[Federal Register: September 2, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 170)]
[Notices]               
[Page 48211-48212]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02se99-108]                         

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-361 AND 50-362]

 
Southern California Edison Co.; San Onofre Nuclear Generating 
Station, Units 2 and 3, Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is 
considering issuance of an exemption from certain requirements of its 
regulations to Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-10 and NPF-15, 
issued to Southern California Edison (the licensee), for operation of 
the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), Units 2 and 3, 
located in San Diego County, California.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would exempt Southern California Edison from 
the requirements of 10 CFR 50.44, ``Standards for combustible gas 
control system in light-water cooled power reactors,'' and 10 CFR part 
50, Appendix A, General Design Criterion 41, ``Containment atmosphere 
clean-up.''
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for exemption dated September 10, 1998, as supplemented 
July 19, 1999.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would allow the licensee to remove hydrogen 
control requirements from the SONGS Units 2 and 3 design basis. The 
hydrogen control requirements in the SONGS design basis are not 
required to provide assurance that the containment would not fail due 
to combustible gas accumulation and ignition during accidents where 
fission products would be present in the containment atmosphere. The 
exemption would also allow the licensee to modify emergency operating 
instructions to remove operator action requirements for controlling 
hydrogen concentration in containment because the hydrogen control 
requirements are no longer necessary.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action. 
Current design analyses assess the potential for offsite dose 
consequences based on maximum allowable leakage and the potential for 
containment failure. The proposed exemption does

[[Page 48212]]

not change the allowed leakage, and therefore does not affect the 
offsite dose consequences based on this criteria. The licensee has 
concluded and the Commission agrees that removing the hydrogen control 
systems will not result in containment failure for any postulated 
accident or normal operating conditions. The proposed action will not 
increase the probability or consequences of accidents, no changes are 
being made in the types of any effluents that may be released offsite, 
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 historical 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 Commission 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 San 
Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Units 2 and 3, dated April 1981, 
with Errata dated June 1981.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on August 6, 1999, the staff 
consulted with the California State official, Mr. Steven Hsu of the 
Radiologic Health Branch, State Department of Health Services, 
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 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 September 10, 1998, as supplemented by letter 
dated July 19, 1999, which are 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 Main Library, University of California, Irvine, California 92713.

    Dated at Rockville, MD, this 25th day of August 1999.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
L. Raghavan,
Senior Project Manager, Section 2, Project Directorate IV and 
Decommissioning Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of 
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 99-22913 Filed 9-1-99; 8:45 am]
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