[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 25, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20291-20292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-10124]



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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2; Environmental Assessment 
and Finding of No Significant Impact

[Docket Nos. 50-390 and 50-391]
    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is 
considering incorporating an exemption from certain requirements of its 
regulations in the operating licenses for operation of the Watts Bar 
Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, located in Spring City, Tennessee. 
Operating licenses have not been issued for Watts Bar; Units 1 and 2 
are currently under Construction Permits CPPR-91 and CPPR-92, 
respectively.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    10 CFR 73.55(c)(10) requires a license applicant whose application 
was submitted prior to August 31, 1994, to incorporate a land vehicle 
bomb control program into the site physical security plan and implement 
it by the date of receipt of the operating license. Since Watts Bar 
Unit 1 will seek to obtain an operating license ahead of the schedule 
by which operating power reactors are required to fully implement the 
vehicle control measures, the applicant requested, by letter dated 
November 30, 1994, that Watts Bar be granted the same implementation 
date (February 29, 1996) imposed on operating reactor licensees to 
implement the land vehicle bomb control program. [[Page 20292]] 

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The Commission extended the implementation schedule for operating 
plants to 18 months from the effective date of the rule, given that it 
involves a new power for power reactor sites, that some procurement 
problems may arise and that scheduling problems may occur. Under the 
present rule and current licensing schedule, the applicant would be 
required to implement the rule several months (depending on the actual 
date of operating license issuance) ahead of operating power reactors. 
The applicant will implement interim compensatory measures to justify 
the scheduler exemption.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The applicant's request for scheduler exemption involves delaying, 
by several months, implementation of control measures per the 
regulation. The proposed action will not increase the probability or 
consequences of accidents, makes no changes in the types of any 
effluents that may be released offsite, and does not increase 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 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 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 Commission 
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 did not involve the use of any resources not previously 
considered in the Final Environmental Statement and Supplement 1 
related to operation of the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, dated December 
1978 and April 1995, respectively.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, the NRC staff consulted with 
the Tennessee State official regarding the environmental impact of the 
proposed action. The State official had no comment.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    Based upon the foregoing 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 this action, see the request 
for exemption dated November 30, 1994, which is available for public 
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, 2120 L Street NW., 
Washington, DC, and at the local public document room located at the 
Chattanooga-Hamilton County Library, 1101 Broad Street, Chattanooga, 
Tennessee.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 18th day of April 1995.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Peter S. Tam,
Senior Project Manager, Project Directorate II-3, Division of Reactor 
Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 95-10124 Filed 4-24-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M