[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 1 (Friday, January 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 114-115]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-34170]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-317 and 50-318]
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company; Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power
Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2; 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 10
CFR Part 50, Appendix A, General Design Criterion 2, ``Design Basis for
Protection Against Natural Phenomena,'' to Baltimore Gas and Electric
Company (the licensee), for operation of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear
Power Plant, Unit
[[Page 115]]
Nos. 1 and 2, located in Calvert County, Maryland.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed exemption would allow relief from General Design
Criterion 2 (GDC-2) during the upgrading of the Unit 1 emergency diesel
generator (EDG) No. 1B. The proposed exemption will permit the
temporary removal of two steel doors which provide protection for the
EDG No. 1B, which will be out of service to allow modifications which
will increase its load capacity, and also provides protection to the
operating Calvert Cliffs Unit No. 2 EDG No. 2A and the support systems
common to Unit 1 EDG 1B and the operating Unit 2 EDGs 2A and 2B. The
support systems are required to be operable to support the operation of
Unit 2.
The upgrading of the Unit 1 EDG No. 1B will be performed during the
upcoming Unit 1 refueling outage (RFO-14). RFO 14 is scheduled to
commence on April 3, 1998, and be completed in early June 1998. The two
steel missile doors will be required to be removed about 4 times during
the outage. Only one door will be removed at a time. The licensee
estimates that each of the removals will last for about 24 hours, which
will result in a total removal time of about 100 hours during the
scheduled 60-day RFO-14.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed temporary exemption is needed to permit the completion
of the highly desirable upgrade to the Unit 1 EDG No. 1B without an
unnecessary unit shutdown.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action
and concludes that the proposed action involves features located
entirely within the protected area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20.
The proposed action will not result in an increase in the
probability or consequences of accidents or result in a change in
occupational or offsite dose. Therefore, there are no radiological
impacts associated with the proposed action.
The proposed action will not result in a change in nonradiological
plant effluents and will have no other nonradiological environmental
impact.
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no
environmental impacts associated with this action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Since the Commission has concluded there is no measurable
environmental impact associated with the proposed action, any
alternatives with equal or greater environmental impact need not be
evaluated. As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff
considered denial of the proposed action. 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.
The principal alternative to requesting the temporary exemption for
implementation of the EDG upgrade would be to comply with the
restrictive requirements of GDC-2. However, the alternative would not
significantly enhance the protection of the environment and would
result in significant loss of power generation since a dual unit outage
would be required.
Alternative Use of Resources
This action does not involve the use of any resources not
previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement dated April
1973 for the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on October 2, 1997, the staff
consulted with the Maryland State official, Richard J. McLean of the
Maryland Department of Natural Resources, regarding the environmental
impact of the proposed action. The State official had no comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
Based upon 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 12, 1997, as supplemented November 3,
1997, 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
Calvert County Library, Prince Frederick, Maryland.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 23d day of December 1997.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Darl S. Hood,
Acting Director, Project Directorate I-1, Division of Reactor
Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-34170 Filed 12-31-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
