[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 221 (Friday, November 15, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 90319-90320]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-26540]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 99902056; NRC-2024-0146]
Tennessee Valley Authority; Clinch River Nuclear Site;
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice; issuance.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an
environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact
(FONSI) for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) exemption request for
the Clinch River Nuclear (CRN) Site. Specifically, TVA is requesting an
exemption, pursuant to NRC regulations, to allow the conduct of certain
excavation support activities at the CRN Site prior to the issuance of
a construction permit, which are otherwise not permitted by NRC
regulations.
DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document are available on
November 15, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2024-0146 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-2024-0146. Address
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann;
telephone: 301-415-0624; 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 (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, at 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.
NRC's PDR: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies
of publicly available documents, is open by appointment. To make an
appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to
[email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 8
a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern time (ET), Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph Giacinto, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-0714; email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
By application dated November 30, 2023, (ADAMS Accession No.
ML23335A100), TVA submitted a request for an exemption from section
50.10 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) ``License
required; limited work authorization.'' By letter dated January 31,
2024 (ADAMS Accession No. ML24009A168), the NRC staff informed TVA of
its determination that the TVA exemption request was acceptable for
docketing under Docket No. 99902056.
The NRC has prepared an EA (ADAMS Accession No. ML24312A321) as
part of its review of the exemption request in accordance with the
requirements of 10 CFR 51.21, ``Criteria for and identification of
licensing and regulatory actions requiring environmental assessments.''
Based on the results of the EA, the NRC has determined not to prepare
an environmental impact statement (EIS) and is issuing a FONSI pursuant
to 10 CFR 51.31.
In accordance with 36 CFR 800.8(c), the NRC used the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) process to comply
with section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as
amended (NHPA), in lieu of the procedures set forth in 36 CFR 800.3
through 800.6.
[[Page 90320]]
II. Discussion
The proposed action is for the NRC to issue an exemption
authorizing the early excavation activities prior to the submittal of
the construction permit (CP) application. The NRC issuance of the
exemption would allow TVA to install and leave in place components of
the initial ground support system for the reactor building (RB)
excavation, such as rock bolts to secure unstable rock blocks, wire
mesh and non-structural sprayed concrete linings to stabilize exposed
rock walls, horizontal gravity drains to manage groundwater, and
pressurized grout to seal water entry. The initial ground support
system could also include steel soldier beams with timber lagging, rock
bolts to secure soldier beams, and reinforced concrete compression
rings to support the soldier beams. The exemption is needed due to the
timing of initial ground support system installation, which serves no
function with respect to structural RB support or radiological health
or safety but is needed for construction worker safety during RB
excavation. If excavation for the RB is delayed until after the
issuance of the CP, the construction schedule and commercial operation
could undergo a delay of 12-24 months. TVA anticipates that the cost of
any delay of the commercial operation of Clinch River Nuclear Unit 1
would be substantial.
In the EA, the NRC staff assessed the potential direct and indirect
environmental impacts from the proposed action associated with the
following relevant resource areas: land use and visual resources, air
quality and noise, hydrogeology and water resources, ecological
resources, historic and cultural resources, socioeconomics and
environmental justice, human health, and nonradiological waste
management. The NRC staff determined that the environmental impacts of
the proposed action would be SMALL for each potentially affected
environmental resource, meaning that the environmental effects are not
detectable or are so minor that they will neither destabilize nor
noticeably alter any important attribute of the resource.
The NRC staff identified alternatives to the proposed action and
the environmental impacts of the alternatives, as appropriate. The NRC
staff determined that there are no alternatives that meet the need for
the proposed action and that are environmentally preferrable to the
proposed action.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
The proposed action before the NRC is whether to issue the
exemption request authorizing early excavation at the CRN Site. As
required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC prepared the EA. This FONSI
incorporates by reference the EA summarized in Section II of this
notice. Based on the NRC staff's determination in the EA that the
environmental impacts would be SMALL for each potentially affected
resource area, the NRC staff has determined that the proposed action
will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human
environment. Accordingly, the NRC staff has made a determination that
the preparation of an EIS is not required for the proposed action and
that a FONSI is warranted.
Dated: November 8, 2024.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Daniel Barnhurst,
Chief, Environmental Project Management, Branch 3, Division of
Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial Support, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety, and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2024-26540 Filed 11-14-24; 8:45 am]
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