[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 98 (Friday, May 20, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29277-29278]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-12444]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-277 and 50-278; NRC-2011-0112]
Exelon Generation Company, LLC; Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station
Unit Nos. 2 and 3; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an amendment for renewed Facility Operating License Nos.
DPR-44 and DPR-56, issued to Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon,
the licensee) for operation of the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station,
Units 2 and 3 (PBAPS), located near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in
accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR)
50.90. In accordance with 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC staff prepared an
environmental assessment documenting its finding. 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 revise the renewed Facility Operating
Licenses for PBAPS to possess, but not separate, byproduct material,
specifically Class B and Class C low-level radioactive waste (LLRW),
from Exelon's Limerick Generating Station, Units 1 and 2 (LGS). The
LLRW will be stored in the PBAPS Low-Level Radioactive Waste Storage
Facility (LLRWSF).
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated January 6, 2010, as supplemented by letters dated
August 20, 2010, October 14, 2010, and December 6, 2010.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed to provide the licensee with adequate
storage capacity, in lieu of constructing alternate storage facilities,
for its Class B and Class C LLRW generated at LGS since it does not
currently have access to a licensed disposal facility for this LLRW.
The State of South Carolina's licensed low-level radioactive waste
disposal facility, located in Barnwell, has limited access to the
facility from radioactive waste generators located in States that are
not part of the Atlantic Low-Level Waste Compact. Pennsylvania is not a
member of the Atlantic Low-Level Waste Compact. Therefore, LGS and
PBAPS do not have access to the Barnwell disposal facility for their
Class B and Class C LLRW. LGS does not have the capability to store all
the LLRW it generates. However, PBAPS has a LLRWSF capable of safely
storing a large amount of LLRW, on an interim basis.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The proposed action involves the transportation of LLRW from LGS
for interim storage at PBAPS. The LLRW will be transported by truck in
accordance with U.S. Department of Transportation and NRC regulations.
The distance between the plant sites is less than the distance that was
previously traveled to the Barnwell disposal facility in South
Carolina. The licensee anticipates that there will be approximately two
to three shipments a year of LLRW to PBAPS from LGS. The projected
number of shipments is consistent with the past annual average number
of trips to the Barnwell facility. While the total travel distance for
LLRW generated at LGS, once a new disposal site is determined, may be
more or less than the current travel distance from LGS to the Barnwell
facility, this circumstance is subject to change regardless of interim
storage at PBAPS. Since eventual transport of LLWR to a final disposal
site will be accomplished in accordance with NRC and DOT regulations,
no significant environmental impact will result regardless of the
distance to the final disposal site. However, the proposed action will
reduce the total annual number of miles driven for the transport of
LLRW during the interim storage period. With less miles traveled, it is
expected that there will be no change or possibly a corresponding
reduction in the impacts associated with transportation during the
interim storage period, such as lower radiation exposure to the truck
driver and members of the public along the transportation route. The
proposed action would not result in an increased risk of accidents and
radiological hazards beyond those associated with the transport to the
Barnwell facility. There will be no change to radioactive effluents
from the power plants or the LLRW containers that affect radiation
exposures to plant workers and members of the public. The interim
storage building is designed to comply with NRC regulatory guidance,
primarily Generic Letter 81-38, ``Storage of Low-Level Radioactive
Wastes at Power Reactor Sites,'' November 10, 1981, and to meet
radiation protection standards in 10 CFR part 20, ``Standards for
Protection Against Radiation,'' and 40 CFR part 190, ``Environmental
Radiation Protection Standards for Nuclear Power Operations.'' Guidance
in Section 11.4, ``Solid Waste Management System,'' of NUREG-0800,
``Safety Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis and Reports for
Nuclear Power Plants,'' Revision 3, March 2007, was also reviewed and
assessed with respect to the proposed action. The cumulative dose from
handling the LLRW from PBAPS and from the additional LLRW from the LGS
will be controlled by station procedures to ensure compliance with the
radiation dose standards to workers and members of the public. Based on
this information, the staff concludes that the radiological impacts
associated with the transportation, handling, and storage of LLRW at
PBAPS will not result in a significant impact to plant workers and
members of the public.
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 involve a change to plant buildings or
land areas on the PBAPS site. 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. With less miles traveled, it
is expected that there will be no change or possibly a corresponding
reduction in the impacts associated with transportation such as reduced
use of fossil fuels and reduced air emissions
[[Page 29278]]
that would affect air quality during the interim storage period. No
changes to the National Pollutant 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 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 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
in the license amendment, if approved by the NRC, which will be issued
as part of the letter to the licensee approving the proposed action.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC staff also
considered denial of the proposed actions (i.e., the ``no-action''
alternative). Denial of the proposed action may result in the eventual
need to construct additional LLRW storage space at LGS. The
construction of a new storage facility at LGS could involve the
disturbance of previously undisturbed soil and would require additional
decommissioning and decontamination activities. However, the
construction and decommissioning of a LLRW storage facility would be
accomplished in accordance with NRC regulations and the LGS Operating
License. Therefore, the environmental impact of this alternative would
be minimal.
Denial of the application would result in no change in current
environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of the proposed action
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 in the Final Environmental Statement for
PBAPS Unit 1, 2, and 3, dated April 1973, and for PBAPS Unit 2 and 3,
``Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear
Plants,'' (NUREG-1437, Supplement 10), dated January 2003.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on December 2, 2010, the NRC
staff consulted with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania official, Rich
Janati, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. In
response, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
(PADEP) submitted the following comments on Exelon Generation Company's
(EGC) proposed action:
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP)
is providing comments regarding a license amendment request by
Exelon Generating Company, LLC (EGC), dated January 6, 2010, to
store low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) from Limerick Generating
Station (LGS) in the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station (PBAPS) LLRW
Storage Facility.
Considering the nature of the waste, the projected number of
shipments and the existing capacity of the on-site storage facility
for Class B and C wastes at PBAPS, it is our assessment that the
transfer and storage of LLRW from LGS to PBAPS would not pose any
danger to public health, safety and the environment. However, this
practice should not set a precedent for the transfer of spent
nuclear fuel from one facility to another.
It is expected that EGC would immediately cease shipments of
LLRW from LGS to PBAPS when a disposal facility for Class B and C
wastes becomes available. It is also expected that EGC would
implement a waste minimization program, consistent with the latest
industry guidelines, to reduce the generation of Class B and C
wastes at LGS. We are also requesting that EGC report to PADEP, on
an annual basis, the amount of LGS waste (by volume and activity)
being stored at PBAPS and inform PADEP in advance of any shipments
of LLRW from LGS to PBAPS.
The NRC staff evaluated PADEP's comments to determine whether a
change was needed to the EA. The NRC staff finds PADEP's assessment
that the transfer and storage of LLRW from LGS to PBAPS would not pose
any danger to public health, safety and the environment consistent with
the staff's finding on no significant impact. Therefore, no change will
be made to the EA based on the comment.
The other comments from PADEP are directed to the licensee, Exelon,
and do not change the NRC staff's assessment that there are no
significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Therefore, no change will be made to the EA based on these comments.
With regard to PADEP's comments concerning the transfer of spent
nuclear fuel, the NRC staff notes that the proposed action does not
involve any transfer of spent nuclear fuel from LGS to PBAPS.
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 6, 2010, as supplemented by letters
dated August 20, 2010, October 14, 2010, and December 6, 2010. 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, Public File Area
O-1F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland 20852.
Publicly available documents created or received at the NRC are
available online in the NRC Library at 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 13th day of May 2011.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John D. Hughey,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch I-2, Division of Operating
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2011-12444 Filed 5-19-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P