[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 170 (Thursday, September 2, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 53984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-21944]



[[Page 53984]]

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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 Baker-Just 
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 Magnuson-Stevens 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 ``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

    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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ddadb9aff3afb8aeb2a8afbeb89db3afbef3bab2ab"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="750511075b0710061a00071610351b07165b121a03">[email protected]</span></a>.

    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


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