[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 28, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 95654-95655]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-31377]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-295 and 50-304; NRC-2016-0271]


ZionSolutions, LLC; Zion Nuclear Power Station, Units 1 and 2

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-39 and 
DPR-48, held by ZionSolutions, LLC for the operation of Zion Nuclear 
Power Station, Units 1 and 2 (ZNPS). The proposed action would revise 
the ZNPS Defueled Station Emergency Plan to reflect transfer of all 
spent nuclear fuel to a dry cask independent spent fuel storage 
installation (ISFSI).

DATES: December 28, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2016-0271 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may obtain publicly-available information related to this document 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2016-0271. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact 
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 
this document.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the 
ADAMS Public Documents collection 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 (if it is available 
in ADAMS) is provided the first time that it is mentioned in this 
document.
     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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Hickman, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-3017, email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction

    The NRC is considering issuance of an amendment to Facility 
Operating License Nos. DPR-39 and DPR-48, held by ZionSolutions, LLC. 
(ZS) for the operation of Zion Nuclear Power Station, Units 1 and 2 
(ZNPS) located in Lake County, Illinois. Therefore, as required by 
section 51.21 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the NRC 
performed an environmental assessment (EA). Based on the results of the 
EA that follows, the NRC has determined not to prepare an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) for the amendment, and is issuing a finding of 
no significant impact (FONSI).

II. Environmental Assessment

Description of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would revise the ZNPS Defueled Station 
Emergency Plan (DSEP) and Permanently Defueled Emergency Action Level 
(EAL) Bases Document to reflect all spent fuel being transferred to an 
ISFSI at the site. The new emergency plan would be titled, ``Zion 
Station ISFSI Emergency Plan'' (ZS ISFSI EP).
    The proposed action is requested by the licensee's application 
dated January 7, 2016, (ADAMS Accession No. ML16008B080), as 
supplemented by letter dated June 22, 2016, (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML16176A208).

Need for the Proposed Action

    The ZNPS is a permanently defueled nuclear power facility that has 
permanently ceased operations and is storing generated spent fuel 
onsite in an ISFSI. The licensee requested that the NRC review and 
approve the changes from the current ZNPS DSEP to the proposed Revision 
0 to the ZS ISFSI EP. The major changes from the current ZNPS DSEP to 
the proposed Revision 0 to the ZS ISFSI EP include: Removal of non-
ISFSI related emergency event types; transfer responsibility for 
implementing the emergency plan to ISFSI Management, a revision to the 
Emergency Response Organization to reflect a potential event impacting 
spent fuel stored in ISFSI at the site, and removal of EALs for the 
permanently defueled nuclear power plant.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its EA of the proposed amendment. The NRC has 
concluded that the proposed changes from the current ZNPS DSEP to the 
proposed Revision 0 to the ZS ISFSI EP to reflect the transfer of all 
the spent nuclear fuel to a dry cask ISFSI 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 Defueled Safety Analysis 
Report. 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. 
Therefore, no changes or different types of radiological impacts are 
expected as a result of the proposed amendment.
    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 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 or different types of non-

[[Page 95655]]

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.

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 Impact 
Statement related to the proposed Zion Nuclear Power Station, Units 1 
and 2,'' dated December 8, 1972 (ADAMS Accession No. ML15344A360).

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On October 6, 2016, the staff consulted with the Illinois State 
official, Ms. Kay Foster, regarding the proposed action. The state 
official had no comments on the conclusions in the EA and the FONSI.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    The NRC has determined not to prepare an EIS for the proposed 
action. Amending the licenses to revise the current ZNPS DSEP to the 
proposed Revision 0 to the ZS ISFSI EP to reflect the transfer of all 
the spent nuclear fuel to a dry cask ISFSI will not result in any 
significant radiological or non-radiological environmental impacts. 
Therefore the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the 
quality of the human environment. Accordingly, on the basis of the EA 
in Section II above, which is incorporated by reference herein, the NRC 
has determined that a FONSI is appropriate.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day of December 2016.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John R. Tappert,
Director, Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery, and Waste 
Programs, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2016-31377 Filed 12-27-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P