[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21594-21595]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-8547]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-269, 50-270, and 50-28; NRC-2012-0088]


Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; Environmental Assessment and Finding 
of No Significant Impact, Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 2, and 3

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an exemption to Renewed Facility Operating Licenses DPR-38, 
DPR-47, and DPR-55, issued to Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (the 
licensee), for operation of the Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 2, and 
3, located in Oconee County in South Carolina, in accordance with Title 
10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.12. Therefore, as 
required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC performed an environmental 
assessment. 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

    Part 50, Appendix G requires that fracture toughness requirements 
for ferritic materials of pressure-retaining components of the reactor 
coolant pressure boundary of light-water nuclear power reactors provide 
adequate margins of safety during any condition of normal operation, 
including anticipated operational occurrences and system hydrostatic 
tests, to which the pressure boundary may be subjected over its service 
lifetime, 10 CFR 50.61 provides fracture toughness requirements for 
protection against pressurized thermal shock (PTS) events.
    The proposed action would grant an exemption from certain 
requirements of 10 CFR 50.61, ``Fracture Toughness Requirements for 
Protection Against Pressurized Thermal Shock Events,'' and 10 CFR part 
50 Appendix G, ``Fracture Toughness Requirements.'' The exemption would 
allow use of alternate initial reference nil ductility temperature 
(RTNDT) as described in the NRC approved topical reports, 
BAW-2308, Revisions 1-A and 2-A, for determining the adjusted 
RTNDT of Linde 80 weld materials present in the beltline 
region of the Oconee Nuclear Station, (ONS) Units 1, 2, and 3 reactor 
pressure vessels.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated August 3, 2011 (Agencywide Documents Access and 
Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML11223A010).

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed to allow the licensee to use 
alternate initial RTNDT (reference nil ductility 
temperature), as described in the NRC-approved topical reports (TRs), 
BAW-2308, ``Initial RTNDT of Linde 80 Weld Materials,'' 
Revisions 1-A and 2-A, for determining the adjusted RTNDT of 
Linde 80 weld materials present in the beltline region of the ONS, 
Units 1, 2, and 3 reactor vessels (RVs).

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its environmental assessment of an exemption. 
The staff has concluded that the proposed action to allow the use of 
alternate initial reference nil ductility temperature 
(RTNDT) as described in the NRC approved topical reports 
BAW-2308, Revisions 1-A and 2-A for determining the adjusted 
RTNDT of Linde 80 weld materials present in the beltline 
region of the ONS, Units 1, 2, and 3 reactor pressure vessels, 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 in the updated final safety 
analysis report for ONS, Units 1, 2, and 3. There will be no change to 
radioactive effluents that effect radiation exposures to plant workers 
and members of the public. No changes will be made to plant buildings 
or the site property. The proposed action does not involve a change to 
plant building or land areas on the ONS 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-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 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 staff's safety evaluation will be provided as 
part of the letter to the licensee approving issuance of the license 
amendment.

Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed action, the 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 
the ONS, Units 1, 2, and 3, dated March 1972, and Final Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (NUREG-1437, Supplement 2) dated 
December 1999 (ADAMS Accession No. ML003770518).

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on February 27, 2012, the 
staff consulted with the South Carolina State official, Mr. Mark Yeager 
of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, 
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

[[Page 21595]]

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 August 3, 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, Room O1-F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first 
floor), Rockville, Maryland 20852. Publicly available documents created 
or received at the NRC are accessible electronically through the 
Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (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's 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 30th day of March 2012.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John Stang,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-1, Division of 
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2012-8547 Filed 4-9-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P