[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 77 (Wednesday, April 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 19963]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10668]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-413 and 50-414]


Duke Energy Corporation, et al.; Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 
and 2, 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-35 and NPF-52, issued to Duke Energy Corporation, et al. (the 
licensee), for operation of the Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, 
located in York County, South Carolina.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed action would amend the Facility Operating Licenses 
(FOLs) for Units 1 and 2 and to delete license conditions that have 
been fulfilled, delete exemptions that are no longer needed, correct 
errors, and make other administrative and editorial changes.
    The proposed action is in response to the licensee's application 
dated December 18, 1997, and revised by letter dated January 26, 1998.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    When the FOLs, NPF-35 and NPF-52, were issued to the licensee, the 
NRC staff deemed certain issues essential to safety and/or essential to 
meeting certain regulatory interests. These issues were imposed as 
license conditions in the FOLs, with deadlines for their 
implementation. Since the units were licensed to operate in the 1980s, 
most of these license conditions have been fulfilled. For the license 
conditions that have been fulfilled, the licensee proposed to have them 
deleted from the FOLs.
    The FOLs also included a number of exemptions from NRC regulations. 
The licensee stated that these exemptions have either expired, or are 
no longer needed since the units are in full compliance with the 
respective regulations. The licensee proposed to delete these 
exemptions from the FOLs.
    The licensee also proposed to make changes to correct 
administrative errors such as words inadvertently omitted, documents 
erroneously cited, etc.
    The proposed amendments involve administrative changes to the FOLs 
only. No actual plant equipment, regulatory requirements, operating 
practices, or analyses are affected by these proposed amendments.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes that there is no significant environmental impact if the 
amendments are granted. No changes will be made to the design and 
licensing bases, and applicable procedures at the two units at Catawba 
Nuclear Station will remain the same. Other than the administrative 
changes, no other changes will be made to the FOLs, including the 
Technical Specifications.
    The changes will not increase the probability or consequences of 
accidents, no changes are being made in the types of any effluents that 
may be released offsite, and there is no significant increase in the 
allowable individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure. 
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant 
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
    With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
action 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.

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 Catawba Nuclear Station.

Agencies and Persons Contacted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on April 1, 1998, the staff 
consulted with the South Carolina State official, Virgil Autrey of the 
Bureau of Radiological Health, South Carolina Department of Health and 
Environmental Control, regarding the environmental impact of the 
proposed amendments. The State official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    Based upon the foregoing environmental assessment, the Commission 
concludes that the proposed amendments 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 amendments.
    For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the 
licensee's request for the amendments dated December 18, 1997, and 
revised by letter dated January 26, 1998, which are 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 York County Library, 138 East Black 
Street, Rock Hill, South Carolina.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day of April 1998.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Peter S. Tam,
Senior Project Manager, Project Directorate II-2, Division of Reactor 
Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 98-10668 Filed 4-21-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P