[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 32 (Friday, February 17, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11070-11072]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-03238]
[[Page 11070]]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-348, 50-364; NRC-2017-0044]
Southern Nuclear Company, Inc.; Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant,
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 making a
finding of no significant impact for a proposed issuance of amendments
to Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-2 and NPF-8, held by
Southern Nuclear Company, Inc. (SNC, the licensee) for the operation of
Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant (Farley), Unit 1 and Unit 2,
respectively, located in Houston County, Alabama. The proposed
amendments would allow for the adoption of a common (fleet-wide) SNC
Standard Emergency Plan (SEP), with site-specific annexes.
DATES: February 17, 2017.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2017-0044 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-2017-0044. 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]. For
the convenience of the reader, the ADAMS accession numbers are provided
in a table in the ``Availability of Documents'' section of 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: Shawn A. Williams, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington DC
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-1009; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC is considering issuance of amendments pursuant to Sec.
50.54 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR),
``Conditions of licenses,'' paragraph (q), to Renewed Facility
Operating License Nos. NPF-2 and NPF-8, held by Southern Nuclear
Company, Inc. (SNC, the licensee) for the operation of Joseph M. Farley
Nuclear Plant (Farley), Unit 1 and Unit 2, respectively, located in
Alabama, Houston County.
In accordance with 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC has prepared an
environmental assessment (EA) that analyzes the environmental effects
of the proposed licensing action. Based on the results of the
environmental assessment, and in accordance with 10 CFR 51.31(a), the
NRC has prepared a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the
proposed amendments.
II. Environmental Assessment
Description of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would revise Farley, Unit 1 and Unit 2, Renewed
Facility Operating Licenses in order to allow the adoption of a fleet-
wide SNC SEP that includes site-specific annexes. If approved, the SEP
would establish an updated licensing basis for the SNC fleet of nuclear
power plants (Farley, Units 1 and 2; Edwin I Hatch, Units 1 and 2; and
Vogtle Electric Generating Plants Station; Units 1, 2, 3, and 4) that
complies with current NRC's regulations at 10 CFR 50.47, 10 CFR part
50, appendix E, and NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Revision 1.
Notable proposed changes are (a) adoption of a standard staff
augmentation time period of 75 minutes from time of declaration of an
Alert or higher Emergency Classification, (b) changes in staffing
numbers, (c) changes in staffing duties, and (d) consolidation of the
Joint Information Center.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated August 31, 2015, as supplemented by letters dated
February 17, 2016; April 8, 2016; May 26, 2016; June 9, 2016; and
November 2, 2016, respectively.
Need for the Proposed Action
Nuclear power plant owners, government agencies, and State and
local officials work together to create a system for emergency
preparedness and response that will serve the public in the unlikely
event of an emergency. An effective emergency preparedness program
decreases the likelihood of an initiating event at a nuclear power
reactor proceeding to a severe accident. Emergency preparedness cannot
affect the probability of the initiating event, but a high level of
emergency preparedness increases the probability of accident mitigation
if the initiating event proceeds beyond the need for initial operator
actions.
Each licensee is required to establish emergency plans to be
implemented in the event of an accident. These emergency plans cover
preparations for evacuation, sheltering, and other actions to protect
residents near plants in the event of a serious incident.
The NRC, as well as other federal and state regulatory agencies
review the subject plans to ensure that the condition of emergency
preparedness provides reasonable assurance that adequate protective
measures can and will be taken in the event of a radiological
emergency.
Separate from this EA, the NRC staff is evaluating SNC's proposed
changes to the SEP for Farley. This review will be documented in the
safety evaluation report for the proposed license amendment. The
staff's review will determine whether there is reasonable assurance
that adequate protective measures can and will be taken in the event of
a radiological emergency in accordance with 10 CFR 50.47(b)(1) through
(b)(16), and the requirements in appendix E to 10 CFR part 50.
The proposed action is needed to make SNC's fleet of nuclear power
plants (SNC fleet) emergency plans easier to follow and understand. By
standardizing emergency plans, with site specific annexes, SNC will
align the SNC fleet using consistent standards and definitions. This
will improve the consistency throughout the SNC fleet regarding: (1)
Emergency planning organizations, (2) duties and responsibilities of
emergency personnel, (3) procedures, and (4) training.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action. The
proposed action consists mainly of administrative changes related to
the rearrangement of NRC-approved Farley, Hatch, and Vogtle emergency
plans into one SNC
[[Page 11071]]
SEP with site-specific annexes. Notable changes include (a) the
adoption of a standard staff augmentation time period of 75 minutes
from time of declaration of an Alert or higher Emergency Classification
(b) changes in staffing numbers, (c) changes in staffing duties, and
(d) consolidation of the Joint Information Center.
The proposed changes would have no direct impacts on land use or
water resources, including terrestrial and aquatic biota as the
proposed action involves no new construction or modification of plant
operational systems. There would be no changes to the quality or
quantity of non-radiological effluents. No changes to the plant's
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit are needed.
Changes in staffing levels associated with the adopted SEP, and site-
specific annex for Farley, could result in minor changes in vehicular
traffic and associated air pollutant emissions, but no significant
changes in ambient air quality would be expected. In addition, there
would be no noticeable effect on socioeconomic conditions in the
region, no environment justice impacts, and no impacts to historic and
cultural resources. Therefore, there would be no significant non-
radiological impacts associated with the proposed action.
The NRC has concluded that the proposed action would not
significantly affect plant safety and would not have a significant
adverse effect on the probability of an accident occurring. There would
be no change to radioactive effluents that affect radiation exposures
to plant workers and members of the public. No changes would be made to
plant buildings or the site property. Therefore, the proposed action
would not result in a change to the radiation exposures to the public
or radiation exposure to plant workers.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC considered denial
of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). Denial of
the license amendment request would result in no change in current
environmental impacts.
Alternative Use of Resources
There are no unresolved conflicts concerning alternative uses of
available resources under the proposed action.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
On January 11, 2017, the staff consulted with the Alabama State
official, Mr. D. Walker of the Office of Radiation Control, regarding
the environmental impact of the proposed action. The state official had
no comments.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
The licensee has requested license amendments pursuant to 10 CFR
50.54(q) to adopt a fleet-wide SEP, with a specific annex, for Farley.
The NRC is considering issuing the requested amendments. The proposed
action would not significantly affect plant safety, would not have a
significant adverse effect on the probability of an accident occurring,
and would not have any significant radiological and non-radiological
impacts. The reason the environment would not be significantly affected
is because the proposed changes would only result in minor changes in
staffing levels and associated vehicular traffic, along with a small
increase in air pollutant emissions. This FONSI incorporates by
reference the EA in Section II of this notice. Therefore, 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.
The related environmental document is the ``Generic Environmental
Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Regarding
Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, Final Report,'' NUREG-
1437, Supplement 18. NUREG-1437, Supplement 18 provides the latest
environmental review of current operations and description of
environmental conditions at Farley.
The finding and other related environmental documents may be
examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room
(PDR), located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, Maryland 20852. Publicly-available records will be
accessible electronically from ADAMS Public Electronic Reading Room on
the Internet at the NRC's Web site: 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's
PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or
send an email to [email protected].
IV. Availability of Documents
The documents identified in the following table are available to
interested persons through one or more of the following methods, as
indicated.
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ADAMS Accession No./Web link/
Document Federal Register Citation
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Southern Nuclear Operating Company, ML15246A045
License Amendment Request for
Adoption of Standard Emergency Plan,
Dated August 31, 2015.
Southern Nuclear Operating Company, ML16060A283
Response to Request For Additional
Information Regarding License
Amendment Request for Adoption of
Standard Emergency Plan, Dated
February 17, 2016.
Southern Nuclear Operating Company, ML16105A194
Response to Request For Additional
Information Regarding License
Amendment Request for Adoption of
Standard Emergency Plan, Dated April
8, 2016.
Southern Nuclear Operating Company, ML16147A294
Corrected Response to Request For
Additional Information Regarding
License Amendment Request for
Adoption of Standard Emergency Plan,
Dated May 26, 2016.
Southern Nuclear Operating Company, ML16167A468
Response to Request For Additional
Information Regarding License
Amendment Request for Adoption of
Standard Emergency Plan, Dated June
9, 2016.
Southern Nuclear Operating Company, ML16307A404
Letter RE: Standard Emergency Plan
Implementation Date, Dated November
2, 2016.
NUREG-1437, Supplement 18, Generic ML050680297
Environmental Impact Statement for
License Renewal of Nuclear Plants:
Regarding Joseph M. Farley Nuclear
Plant, Units 1 and 2, Final Report,
Dated March 2005.
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Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 9th day of February 2017.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Shawn A. Williams,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-1, Division of Operating
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2017-03238 Filed 2-16-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P