[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 104 (Wednesday, May 30, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29347-29348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13606]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-269, 50-270, 50-287]


Duke Energy Corporation; Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 2, and 
3; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an exemption from 10 CFR 55.59 for Facility Operating 
License Nos. DPR-38, DPR-47, and DPR-55, issued to the Duke Energy 
Corporation (DEC, the licensee), for operation of the Oconee Nuclear 
Station, Units 1, 2, and 3, located in Seneca, South Carolina.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would allow the licensed operator 
requalification examinations for the Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 
2, and 3 to be rescheduled. The requested exemption would extend the 
completion date for

[[Page 29348]]

the examinations from June 4, 2001, to July 13, 2001. The proposed 
action is in accordance with the licensee's application for exemption 
dated March 6, 2001.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would extend the current Oconee Nuclear 
Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 requalification program from June 4, 2001, 
to July 13, 2001. To require the licensee's operators and staff to 
support the comprehensive examination and operating tests scheduled 
during the 24-month requalification cycle could have a detrimental 
effect on the public interest because it would remove qualified 
operators from refueling operations and place them into the training 
program, which could interfere with the current Oconee Unit 2 refueling 
outage schedule. Further, this one-time exemption will provide 
additional operator support during plant shutdown conditions, which 
would provide a safety enhancement during plant shutdown operations and 
post-maintenance testing. The affected licensed operators will continue 
to demonstrate and possess the required levels of knowledge, skills, 
and abilities needed to safely operate the plant throughout the 
transitional period via continuation of the current satisfactory 
licensed operator requalification program. Upon completion of the 
examinations on July 13, 2001, the follow-on cycle will end on March 8, 
2003. Future annual requalification cycles will run from March to 
March.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes, as set forth below, that there are no environmental impacts 
associated with the extension of the operator requalification 
examinations from June 4, 2001, to July 13, 2001. The proposed action 
will not significantly increase the probability or consequences of 
accidents, no changes are being made in the types or amounts of any 
effluents that may be released off site, and there is no significant 
increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, there 
are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with 
the proposed action.
    With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
action does not involve any historic sites. It does not affect 
nonradiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. 
Therefore, there are no significant nonradiological environmental 
impacts associated with the proposed action.
    Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered 
denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). 
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 
Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 2, and 3.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on May 18, 2001, the staff 
consulted with the South Carolina State official, Mr. Henry Porter of 
the Division of Waste Management, regarding the environmental impact of 
the proposed action. The State official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC concludes 
that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the 
quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC 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 6, 2001. Documents may be examined, and/
or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room, located at One 
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, 
Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically 
from the ADAMS Public Library component on the NRC Web site, http://
www.nrc.gov<ls-thn-eq> (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 24th day of May 2001.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
David E. LaBarge,
Senior Project Manager, Section 1, Project Directorate II, Division of 
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-13606 Filed 5-29-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P