[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 124 (Monday, June 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35294-35295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-17219]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-295 and 50-304]


Commonwealth Edison Company; Zion Nuclear Power 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 an exemption from certain requirements of its 
regulations for Facility Operating License Nos. DRP-39 and DRP-48, 
issued to Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd, the licensee), for 
operation of the Zion Nuclear Power Station, Units 1 and 2, located in 
Lake County, Illinois.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    By letter dated March 12, 1998, ComEd requested an exemption from 
certain requirements of 10 CFR 50.71, ``Maintenance of records, making 
of reports,'' for Zion Nuclear Power Station, Units 1 and 2. The 
proposed action would permit ComEd to extend the time interval for the 
submittal of Zion Station's Updated Final Safety Analysis Report 
(UFSAR). The next Zion Nuclear Power Station Final Safety Analysis 
Report (FSAR) update is due in July 1998. The proposed exemption would 
allow this date to be extended to December 1998.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.34(b) each application for a license to 
operate a facility shall include an FSAR. This report shall include 
information that describes the facility, presents the design bases and 
the limits on its operation and presents a safety analysis of the 
structure, systems and components of the facility. This information and 
description is needed to permit understanding of the system designs and 
their relationships to safety evaluations.
    Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.71(e) all light water nuclear power reactors 
shall

[[Page 35295]]

update their FSARs periodically. According to 10 CFR 50.71(e)(4), the 
time interval for the subsequent FSAR updates must not exceed 24 
months. The last full update of the Zion UFSAR was submitted to the NRC 
on July 5, 1996. Consequently, the next update would be required to be 
submitted no later than July 1998. However, ComEd is requesting an 
exemption from this requirement to allow them to update the FSAR to 
reflect the present condition of the units.
    By letters dated February 13, 1998, and March 9, 1998, ComEd 
informed the NRC that Zion Nuclear Power Station, Units 1 and 2, have 
permanently ceased operations and both units are completely defueled 
and all fuel has been placed in the spent fuel pool for long-term 
storage. By letter dated May 4, 1998, the NRC acknowledged Zion's 
permanent cessation of power operation and permanent removal of fuel 
from the reactor vessels.
    Many of the systems and components previously required for safety 
are no longer needed because the Zion units are permanently shut down. 
Therefore, updating the current FSAR will provide a description of 
components and systems that are no longer relevant to safety. Instead 
ComEd has proposed and committed to prepare and submit an update to the 
FSAR reflecting the permanently defueled condition of Zion Nuclear 
Power Station, Units 1 and 2, by December 31, 1998. This update will 
become Zion's Defueled Safety Analysis Report (DSAR).
    Because ComEd's board decision on January 14, 1998, to shut down 
Zion was unexpected, ComEd staff did not have adequate time to develop 
the DSAR. Therefore, ComEd is requesting an extension of the update 
interval to allow sufficient time to develop and submit the DSAR. In 
their letter dated March 12, 1998, ComEd stated that many of the 
technical, administrative, and management resources needed to develop a 
DSAR are the same as those that would be involved in updating the FSAR. 
Consequently, updating the current FSAR by July 1998 would result 
either in a delay in developing a DSAR or in the expenditure of 
significant additional resources to develop a DSAR while preparing an 
UFSAR submittal in parallel.
    Based on the information provided above, the extension of time 
interval from July 1998 to December 1998 for the submittal of the UFSAR 
would have no impact on the ability of systems, structures and 
components to perform the safety functions required with the plant 
permanently shut down, nor would it affect the safety of activities 
conducted with the facility in this condition. The proposed time 
exemption will not affect the potential for undesirable impacts to the 
environment.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action involves administrative activities unrelated to 
plant operation.
    The proposed action will not result in an increase in the 
probability or consequences of accidents or result in a change in 
occupational or offsite dose. Therefore, there are no significant 
radiological impacts associated with the proposed action.
    The proposed action will not result in a change in nonradiological 
plant effluents and will have no other nonradiological environmental 
impact.
    Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no 
environmental impacts associated with this action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    Since the Commission has concluded there are no significant 
environmental impacts 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 for the Zion 
Nuclear Power Station.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on June 18, 1998, the staff 
consulted with the Illinois State official, Frank Niziolek of the 
Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety, 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 March 12, 1998, 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 Waukegan Public Library, 126 N. County 
Street, Waukegan, Illinois 60085.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 24th day of June, 1998.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ramin R. Assa,
Project Manager, Project Directorate III-2, Division of Reactor 
Projects III/IV, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 98-17219 Filed 6-26-98; 8:45 am]
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