[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 162 (Tuesday, August 21, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50533-50534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20540]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-423; NRC-2012-0197]


Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc.; Millstone Power Station, Unit 
3

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact; 
issuance.

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ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2012-0197 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may access information related to this document, which the NRC 
possesses and are publicly available, using any of the following 
methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2012-0197. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-492-
3668; email: [email protected].
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may access publicly available documents online in the NRC 
Library at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the 
search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and then select ``Begin Web-
based ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's 
Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-
4737, or by email to [email protected]. The ADAMS accession number 
for each document referenced in this notice (if that document is 
available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is 
referenced. The application for amendment, dated November 17, 2011 is 
available electronically under ADAMS Accession No. ML11329A003.
     NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public 
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an exemption from Sec.  50.46 of Title 10 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ``Acceptance criteria for emergency core 
cooling systems for light-water nuclear power reactors,'' and Appendix 
K to 10 CFR Part 50, ``ECCS [emergency core cooling system] Evaluation 
Models,'' to allow the use of Optimized ZIRLO\TM\ fuel rod cladding in 
future core reload applications for Millstone Power Station, Unit 3 
(MPS3), for Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-49 Dominion 
Nuclear Connecticut, Inc. (DNC or the licensee), for operation of MPS3 
located in the town of Waterford, CT. 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.

II. Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would add Optimized ZIRLO\TM\ as an acceptable 
fuel rod cladding material. The proposed action is in accordance with 
the licensee's application dated November 17, 2011, under ADAMS 
Accession No. ML11329A003.

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 fabricated either with Zircaloy or ZIRLO\TM\. 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 details of the staff's safety evaluation will be provided in 
the license amendment that will be issued as part of the letter to the 
licensee approving the license amendment to the regulation.
    The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability 
or consequences of accidents. No changes are being made in the types of 
effluents

[[Page 50534]]

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.
    With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed 
action does not have any foreseeable impacts to land, air, or water 
resources, including impacts to biota. In addition, there are also no 
known socioeconomic or environmental justice impacts associated with 
such proposed action. Therefore, there are no significant non-
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
    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 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 NRC's 1984 ``Final Environmental 
Statement Related to operation of Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit 
3,'' and NUREG-1437, ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement for 
License Renewal of Nuclear Plants,'' Supplement 22 regarding Millstone 
Power Station, Units 2 and 3.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on July 30, 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. 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 application dated November 17, 2011.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 13th day of August 2012.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
James Kim,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch 1-1, Division of Operating 
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2012-20540 Filed 8-20-12; 8:45 am]
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