[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]
[[Page 33961]]
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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
[[Page 33962]]
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.
[[Page 33963]]
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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