[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 120 (Thursday, June 20, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31561-31562]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-15728]



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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-285]


Omaha Public Power District, Fort Calhoun Station, Unit No. 1; 
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-40, issued to Omaha Public Power District (the licensee), for 
operation of the Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, located in Washington 
County, Nebraska.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would issue an amendment to allow an increase 
in the initial nominal Uranium-235 (U-235) enrichment limit for fuel 
assemblies which may be stored in the spent fuel pool. This action 
would allow the licensee to extend the biennial interval until the 
first quarter of 1996. The proposed action is in accordance with the 
licensee's application for amendment dated February 1, 1996.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The licensee intends to store unirradiated fuel with a maximum 
initial enrichment of 4.5 w/o U-235 in Region 1 of the spent fuel pool 
during the next refueling outage (Refuel 17). Spent fuel will be stored 
in Region 2 of the spent fuel pool. At present, fuel with a maximum 
initial enrichment up to 4.2 weight percent of U-235 can be stored in 
Region 1 and Region 2 of the spent fuel pool.

Environmental Impact of the Proposed Action:

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed 
revision to the technical specifications (TSs) and concludes that the 
use of fuel with a maximum enrichment of 4.5 w/o U-235 would not 
significantly increase the probability or consequences of any accident 
previously analyzed. The proposed amendment would increase the 
allowable fuel enrichment from 4.2 w/o to 4.5 w/o U-235 in Region 1 of 
the spent fuel pool and modify the burnup/enrichment restrictions 
imposed on fuel stored in Region 2 to include fuel with an enrichment 
up to 4.5 w/o.
    The environmental impacts of transportation resulting from the use 
of higher enrichment and extended irradiation are discussed in the 
staff assessment entitled ``NRC Assessment of the Environmental Effects 
of Transportation Resulting from Extended Fuel Enrichment and 
Irradiation.'' This assessment was published in the Federal Register on 
August 11, 1988 (53 FR 30355) as corrected on August 24, 1988 (53 FR 
32322) in connection with the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 
1: Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact. As 
indicated therein, the environmental cost contribution of an increase 
in fuel enrichment of up to 5 weight percent U-235 and irradiation 
limits of up to 60 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 amendment for the Ft. Calhoun Station, Unit 1. Accordingly, 
the Commission concludes that this proposed action would result in no 
significant radiological environmental impact.
    With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
changes involve systems located within the restricted area as defined 
in 10 CFR Part 20. It does not affect nonradiological plant effluents 
and has no other environmental impact. Therefore, the Commission 
concludes that there are no significant nonradiological environmental 
impacts associated with the proposed amendment.
    The Notice of Consideration of Issuance of Amendment to Facility 
Operating License, Proposed No Significant Hazards Consideration 
Determination, and Opportunity for a Hearing in connection with this 
action was published in the Federal Register on March 13, 1996 (61 FR 
10396).

Alternative to the Proposed Action

    Since the Commission concluded that there are no significant 
environmental effects that would result from the proposed action, any 
alternative with equal or greater environmental impacts need not be 
evaluated.

[[Page 31562]]

    The principal alternative would be to deny the requested amendment. 
This would not reduce environmental impacts of plant operation 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 (FES) for 
the Fort Calhoun Station, Unit 1, dated August 1972.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on June 13, 1996, the staff 
consulted with the Nebraska State official, Ms. Cheryl Rodgers of the 
Department of Health, 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 February 1, 1996, 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 W. Dale Clark Library, 215 South 15th 
Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68102.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day of June 1996.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
L. Raynard Wharton,
Project Manager, Project Directorate IV-2, Division of Reactor Projects 
III/IV, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 96-15728 Filed 6-19-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P