[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 129 (Thursday, July 5, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39746-39747]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-16406]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-336; NRC-2012-0158]
Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc. Millstone Power Station, Unit
2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is
considering issuance of an exemption from the requirements of Title 10
of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Appendix R, ``Fire
Protection Program for Nuclear Power Facilities Operating Prior to
January 1, 1979,'' for Facility Operating License No. DPR-65 issued to
Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc. (DNC or the licensee), for operation
of the Millstone Power Station, Unit 2 (MPS2) located in town of
Waterford, CT. Therefore, as required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC staff
performed an environmental assessment. Based on the results of the
environmental assessment, the NRC staff is issuing a finding of no
significant impact.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
DNC proposed that the NRC grant exemptions to certain NRC
requirements pertaining to the NRC fire regulations. The proposed
action is detailed in the licensee's application dated June 30, 2011,
as supplemented by letter dated February 29, 2012. The licensee's
application and supplemental submission are accessible electronically
from the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS) under Accession Nos. ML11188A213 and ML12069A016.
Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) 2006-10, ``Regulatory Expectations
With Appendix R, Paragraph III.G.2 Operator Manual Actions,'' documents
the NRC position on the use of operator manual actions (OMAs) as part
of a compliance strategy to meet the requirements of 10 CFR part 50,
appendix R, Section III.G.2. The NRC requires plants which credit
manual actions for 10 CFR part 50, appendix R, Section III.G.2
compliance to obtain NRC approval for the manual actions using the
exemption process in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR 50.12.
In response, the licensee proposed this licensing action which would
exempt MPS2 from certain requirements of 10 CFR part 50, appendix R,
Section III.G.2.
DNC proposed a number of OMAs in lieu of one of the means specified
in Section III.G.2 to ensure a train of equipment used for hot shutdown
is available when redundant trains are in the same fire area.
Therefore, DNC requested exemptions from the requirements of 10 CFR
part 50, appendix R, Paragraph III.G.2 for MPS2 to the extent that OMAs
are necessary to achieve and maintain hot shutdown for fire areas in
which both trains of safe-shutdown cables or equipment are located in
the same fire area.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is requested to permit the licensee an
alternate method from those specified in 10 CFR part 50, to achieve and
maintain hot shutdown conditions in the event of a fire that could
disable electrical cables and equipment in the fire areas of MPS2
listed in the licensee's request for exemption.
The criteria for granting specific exemptions from 10 CFR part 50
regulations are specified in 10 CFR 50.12. In accordance with 10 CFR
50.12(a)(1), the NRC is authorized to grant an exemption upon
determining that the exemption is authorized by law, will not present
an undue risk to the public health and safety, and is consistent with
the common defense and security.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC staff has completed its evaluation of the environmental
impact of the proposed action. The NRC staff has concluded that such
actions would not adversely affect the environment. The proposed action
would not result in an increased radiological hazard. There will be no
change to the radioactive effluent releases that effect radiation
exposures to plant workers and members of the public. No changes will
be made to plant structures or the site property. 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 or the plant, or to threatened,
endangered, or
[[Page 39747]]
protected species under the Endangered Species Act, or impacts to
essential fish habitat covered by the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries
Management Act are expected. There are no impacts to historical and
cultural resources. There would be no impact to socioeconomic
resources. Therefore, no changes or different types of non-radiological
environmental impacts are expected as a result of the proposed
exemption.
Accordingly, the NRC staff concludes that there are no significant
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. The details
of the staff's safety evaluation will be provided in the exemption,
when it is issued.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As alternatives to the proposed action, the NRC staff is
considering denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action''
alternative) or requiring the licensee to modify the facility to
achieve compliance with Appendix R. 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 U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's 1973
``Final Environmental Statement Related to the Continuation of
Construction of Unit 2 and the Operation of Units 1 and 2, Millstone
Nuclear Power Station.''
Agencies and Persons Consulted
On May 14, 2012, the NRC staff consulted with the Connecticut State
official, Michael Firsick of the Department of Environmental
Protection, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action.
Mr. Firsick had no comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC staff
concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect
on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC staff 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 application dated June 30, 2011, as supplemented by letter
dated February 29, 2012. The licensee's application and supplemental
submission are accessible electronically under ADAMS Accession Nos.
ML11188A213 and ML12069A016. Publicly available versions of the
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 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 email to [email protected].
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 27th day of June 2012.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
James Kim,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch I-1, Division of Operating
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2012-16406 Filed 7-3-12; 8:45 am]
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