[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 126 (Friday, June 29, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30783-30785]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-14004]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-295, 50-304; NRC-2015-0082]


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

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

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

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering an 
amendment to nuclear reactor licenses DPR-39 and DPR-48 to add a 
license condition that reflects the NRC's approval of the license 
termination plan (LTP) and provides criteria for when NRC approval is 
needed for LTP changes. The NRC has prepared a final environmental 
assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for this 
licensing action.

DATES: The final EA and FONSI referenced in this document are available 
on June 25, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2015-0082 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 Website: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2015-0082. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Jennifer Borges; telephone: 301-287-
9127; 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

[[Page 30784]]

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: Jessie Muir Quintero, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-
7476, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction

    In December 2014, ZionSolutions, LLC (ZS, the licensee) submitted a 
license amendment request, which included the LTP for Zion Nuclear 
Power Station, Units 1 and 2 (ZNPS). The LTP was updated by ZS twice, 
in June 2017 and February 2018. The NRC is considering amending 
licenses DPR-39 and DPR-48 to add a license condition that reflects the 
NRC's approval of the LTP and provides criteria for when NRC approval 
is need for LTP changes. As required by part 51 of Title 10 of the Code 
of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ``Environmental Protection Regulations 
for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions,'' the NRC 
prepared a final EA. Based on the results of the final EA, described as 
follows, the NRC has determined not to prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) for the amendment, and is issuing a FONSI.

II. Environmental Assessment

Description of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is the NRC's review and approval of the ZNPS 
LTP. In its license amendment request, ZS requested amendment of the 
ZNPS licenses to add license conditions (1) reflecting the NRC staff's 
approval of the LTP and (2) providing criteria for when NRC approval is 
needed for LTP changes. If the NRC approves the LTP, the approval will 
be issued in the form of an amendment to the ZNPS licenses to add the 
requested license conditions.
    The LTP describes the process the licensee will use to meet the 
requirements for terminating the operating licenses and to release the 
site for unrestricted use. The LTP outlines the remaining 
decommissioning and dismantling activities.

Need for the Proposed Action

    The purpose of and need for the proposed action is to allow for the 
completion of decommissioning of the ZNPS site by the licensee, the 
termination of the ZNPS license operating licenses by the NRC, and the 
subsequent release of the ZNPS site for unrestricted use. The NRC will 
terminate the licenses if it determines that the site meets the 
performance-based criteria for unrestricted site release, in accordance 
with 10 CFR 20.1402, and that the facility has been dismantled in 
accordance with the LTP.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC assessed the environmental impacts of the license 
termination activities and remaining decommissioning activities and 
determined there would be no significant impact to the quality of the 
human environment.
    During its review of the ZNPS LTP, the NRC concluded the impacts 
for most resource areas--land use, water resources, air quality, 
ecology, socioeconomics, historic and cultural resources, aesthetics, 
noise, and transportation--were still bounded by the previously issued 
Decommissioning Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS). 
Therefore, the NRC does not expect impacts beyond those discussed in 
the GEIS, which concluded that the impact level for these issues was 
SMALL.
    In the EA, the NRC evaluated the potential site-specific 
environmental impacts of the remaining decommissioning and license 
termination activities on climate change, public and occupational 
health, environmental justice, and waste management and did not 
identify any significant impacts. For protected species, the NRC 
determined that the proposed action may affect but not likely to 
adversely affect the rufa red knot (Calidris canutus rufa), the piping 
plover (Charadrius melodius), and the northern long-eared bat (Myotis 
septentrionalis). The final EA was updated to indicate that the 
proposed action would not adversely modify the designated critical 
habitat for the piping plover.

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). 
Under the no-action alternative, the NRC would not approve the LTP or 
the license amendment request because regulatory requirements have not 
been met. Consequently, the ZNPS licenses would not be terminated, 
decommissioning and other onsite maintenance and operational activities 
involving the storage of spent nuclear fuel would continue, and the 
ZNPS site would not be released for unrestricted use. If the NRC was 
unable to approve the LTP because the regulatory requirements were not 
met, then the licensee would have to take the necessary actions to 
ensure the regulations are met.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On April 2, 2018, the NRC staff sent a copy of the draft EA to the 
Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) for review and comment. The 
IEMA responded on May 03, 2018, with several comments on the draft EA 
that were addressed in the final EA.
    The NRC consulted with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) on 
listed protected species at the ZNPS site. On April 5, 2018, the NRC 
requested FWS review and concurrence with the NRC's determination that 
the proposed action may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect 
three federally listed species. FWS concurred with the NRC's 
determination on May 31, 2018. In its letter, the FWS determined that 
the analysis of the piping plover in the EA was sufficient to conclude 
that the proposed action would not adversely modify the designated 
critical habitat for the piping plover. The NRC revised the EA to state 
that the designated critical habitat for the plover was present within 
the action area and that there would not be adverse modifications of 
designated critical habitat for the piping plover.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    Based on its review of the proposed action, and in accordance with 
the requirements in 10 CFR part 51, the NRC staff has determined that 
pursuant to 10 CFR 51.31, preparation of an EIS is not required for the 
proposed action and, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, a FONSI is appropriate.
    On the basis of the final EA, 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 EIS 
for the proposed action.

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 Nos./web
                  Documents                              links
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License Amendment Request, December 19, 2014  ML15005A336
LTP Revision 1, July 20, 2017...............  ML17215A095
LTP Revision 2, February 7, 2018............  ML18052A857
Final EA....................................  ML18172A176
NUREG-0586, Supplement 1, Decommissioning     https://www.nrc.gov/
 GEIS.                                         reading-rm/doc-
                                               collections/nuregs/staff/
                                               sr0586/
Transmittal of Draft EA to IEMA, April 2,     ML18095A987
 2018.
IEMA Comments on Draft EA, May 3, 2018......  ML18124A018
Transmittal of Draft EA to FWS, April 5,      ML18108A345
 2018.
FWS Concurrence on NRC Determination, May     ML18157A315
 31, 2018.
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    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 26th day of June 2018.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Craig G. Erlanger,
Director, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety, Safeguards and Environmental 
Review, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2018-14004 Filed 6-28-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P