Tennessee Valley Authority; Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact, 93358-93359 [2024-27667]
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93358
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 26, 2024 / Notices
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50–390; NRC–2024–0201]
Tennessee Valley Authority; Watts Bar
Nuclear Plant, Unit 1; Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Notice; issuance.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an amendment to Facility
Operating License No. NPF–90, issued
on February 7, 1996, and held by the
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, the
licensee) for the operation of Watts Bar
Nuclear Plant (Watts Bar), Unit 1. The
proposed action would revise the
expiration date for Facility Operating
License No. NPF–90 from November 9,
2035, to February 7, 2036. Specifically,
the expiration date of the Watts Bar,
Unit 1, full-power operating license
(FPOL) would be revised such that it
would expire 40 years from the date of
issuance of the FPOL, as permitted by
the NRC’s regulations. The NRC staff is
issuing an environmental assessment
(EA) and finding of no significant
impact (FONSI) associated with the
proposed amendment.
DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in
this document are available on
November 26, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID
NRC–2024–0201 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–2024–0201. Address
questions about Docket IDs in
Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann;
telephone: 301–415–0624; email:
Stacy.Schumann@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
‘‘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
PDR.Resource@nrc.gov. For the
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:03 Nov 25, 2024
Jkt 265001
convenience of the reader, instructions
about obtaining materials referenced in
this document are provided in the
‘‘Availability of Documents.’’
• 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 PDR.Resource@nrc.gov
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:
Kimberly Green, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington,
DC 20555–0001; telephone: 301–415–
1627; email: Kimberly.Green@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC is considering issuance of an
amendment to Facility Operating
License No. NPF–90, issued to TVA, for
operation of Watts Bar, Unit 1, located
in Rhea County, Tennessee. The
licensee requested the amendment to
the Facility Operating License by letter
dated April 17, 2024. 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
Federal Regulations (10 CFR),
‘‘Continuation of license.’’ Because this
action does not fall within the NRC’s list
of categorical exclusions in 10 CFR
51.22, ‘‘Criterion for categorical
exclusion; identification of licensing
and regulatory actions eligible for
categorical exclusion or otherwise not
requiring environmental review,’’ the
NRC prepared an EA, as required by 10
CFR 51.21, ‘‘Criteria for and
identification of licensing and
regulatory actions requiring
environmental assessments.’’ Based on
the results of the EA that follows, the
NRC has determined not to prepare an
environmental impact statement for the
amendment and is issuing a FONSI.
II. Environmental Assessment
Description of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would revise the
expiration date of Facility Operating
License No. NPF–90, for Watts Bar, Unit
1, from November 9, 2035, to February
7, 2036, as described in the licensee’s
application dated April 17, 2024.
Need for the Proposed Action
On November 9, 1995, the NRC issued
a low-power testing license (No. NPF–
20) that authorized TVA to operate
PO 00000
Frm 00086
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Watts Bar, Unit 1, at up to 5 percent of
rated thermal power. On February 7,
1996, the NRC issued an FPOL (No.
NPF–90) that authorized TVA to operate
Watts Bar, Unit 1, at up to 100 percent
of rated thermal 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 90 days during
which Watts Bar, Unit 1, operated at
low power, and extend the license
expiration date to February 7, 2036. The
proposed 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 LowPower Testing or Shutdown Time for
Nuclear Power Plants,’’ dated March 30,
1999, and SECY–98–296, ‘‘Agency
Policy Regarding Licensee Recapture of
Low-Power Testing or Shutdown Time
for Nuclear Power Plants,’’ dated
December 21, 1998.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed
Action
NUREG–0498, ‘‘Final Environmental
Statement related to the operation of
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units Nos. 1
and 2’’ (FES–OL), dated December 1978,
concluded that Watts Bar, Units 1 and
2, could operate with minimal
environmental impacts. Supplement 1
to NUREG–0498, which was issued to
re-examine the issues associated with
the environmental review before
issuance of an operating license,
concluded that the changes in the
design of the Watts Bar plant, the
proposed operations, and the affected
environment, including population and
demographics, land use, water use,
regional climatology and site
meteorology, background radiation,
terrestrial environment, and the aquatic
environment since the publication of
the 1978 FES–OL, are not significant
and, therefore, do not result in a
significant change in the environmental
impacts described in the 1978 FES–OL.
The proposed action would not affect
the design or operation of Watts Bar,
Unit 1, and does not involve any plant
modifications or increase the licensed
power for the plant. Therefore, the
proposed action would have no direct
impact on land use or water resources,
including terrestrial and aquatic biota.
In addition, the proposed action would
have no noticeable effect on
socioeconomic and environmental
justice conditions in the region, and no
adverse effect on historic and cultural
resources. Similarly, the proposed
action would not significantly increase
E:\FR\FM\26NON1.SGM
26NON1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 26, 2024 / Notices
the probability or consequences of
accidents or change the types of
effluents released offsite. Because the
proposed action would extend the
operating license by 90 days, which
represents only a small fraction of the
40-year operating life considered in
NUREG–0498, 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 additional quantities of
effluents and waste generated during the
proposed 90-day period of extension
would be nominal and in accordance
with current operating requirements and
regulatory limits. Therefore, the NRC
staff concludes that there would be no
significant radiological or nonradiological environmental impacts
associated with the proposed action.
The proposed action would have no
effect on air pollutant emissions or
ambient air quality. Therefore, the
proposed action would have no
significant effect on the quality of the
human environment.
Environmental Impacts of the
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed
action, the NRC staff considered denial
of the amendment request (i.e., the ‘‘noaction’’ alternative). Denial of the
The NRC staff did not enter into
consultation with any other Federal
agencies or persons regarding the
environmental impact of the proposed
action. However, in accordance with 10
CFR 50.91, ‘‘Notice for public comment;
State consultation,’’ the licensee
provided copies of its application to the
State of Tennessee. The NRC staff
consulted with the State of Tennessee
on November 1, 2024, regarding its
proposed determination of no
significant hazards consideration, and
the State had no comments.
expire 40 years from the date of
issuance of the FPOL, as permitted by
10 CFR 50.51. The proposed action is in
accordance with the licensee’s
application dated April 17, 2024.
Consistent with 10 CFR 51.21, the
NRC conducted an environmental
review of the proposed action and, in
accordance with 10 CFR 51.32(a)(4), this
FONSI incorporates the EA in Section II
of this document by reference. As stated
earlier, the NRC staff concludes that the
proposed action will not have a
significant effect on the quality of the
human environment. Accordingly, the
NRC staff has determined an
environmental impact statement for the
proposed action is not warranted.
This FONSI and related
environmental documents are available
for public inspection online in the
ADAMS Public Documents collection at
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’s PDR reference staff by telephone
at 1–800–397–4209 or 301–415–4737, or
by email to PDR.Resource@nrc.gov.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
IV. Availability of Documents
TVA requested a license amendment
to revise the expiration date of the Watts
Bar, Unit 1, license such that it would
The documents identified in the
following table are available to
interested persons through ADAMS.
amendment request would result in 90
fewer days of operation because the
FPOL would expire on its current
expiration date of November 9, 2035.
Therefore, there would be no change in
current environmental impacts.
Accordingly, the environmental impacts
from the proposed action and the noaction alternative would be similar.
Alternative Use of Resources
There are no unresolved conflicts
concerning alternative uses of available
resources under the proposed action.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
Document description
Adams Accession No.
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1, License Amendment Request to Recapture Low-Power
Testing Time (WBN–TS–23–19) dated April 17, 2024.
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1, Issuance of Low-Power Operating License No. NPF–20,
dated November 9, 1995.
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1, Issuance of Full-Power Operating License No. NPF–20,
dated February 7, 1996.
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.
SECY–98–296, ‘‘Agency Policy Regarding Licensee Recapture of Low-Power Testing or
Shutdown Time for Nuclear Power Plants,’’ dated December 21, 1998.
NUREG–0498, ‘‘Final Environmental Statement related to the operation of Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units Nos. 1 and 2’’ (FES–OL), dated December 1978.
Supplement 1 to NUREG–0498, dated April 1995 ...............................................................
Dated: November 21, 2024.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Kimberly Green,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing
Branch II–2, Division of Operating Reactor
Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation.
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
[FR Doc. 2024–27667 Filed 11–25–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
ML24108A015.
ML020780254.
ML073460320 (Package).
ML20205C095.
ML992870025.
ML082560457 (Package).
ML081430592.
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 11005472; NRC–2024–0195]
Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC;
Export License Application
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Opportunity to provide
comments, request a hearing, and
petition for leave to intervene.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) received and is
considering issuing an export license
SUMMARY:
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18:03 Nov 25, 2024
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93359
PO 00000
Frm 00087
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
(XR169/02), requested by Westinghouse
Electric Company, LLC (WEC) by
application dated June 11, 2015. The
application seeks the NRC’s approval to:
export nuclear equipment and
components to China, covered under
NRC regulations; expand the description
of the nuclear equipment and
components; add two additional units at
both the Sanmen and Haiyang sites for
a total of four units at each site; change
the name of one of the ‘‘Suppliers and/
or Other Parties to the Export’’; update
the licensee’s address; change the
licensee point of contact; and extend the
E:\FR\FM\26NON1.SGM
26NON1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 228 (Tuesday, November 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 93358-93359]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-27667]
[[Page 93358]]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-390; NRC-2024-0201]
Tennessee Valley Authority; Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1;
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice; issuance.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License No. NPF-90,
issued on February 7, 1996, and held by the Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA, the licensee) for the operation of Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (Watts
Bar), Unit 1. The proposed action would revise the expiration date for
Facility Operating License No. NPF-90 from November 9, 2035, to
February 7, 2036. Specifically, the expiration date of the Watts Bar,
Unit 1, full-power operating license (FPOL) would be revised such that
it would expire 40 years from the date of issuance of the FPOL, as
permitted by the NRC's regulations. The NRC staff is issuing an
environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact
(FONSI) associated with the proposed amendment.
DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document are available on
November 26, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2024-0201 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-2024-0201. 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]. For the convenience of the reader,
instructions about obtaining materials referenced in this document are
provided in the ``Availability of Documents.''
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: Kimberly Green, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-1627; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC is considering issuance of an amendment to Facility
Operating License No. NPF-90, issued to TVA, for operation of Watts
Bar, Unit 1, located in Rhea County, Tennessee. The licensee requested
the amendment to the Facility Operating License by letter dated April
17, 2024. 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 Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ``Continuation of license.''
Because this action does not fall within the NRC's list of categorical
exclusions in 10 CFR 51.22, ``Criterion for categorical exclusion;
identification of licensing and regulatory actions eligible for
categorical exclusion or otherwise not requiring environmental
review,'' the NRC prepared an EA, as required by 10 CFR 51.21,
``Criteria for and identification of licensing and regulatory actions
requiring environmental assessments.'' Based on the results of the EA
that follows, the NRC has determined not to prepare an environmental
impact statement for the amendment and is issuing a FONSI.
II. Environmental Assessment
Description of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would revise the expiration date of Facility
Operating License No. NPF-90, for Watts Bar, Unit 1, from November 9,
2035, to February 7, 2036, as described in the licensee's application
dated April 17, 2024.
Need for the Proposed Action
On November 9, 1995, the NRC issued a low-power testing license
(No. NPF-20) that authorized TVA to operate Watts Bar, Unit 1, at up to
5 percent of rated thermal power. On February 7, 1996, the NRC issued
an FPOL (No. NPF-90) that authorized TVA to operate Watts Bar, Unit 1,
at up to 100 percent of rated thermal 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 90
days during which Watts Bar, Unit 1, operated at low power, and extend
the license expiration date to February 7, 2036. The proposed 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, and
SECY-98-296, ``Agency Policy Regarding Licensee Recapture of Low-Power
Testing or Shutdown Time for Nuclear Power Plants,'' dated December 21,
1998.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
NUREG-0498, ``Final Environmental Statement related to the
operation of Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units Nos. 1 and 2'' (FES-OL),
dated December 1978, concluded that Watts Bar, Units 1 and 2, could
operate with minimal environmental impacts. Supplement 1 to NUREG-0498,
which was issued to re-examine the issues associated with the
environmental review before issuance of an operating license, concluded
that the changes in the design of the Watts Bar plant, the proposed
operations, and the affected environment, including population and
demographics, land use, water use, regional climatology and site
meteorology, background radiation, terrestrial environment, and the
aquatic environment since the publication of the 1978 FES-OL, are not
significant and, therefore, do not result in a significant change in
the environmental impacts described in the 1978 FES-OL.
The proposed action would not affect the design or operation of
Watts Bar, Unit 1, and does not involve any plant modifications or
increase the licensed power for the plant. Therefore, the proposed
action would have no direct impact on land use or water resources,
including terrestrial and aquatic biota. In addition, the proposed
action would have no noticeable effect on socioeconomic and
environmental justice conditions in the region, and no adverse effect
on historic and cultural resources. Similarly, the proposed action
would not significantly increase
[[Page 93359]]
the probability or consequences of accidents or change the types of
effluents released offsite. Because the proposed action would extend
the operating license by 90 days, which represents only a small
fraction of the 40-year operating life considered in NUREG-0498, 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 additional quantities of effluents and
waste generated during the proposed 90-day period of extension would be
nominal and in accordance with current operating requirements and
regulatory limits. Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that there would
be no significant radiological or non-radiological environmental
impacts associated with the proposed action. The proposed action would
have no effect on air pollutant emissions or ambient air quality.
Therefore, the proposed action would have no significant effect on the
quality of the human environment.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC staff considered
denial of the amendment request (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative).
Denial of the amendment request would result in 90 fewer days of
operation because the FPOL would expire on its current expiration date
of November 9, 2035. Therefore, there would be no change in current
environmental impacts. Accordingly, the environmental impacts from 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 and Persons Consulted
The NRC staff did not enter into consultation with any other
Federal agencies or persons regarding the environmental impact of the
proposed action. However, in accordance with 10 CFR 50.91, ``Notice for
public comment; State consultation,'' the licensee provided copies of
its application to the State of Tennessee. The NRC staff consulted with
the State of Tennessee on November 1, 2024, regarding its proposed
determination of no significant hazards consideration, and the State
had no comments.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
TVA requested a license amendment to revise the expiration date of
the Watts Bar, Unit 1, license such that it would expire 40 years from
the date of issuance of the FPOL, as permitted by 10 CFR 50.51. The
proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's application dated
April 17, 2024.
Consistent with 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC conducted an environmental
review of the proposed action and, in accordance with 10 CFR
51.32(a)(4), this FONSI incorporates the EA in Section II of this
document by reference. As stated earlier, the NRC staff concludes that
the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality
of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC staff has determined an
environmental impact statement for the proposed action is not
warranted.
This FONSI and related environmental documents are available for
public inspection online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at
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's PDR reference staff by
telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by email to
[email protected].
IV. Availability of Documents
The documents identified in the following table are available to
interested persons through ADAMS.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Document description Adams Accession No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1, License ML24108A015.
Amendment Request to Recapture Low-Power
Testing Time (WBN-TS-23-19) dated April
17, 2024.
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1, Issuance ML020780254.
of Low-Power Operating License No. NPF-
20, dated November 9, 1995.
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1, Issuance ML073460320 (Package).
of Full-Power Operating License No. NPF-
20, dated February 7, 1996.
SRM for SECY-98-296, ``Staff Requirements-- ML20205C095.
SECY-98-296--Agency Policy Regarding
Licensee Recapture of Low-Power Testing
or Shutdown Time for Nuclear Power
Plants,'' dated March 30, 1999.
SECY-98-296, ``Agency Policy Regarding ML992870025.
Licensee Recapture of Low-Power Testing
or Shutdown Time for Nuclear Power
Plants,'' dated December 21, 1998.
NUREG-0498, ``Final Environmental ML082560457 (Package).
Statement related to the operation of
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units Nos. 1 and
2'' (FES-OL), dated December 1978.
Supplement 1 to NUREG-0498, dated April ML081430592.
1995.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dated: November 21, 2024.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Kimberly Green,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-2, Division of
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2024-27667 Filed 11-25-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P