[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 3, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9619-9620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-4383]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-395; NRC-2010-0077]


South Carolina Electric & Gas Company; Virgil C. Summer Nuclear 
Station; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering the 
issuance of an exemption from Title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations, (10 CFR), Section 50.46, ``Acceptance criteria for 
emergency core cooling systems for light-water nuclear power 
reactors,'' and 10 CFR 50, Appendix K, AECCS Evaluation Models, for the 
Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-12, issued to South Carolina 
Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G, the licensee), for operation of the 
Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station (VCSNS), located in Fairfield County, 
South Carolina. In accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR part 51, 
the NRC has prepared an Environmental

[[Page 9620]]

Assessment (EA) in support of this exemption. Based on the EA, the NRC 
has concluded that a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is 
appropriate.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would allow SCE&G to use Optimized ZIRLO\TM\, 
an advanced alloy fuel cladding material for pressurized-water 
reactors. The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated June 9, 2009 (Agencywide Documents Access and 
Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML091620072).

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed so that SCE&G can use Optimized 
ZIRLO\TM\, an advanced alloy for fuel rod cladding and other assembly 
structural components at the VCSNS.
    Section 50.46 of 10 CFR and 10 CFR part 50, appendix K, make no 
provisions for use of fuel rods clad in a material other than zircaloy 
or ZIRLO\TM\. Since the chemical composition of the Optimized ZIRLO\TM\ 
alloy differs from the specifications for zircaloy or ZIRLO, a plant-
specific exemption is required to allow the use of the Optimized 
ZIRLO\TM\ alloy as a cladding material or in other assembly structural 
components at the VCSNS.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its environmental assessment of the proposed 
exemption. The staff has concluded that the proposed action to approve 
the use of an additional fuel rod cladding material would not 
significantly affect plant safety and would not have a significant 
adverse effect on the probability of an accident occurring.
    The proposed action would not result in an increased radiological 
hazard beyond those previously analyzed in the Final Environmental 
Statement for the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Unit No. 1, NUREG-
0719, dated May 1981 (ADAMS Accession No. ML072750234) and the Generic 
Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, 
NUREG-1437, Supplement 15, dated February 2004 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML040540718). There will be no change to radioactive effluents that 
affect radiation exposures to plant workers and members of the public. 
Therefore, no changes or different types of radiological impacts are 
expected as a result of the proposed exemption.
    The proposed action does not result in changes to land use or water 
use, or result in changes to the quality or quantity of non-
radiological effluents. No changes to the National Pollution Discharge 
Elimination System permit are needed. No effects on the aquatic or 
terrestrial habitat in the vicinity of the plant, or to threatened, 
endangered, or protected species under the Endangered Species Act, or 
impacts to essential fish habitat covered by the Magnuson-Steven's Act 
are expected. There are no impacts to the air or ambient air quality.
    There are no impacts to historical and cultural resources. There 
would be no impact to socioeconomic resources. Therefore, no changes to 
or different types of non-radiological environmental impacts are 
expected as a result of the proposed exemption.
    Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. 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, if granted.

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 request 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 considered in the Final Environmental Statement for the Virgil C. 
Summer Nuclear Station, Unit No. 1, NUREG-0719, dated May 1981 (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML072750234) and the Generic Environmental Impact 
Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, NUREG-1437, Supplement 
15, dated February 2004 (ADAMS Accession No. ML040540718).

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on January 11, 2010, the 
staff consulted with the South Carolina State official, Susan Jenkins 
of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, 
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.

Further Information

    Documents related to this action, including the application for an 
exemption and license amendment and supporting documentation, are 
available electronically at the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. From this site, you can access the 
NRC's Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS), which 
provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. The ADAMS 
accession number for the document related to this notice, ``License 
Amendment Request for Use of Optimized Zirlo\TM\ Fuel Rod Cladding,'' 
dated June 9, 2009, is ML091620072. If you do not have access to ADAMS 
or if there are problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, 
contact the NRC Public Document Room (PDR) Reference staff at 1-800-
397-4209, 301-415-4737 or by e-mail to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cbbbafb9e5b9aeb8a4beb9a8ae8ba5b9a8e5aca4bd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="84f4e0f6aaf6e1f7ebf1f6e7e1c4eaf6e7aae3ebf2">[email protected]</span></a>.
    The document may also be viewed electronically on the public 
computers located at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), O 1 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 24th day of February 2010.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Robert E. Martin,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-1, Division of 
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2010-4383 Filed 3-2-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P


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