Omaha Public Power District; Fort Calhoun Station, Unit No. 1, 56060-56062 [2017-25561]

Download as PDF 56060 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 226 / Monday, November 27, 2017 / Notices licensing actions and related activities, submission dates, and plans for construction and inspection activities. The overarching goal of this information collection is to assist the NRC staff more effectively and efficiently plan, schedule, and implement activities and reviews in a timely manner. III. Specific Requests for Comments The NRC is seeking comments that address the following questions: 1. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the NRC to properly perform its functions? Does the information have practical utility? 2. Is the estimate of the burden of the information collection accurate? 3. Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected? 4. How can the burden of the information collection on respondents be minimized, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology? Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of November 2017. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. David Cullison, NRC Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. 2017–25513 Filed 11–24–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 50–285; NRC–2017–0223] Omaha Public Power District; Fort Calhoun Station, Unit No. 1 Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact; issuance. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of exemptions in response to a request from Omaha Public Power District (OPPD or the licensee) that would permit the licensee to reduce its emergency planning (EP) activities at the Fort Calhoun Station, Unit No. 1 (Fort Calhoun). The licensee is seeking exemptions that would eliminate the requirements for the licensee to maintain formal offsite radiological emergency plans, and reduce some of the onsite EP activities, based on the reduced risks at Fort Calhoun, which is permanently shutdown and defueled. However, requirements for certain onsite capabilities to communicate and coordinate with offsite response asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:59 Nov 24, 2017 Jkt 244001 authorities, in the event of an emergency at Fort Calhoun, would be retained. The NRC staff is issuing an environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) associated with the proposed exemptions. DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document are available on November 27, 2017. ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2017–0223 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 Web Site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2017–0223. Address questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301–415–3463; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. 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 publiclyavailable documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://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 pdr.resource@nrc.gov. 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: James Kim, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555– 0001; telephone: 301–415–4125; email: James.Kim@nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction Fort Calhoun is a permanently shutdown and defueled nuclear power plant, located in Washington County, Nebraska, which is in the process of decommissioning. The licensee is the holder of Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR–40 for operation of Fort Calhoun. Fort Calhoun has been shut down since October 24, 2016, and PO 00000 Frm 00076 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 the final removal of fuel from its reactor vessel was completed on November 13, 2016. By letter dated November 13, 2016, OPPD submitted to the NRC a certification of the permanent cessation of power operations at Fort Calhoun and the permanent removal of fuel from the Fort Calhoun reactor vessel. As a permanently shutdown and defueled facility, and pursuant to section 50.82(a)(2) of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Fort Calhoun is no longer authorized to be operated or to have fuel placed into its reactor vessel. However, the licensee is still authorized to possess and store irradiated nuclear fuel, which is currently stored onsite at Fort Calhoun in a spent fuel pool and in an independent spent fuel storage installation. The licensee has requested exemptions for Fort Calhoun from certain EP requirements in 10 CFR part 50, ‘‘Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities.’’ The NRC regulations concerning EP do not recognize the reduced risks after a reactor is permanently shut down and defueled. As such, a permanently shutdown and defueled reactor such as Fort Calhoun must continue to maintain the same EP requirements as an operating power reactor under the existing regulatory requirements. To establish a level of EP commensurate with the reduced risks of a permanently shutdown and defueled reactor, OPPD requires exemptions from certain EP regulatory requirements before it can change its emergency plans. The NRC is considering issuing exemptions from portions of 10 CFR 50.47, ‘‘Emergency plans,’’ and 10 CFR part 50, appendix E, ‘‘Emergency Planning and Preparedness for Production and Utilization Facilities,’’ to OPPD, which would eliminate the requirements for OPPD to maintain offsite radiological emergency plans and reduce some of the onsite EP activities, based on the reduced risks at Fort Calhoun, due to its permanently shutdown and defueled status. Consistent with 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC has reviewed the requirements in 10 CFR 51.20(b) and 10 CFR 51.22(c) and determined that an EA is the appropriate form of environmental review for the requested action. Based on the results of the EA, which is provided in Section II of this document, the NRC has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed action, and is issuing a FONSI. E:\FR\FM\27NON1.SGM 27NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 226 / Monday, November 27, 2017 / Notices asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES II. Environmental Assessment Description of the Proposed Action The proposed action would exempt OPPD from meeting certain requirements set forth in 10 CFR 50.47 and appendix E to 10 CFR part 50. More specifically, OPPD requested exemptions from: (1) Certain requirements in 10 CFR 50.47(b) regarding onsite and offsite emergency response plans for nuclear power reactors; (2) certain requirements in 10 CFR 50.47(c)(2) to establish plume exposure and ingestion pathway emergency planning zones for nuclear power reactors; and (3) certain requirements in 10 CFR part 50, appendix E, section IV, which establishes the elements that make up the content of a licensee’s emergency plan. The proposed action of granting these exemptions would eliminate the requirements for OPPD to maintain formal offsite radiological emergency plans, as described in 44 CFR part 350, and reduce some of the onsite EP activities at Fort Calhoun, based on the reduced risks at the permanently shutdown and defueled reactor. However, requirements for certain onsite capabilities to communicate and coordinate with offsite response authorities, in the event of an emergency at Fort Calhoun, would be retained. Additionally, if necessary, offsite protective actions could still be implemented using a comprehensive emergency management plan (CEMP) process. A CEMP in this context, also referred to as an emergency operations plan, is addressed in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101. The CPG 101 is the foundation for State, territorial, Tribal, and local EP in the United States. It promotes a common understanding of the fundamentals of risk-informed planning and decision making, and helps planners at all levels of government in their efforts to develop and maintain viable, all-hazards, allthreats emergency plans. An emergency operations plan is flexible enough for use in all emergencies. It describes how people and property will be protected; details regarding who is responsible for carrying out specific actions; identifies the personnel, equipment, facilities, supplies, and other resources available; and outlines the process by which all actions will be coordinated. A CEMP is often referred to as a synonym for ‘‘allhazards planning.’’ The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee’s application dated December 16, 2016, as supplemented by letters dated February 10, April 14, and VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:59 Nov 24, 2017 Jkt 244001 April 20, 2017, in which OPPD provided responses to the NRC staff’s requests for additional information concerning the proposed exemptions. Need for the Proposed Action The proposed action is needed for OPPD to revise Fort Calhoun’s Emergency Plan to reflect the permanently shutdown and defueled status of the facility. The EP requirements currently applicable to Fort Calhoun are for an operating power reactor. There are no explicit regulatory provisions distinguishing EP requirements for a power reactor that has been permanently shut down and defueled, from those for an operating power reactor. Therefore, since the 10 CFR part 50 license for Fort Calhoun no longer authorizes operation of the reactor or emplacement or retention of fuel into the reactor vessel, as specified in 10 CFR 50.82(a)(2), the occurrence of postulated accidents associated with reactor operation is no longer credible. In its exemption request, the licensee identified the remaining possible accidents at Fort Calhoun in its permanently shutdown and defueled condition. The NRC staff evaluated these possible radiological accidents, as memorialized in the Commission Paper (SECY)–17–0080, ‘‘Request by the Omaha Public Power District for Exemptions from Certain Emergency Planning Requirements for the Fort Calhoun Station, Unit No. 1,’’ dated August 10, 2017. In SECY–17–0080, the NRC staff stated that it had verified that OPPD’s analyses and calculations provided reasonable assurance that if the requested exemptions were granted, then: (1) For a design-basis accident, an offsite radiological release will not exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Protective Action Guides (PAGs) at the exclusion area boundary, as detailed in the Environmental Protection Agency ‘‘PAG Manual: Protective Action Guides and Planning Guidance for Radiological Incidents,’’ January 2017; and (2) in the unlikely event of a beyond design-basis accident, resulting in a loss of all spent fuel pool cooling, there is sufficient time to initiate appropriate mitigating actions on site and, if a release is projected to occur, there is sufficient time for offsite agencies to take protective actions using a CEMP to protect the public health and safety. The Commission approved the NRC staff’s recommendation to grant the exemptions, based on this evaluation in its Staff Requirements Memorandum (SRM) to SECY–17–0080, dated October 25, 2017. Based on these analyses, the licensee stated that complete application of the PO 00000 Frm 00077 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 56061 EP rule to Fort Calhoun, in its particular circumstances as a permanently shutdown and defueled reactor, would not serve the underlying purpose of the rule or is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the rule. The licensee also stated that it would incur undue costs in the application of operating plant EP requirements for the maintenance of an emergency response organization in excess of that actually needed to respond to the diminished scope of credible accidents for a permanently shutdown and defueled reactor. Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action Based on the conclusions reached in SECY–17–0080, the NRC staff concludes that the exemptions, if granted, would not significantly increase the probability or consequences of accidents at Fort Calhoun in its permanently shutdown and defueled condition. There would be no significant change in the types of any effluents that may be released offsite. There would be no significant increase in the amounts of any effluents that may be released offsite. There would be no significant increase in individual or cumulative 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 any foreseeable impacts to land, air, or water resources, including impacts to biota. In addition, there are no known socioeconomic or environmental justice impacts associated with the proposed action. Therefore, there are no significant nonradiological 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 NRC staff considered the denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ‘‘no-action’’ alternative). The denial of the proposed action would not result in a change to the current environmental impacts. Therefore, the environmental impacts of the proposed action and the alternative action are similar. Alternative Use of Resources The proposed action does not involve the use of any different resources than those considered in the Final Environmental Statement for the Fort E:\FR\FM\27NON1.SGM 27NON1 56062 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 226 / Monday, November 27, 2017 / Notices Calhoun Station, Unit No. 1 dated August 1972 as supplemented through the ‘‘Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Fort Calhoun Station Unit 1—Final Report (NUREG–1437, Supplement 12).’’ Agencies or Persons Consulted The NRC staff did not enter into consultation with any other Federal agency or with the State of Nebraska regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. On October 5, 2017, the Nebraska state representative was notified of this EA and FONSI. III. Finding of No Significant Impact The licensee has proposed exemptions from: (1) Certain requirements in 10 CFR 50.47(b) regarding onsite and offsite emergency response plans for nuclear power reactors; (2) certain requirements in 10 CFR 50.47(c)(2) to establish plume exposure and ingestion pathway emergency planning zones for nuclear power reactors; and (3) certain requirements in 10 CFR part 50, appendix E, section IV, which establishes the elements that make up the content of a licensee’s emergency plan. The proposed action of granting these exemptions would eliminate the requirements for the licensee to maintain formal offsite radiological emergency plans, as described in 44 CFR part 350, and reduce some of the onsite EP activities at Fort Calhoun, based on the reduced risks at the permanently shutdown and defueled reactor. However, requirements for certain onsite capabilities to communicate and coordinate with offsite response authorities following declaration of an emergency at Fort Calhoun will be retained and offsite ‘‘all hazards’’ EP provisions will still exist through State and local government use of a CEMP. Consistent with 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC conducted the EA for the proposed action, which is included in Section II of this document, and incorporated by reference in this finding. On the basis of this EA, the NRC concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has decided not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed action. 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. Document ADAMS Accession No./Web link Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans, Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101, Version 2.0, November 2010. Docket No. 50–285, Request for Exemptions from Portions of 10 CFR 50.47 and 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix E, dated December 16, 2016. Docket No. 50–285, Supplemental Information Needed For Acceptance of Requested Licensing Action RE: Fort Calhoun Station Request for Exemptions from Portions of 10 CFR 50.47 and 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix E, dated February 10, 2017. Docket No. 50–285, Response to Request for Additional Information, Fort Calhoun Station, Unit No. 1—Final Request for Additional Information Concerning Exemption from the Requirements of 10 CFR 50.47 and Appendix E, dated April 14, 2017. Docket No. 50–285, Response to Request for Additional Information, Fort Calhoun Station, Unit No. 1—Request for Additional Information RE: Defueled Emergency Plan Exemption Request, dated April 20, 2017. PAG Manual: Protective Action Guides and Planning Guidance for Radiological Incidents, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, January 2017. SECY–17–0080, ‘‘Request by the Omaha Public Power District for Exemptions from Certain Emergency Planning Requirements for the Fort Calhoun Station, Unit No. 1,’’ dated August 10, 2017. Staff Requirements Memorandum to SECY–17–0080, dated October 25, 2017 .......................... Staff Requirements Memorandum to SECY–08–0024, ‘‘Delegation of Commission Authority to Staff to Approve or Deny Emergency Plan Changes that Represent a Decrease in Effectiveness,’’ dated May 19, 2008. NUREG–1437, Supplement 12, ‘‘Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants Regarding Fort Calhoun Station Unit 1,’’ August 2003. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day of November, 2017. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Glenn E. Miller, Acting Chief, Special Projects and Process Branch, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES [FR Doc. 2017–25561 Filed 11–24–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC–2017–0069] Information Collection: Voluntary Reporting of Performance Indicators Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Notice of submission to the Office of Management and Budget; request for comment. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently submitted a request for renewal of an existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The information SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:59 Nov 24, 2017 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00078 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 https://www.fema.gov/pdf/about/divisions/npd/ CPG_101_V2.pdf. ADAMS Accession No. ML16356A578. ADAMS Accession No. ML17041A443. ADAMS Accession No. ML17104A191. ADAMS Accession No. ML17111A857. ADAMS Accession No. ML17044A073. ADAMS Accession No. ML17116A430. ADAMS Accession No. ML17298A976. ADAMS Accession No. ML081400510. ADAMS Accession No. ML032110191. collection is entitled, ‘‘Voluntary Reporting of Performance Indicators.’’ DATES: Submit comments by December 27, 2017. ADDRESSES: Submit comments directly to the OMB reviewer at: Brandon F. DeBruhl, Desk Officer, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (3150–0195), NEOB–10202, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503; telephone: 202–395–0710, email: oira_submission@omb.eop.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Cullison, NRC Clearance Officer, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–0001; telephone: 301–415–2084; email: Infocollects.Resource@nrc.gov. E:\FR\FM\27NON1.SGM 27NON1

Agencies

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 226 (Monday, November 27, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56060-56062]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-25561]

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

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-285; NRC-2017-0223]

Omaha Public Power District; Fort Calhoun Station, 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
issuance of exemptions in response to a request from Omaha Public Power
District (OPPD or the licensee) that would permit the licensee to
reduce its emergency planning (EP) activities at the Fort Calhoun
Station, Unit No. 1 (Fort Calhoun). The licensee is seeking exemptions
that would eliminate the requirements for the licensee to maintain
formal offsite radiological emergency plans, and reduce some of the
onsite EP activities, based on the reduced risks at Fort Calhoun, which
is permanently shutdown and defueled. However, requirements for certain
onsite capabilities to communicate and coordinate with offsite response
authorities, in the event of an emergency at Fort Calhoun, would be
retained. The NRC staff is issuing an environmental assessment (EA) and
finding of no significant impact (FONSI) associated with the proposed
exemptions.

DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document are available on
November 27, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2017-0223 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 Web Site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2017-0223. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. 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 ``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 pdr.resource@nrc.gov. 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: James Kim, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001; telephone: 301-415-4125; email: James.Kim@nrc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

Fort Calhoun is a permanently shutdown and defueled nuclear power
plant, located in Washington County, Nebraska, which is in the process
of decommissioning. The licensee is the holder of Renewed Facility
Operating License No. DPR-40 for operation of Fort Calhoun. Fort
Calhoun has been shut down since October 24, 2016, and the final
removal of fuel from its reactor vessel was completed on November 13,
2016. By letter dated November 13, 2016, OPPD submitted to the NRC a
certification of the permanent cessation of power operations at Fort
Calhoun and the permanent removal of fuel from the Fort Calhoun reactor
vessel. As a permanently shutdown and defueled facility, and pursuant
to section 50.82(a)(2) of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations
(10 CFR), Fort Calhoun is no longer authorized to be operated or to
have fuel placed into its reactor vessel. However, the licensee is
still authorized to possess and store irradiated nuclear fuel, which is
currently stored onsite at Fort Calhoun in a spent fuel pool and in an
independent spent fuel storage installation.
The licensee has requested exemptions for Fort Calhoun from certain
EP requirements in 10 CFR part 50, ``Domestic Licensing of Production
and Utilization Facilities.'' The NRC regulations concerning EP do not
recognize the reduced risks after a reactor is permanently shut down
and defueled. As such, a permanently shutdown and defueled reactor such
as Fort Calhoun must continue to maintain the same EP requirements as
an operating power reactor under the existing regulatory requirements.
To establish a level of EP commensurate with the reduced risks of a
permanently shutdown and defueled reactor, OPPD requires exemptions
from certain EP regulatory requirements before it can change its
emergency plans.
The NRC is considering issuing exemptions from portions of 10 CFR
50.47, ``Emergency plans,'' and 10 CFR part 50, appendix E, ``Emergency
Planning and Preparedness for Production and Utilization Facilities,''
to OPPD, which would eliminate the requirements for OPPD to maintain
offsite radiological emergency plans and reduce some of the onsite EP
activities, based on the reduced risks at Fort Calhoun, due to its
permanently shutdown and defueled status. Consistent with 10 CFR 51.21,
the NRC has reviewed the requirements in 10 CFR 51.20(b) and 10 CFR
51.22(c) and determined that an EA is the appropriate form of
environmental review for the requested action. Based on the results of
the EA, which is provided in Section II of this document, the NRC has
determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the
proposed action, and is issuing a FONSI.

[[Page 56061]]

II. Environmental Assessment

Description of the Proposed Action

The proposed action would exempt OPPD from meeting certain
requirements set forth in 10 CFR 50.47 and appendix E to 10 CFR part
50. More specifically, OPPD requested exemptions from: (1) Certain
requirements in 10 CFR 50.47(b) regarding onsite and offsite emergency
response plans for nuclear power reactors; (2) certain requirements in
10 CFR 50.47(c)(2) to establish plume exposure and ingestion pathway
emergency planning zones for nuclear power reactors; and (3) certain
requirements in 10 CFR part 50, appendix E, section IV, which
establishes the elements that make up the content of a licensee's
emergency plan. The proposed action of granting these exemptions would
eliminate the requirements for OPPD to maintain formal offsite
radiological emergency plans, as described in 44 CFR part 350, and
reduce some of the onsite EP activities at Fort Calhoun, based on the
reduced risks at the permanently shutdown and defueled reactor.
However, requirements for certain onsite capabilities to communicate
and coordinate with offsite response authorities, in the event of an
emergency at Fort Calhoun, would be retained. Additionally, if
necessary, offsite protective actions could still be implemented using
a comprehensive emergency management plan (CEMP) process. A CEMP in
this context, also referred to as an emergency operations plan, is
addressed in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Comprehensive
Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101. The CPG 101 is the foundation for State,
territorial, Tribal, and local EP in the United States. It promotes a
common understanding of the fundamentals of risk-informed planning and
decision making, and helps planners at all levels of government in
their efforts to develop and maintain viable, all-hazards, all-threats
emergency plans. An emergency operations plan is flexible enough for
use in all emergencies. It describes how people and property will be
protected; details regarding who is responsible for carrying out
specific actions; identifies the personnel, equipment, facilities,
supplies, and other resources available; and outlines the process by
which all actions will be coordinated. A CEMP is often referred to as a
synonym for ``all-hazards planning.''
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated December 16, 2016, as supplemented by letters dated
February 10, April 14, and April 20, 2017, in which OPPD provided
responses to the NRC staff's requests for additional information
concerning the proposed exemptions.

Need for the Proposed Action

The proposed action is needed for OPPD to revise Fort Calhoun's
Emergency Plan to reflect the permanently shutdown and defueled status
of the facility. The EP requirements currently applicable to Fort
Calhoun are for an operating power reactor. There are no explicit
regulatory provisions distinguishing EP requirements for a power
reactor that has been permanently shut down and defueled, from those
for an operating power reactor. Therefore, since the 10 CFR part 50
license for Fort Calhoun no longer authorizes operation of the reactor
or emplacement or retention of fuel into the reactor vessel, as
specified in 10 CFR 50.82(a)(2), the occurrence of postulated accidents
associated with reactor operation is no longer credible.
In its exemption request, the licensee identified the remaining
possible accidents at Fort Calhoun in its permanently shutdown and
defueled condition. The NRC staff evaluated these possible radiological
accidents, as memorialized in the Commission Paper (SECY)-17-0080,
``Request by the Omaha Public Power District for Exemptions from
Certain Emergency Planning Requirements for the Fort Calhoun Station,
Unit No. 1,'' dated August 10, 2017. In SECY-17-0080, the NRC staff
stated that it had verified that OPPD's analyses and calculations
provided reasonable assurance that if the requested exemptions were
granted, then: (1) For a design-basis accident, an offsite radiological
release will not exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
Protective Action Guides (PAGs) at the exclusion area boundary, as
detailed in the Environmental Protection Agency ``PAG Manual:
Protective Action Guides and Planning Guidance for Radiological
Incidents,'' January 2017; and (2) in the unlikely event of a beyond
design-basis accident, resulting in a loss of all spent fuel pool
cooling, there is sufficient time to initiate appropriate mitigating
actions on site and, if a release is projected to occur, there is
sufficient time for offsite agencies to take protective actions using a
CEMP to protect the public health and safety. The Commission approved
the NRC staff's recommendation to grant the exemptions, based on this
evaluation in its Staff Requirements Memorandum (SRM) to SECY-17-0080,
dated October 25, 2017.
Based on these analyses, the licensee stated that complete
application of the EP rule to Fort Calhoun, in its particular
circumstances as a permanently shutdown and defueled reactor, would not
serve the underlying purpose of the rule or is not necessary to achieve
the underlying purpose of the rule. The licensee also stated that it
would incur undue costs in the application of operating plant EP
requirements for the maintenance of an emergency response organization
in excess of that actually needed to respond to the diminished scope of
credible accidents for a permanently shutdown and defueled reactor.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

Based on the conclusions reached in SECY-17-0080, the NRC staff
concludes that the exemptions, if granted, would not significantly
increase the probability or consequences of accidents at Fort Calhoun
in its permanently shutdown and defueled condition. There would be no
significant change in the types of any effluents that may be released
offsite. There would be no significant increase in the amounts of any
effluents that may be released offsite. There would be no significant
increase in individual or cumulative 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 any foreseeable impacts to land, air, or water
resources, including impacts to biota. In addition, there are no known
socioeconomic or environmental justice impacts associated with the
proposed action. 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 NRC staff considered
the denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action''
alternative). The denial of the proposed action would not result in a
change to the current environmental impacts. Therefore, the
environmental impacts of the proposed action and the alternative action
are similar.

Alternative Use of Resources

The proposed action does not involve the use of any different
resources than those considered in the Final Environmental Statement
for the Fort

[[Page 56062]]

Calhoun Station, Unit No. 1 dated August 1972 as supplemented through
the ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of
Nuclear Plants: Fort Calhoun Station Unit 1--Final Report (NUREG-1437,
Supplement 12).''

Agencies or Persons Consulted

The NRC staff did not enter into consultation with any other
Federal agency or with the State of Nebraska regarding the
environmental impact of the proposed action. On October 5, 2017, the
Nebraska state representative was notified of this EA and FONSI.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

The licensee has proposed exemptions from: (1) Certain requirements
in 10 CFR 50.47(b) regarding onsite and offsite emergency response
plans for nuclear power reactors; (2) certain requirements in 10 CFR
50.47(c)(2) to establish plume exposure and ingestion pathway emergency
planning zones for nuclear power reactors; and (3) certain requirements
in 10 CFR part 50, appendix E, section IV, which establishes the
elements that make up the content of a licensee's emergency plan. The
proposed action of granting these exemptions would eliminate the
requirements for the licensee to maintain formal offsite radiological
emergency plans, as described in 44 CFR part 350, and reduce some of
the onsite EP activities at Fort Calhoun, based on the reduced risks at
the permanently shutdown and defueled reactor. However, requirements
for certain onsite capabilities to communicate and coordinate with
offsite response authorities following declaration of an emergency at
Fort Calhoun will be retained and offsite ``all hazards'' EP provisions
will still exist through State and local government use of a CEMP.
Consistent with 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC conducted the EA for the
proposed action, which is included in Section II of this document, and
incorporated by reference in this finding. On the basis of this EA, the
NRC concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant
effect on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC
has decided not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the
proposed action.

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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADAMS Accession No./Web
Document link
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Developing and Maintaining Emergency https://www.fema.gov/pdf/
Operations Plans, Comprehensive Preparedness about/divisions/npd/
Guide (CPG) 101, Version 2.0, November 2010. CPG_101_V2.pdf.
Docket No. 50-285, Request for Exemptions ADAMS Accession No.
from Portions of 10 CFR 50.47 and 10 CFR ML16356A578.
Part 50, Appendix E, dated December 16, 2016.
Docket No. 50-285, Supplemental Information ADAMS Accession No.
Needed For Acceptance of Requested Licensing ML17041A443.
Action RE: Fort Calhoun Station Request for
Exemptions from Portions of 10 CFR 50.47 and
10 CFR Part 50, Appendix E, dated February
10, 2017.
Docket No. 50-285, Response to Request for ADAMS Accession No.
Additional Information, Fort Calhoun ML17104A191.
Station, Unit No. 1--Final Request for
Additional Information Concerning Exemption
from the Requirements of 10 CFR 50.47 and
Appendix E, dated April 14, 2017.
Docket No. 50-285, Response to Request for ADAMS Accession No.
Additional Information, Fort Calhoun ML17111A857.
Station, Unit No. 1--Request for Additional
Information RE: Defueled Emergency Plan
Exemption Request, dated April 20, 2017.
PAG Manual: Protective Action Guides and ADAMS Accession No.
Planning Guidance for Radiological ML17044A073.
Incidents, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, January 2017.
SECY-17-0080, ``Request by the Omaha Public ADAMS Accession No.
Power District for Exemptions from Certain ML17116A430.
Emergency Planning Requirements for the Fort
Calhoun Station, Unit No. 1,'' dated August
10, 2017.
Staff Requirements Memorandum to SECY-17- ADAMS Accession No.
0080, dated October 25, 2017. ML17298A976.
Staff Requirements Memorandum to SECY-08- ADAMS Accession No.
0024, ``Delegation of Commission Authority ML081400510.
to Staff to Approve or Deny Emergency Plan
Changes that Represent a Decrease in
Effectiveness,'' dated May 19, 2008.
NUREG-1437, Supplement 12, ``Generic ADAMS Accession No.
Environmental Impact Statement for License ML032110191.
Renewal of Nuclear Plants Regarding Fort
Calhoun Station Unit 1,'' August 2003.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day of November, 2017.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Glenn E. Miller,
Acting Chief, Special Projects and Process Branch, Division of
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2017-25561 Filed 11-24-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

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