[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]
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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.
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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]
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