Entergy Operations, Inc.; Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 3 Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact, 59560-59561 [E7-20731]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 203 / Monday, October 22, 2007 / Notices
Documents
ADAMS Accession Nos.
SHPO consultation ................................................................................................................................................
FWS consultation ...................................................................................................................................................
Environmental Assessment ...................................................................................................................................
If you do not have access to ADAMS or
if there are problems in accessing the
documents located in ADAMS, contact
the NRC’s Public Document Room (PDR)
Reference staff at 1–800–397–4209, 301–
415–4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.
These documents may also be viewed
electronically on the public computers
located at the NRC’s PDR, O1–F21, One
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville
Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. The PDR
reproduction contractor will copy
documents for a fee.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 12th day
of October 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Andrew Persinko,
Branch Chief, Reactor Decommissioning
Branch, Division of Waste Management and
Environmental Protection, Office of Federal
and State Materials and Environmental
Management Programs.
[FR Doc. E7–20746 Filed 10–19–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50–382]
Entergy Operations, Inc.; Waterford
Steam Electric Station, Unit 3
Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of exemptions from Title 10 of
the Code of Federal Regulations (10
CFR) Part 50, Section 50.46 and
Appendix K, for Facility Operating
License No. NPF–38, issued to Entergy
Operations, Inc. (Entergy, the licensee),
for operation of the Waterford Steam
Electric Station, Unit 3 (Waterford 3),
located in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana.
Therefore, as required by 10 CFR 51.21,
the NRC is issuing this environmental
assessment and finding of no significant
impact.
Environmental Assessment
ebenthall on PRODPC61 with NOTICES
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would exempt
the licensee from the requirements of 10
CFR part 50, section 50.46 and
Appendix K to allow the use of
Optimized ZIRLOTM fuel rod cladding
as the allowable fuel rod cladding
material. The proposed action is in
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:02 Oct 19, 2007
Jkt 214001
accordance with Entergy’s application
dated April 24, 2007.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The NRC’s regulations in 10 CFR part
50, section 50.46 and Appendix K, make
no provision for use of fuel rod clad in
a material other than Zircaloy or
ZIRLOTM. Optimized ZIRLOTM has a
lower tin content than either Zircaloy or
ZIRLOTM; therefore, use of Optimized
ZIRLOTM fuel rod clad calls for an
exemption from 10 CFR part 50, section
50.46 and Appendix K.
For cladding with a lower tin content,
corrosive resistance has been found to
improve, as indicated by available
industry data from the American
Nuclear Society, the International
Atomic Energy Agency, the Electric
Power Research Institute, and
Westinghouse Electric Corporation. The
optimum tin level provides a reduced
corrosion rate while maintaining the
benefits of mechanical strength and
resistance to accelerated corrosion from
abnormal chemistry conditions. In
addition, fuel rod internal pressures
(resulting from increased fuel duty, use
of integral fuel burnable absorbers and
corrosion/temperature feedback effects)
have become more limiting with respect
to fuel rod design criteria. Reducing the
associated corrosion buildup, and thus,
minimizing temperature feedback
effects, provides additional margin to
fuel rod internal pressure design
criteria. The NRC previously granted a
similar exemption in July 2004 for
Waterford 3 for use of Optimized
ZIRLOTM in four lead-test assemblies.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed
Action
The NRC staff has completed its safety
evaluation of the proposed action and
concludes that the proposed exemptions
would continue to satisfy the
underlying purpose of 10 CFR part 50,
sections 50.46 and Appendix K, and
will not increase the probability or
consequences of accidents previously
analyzed and would not affect facility
radiation levels or facility radiological
effluents.
The details of the staff’s safety
evaluation will be provided in the
exemption that will be issued as part of
the letter to the licensee approving the
amendment to the regulation.
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
ML070430115, ML071240260,
ML071450487, ML072220371.
ML06026123 , ML060730519.
ML072390323, ML072390296.
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 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 ‘‘no-action’’ alternative
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 Waterford
3, dated September 1981.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy,
on August 17, 2007, the staff consulted
with the Louisiana State official, Ms.
Nan Calhoun of the Louisiana
Department of Environmental Quality,
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
E:\FR\FM\22OCN1.SGM
22OCN1
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 203 / Monday, October 22, 2007 / Notices
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 April 24, 2007. Documents may
be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at
the NRC’s Public Document Room
(PDR), located at One White Flint North,
Public File Area O1F21, 1555 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 25th day
of September 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Nageswaran Kalyanam,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch IV,
Division of Operating Reactor Licensing,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E7–20731 Filed 10–19–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 030–31988]
Notice of Availability of Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for Termination of
Byproduct Materials License No. 04–
29022–01 and Unrestricted Release of
the Department of Commerce, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s Facility in La Jolla,
California
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
AGENCY:
Issuance of environmental
assessment and finding of no Significant
impact for license amendment.
ACTION:
Jack
E. Whitten, Chief, Nuclear Materials
Safety Branch B, Division of Nuclear
Materials Safety, Region IV, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Arlington, Texas 76011; telephone (817)
860–8197; fax number (817) 860–8263;
or by e-mail: jew1@nrc.gov.
ebenthall on PRODPC61 with NOTICES
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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15:02 Oct 19, 2007
Jkt 214001
I. Introduction
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is considering the
issuance of a license amendment to
Byproduct Material License No. 04–
29022–01. This license is held by the
United States Department of Commerce,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Southwest Fisheries
Science Center (the Licensee). Issuance
of the amendment would authorize
release of the La Jolla Facility (the
Facility) for unrestricted use and
termination of the NRC license. The
licensee requested this action in a letter
dated February 27, 2007. The NRC has
prepared an Environmental Assessment
(EA) in support of this proposed action
in accordance with the requirements of
Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR), Part 51 (10 CFR part 51). Based
on the EA, the NRC has concluded that
a Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) is appropriate with respect to
the proposed action. The amendment
will be issued to the Licensee following
the publication of this FONSI and EA in
the Federal Register.
II. Environmental Assessment
Identification of Proposed Action
The proposed action would approve
the Licensee’s February 27, 2007,
license amendment request, resulting in
release of the Facility for unrestricted
use and termination of its NRC materials
license. License No. 04–29022–01 was
issued on January 23, 1991, pursuant to
10 CFR part 30, and has been amended
periodically since that time. The license
authorized the Licensee to use unsealed
byproduct material for laboratory tracer
studies.
The license allowed the Licensee to
use radioactive material at both the
Southwest Fisheries Science Center and
on any NOAA research ship (or any
other ship with an agreement with
NOAA) at temporary jobsites at sea. The
Southwest Fisheries Science Center is
located in a commercial area. Within the
Facility, use of licensed materials was
confined to one room in the building.
During 2005, the Licensee ceased
licensed activities and initiated a survey
and decontamination of the Facility.
The license also required the Licensee
to certify the decontamination of every
research ship upon completion of each
research project using radioactive
material. Based on the Licensee’s
historical knowledge of the site and the
conditions of the Facility, the Licensee
determined that only routine
decontamination activities, in
accordance with their radiation safety
procedures, were required. The Licensee
was not required to submit a
PO 00000
Frm 00051
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
59561
decommissioning plan to the NRC. The
Licensee conducted surveys of the
Facility and provided information to the
NRC to demonstrate that it meets the
criteria in Subpart E of 10 CFR part 20
for unrestricted release and license
termination.
Need for the Proposed Action
The Licensee has ceased conducting
licensed activities at the Facility and
seeks the unrestricted use of its Facility
and the termination of its NRC materials
license. Termination of its license
would end the Licensee’s obligation to
pay annual license fees to the NRC.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed
Action
The historical review of licensed
activities conducted at the Facility
shows that such activities involved the
use of one radionuclide with a half-life
of greater than 120 days: carbon-14.
Prior to performing the final status
survey, the Licensee conducted
decontamination activities, as
necessary, in the areas of the Facility
affected by these radionuclides.
The Licensee conducted a final status
survey during January 2007. This survey
covered the remaining room (D–229)
where radioactive material had been
used and stored. The final status survey
report was attached to the Licensee’s
amendment request dated February 27,
2007. The Licensee elected to
demonstrate compliance with the
radiological criteria for unrestricted
release as specified in 10 CFR 20.1402
by using the screening approach
described in NUREG–1757,
‘‘Consolidated NMSS Decommissioning
Guidance,’’ Volume 2. The Licensee
elected to use a fraction of the
radionuclide-specific derived
concentration guideline levels (DCGLs),
developed by the NRC, which comply
with the dose criterion in 10 CFR
20.1402. These DCGLs define the
maximum amount of residual
radioactivity on building surfaces,
equipment, and materials and in soils
that will satisfy the NRC requirements
in Subpart E of 10 CFR part 20 for
unrestricted release. The Licensee’s
final status survey results were below
these DCGLs, and are thus acceptable.
Based on its review, the staff has
determined that the affected
environment and any environmental
impacts associated with the proposed
action are bounded by the impacts
evaluated by the ‘‘Generic
Environmental Impact Statement in
Support of Rulemaking on Radiological
Criteria for License Termination of NRCLicensed Nuclear Facilities’’ (NUREG–
1496) Volumes 1–3 (ML042310492,
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 203 (Monday, October 22, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59560-59561]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20731]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-382]
Entergy Operations, Inc.; Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit
3 Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of exemptions from Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations
(10 CFR) Part 50, Section 50.46 and Appendix K, for Facility Operating
License No. NPF-38, issued to Entergy Operations, Inc. (Entergy, the
licensee), for operation of the Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit
3 (Waterford 3), located in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. 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 exempt the licensee from the requirements
of 10 CFR part 50, section 50.46 and Appendix K to allow the use of
Optimized ZIRLOTM fuel rod cladding as the allowable fuel
rod cladding material. The proposed action is in accordance with
Entergy's application dated April 24, 2007.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The NRC's regulations in 10 CFR part 50, section 50.46 and Appendix
K, make no provision for use of fuel rod clad in a material other than
Zircaloy or ZIRLOTM. Optimized ZIRLOTM has a
lower tin content than either Zircaloy or ZIRLOTM;
therefore, use of Optimized ZIRLOTM fuel rod clad calls for
an exemption from 10 CFR part 50, section 50.46 and Appendix K.
For cladding with a lower tin content, corrosive resistance has
been found to improve, as indicated by available industry data from the
American Nuclear Society, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the
Electric Power Research Institute, and Westinghouse Electric
Corporation. The optimum tin level provides a reduced corrosion rate
while maintaining the benefits of mechanical strength and resistance to
accelerated corrosion from abnormal chemistry conditions. In addition,
fuel rod internal pressures (resulting from increased fuel duty, use of
integral fuel burnable absorbers and corrosion/temperature feedback
effects) have become more limiting with respect to fuel rod design
criteria. Reducing the associated corrosion buildup, and thus,
minimizing temperature feedback effects, provides additional margin to
fuel rod internal pressure design criteria. The NRC previously granted
a similar exemption in July 2004 for Waterford 3 for use of Optimized
ZIRLOTM in four lead-test assemblies.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC staff has completed its safety evaluation of the proposed
action and concludes that the proposed exemptions would continue to
satisfy the underlying purpose of 10 CFR part 50, sections 50.46 and
Appendix K, and will not increase the probability or consequences of
accidents previously analyzed and would not affect facility radiation
levels or facility radiological effluents.
The details of the staff's safety evaluation will be provided in
the exemption that will be issued as part of the letter to the licensee
approving the amendment 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 ``no-action'' alternative 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
Waterford 3, dated September 1981.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on August 17, 2007, the staff
consulted with the Louisiana State official, Ms. Nan Calhoun of the
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, 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
[[Page 59561]]
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 April 24, 2007. Documents may be examined, and/
or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located
at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1F21, 1555 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 25th day of September 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Nageswaran Kalyanam,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch IV, Division of Operating
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E7-20731 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
