Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 50 / Friday, March 14, 1997 / Notices 12255

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

John W.N. Hickey,

Chief, Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning

Projects Branch, Division of Waste

Management Office of Nuclear Material

Safety and Safeguards.

[FR Doc. 97–6479 Filed 3–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

[Docket Nos. STN 50–528, STN 50–529, and

STN 50–530]

Arizona Public Service Company; Palo

Verde Nuclear Generating Station,

Units Nos. 1, 2, and 3 Environmental

Assessment and Finding of No

Significant Impact

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (the Commission) is

considering issuance of amendments to

Facility Operating License Nos. NPF–41,

NPF–51, and NPF–74, issued to Arizona

Public Service Company (the licensee),

for operation of the Palo Verde Nuclear

Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1, 2, and

3, located in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

The proposed action would modify

the licenses for Palo Verde Nuclear

Generating Station (PVNGS), Unit Nos.

1, 2, and 3, to authorize incorporation

in the Updated Final Safety Analysis

Report (UFSAR) a revised large-break

loss-of-coolant accident (LBLOCA)

analysis. The revised LBLOCA analysis

addresses a previously unanalyzed

release path through the steam

generators to the atmosphere.

The proposed action is in accordance

with the licensee’s application dated

May 2, 1995, as supplemented by letter

March 7, 1996.

The Need for the Proposed Action

The proposed action would permit

the UFSAR to be revised to address a

previously unanalyzed release path

through the steam generators to the

atmosphere for the LBLOCA. This

would incorporate this release path into

the licensing basis of the facility.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed

Action

The Commission has completed its

evaluation of the proposed action and

concludes that there are no significant

environmental considerations involved

with the proposed action. The

incorporation in the UFSAR for PVNGS

Unit Nos. 1, 2, and 3 of the previously

unanalyzed release path in the LBLOCA

does not affect the design or operation

of the plant, does not involve any

modifications to the plant or any

increase in the licensed power for the

plant, does not affect plant effluents,

does not increase the probability of any

postulated accident and will not create

a new accident, and does not create any

new or unreviewed environmental

impacts that were not considered in the

Final Environmental Statement (FES).

The FES did not consider in its

evaluation of a LBLOCA, the leakage of

containment atmosphere through the

steam generators and to the public.

Assessment of environmental impacts of

the LBLOCA accounted for radiological

releases from the containment and

emergency core cooling system into the

environment. For the revised analysis of

the LBLOCA, atmospheric releases

through the steam generators could be

considered part of the leakage of

containment atmosphere into the

environment, although the location of

release is different. The FES analyzed

radiological releases from the steam

generators to the environment in the

evaluation of the steam generator tube

rupture accident. Thus, the FES

evaluated releases to the environment

from steam generators, but this release

pathway was not included in the

LBLOCA analysis. The revised LBLOCA

analysis does not significantly increase

the environmental impacts of postulated

accidents which are discussed in

Section 5.9.2 of the FES, and is of no

measurable environmental impact.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

Since the Commission has concluded

there is no measurable environmental

impact associated with the proposed

action, any alternatives with equal or

greater environmental impact need not

be evaluated. As an alternative to the

proposed action, the staff considered

denial of the proposed action. Denial of

the application 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

This action does not involve the use

of any resources not previously

considered in the ‘‘Final Environmental

Statement Related to the Operation of

the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating

Station, Units 1, 2, and 3,’’ dated

February 1982.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

In accordance with its stated policy,

on March 7, 1997, the staff consulted

with the Arizona State official, Mr.

William Wright of the Arizona

Radiation Regulatory Agency, regarding

the environmental impact of the

proposed action. The State official had

no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

Based upon the environmental

assessment, the Commission concludes

that the proposed action will not have

a significant effect on the quality of the

human environment. Accordingly, the

Commission has determined not to

prepare an environmental impact

statement for the proposed action.

For further details with respect to the

proposed action, see the licensee’s letter

dated May 2, 1995, as supplemented by

letter dated March 7, 1996, which is

available for public inspection at the

Commission’s Public Document Room,

The Gelman Building, 2120 L Street,

NW., Washington, DC, and at the local

public document room located at the

Phoenix Public Library, 1221 N. Central

Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85004.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 10th day

of March 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

James W. Clifford,

Senior Project Manager, Project Directorate

IV–2, Division of Reactor Projects—III/IV,

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 97–6481 Filed 3–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

[Docket No. 50–271]

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power

Corporation; Vermont Yankee Nuclear

Power Station; Environmental

Assessment and Finding of No

Significant Impact

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (the Commission) is

considering issuance of an exemption

for Facility Operating License No. DPR–

28, issued to Vermont Yankee Nuclear

Power Corporation (the licensee), for

operation of the Vermont Yankee

Nuclear Power Station (the facility)

located in Windham County, Vermont.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Actions

The proposed exemption would grant

relief in certain outdoor areas of the

protected area of the facility to allow

use of security lighting for outdoor

access and egress and the performance

of one specified task in either of two

locations for compliance with Section

III.J of Appendix R to 10 CFR part 50.

The exemption would include outdoor

portions of the protected area for access

and egress and for supply of nitrogen

from either of two outdoor locations: (1)

the 15,000 gallon liquid nitrogen

containment inerting tank located

outdoors, east of the reactor building, or

(2) nitrogen storage bottles located on

the west wall of the reactor building

equipment air lock.