[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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