```

[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
```