[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 189 (Tuesday, September 29, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61036-61037]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-21513]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-440; NRC-2020-0188]


Energy Harbor Nuclear Corp.; Energy Harbor Nuclear Generation 
LLC; Perry Nuclear Power Plant, Unit No. 1

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
the issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License No. NPF-58, 
issued to Energy Harbor Nuclear Corp. (EHNC) and Energy Harbor Nuclear 
Generation LLC, for operation of the Perry Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 
No. 1 (PNPP), located near Lake Erie in Lake County, Ohio. The proposed 
action would amend the expiration of Facility Operating License No. 
NPF-58 from March 18, 2026, to November 7, 2026. Specifically, the 
expiration date of PNPP's full-power operating license (FPOL) would be 
revised such that it would expire 40 years from the date of issuance of 
the FPOL, as is permitted by the NRC's regulations.

DATES: The environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant 
impact (FONSI) referenced in this document is available on September 
29, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2020-0188 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 https://www.regulations.gov/ and search for Docket ID NRC-2020-0188. Address 
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov 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 https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS 
Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public 
Document Room 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott P. Wall, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation; U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-2855; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction

    The NRC is considering the issuance of an amendment to Facility 
Operating License No. NPF-58, issued to EHNC and Energy Harbor Nuclear 
Generation LLC (collectively, the licensees), for operation of PNPP, 
located near Lake Erie in Lake County, Ohio. The licensee requested the 
amendment by letter dated March 26, 2020 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML20086K773), as supplemented by letter dated July 30, 2020 (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML20212L544). If approved, the amendment would revise the 
expiration date of the license such that it would expire 40 years from 
the date of the issuance of the FPOL, as is permitted by section 50.51 
of title 10 of the Code of

[[Page 61037]]

Federal Regulations (10 CFR). In accordance with 10 CFR 51.21, 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 expiration date of PNPP's 
Facility Operating License such that it would expire 40 years from the 
date of the issuance of the FPOL, as permitted by 10 CFR 50.51. The 
proposed action would revise the expiration date of the Facility 
Operating License No. NPF-58 from March 18, 2026, to November 7, 2026, 
which is 40 years from the date of issuance of the FPOL (November 7, 
1986).
    The proposed action is also described in the licensee's application 
dated March 26, 2020, as supplemented by letter dated July 30, 2020.

Need for the Proposed Action

    On March 18, 1986, the NRC issued a low-power testing license (No. 
NPF-45) that authorized the licensee to operate PNPP at up to 5 percent 
of rated power. On November 7, 1986, the NRC issued a FPOL (No. NPF-58) 
that authorized the licensee to operate PNPP at up to 100 percent of 
rated power, with an expiration date 40 years from the date of the 
issuance of the low-power license.
    The proposed action would allow the licensee to recapture the 
approximate 7.7-month period of low-power operation and extend the 
license expiration date to November 7, 2026. This action is consistent 
with NRC policy established in the Staff Requirements Memorandum (SRM) 
for SECY-98-296, ``Staff Requirements--SECY-98-296--Agency Policy 
Regarding Licensee Recapture of Low-Power Testing or Shutdown Time for 
Nuclear Power Plants,'' dated March 30, 1999 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML20213A739) and SECY-98-296, ``Agency Policy Regarding Licensee 
Recapture of Low-Power Testing or Shutdown Time for Nuclear Power 
Plants,'' dated December 21, 1998, available at (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML992870025).

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would amend the PNPP Facility Operating License 
such that it would expire 40 years from the date of the issuance of the 
facility's FPOL.
    NUREG-0884, ``Final Environmental Statement Related to the 
Operation of Perry Nuclear Power Plant, [Unit Nos.] 1 and 2,'' dated 
August 1982 (ADAMS Accession No. ML15134A060), concluded that PNPP 
could operate with minimal environmental impact. The proposed action 
would not affect the design or operation of PNPP and would not involve 
any modifications to or increase the licensed power for the plant. 
Similarly, the proposed action would not significantly increase the 
probability or consequences of accidents or change the types of 
effluents released offsite. Because the proposed approximate 7.7-month 
extension of operation represents only a small fraction of the 40-year 
operating life considered in NUREG-0884, there would be no significant 
increase in the amount of any effluent released or waste generated, and 
no significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. 
The nominal additional quantities of effluents and waste generated 
during the proposed approximate 7.7-month period of extension would be 
in accordance with current operating requirements and regulatory 
limits. Therefore, the NRC concludes that there would be no significant 
radiological or non-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 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 would be similar.

Alternative Use of Resources

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

Agencies or Persons Consulted

    On August 5, 2020, the NRC notified State of Ohio representatives 
of the EA and FONSI. Additionally, in accordance with 10 CFR 50.91, the 
licensee provided copies of its application to the State of Ohio, and 
the NRC staff will consult with this State prior to issuance of the 
amendment. No additional Federal or State of Ohio agencies or persons 
were consulted regarding the environmental impact of the proposed 
action.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    The licensee has requested an amendment to revise the expiration 
date of the PNPP license such that it would expire 40 years from the 
date of the issuance of the FPOL, as is permitted by 10 CFR 50.51. 
Specifically, the proposed action would revise the expiration date of 
Facility Operating License No. NPF-58 from March 18, 2026 to November 
7, 2026, which is 40 years from the issuance of the FPOL on November 7, 
1986.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated March 26, 2020, as supplemented by letter dated July 
30, 2020.
    The NRC is considering issuing the requested amendment. 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 non-
radiological impacts. The reason the human environment would not be 
significantly affected is that the proposed action would not involve 
any construction or modification of the facility. Consistent with 10 
CFR 51.21, the NRC conducted the EA for the proposed action, and 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.
    As required by 10 CFR 51.32(a)(5), the related environmental 
document which provides the latest description of environmental 
conditions at PNPP is NUREG-0884. Other than the licensee's letter 
dated March 26, 2020, as supplemented by letter dated July 30, 2020, 
there are no other environmental documents associated with this review. 
These documents are available for public inspection as indicated in 
Section I of this notice.

    Dated: September 24, 2020.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Scott P. Wall,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch III, Division of 
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2020-21513 Filed 9-28-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P