[Federal Register: August 12, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 155)]
[Notices]
[Page 52499-52500]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12au02-102]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-482]
Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation; Wolf Creek Generating
Station Envrionmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an amendment to revise the antitrust conditions applicable
to Kansas Gas and Electric Company (KGE) contained in Appendix C to
Facility Operating License No. NPF-42 for the Wolf Creek Generating
Station (WCGS), located in Coffey County, Kansas. Wolf Creek Nuclear
Operating Corporation (the licensee) operates WCGS and acts
[[Page 52500]]
as the agent for KGE, which co-owns the facility. Therefore, as
required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC is issuing this environmental
assessment and finding of no significant impact.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would revise the antitrust conditions for KGE
in Appendix C of Facility Operating License No. NPF-42 to (1) add a
statement that the antitrust conditions do not restrict the rights of
Kansas Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. (KEPCo) or the duties of KGE,
that may exist beyond, and are not inconsistent with, the antitrust
conditions, (2) define ``KGE members in licensee's service area'' in
the appendix to include all KEPCo members with facilities in Western
Resources, Inc.'s and KGE's combined service area, (3) delete license
conditions restricting KEPCo's use of the power from WCGS, (4) remove
out-of-date conditions, and (5) update conditions to be consistent with
the terms and conditions of Western Resources' Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission open access transmission tariff. Western
Resources is the parent company of KGE. The proposed action is in
accordance with the licensee's application dated June 27, 2000, as
supplemented by letters dated January 31, May 2, and October 30, 2001,
and May 10, 2002.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed, according to the licensee's
application, to update KGE's antitrust conditions and make the
antitrust conditions consistent with the terms and conditions of
Western Resources' Federal Energy Regulatory Commission open access
transmission tariff.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and
concludes that the proposed license amendment involves administrative
actions which have no effect on plant equipment or operation.
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 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 non-radiological impacts, the proposed
action does not have a potential to affect any historic sites. It does
not affect non-radiological plant effluents and has no other
environmental impact. Therefore, there are no significant non-
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
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 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 resource than
those previously considered in NUREG-0878, ``Final Environmental
Statement Related to the Operation of Wolf Creek Generating Station,
Unit No. 1,'' dated June 1982.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
On August 5, 2002, the staff consulted with the Kansas State
official, Mr. Thomas A. Conley of the Kansas Department of Health and
Environment 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 June 27, 2000, January 31, May 2, and October
30, 2001, and May 10, 2002. Documents may be examined, and/or copied
for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One
White Flint North, 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 at 1-800-
397-4209, or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at pdr@nrc.gov.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day of August 2002.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Stephen Dembek,
Chief, Section 2 Project Directorate IV, Division of Licensing Project
Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 02-20343 Filed 8-9-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P