53984 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 170 / Thursday, September 2, 2010 / Notices 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY 

COMMISSION 

[Docket Nos. 50–338 and 50–339, Docket 

Nos. 50–280 and 50–281, NRC–2010–0283] 

Virginia Electric and Power Company 

North Anna Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 

and 2 Surry Power Station, Unit Nos. 

1 and 2 Environmental Assessment 

and Finding of No Significant Impact 

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission (NRC) is considering 

issuance of an exemption from Title 10 

of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 

CFR), Part 50, Section 50.46 

‘‘Acceptance criteria for emergency core 

cooling systems for light-water nuclear 

power reactors,’’ and Appendix K to 10 

CFR part 50, ‘‘ECCS (emergency core 

cooling system) Evaluation Models,’’ to 

allow the use of Optimized ZIRLO fuel 

rod cladding in future core reload 

applications for North Anna Power 

Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (NAPS), for 

Renewed Facility Operating License 

Nos. NPF–4 and NPF–7, and Surry 

Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (Surry) 

for Renewed Facility Operating License 

Nos. DPR–32 and DPR–37, issued to 

Virginia Electric and Power Company 

(the licensee), for operation of NAPS 

and Surry located in Lake Anna, 

Virginia, and Surry, Virginia, 

respectively. Therefore, as required by 

10 CFR 51.21, the NRC performed an 

environmental assessment. Based on the 

results of the environmental assessment, 

the NRC is issuing a finding of no 

significant impact. 

Environmental Assessment 

Identification of the Proposed Action 

The proposed action would add 

Optimized ZIRLO as an acceptable fuel 

rod cladding materials. The proposed 

action is in accordance with the 

licensee’s applications dated May 6 

(Agencywide Documents Access and 

Management System (ADAMS) 

Accession No. ML101260517) and 

February 10, 2010 (ADAMS Accession 

No. ML100470738). 

The Need for the Proposed Action 

The proposed action is needed 

because the regulation in 10 CFR 50.46 

contains acceptance criteria for the 

ECCS for reactors that have fuel rods 

fabricated either with Zircaloy or 

ZIRLO. Appendix K to 10 CFR part 50, 

paragraph I.A.5, requires the Baker-Just 

equation to be used to predict the rates 

of energy release, hydrogen 

concentration, and cladding oxidation 

for the metal-water reaction. The BakerJust equation assumed the use of a 

zirconium alloy different than 

Optimized ZIRLO; therefore, an 

exemption is required. 

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed 

Action 

The NRC has completed its evaluation 

of the proposed action and concludes 

that the exemption does not present 

undue risk to public health and safety, 

and is consistent with common defense 

and security. 

The proposed action will not 

significantly increase the probability or 

consequences of accidents. No changes 

are being made in the types of effluents 

that may be released offsite. There is no 

significant increase in the amount of 

any effluent released offsite. There is no 

significant increase in occupational or 

public radiation exposure. Therefore, 

there are no significant radiological 

environmental impacts associated with 

the proposed action. 

Based on the nature of the exemption, 

the proposed action does not result in 

changes to land use or water use, or 

result in changes to the quality or 

quantity of non-radiological effluents. 

No changes to the National Pollution 

Discharge Elimination System permit 

are needed. No effects on the aquatic or 

terrestrial habitat in the vicinity of the 

plant, or to threatened, endangered, or 

protected species under the Endangered 

Species Act, or impacts to essential fish 

habitat covered by the MagnusonStevens Act are expected. There are no 

impacts to the air or ambient air quality. 

There are no impacts to historic and 

cultural resources. There would be no 

noticeable effect on socioeconomic 

conditions in the region. 

Accordingly, the NRC concludes that 

there are no significant environmental 

impacts associated with the proposed 

action. 

Environmental Impacts of the 

Alternatives to the Proposed Action 

As an alternative to the proposed 

action, the NRC staff considered denial 

of the proposed action (i.e., the ‘‘noaction’’ 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 

The action does not involve the use of 

any different resources than those 

previously considered in the ‘‘Final 

Environmental Statement Related to the 

Continuation of Construction and the 

Operation,’’ for NAPS dated April 1973, 

and Surry dated May 1972 and June 

1972, respectively, as supplemented 

through the ‘‘Generic Environmental 

Impact Statement for License Renewal 

of Nuclear Plants: Supplements 6 and 7 

Regarding Surry and NAPS—Final 

Report (NUREG–1437, Supplements 6 

and 7),’’ dated November 2002. 

Agencies and Persons Consulted 

In accordance with its stated policy, 

on May 5, 2010, the staff consulted with 

the Virginia State official, Leslie P. 

Foldesi, Director of the Division of 

Radiological Health, 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 

letters dated May 6 and February 10, 

2010. Documents may be examined, 

and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC’s 

Public Document Room (PDR), located 

at One White Flint North, Public File 

Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first 

floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly 

available records will be accessible 

electronically from the Agencywide 

Documents Access and Management 

System (ADAMS) Public Electronic 

Reading Room on the Internet at the 

NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/ 

reading-rm/adams.html. Persons who 

do not have access to ADAMS or who 

encounter problems in accessing the 

documents located in ADAMS should 

contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by 

telephone at 1–800–397–4209 or 301– 

415–4737, or send an e-mail to 

pdr.resource@nrc.gov. 

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 26th day 

of August 2010. 

For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Karen Cotton, 

Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch 2– 

1, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, 

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. 

[FR Doc. 2010–21944 Filed 9–1–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P 


wwoods2 on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with NOTICES_PART 1