.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed actions, the NRC staff considered
denial of the proposed actions (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative).
Denial of the exemption request would result in no change in current
environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of the proposed
exemption and technical specification change 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 FNP, as
supplemented through the ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement for
License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant,
Units 1 and 2--Final Report (NUREG--1437, Supplement 18).''
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on November 15, 2010, the NRC
staff consulted with the Alabama State official, Mr. David Walters of
the Alabama Department of Public Health, 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 staff
concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect
on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC staff 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 letters dated September 10, 2010 and October 5, 2009. The
licensee has provided a redacted version of the September 10, 2010
letter that is publically available and the October 5, 2010 transmittal
letter is publically available. The edition of the September 10, 2010
letter and its enclosure and the enclosure to the October 5, 2010
letter that contains proprietary security-related information is 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, 11555 Rockville Pike,
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 November, 2010.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Robert E. Martin,
Sr. Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-1, Division of Operating
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2010-29940 Filed 11-26-10; 8:45 am]
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