[Federal Register: December 27, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 247)]
[Notices]
[Page 76470-76471]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27de05-65]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Tennessee Valley Authority
[Docket No. 50-390]
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Unit 1; 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, Appendix E, Sections IV.F.2.b and c for
Facility Operating License No. NPF-90, issued to Tennessee Valley
Authority (TVA or the licensee), for operation of the Watts Bar Nuclear
Power Plant (WBN), Unit 1, located in Rhea County, Tennessee.
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, as described in the licensee's application for
a one-time exemption to the requirements of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix E,
dated October 5, 2005, would allow the licensee to postpone the
biennial, full-participation emergency exercise from November 2, 2005,
to June 7, 2006. The licensee's letter requested an exemption from
sections IV.F.2.b and c of Appendix E to 10 CFR part 50 regarding
exercises involving the onsite and offsite emergency plans, as well as
TVA's Radiological Emergency Plan Sections 14.2.1.1 and 14.2.1.3. The
NRC staff has determined that the requirements of Appendix E to 10 CFR
part 50, Sections IV.F.2.b and 2.c are applicable to the circumstances
of the licensee's request and that an exemption from those requirements
is appropriate. The licensee also stated in its October 5, 2005, letter
that WBN will resume its normal biennial exercise cycle in 2007.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed exemption from 10 CFR part 50, appendix E, sections
IV.F.2.b and c is needed because the planned full-participation
exercise originally scheduled for November 2, 2005, was not performed.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which normally participates in
the evaluated, full-participation exercise, and the Tennessee Emergency
Management Agency were unable to provide the necessary resources for
the exercise due to the impact of Hurricane Katrina.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its safety evaluation of the proposed action
and concludes that the proposed exemption would not present an undue
risk to the public health and safety. The details of the NRC staff's
safety evaluation will be provided in the exemption that will be issued
as part of the letter to the licensee approving the exemption to the
regulation. The proposed action relates to the exercising of the
emergency response plan, which has no effect on the operation of the
facility.
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.
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 Alternative 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 resources than
those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement
Related to the Operation of Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2,
NUREG 0498, dated December 1978, and a supplement to the Final
Environmental Statement (NUREG 0498 Supplement No. 1), dated April
1995.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on November 9, 2005, the
staff consulted with the Tennessee State
[[Page 76471]]
official, Elizabeth Flanagan of the Tennessee Bureau 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 letter dated October 5, 2005. 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 O-1F21, 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 by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 19th day of December 2005.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Douglas V. Pickett,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-2, Division of
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E5-7867 Filed 12-23-05; 8:45 am]
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