[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 61 (Monday, March 31, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15487-15488]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7629]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-286]


Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., Indian Point Nuclear Generating 
Unit No. 3; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant 
Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an exemption from certain requirements of Title 10 of the 
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) section 50.44, ``Standards for 
combustible gas control system in light-water-cooled power reactors,'' 
for Facility Operating License No. DPR-64, issued to Entergy Nuclear 
Operations, Inc. (ENO or licensee), for operation of the Indian Point 
Nuclear Generating Unit No. 3 (IP3) located in Westchester County, 
Buchanan, New York. The exemption would permit removal of the backup 
post accident containment ventilation (PACV) system for IP3. 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

    Section 50.44 of 10 CFR sets out requirements for the control of 
the hydrogen generated after a postulated loss-of-coolant accident 
(LOCA). The hydrogen control system at IP3 includes the PACV system. 
The proposed action would allow the licensee to remove the PACV system 
from the IP3 licensing basis. A planned retirement of the PACV system 
would occur during Refueling Outage 12, in the spring of 2003. The 
proposed action is in accordance with ENO's request for an exemption, 
dated October 3, 2002, as supplemented on January 16 and March 11, 
2003.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed exemption from the requirements pertaining to the 
hydrogen purge system and the associated removal from the licensing 
basis, would simplify the Severe Accident Management Guidelines and 
prevent the need to restore or maintain the PACV system with its 
accompanying cost and exposure. The capping of the piping for the PACV 
system containment penetrations also eliminates the need to verify the 
containment isolation valves in this system are operable.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes, as set forth below, that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the removal of the PACV system 
from the IP3 licensing basis.
    The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability 
or consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types or 
quantities of effluents that may be released off-site, and there is no 
significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure since 
there is no change to facility operations that could create a new or 
affect a previously analyzed accident or release path. 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 changes 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 for 
IP3, dated February 1975.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On March 14, 2003, the staff consulted with the New York State 
official, Mr. John Spath of the New York State Energy Research and 
Development Authority, 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 3, 2002, as supplemented by letters 
dated January 16 and March 11, 2003. 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/

[[Page 15488]]

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 [email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 25th day of March, 2003.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Richard J. Laufer,
Chief, Section 1, Project Directorate I, Division of Licensing Project 
Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 03-7629 Filed 3-28-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P