[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 245 (Wednesday, December 21, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79227-79228]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-32645]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-219; NRC-2011-0287]


Exemption Request Submitted by Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating 
Station; Exelon Generation Company, LLC

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact.

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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction

    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, Appendix E, Section IV.F.2.c, 
``Training,'' for Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-16, to 
delay the requirement to perform the biennial Emergency Preparedness 
(EP) exercise to June 2012, as requested by Exelon Generation Company, 
LLC (the licensee), for operation of the Oyster Creek Nuclear 
Generating Station (Oyster Creek), located in Ocean County, New Jersey. 
Therefore, as required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC performed an 
environmental assessment (EA). Based on the results of the EA, the NRC 
is issuing a finding of no significant impact.

II. EA Summary

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would grant an exemption to 10 CFR Part 50, 
Appendix E, Section IV.F.2.c to delay the requirement to perform the 
biennial EP exercise to June 2012. Currently, the licensee is required 
to complete the exercise by the end of calendar year (CY) 2011. The 
proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's application dated 
September 30, 2011 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS) Accession No. ML112730283).

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed exemption from 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix E, was 
submitted due to the impact of Hurricane Irene on the availability of 
the State of New Jersey county and local government resources. Due to 
widespread damage and flooding throughout the area, significant 
resource commitments were needed from the New Jersey State Office of 
Emergency Management (OEM), the Ocean County OEM, numerous other State 
departments, and the Division of State Police. As a result, the 
necessary participants from State agencies will be unavailable to 
participate in the exercise by the end of CY 2011. By letter dated 
August 31, 2011,\1\ the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 
agreed to postpone its evaluation of the exercise until June 2012.
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    \1\ This letter was not submitted directly to the NRC, but is 
included as Attachment 3 to the licensee's exemption request.
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Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    If the requested exemption were to be approved by the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission (NRC), the full participation FEMA-evaluated 
biennial emergency exercise would not be conducted until June of 2012. 
Changing the date of the exercise does not alter the way the drill will 
be performed, and therefore, does not alter any environmental impacts 
that would be incurred by performance of the drill (e.g., use of roads 
or highways). Delaying performance of the exercise does not change any 
facility equipment or operations. Thus, the proposed action would not 
significantly increase the probability or consequences of an accident, 
create a new accident, change the types or quantities of radiological 
effluents that may be released offsite, result in a significant 
increase in public or occupational radiation exposure.

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 application 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 previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for 
Oyster Creek and NUREG-1437, Vol. 1, Supplement 28, ``Generic 
Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants 
Regarding Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, Final Report--Main 
Report,'' published in January 2007.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on December 9, 2011, the NRC 
staff consulted with the New Jersey State official for the Department 
of Environmental Protection regarding the environmental impact of the 
proposed

[[Page 79228]]

action. The State official had no comments.

III. 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 September 30, 2011. 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 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 email to 
[email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 13th day of December 2011.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
G. Edward Miller,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch I-2, Division of Operating 
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2011-32645 Filed 12-20-11; 8:45 am]
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