[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 20 (Monday, January 31, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5408-5410]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2034]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-382; NRC-2011-0023]


Entergy Operations, Inc., Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 
3, Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is 
considering issuance of an exemption, pursuant to Title 10 of the Code 
of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), 26.9, ``Specific exemptions,'' from 
paragraphs (c) and (d) of 10 CFR 26.205, ``Work hours,'' for Facility 
Operating License No. NPF-38, issued to Entergy Operations, Inc. 
(Entergy, the licensee), for operation of the Waterford Steam Electric 
Station, Unit 3 (Waterford 3), located in St. Charles Parish, 
Louisiana.
    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 impact.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would consider approval of an exemption for 
Waterford 3, from some of the requirements of 10 CFR part 26, ``Fitness 
for duty programs.'' 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,'' to allow for 
sequestering site personnel prior to and following the entry and exit 
conditions (i.e., emergency declaration) related to adverse weather 
conditions caused by a hurricane.
    The licensee states that during declaration of severe weather 
conditions, such as hurricane watches and warnings or inland hurricane 
wind watches and warnings caused by a hurricane impacting the coast, 
adherence to all work hour controls 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.

[[Page 5409]]

    Since 10 CFR 26.207(d), ``Plant emergencies,'' already provides an 
exception for the time period associated with a declared emergency, the 
exemption requested per 10 CFR 26.9 only applies to the applicable time 
periods prior to and following the 10 CFR 26.207(d) exception, 
requiring the sequestering of Waterford 3 response personnel and 
related staff resource limitations.
    The proposed exemption will allow the licensee not to meet the 
requirements of 10 CFR 26.205(c) and (d), from the time the existing 
entry conditions for declaring an emergency condition that hurricane 
watches and warnings or inland hurricane wind watches and warnings 
caused by a hurricane impacting the coast sequestering conditions are 
met until severe weather exit conditions are satisfied. The exemption 
will only apply to individuals performing certain types of duties 
defined in 10 CFR 26.4(a)(1) through (a)(5), namely, (1) Operating or 
onsite directing of the operation of structures, systems and components 
(SSCs) that a risk-informed evaluation process has shown to be 
significant to public health and safety; (2) performing health physics 
or chemistry duties required as a member of the onsite emergency 
response organization minimum shift complement; (3) performing the 
duties of a fire brigade member who is responsible for understanding 
the effects of fire and fire suppressants on safe shutdown capability; 
(4) performing maintenance or onsite directing of the maintenance of 
SSCs that a risk-informed evaluation process has shown to be 
significant to public health and safety; and (5) performing security 
duties as an armed security force officer, alarm station operator, 
response team leader, or watchperson. When crew sequestering exit 
conditions are met, full compliance with 10 CFR 26.205(c) and (d) will 
be required.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated May 27, 2010, as supplemented by letters dated 
November 3 and 29, 2010, which are available to the public in the NRC's 
Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession 
Nos. ML101520325, ML103090716, and ML103350158, respectively.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed because the licensee is unable to 
meet the requirements of 10 CFR 26.205(c) and (d) during existing entry 
and exit conditions when declarations of severe weather conditions that 
could result due to prevailing hurricane watches and warnings or inland 
hurricane wind watches and warnings caused by a hurricane impacting the 
coast impacting the facility are made.
    Compliance with work hour control requirements would 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 has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that there are no environmental impacts associated with the 
proposed exemption. The details of the staff's safety evaluation will 
be provided in the exemption, if approved by the NRC, that will be 
issued as part of the letter to the licensee approving the exemption to 
the regulation.
    The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability 
or consequences of accidents. 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 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 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; therefore, 
the staff has determined not to prepare an environmental impact 
statement for the proposed action.

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 work hour control requirements 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 previously considered by the NRC staff in the Final Environmental 
Statement for Waterford 3, dated September 1981 (NUREG-0779).

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on January 4, 2011, the NRC 
staff consulted with the Louisiana State official, JiYoung Wiley, 
Department of Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response, 
regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The 
Louisiana State official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    On the basis of the above environmental assessment which, pursuant 
to 10 CFR 51.32(a)(4) is incorporated into this finding of no 
significant impact by reference, 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 May 27, 2010, as supplemented by letters dated 
November 3 and 29, 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, Room O1-F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), 
Rockville, Maryland 20852-2338. 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

[[Page 5410]]

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 21st day of January 2011.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Nageswaran Kalyanam,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch IV, Division of Operating 
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2011-2034 Filed 1-28-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P