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[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 196 (Tuesday, October 10, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60225-60226]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25915]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-391]

Tennessee Valley Authority; Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 2, 
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an extension of the latest construction completion dates 
specified in Construction Permit No. CPPR-92 issued to Tennessee Valley 
Authority (permittee, TVA) for the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (WBN), Unit 
2. The facility is located at the permittee's site on the west branch 
of the Tennessee River approximately 50 miles northeast of Chattanooga, 
Tennessee.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed action would extend the latest construction completion 
date of Construction Permit No. CPPR-92 to December 31, 2010. The 
proposed action is in response to the permittee's request dated October 
13, 1999, as supplemented by letter dated July 14, 2000.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed to grant the licensee the option of 
completing construction on WBN Unit 2 in the future. The construction 
permit expired in December 1999. The permittee requested the extension 
for Unit 2 due to the delay in the completion of Unit 1 and TVA's 
decision to maintain Unit 2 in a construction layup status pending 
TVA's determination of further options to meet future electric power 
demands.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The environmental impacts associated with the construction of the 
facility have been previously discussed and evaluated in TVA's Final 
Environmental Statement for construction (FES-CP) of WBN, Units 1 and 
2, issued on November 9, 1972. NRC staff evaluated the environmental 
impacts of construction and operation of this plant, issuing comments 
on TVA's FES-CP as

[[Page 60226]]

part of its review. In December 1978, NRC staff issued a Final 
Environmental Statement for the operating-license stage (FES-OL), which 
addressed the environmental impacts of construction activities not 
addressed previously in TVA's FES-CP. The activities included: (1) 
Construction of the transmission route for the Watts Bar--Volunteer 500 
kV line; (2) construction of the settling pond for siltation control 
for construction runoff at a different location from that originally 
proposed in the FES-CP; and (3) the relocation of the blowdown diffuser 
from the originally proposed site indicated in the FES-CP. The staff 
addressed the terrestrial and aquatic environmental impacts in the FES-
OL, as well as historic and archeological impacts, and concluded that 
the assessment presented in the FES-CP remains valid.
    A supplemental Final Environmental Statement related to the 
operation of WBN Units 1 and 2 was issued in April 1995. Environmental 
issues evaluated included changes to regional demography, natural 
resource use, meteorology, ecology, impacts to humans and the 
environment, and socioeconomic impacts, including environmental justice 
issues. The staff concluded that there were no significant changes to 
the environmental impacts discussed in the 1978 FES-OL due to changes 
in plant design or operation, or changes in the environment. 
Furthermore, the staff concluded that no additional impacts not 
previously discussed in the NRC's 1978 FES-OL related to construction 
of Unit 2 were expected.
    Since the NRC's latest review, all candidate species have been 
removed and the bald eagle delisted from the Federal threatened and 
endangered species list issued by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The 
licensee has no plans to construct additional transmission lines or 
disturb any land that has not been discussed in previous environmental 
reviews. Socioeconomic impacts were evaluated in the supplement to the 
FES-OL issued in 1995. No additional impacts are expected.
    The construction of Unit 2 is approximately 65 percent complete; 
therefore, most of the construction impacts discussed in the FES have 
already occurred. This action would only extend the period of 
construction as described in the FES. It does not involve any different 
impacts as described and analyzed in the original and updated 
environmental impact statements. The proposed extension will not allow 
any work to be performed that is not already allowed by the existing 
construction permit. The extension will merely grant the permittee more 
time to complete construction and modification in accordance with the 
previously approved construction permit.
    Based on the foregoing, the NRC staff has concluded that the 
proposed action would have no significant environmental impact. Since 
this action would only extend the period of construction activities 
described in the FES, it does not involve any different impacts or a 
significant change to those impacts described and analyzed in the 
original environmental impact statement. Consequently, an environmental 
impact statement addressing the proposed action is not required.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    A possible alternative to the proposed action would be to deny the 
request, or the no-action alternative. This would result in expiration 
of the construction permit for Watts Bar, Unit 2. This option would 
require submittal of another application for construction in order to 
allow the permittee to complete construction of the facility with no 
significant environmental benefit. The environmental impacts of the 
proposed action and alternative action are similar.

Alternative Use of Resources

    This action does not involve the use of resources not previously 
considered in the FES for Watts Bar.

Agencies and Persons Contacted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on October 2, 2000, the staff 
consulted with the Tennessee State Official, Ms. Joel Key, 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 this 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 this action.
    For further details with respect to this action, see the licensee's 
request for extension dated October 13, 1999, as supplemented July 14, 
2000. Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's 
Public Document Room, located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville 
Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records 
will be accessible electronically from the ADAMS Public Library 
component on the NRC Web site, 
http://www.nrc.gov (the Electronic Reading Room).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 3rd day of October 2000.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Richard P. Correia,
Chief, Section 2, Project Directorate II, Division of Licensing Project 
Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
[FR Doc. 00-25915 Filed 10-6-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-U
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