[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 138 (Wednesday, July 18, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33961-33963]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-15282]



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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-352, 50-353, 72-65, 50-171, 50-277, 50-278, 72-79; NRC-
2018-0148]


Exelon Generation Company, LLC; Limerick Generating Station, 
Units 1 and 2; Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 1, 2, and 3

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 amendments to licenses held by Exelon Generation Company, 
LLC (Exelon, the licensee) for the operation of Limerick Generating 
Station (Limerick), Units 1 and 2, and Peach Bottom Atomic Power 
Station (Peach Bottom), Units 1, 2, and 3 (the facilities). The 
proposed amendments would revise the emergency response organization 
(ERO) positions identified in the emergency plan for each facility. The 
NRC is issuing an environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no 
significant impact (FONSI) associated with the proposed license 
amendments.

DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document is available on 
July 18, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2018-0148 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-2018-0148. 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 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. In addition, 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: Blake A. Purnell, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-1380; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction

    The NRC is considering issuance of amendments to the following 
licenses held by Exelon: (1) Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. 
NPF-39 and NPF-85 for the operation of Limerick, Units 1 and 2, 
respectively, located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; (2) Facility 
Operating License No. DPR-12 for the possession of Peach Bottom, Unit 
1, located in York and Lancaster Counties, Pennsylvania; and (3) 
Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-44 and DPR-56 for the 
operation of Peach Bottom, Units 2 and 3, respectively, located in York 
and Lancaster Counties, Pennsylvania.
    In accordance with section 51.21 of title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (10 CFR), the NRC prepared the following EA that analyzes 
the environmental impacts of the proposed licensing action. Based on 
the results of this EA, and in accordance with 10 CFR 51.31(a), the NRC 
has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the 
proposed licensing action, and is issuing a FONSI.

II. Environmental Assessment

Description of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would revise the ERO positions identified in 
the emergency plan for each facility. The on-shift, minimum, and full-
augmentation ERO staffing requirements listed in the emergency plan 
would be revised. The proposed revisions include eliminating ERO 
positions; adding ERO positions; changing position descriptions, 
duties, and duty locations; and relocating certain position 
descriptions to other parts of the emergency plan or to implementing 
procedures.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated May 10, 2018 (ADAMS Package Accession No. 
ML18149A290).

Need for the Proposed Action

    Nuclear power plant owners, Federal 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 an emergency plan to be 
implemented in the event of an accident. The emergency plan, in part, 
covers preparation for evacuation, sheltering, and other actions to 
protect individuals near plants in the event of an accident.
    The NRC, as well as other Federal and State regulatory agencies, 
reviews the emergency plan to ensure that it 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 performing a safety 
assessment of Exelon's proposed changes to the emergency plan for each 
facility. This safety review will be documented in a safety evaluation. 
The safety evaluation will determine whether, with the proposed changes 
to the emergency plan for each facility, there continues to be 
reasonable assurance that adequate protective measures can and will be 
taken in the event of a radiological emergency at Limerick or Peach 
Bottom, in accordance with the standards of 10 CFR 50.47(b) and the 
requirements in appendix E to 10 CFR part 50.
    The proposed action is needed to align the emergency plans for the 
facilities with draft Revision 2 to NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, ``Criteria 
for Preparation and Evaluation of Radiological Emergency Response Plans 
and Preparedness in Support of Nuclear Power Plants'' (ADAMS Accession 
Nos. ML14163A605 and ML17083A815). This change would provide Exelon 
with greater flexibility in staffing ERO positions, and reflects 
changes in NRC regulations and guidance and advances in technologies 
and best practices that have occurred since NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, 
Revision 1, was

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published in 1980. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania reviewed a draft of 
the licensee's application and had no concerns. The State of Maryland 
reviewed a draft of the license amendment request for Peach Bottom and 
found the proposed changes acceptable.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC staff has completed its evaluation of the environmental 
impacts of the proposed action.
    The proposed action consists mainly of changes related to the 
staffing levels and positions specified in the emergency plans for 
Limerick and Peach Bottom. The on-shift, minimum, and full-augmentation 
ERO staffing requirements listed in the emergency plan would be 
revised. The revisions include eliminating ERO positions; adding ERO 
positions; changing position descriptions, duties, and duty locations; 
and relocating certain position descriptions to other parts of the 
emergency plan or to implementing procedures.
    With regard to potential nonradiological environmental impacts, the 
proposed changes would have no direct impacts on land use or water 
resources, including terrestrial and aquatic biota, as they involve no 
new construction or modification of plant operational systems. There 
would be no changes to the quality or quantity of nonradiological 
effluents and no changes to the plants' National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System permits would be needed. Changes in staffing levels 
could result in minor changes in vehicular traffic and associated air 
pollutant emissions, but no significant changes in ambient air quality 
would be expected from the proposed changes. 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 from the proposed changes. Therefore, there are no 
significant nonradiological environmental impacts associated with the 
proposed action.
    With regard to potential radiological environmental impacts, if the 
NRC staff's safety review of the proposed changes to the licensee's 
emergency plans determines that, with the proposed changes, the 
emergency plans continue to meet the standards of 10 CFR 50.47(b) and 
the requirements in appendix E to 10 CFR part 50, then the proposed 
action would not increase the probability or consequences of 
radiological accidents. Additionally, the NRC staff has concluded that 
the proposed changes would have no direct radiological environmental 
impacts. There would be no change to the types or amounts of 
radioactive effluents that may be released and, therefore, no change in 
occupational or public radiation exposure from the proposed changes. 
Moreover, no changes would be made to plant buildings or the site 
property from the proposed changes. Therefore, there are no significant 
radiological 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 license amendment request (i.e., the ``no-action'' 
alternative). Denial of the license amendment request would result in 
no change in current environmental impacts. Accordingly, the 
environmental impacts of the proposed action and the no-action 
alternative are similar.

Alternative Use of Resources

    There are no unresolved conflicts concerning alternative uses of 
available resources under the proposed action.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    No additional agencies or persons were consulted regarding the 
environmental impact of the proposed action.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    The licensee has requested license amendments pursuant to 10 CFR 
50.54(q) to revise the ERO positions identified in the emergency plans 
for Limerick and Peach Bottom by eliminating ERO positions; adding ERO 
positions; changing position descriptions, duties, and duty locations; 
and relocating certain position descriptions to other parts of the 
emergency plan or to implementing procedures. 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 or nonradiological 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 a 
small change in air pollutant emissions associated with vehicular 
traffic. 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.
    Previous considerations regarding the environmental impacts of 
operating Limerick, Units 1 and 2, and Peach Bottom, Units 2 and 3, in 
accordance with their renewed operating licenses, are described in the 
following documents:
     NUREG-1437, Supplement 49, Volumes 1 and 2, ``Generic 
Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: 
Regarding Limerick Generating Station, Units 1 and 2,'' Final Report, 
dated August 2014 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML14238A284 and ML14238A290 
(package)).
     NUREG-1437, Supplement 10, ``Generic Environmental Impact 
Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Regarding Peach Bottom 
Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3,'' Final Report, dated January 2003 
(ADAMS Package Accession No. ML030270059).
    Previous considerations regarding the environmental impacts of 
decommissioning Peach Bottom, Unit 1, are described in NUREG-0586, 
Supplement 1, Volumes 1 and 2, ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement 
on Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities: Regarding the Decommissioning 
of Nuclear Power Reactors,'' Final Report, dated November 2002 (ADAMS 
Package Accession Nos. ML023470327 and ML023500228).
    This FONSI and other related environmental documents may be 
examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's PDR, located at One 
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. 
Publicly-available records are also accessible online in the ADAMS 
Public Documents collection at 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 by 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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                   Document                       ADAMS accession No.
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Exelon, License Amendment Request for          ML18149A290 (package).
 Approval of Changes to Emergency Plan
 Staffing Requirements, dated May 10, 2018.
NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, draft Revision 2,       ML14163A605 and
 ``Criteria for Preparation and Evaluation of   ML17083A815.
 Radiological Emergency Response Plans and
 Preparedness in Support of Nuclear Power
 Plants.''.
NUREG-1437, Supplement 49, Volumes 1 and 2,    ML14238A284 and
 ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement for   ML14238A290 (package).
 License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Regarding
 Limerick Generating Station, Units 1 and
 2,'' Final Report, dated August 2014.
NUREG-1437, Supplement 10, ``Generic           ML030270059 (package).
 Environmental Impact Statement for License
 Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Regarding Peach
 Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and
 3,'' Final Report, dated January 2003.
NUREG-0586, Supplement 1, Volumes 1 and 2,     ML023470327 (package) and
 ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement on    ML023500228 (package).
 Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities:
 Regarding the Decommissioning of Nuclear
 Power Reactors,'' Final Report, dated
 November 2002.
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    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 12th day of July, 2018.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Blake A. Purnell,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch III, Division of Operating 
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2018-15282 Filed 7-17-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P