[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 196 (Tuesday, October 11, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62861-62862]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-26181]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-498 and 50-499; NRC-2011-0238]


STP Nuclear Operating Company, South Texas Project, Units 1 and 
2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an exemption from Title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (10 CFR), part 50, Section 50.46 ``Acceptance criteria for 
emergency core cooling systems [ECCSs] for light-water nuclear power 
reactors,'' and Appendix K to 10 CFR Part 50, ``ECCS Evaluation 
Models,'' to allow the use of Optimized ZIRLO\TM\ fuel rod cladding in 
future core reload applications for South Texas Project (STP), Units 1 
and 2, Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-76 and NPF-80, respectively, 
issued to STP Nuclear Operating Company (the licensee) for operation of 
STP, Units 1 and 2, located Matagorda County, Texas. Therefore, as 
required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC is issuing this environmental 
assessment and finding of no significant impact.

Environmental Assessment

    Identification of the Proposed Action:
    The proposed action would issue an exemption from Section 50.46 and 
Appendix K to 10 CFR 50, regarding fuel cladding material, and revise 
the Technical Specifications document, which is part of the Facility 
Operating Licenses for STP, Units 1 and 2, to permit use of Optimized 
ZIRLO\TM\ fuel. The NRC staff has previously issued an exemption to 
STP, Units 1 and 2, to allow use of up to eight lead test assemblies 
(LTAs) containing fuel rods with Optimized ZIRLO\TM\ cladding (69 FR 
64113; November 3, 2004). Westinghouse has provided the NRC staff with 
information related to test data and models for the LTAs. LTA measured 
data and favorable results from visual examinations of once, twice, and 
thrice-burned LTAs confirm, for three cycles of operation, that the 
current performance models are applicable for Optimized ZIRLO\TM\ clad 
fuel rods. The purpose of this exemption request is to allow fuel rods 
with Optimized ZIRLO\TM\ cladding to be used in future core reloads for 
STP, Units 1 and 2.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated December 21, 2010, which is publicly available in the 
Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under 
Accession No. ML103630408.
    The Need for the Proposed Action:
    The proposed action is needed because the regulation in 10 CFR 
50.46 contains acceptance criteria for the ECCS for reactors that have 
fuel rods clad either with Zircaloy or ZIRLO. Appendix K to 10 CFR part 
50, paragraph I.A.5, requires the Baker-Just equation to be used to 
predict the rates of energy release, hydrogen concentration, and 
cladding oxidation for the metal-water reaction. The Baker-Just 
equation assumed the use of a zirconium alloy different than Optimized 
ZIRLO\TM\; therefore, an exemption is required.
    Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action:
    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that the exemption does not present undue risk to public 
health and safety, and is consistent with common defense and security.
    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.
    Based on the nature of the 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 historic and cultural 
resources. There would be no noticeable effect on socioeconomic 
conditions in the region.
    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 NRC staff considered 
denial of the proposed actions (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). 
Denial of the application would result in no change in current 
environmental impacts. Thus, the environmental impacts of the proposed 
actions 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 STP, Units 1 and 2, NUREG-1171, dated August 1986.
    Agencies and Persons Consulted:
    In accordance with its stated policy, on September 1, 2011, the 
staff consulted with the Texas State official 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.

[[Page 62862]]

    For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the 
licensee's letter dated December 21, 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 
documents created or received at the NRC are accessible electronically 
through ADAMS 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 4th day of October 2011.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Balwant K. Singal,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch IV, Division of 
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2011-26181 Filed 10-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P