Exelon Generation Company, LLC, Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact, 52585-52586 [E7-18141]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 178 / Friday, September 14, 2007 / Notices
Luminant Holdco, and change in name
of TXU Power no later than 5 business
days prior to such actions. Should the
indirect transfer of control of TXU
Power not be completed by July 10,
2008, this Order shall become null and
void, provided, however, upon written
application and good cause shown, such
date may be extended by order.
This Order is effective upon issuance.
For further details with respect to this
Order, see the application dated April
18, 2007, and supplemental letter dated
July 20, 2007, and the safety evaluation
dated 2007, which are available for
public inspection at the Commission’s
Public Document Room (PDR), located
at One White Flint North, Public File
Area 01 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first
floor), Rockville, Maryland and
accessible electronically from the
Agencywide Documents Access and
Management System (ADAMS) Public
Electronic Reading Room on the Internet
at the NRC Web site, https://
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 PDR
Reference staff by telephone at 1–800–
397–4209, 301–415–4737, or by e-mail
to pdr@nrc.gov.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would allow the
use of AREVA NP Inc. (AREVA)
modified Advanced Mark-BW fuel
assemblies.
The proposed action is in accordance
with the licensee’s application dated
September 26, 2006, as supplemented
by letter dated August 8, 2007.
Exelon Generation Company, LLC,
Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2;
Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action would allow up
to eight AREVA modified Advanced
Mark-BW fuel assemblies to be placed
in nonlimiting Braidwood, Unit 1 core
locations. Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12,
‘‘Specific Exemptions,’’ the licensee has
requested an exemption to 10 CFR
50.46, ‘‘acceptance criteria for
emergency core cooling systems for
light-water nuclear power reactors,’’ that
requires, among other items, that ‘‘each
boiling or pressurized light-water
nuclear power reactor fueled with
uranium oxide pellets within
cylindrical zircaloy or ZIRLO cladding,
must be provided with an emergency
core cooling system (ECCS) that must be
designed so that its calculated cooling
performance following postulated lossof-coolant accidents conforms to the
criteria set forth in paragraph (b) of this
section.’’ Appendix K to 10 CFR Part 50,
‘‘ECCS Evaluation Models,’’ requires,
among other items, that the rate of
energy release, hydrogen generation,
and cladding oxidation from the metal/
water reaction shall be calculated using
the Baker-Just equation. The regulation
at 10 CFR 50.46 and 10 CFR Part 50,
Appendix K, make no provisions for use
of fuel rods clad in a material other than
zircaloy or ZIRLO. The licensee will
irradiate eight assemblies using fuel
rods clad with AREVA’s M5 alloy in
Braidwood, Unit 1. Since the material
specifications of the M5 alloy differ
from the specification for zircaloy or
ZIRLO, a plant-specific exemption is
required to support the use of the eight
assemblies.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an exemption from Title 10
of the Code of Federal Regulations (10
CFR) Part 50, section 46, and Appendix
K to section 50, for Facility Operating
License Nos. NPF–72 and NPF–77,
issued to Exelon Generation Company,
LLC (the licensee), for operation of the
Braidwood Station (Braidwood), Units 1
and 2 located in Will County, Illinois.
Therefore, as required by 10 CFR 51.21,
the NRC is issuing this environmental
assessment and finding of no significant
impact.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed
Action
The NRC has completed its safety
evaluation of the proposed action and
concludes that application of 10 CFR
50.46, and Appendix K to 10 CFR 50, is
not necessary for the licensee to achieve
its underlying purposes.
The details of the NRC staff’s safety
evaluation will be provided in the
exemption that will be issued as part of
the letter to the licensee approving the
exemption to the regulation. The
proposed action will not significantly
increase the probability or consequences
Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 10th day
of September, 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Catherine Haney,
Director, Division of Operating Reactor
Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation.
[FR Doc. E7–18142 Filed 9–13–07; 8:45 am]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
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52585
of accidents. No changes are being made
in the types of effluents that may be
released off site. There is no significant
increase in the amount of any effluent
released off site. There is no significant
increase in occupational or public
radiation exposure. Therefore, there are
no significant radiological
environmental impacts associated with
the proposed action.
With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed
action does not have a potential to affect
any historic sites. It does not affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no
other environmental impact. Therefore,
there are no significant non-radiological
environmental impacts associated with
the proposed action.
Accordingly, the NRC concludes that
there are no significant environmental
impacts associated with the proposed
action.
Environmental Impacts of the
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed
action, the staff considered denial of the
proposed action (i.e., the ‘‘no-action’’
alternative). Denial of the application
would result in no change in current
environmental impacts. The
environmental impacts of the proposed
action and the alternative action are
similar.
Alternative Use of Resources
The action does not involve the use of
any different resources than those
previously considered in the Final
Environmental Statement for
Braidwoood NUREG–1026, dated June
1984.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy,
on August 29, 2007, the NRC staff
consulted with the Illinois State official,
Mr. Frank Niziolek of the Illinois
Emergency Management Agency,
regarding the environmental impact of
the proposed action. The State official
had no comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the environmental
assessment, 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.
For further details with respect to the
proposed action, see the licensee’s letter
dated September 26, 2006, as
supplemented by letter dated August 8,
2007. Documents may be examined,
and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC’s
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 178 / Friday, September 14, 2007 / Notices
Public Document Room (PDR), located
at One White Flint North, Public File
Area O1F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first
floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly
available records will be accessible
electronically from the Agencywide
Documents Access and Management
System (ADAMS) Public Electronic
Reading Room on the Internet at the
NRC Web site, https://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 PDR Reference staff by
telephone at 1–800–397–4209 or 301–
415–4737, or send an e-mail to
pdr@nrc.gov.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 10th day
of September, 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Robert F. Kuntz,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch III–
2. Division of Operating Reactor Licensing.
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E7–18141 Filed 9–13–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 52–011]
rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
Southern Nuclear Operating Company;
Notice of Availability of the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for an
Early Site Permit (ESP) at the Vogtle
ESP Site and Associated Public
Meeting
Notice is hereby given that the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC,
the Commission) has published
NUREG–1872, ‘‘Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (DEIS) for an Early
Site Permit (ESP) at the Vogtle ESP
Site.’’ The site is located on the
southwest side of the Savannah River in
eastern Burke County, Georgia. The
application for the ESP was submitted
by letter dated August 15, 2006,
pursuant to 10 CFR Part 52. The
application included a site redress plan
in accordance with 10 CFR 52.17(c) and
52.25. If the site redress plan is
incorporated in an approved ESP, then
the applicant may carry out certain site
preparation work and preliminary
construction activities. A notice of
receipt and availability of the
application, which included the
environmental report (ER), was
published in the Federal Register on
August 29, 2006, (71 FR 51222). A
notice of acceptance for docketing of the
application for the ESP was published
in the Federal Register on September
26, 2006, (71 FR 56187). A notice of
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intent to prepare an environmental
impact statement and to conduct the
scoping process was published in the
Federal Register on October 5, 2006, (71
FR 58882).
The purpose of this notice is to inform
the public that NUREG–1872, ‘‘Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
for an Early Site Permit (ESP) at the
Vogtle ESP Site,’’ is available for public
inspection in the NRC Public Document
Room (PDR) located at One White Flint
North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor),
Rockville, Maryland, 20852, or from the
Publicly Available Records (PARS)
component of NRC’s Agencywide
Documents Access and Management
System (ADAMS), and will also be
placed directly on the NRC Web site at
https://www.nrc.gov. ADAMS is
accessible from the NRC Web site at
https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/
adams.html (the Public Electronic
Reading Room). The ADAMS accession
number for Volume I of the DEIS is
ML072410045 and Volume II of the
DEIS is ML072410049. Persons who do
not have access to ADAMS or who
encounter problems in accessing the
documents located in ADAMS, should
contact the PDR reference staff at 1–
800–397–4209, 301–415–4737, or by email to pdr@nrc.gov. In addition, the
Burke County Library, 130 Highway 24
South, Waynesboro, Georgia, has agreed
to make the DEIS available for public
inspection.
The NRC staff will hold a public
meeting to present an overview of the
DEIS and to accept public comments on
the document. The public meeting will
be held at the Augusta Technical
College, Waynesboro Campus
Auditorium, 216 Hwy 24 South,
Waynesboro, Georgia, on Thursday,
October 4, 2007. The meeting will
convene at 7 p.m. and will continue
until 10 p.m., as necessary. The meeting
will be transcribed and will include: (1)
A presentation of the contents of the
DEIS, and (2) the opportunity for
interested government agencies,
organizations, and individuals to
provide comments on the draft report.
Additionally, the NRC staff will host
informal discussions two hours before
the start of the meeting at the Augusta
Technical College, Waynesboro Campus
Auditorium. No formal comments on
the DEIS will be accepted by the NRC
staff during the informal discussions.
However, the staff will make available a
court reporter from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m.
in the Waynesboro Campus Auditorium
to accept oral comments on the DEIS for
inclusion into the official meeting
minutes.
Otherwise, to be considered,
comments must be provided either at
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the transcribed public meeting or in
writing. Persons may register to attend
or present oral comments at the meeting
by contacting Ms. Cristina Guerrero, by
telephone at 1–800–368–5642,
extension 2981, or by Internet to the
NRC at VOGTLE_EIS@nrc.gov, no later
than September 28, 2007. Members of
the public may also register to speak at
the meeting within 15 minutes of the
start of the meeting. Individual oral
comments may be limited by the time
available, depending on the number of
persons who register. Members of the
public who have not registered may also
have an opportunity to speak, if time
permits. Ms. Guerrero will need to be
contacted no later than September 28,
2007, if special equipment or
accommodations are needed to attend or
present information at the public
meeting, so that the NRC staff can
determine whether the request can be
accommodated.
Members of the public may send
written comments on the DEIS for the
Vogtle ESP to the Chief, Rulemaking,
Directives, and Editing Branch, Division
of Administrative Services, Office of
Administration, Mailstop T–6D59, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555–0001, and
should cite the publication date and
page number of this Federal Register
Notice. Comments may also be
delivered to Room T–6D59, Two White
Flint North, 11545 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, Maryland, from 7:30 a.m. to
4:15 p.m., during Federal workdays. To
be considered written comments should
be postmarked by November 28, 2007.
Electronic comments may be sent by the
Internet to the NRC at
VOGTLE_EIS@nrc.gov. Electronic
submissions should be sent no later
than November 28, 2007. Comments
will be available electronically and
accessible through the NRC’s PERR link
at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/
adams.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Cristina Guerrero, Division of Site and
Environmental Reviews, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington,
DC, 20555–0001. Ms. Guerrero may be
contacted at the aforementioned
telephone number or e-mail address.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 4th day
of September, 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
James E. Lyons,
Director, Division of Site and Environmental
Reviews Office of New Reactors.
[FR Doc. E7–18143 Filed 9–13–07; 8:45 am]
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 178 (Friday, September 14, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52585-52586]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-18141]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. STN 50-456 and STN 50-457]
Exelon Generation Company, LLC, Braidwood Station, Units 1 and 2;
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an exemption from Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, section 46, and Appendix K to section 50,
for Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-72 and NPF-77, issued to Exelon
Generation Company, LLC (the licensee), for operation of the Braidwood
Station (Braidwood), Units 1 and 2 located in Will County, Illinois.
Therefore, as required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC is issuing this
environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would allow the use of AREVA NP Inc. (AREVA)
modified Advanced Mark-BW fuel assemblies.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated September 26, 2006, as supplemented by letter dated
August 8, 2007.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action would allow up to eight AREVA modified Advanced
Mark-BW fuel assemblies to be placed in nonlimiting Braidwood, Unit 1
core locations. Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, ``Specific Exemptions,'' the
licensee has requested an exemption to 10 CFR 50.46, ``acceptance
criteria for emergency core cooling systems for light-water nuclear
power reactors,'' that requires, among other items, that ``each boiling
or pressurized light-water nuclear power reactor fueled with uranium
oxide pellets within cylindrical zircaloy or ZIRLO cladding, must be
provided with an emergency core cooling system (ECCS) that must be
designed so that its calculated cooling performance following
postulated loss-of-coolant accidents conforms to the criteria set forth
in paragraph (b) of this section.'' Appendix K to 10 CFR Part 50,
``ECCS Evaluation Models,'' requires, among other items, that the rate
of energy release, hydrogen generation, and cladding oxidation from the
metal/water reaction shall be calculated using the Baker-Just equation.
The regulation at 10 CFR 50.46 and 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix K, make no
provisions for use of fuel rods clad in a material other than zircaloy
or ZIRLO. The licensee will irradiate eight assemblies using fuel rods
clad with AREVA's M5 alloy in Braidwood, Unit 1. Since the material
specifications of the M5 alloy differ from the specification for
zircaloy or ZIRLO, a plant-specific exemption is required to support
the use of the eight assemblies.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its safety evaluation of the proposed action
and concludes that application of 10 CFR 50.46, and Appendix K to 10
CFR 50, is not necessary for the licensee to achieve its underlying
purposes.
The details of the NRC staff's safety evaluation will be provided
in the exemption that will be issued as part of the letter to the
licensee approving the exemption to the regulation. The proposed action
will not significantly increase the probability or consequences of
accidents. No changes are being made in the types of effluents that may
be released off site. There is no significant increase in the amount of
any effluent released off site. There is no significant increase in
occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, there are no
significant radiological environmental impacts associated with the
proposed action.
With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed
action does not have a potential to affect any historic sites. It does
not affect non-radiological plant effluents and has no other
environmental impact. Therefore, there are no significant non-
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered
denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative).
Denial of the application would result in no change in current
environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of the proposed action
and the alternative action are similar.
Alternative Use of Resources
The action does not involve the use of any different resources than
those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for
Braidwoood NUREG-1026, dated June 1984.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on August 29, 2007, the NRC
staff consulted with the Illinois State official, Mr. Frank Niziolek of
the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, regarding the environmental
impact of the proposed action. The State official had no comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the environmental assessment, 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.
For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the
licensee's letter dated September 26, 2006, as supplemented by letter
dated August 8, 2007. Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a
fee, at the NRC's
[[Page 52586]]
Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public
File Area O1F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville,
Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically
from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)
Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site,
https://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 PDR Reference staff by
telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or send an e-mail to
pdr@nrc.gov.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 10th day of September, 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Robert F. Kuntz,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch III-2. Division of Operating
Reactor Licensing. Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E7-18141 Filed 9-13-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P