15546 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 62 / Tuesday, April 1, 1997 / Notices

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR

REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50–286]

Power Authority of the State of New

York (Indian Point Nuclear Generating

Unit No. 3); Environmental

Assessment and Finding of No

Significant Impact

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (the Commission) is

considering issuance of an amendment

to Facility Operating License No. DPR–

64 issued to the Power Authority of the

State of New York (the licensee) for the

Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit

No. 3, located in Westchester County,

New York.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

The proposed amendment would

include provisions in Technical

Specifications (TS) 5.3 and 5.4 which

allow for the storage of fuel with an

enrichment not to exceed 4.95 + 0.05

weight percent (w/o) Uranium 235 (U–

235) in the new and spent fuel storage

racks and would revise requirements

governing the placement of fuel

assemblies in the fuel storage pit. The

proposed action is in accordance with

the licensee’s application for

amendment dated November 22, 1996.

The Need for Proposed Action

The proposed changes are needed so

that the licensee can use higher fuel

enrichment to provide the flexibility of

extending the fuel irradiation and to

permit operation for longer fuel cycles.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed

Action

The Commission has completed its

evaluation of the proposed revisions to

the TS. The proposed revisions would

permit use of fuel enriched to a nominal

5.0 w/o U–235. The safety

considerations associated with reactor

operation with higher enrichment and

extended irradiation have been

evaluated by the NRC staff. The staff has

concluded that such changes would not

adversely affect plant safety. The

proposed changes have no adverse effect

on the probability of any accident. The

higher enrichment, with increased fuel

burnup, may slightly change the mix of

fission products that might be released

in the event of a serious accident, but

such small changes would not

significantly affect the consequences of

serious accidents. No changes are being

made in the types or amounts of any

radiological effluents that may be

released offsite. There is no significant

increase in the allowable individual or

cumulative occupational radiation

exposure.

The environmental impacts of

transportation resulting from the use of

higher enrichment fuel and extended

irradiation were published and

discussed in the staff assessment

entitled, ‘‘NRC Assessment of the

Environmental Effects of Transportation

Resulting from Extended Fuel

Enrichment and Irradiation,’’ dated July

7, 1988. This assessment was published

in connection with an Environmental

Assessment related to the Shearon

Harris Nuclear Plant, Unit 1, which was

published in the Federal Register (53

FR 30355) on August 11, 1988, as

corrected on August 24, 1988 (53 FR

32322). As indicated therein, the

environmental cost contribution of an

increase in the fuel enrichment of up to

5 weight percent U–235 and irradiation

limits of up to 60,000 gigawatt days per

metric ton (GWD/MT) are either

unchanged or may, in fact, be reduced

from those summarized in Table S–4 as

set forth in 10 CFR 51.52(c). These

findings are applicable to the proposed

increase at Indian Point given that the

proposal involves 5% and burnup of

less than 60,000 gigawatt days per

metric ton (GWD/MT). Accordingly, the

Commission concludes that there are no

significant radiological environmental

impacts associated with the proposed

amendment.

With regard to potential nonradiological impacts of reactor operation

with higher enrichment and extended

irradiation, the proposed action

involves features located entirely within

the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR

Part 20. It does not affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no

other environmental impact.

Accordingly, the Commission concludes

that there are no significant nonradiological environmental impacts

associated with the proposed action.

Alternative to the Proposed Action

Since the Commission concluded that

there are no significant environmental

effects that would result from the

proposed action, any other alternative

would have equal or greater

environmental impacts and need not be

evaluated.

The principal alternative would be to

deny the requested amendment. This

would not reduce the environmental

impact of plant operations and would

result in reduced operational flexibility.

Alternative Use of Resources

This action does not involve the use

of any resources not previously

considered in the Final Environmental

Statement related to operation of Indian

Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 3.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

In accordance with its stated policy,

on December 12, 1996, the staff

consulted with the New York State

official, Heidi Voelk, of the New York

State Energy Research and Development

Authority regarding the environmental

impact of the proposed action. The state

official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

The Commission has determined not

to prepare an environmental impact

statement for the proposed license

amendment.

Based upon the foregoing

environmental assessment, we conclude

that the proposed action will not have

a significant effect on the quality of the

human environment.

For further details with respect to this

action, see the application for

amendment dated November 22, 1996,

that 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 for the

Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit

No. 3, at White Plains Public Library,

100 Martine Avenue, White Plains, New

York.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 26th day

of March 1997.

For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

George F. Wunder,

Project Manager, Project Directorate I–1,

Division of Reactor Projects I/II, Office of

Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 97–8206 Filed 3–31–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

DATE: Weeks of March 31, April 7, 14,

and 21, 1997.

PLACE: Commissioners’ Conference

Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,

Maryland.

STATUS: Public and Closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:

Week of March 31

Monday, March 31

10:00 a.m.

Briefing by the Executive Branch (Closed—

Ex. 1)

2:00 p.m.

Classified Security Briefing (Closed—Ex. 1)

2:30 p.m.

Meeting with DOE on External Regulations

of DOE Facilities (Public Meeting)