[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1785-1787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-809]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-244]
Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation, R. E. Ginna Nuclear Power
Plant Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License No.
DPR-18, issued to Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation (the licensee)
for operation of the Ginna Nuclear Power Plant (Ginna), located at the
licensee's site in Wayne County, New York.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of Proposed Action
The proposed action addresses potential environmental issues
related to the licensee's application dated May 26, 1995, as
supplemented by letters
[[Page 1786]]
dated July 17, 1995, August 14, 1995, August 31, 1995, September 18,
1995, October 6, 1995, October 18, 1995, November 1, 1995, November 16,
1995, two letters of November 20, 1995, November 21, 1995, November 22,
1995, two letters of November 27, 1995, November 30, 1995, December 8,
1995, and December 28, 1995. The proposed action will replace the
existing Ginna Technical Specifications (TSs) in their entirety with a
new set of TSs based on Revision 1 to NUREG-1431, ``Standard Technical
Specifications Westinghouse Plants,'' and the existing Ginna TSs.
The Need for the Proposed Action
It has been recognized that nuclear safety in all plants would
benefit from improvement and standardization of TS. The ``NRC Interim
Policy Statement on Technical Specification Improvements for Nuclear
Power Reactors,'' (52 FR 3788, February 6, 1987) and later the Final
Policy Statement (58 FR 39132, July 22, 1993), addressed this need.
Subsequently, the Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 50.36 were revised
in accordance with the goals stated in the policy statements (60 FR
36953, July 19, 1995). To facilitate the development of individual
improved TSs, each reactor vendor owners group (OG) and the NRC staff
developed standard TS (STS). For Westinghouse plants, the STS are
published as NUREG-1431, and this document was the basis for the new
Ginna TS. The NRC Committee to Review Generic Requirements (CRGR)
reviewed the STS and made note of the safety merits of the STS and
indicated its support of conversion to the STS by operating plants.
Description of the Proposed Change
The proposed revision to the TS is based on NUREG-1431 and on
guidance provided in the Final Policy Statement. Its objective is to
completely rewrite, reformat, and streamline the existing TS. Emphasis
is placed on human factors principles to improve clarity and
understanding. The Bases section has been significantly expanded to
clarify and better explain the purpose and foundation of each
specification. In addition to NUREG-1431, portions of the existing TS
were also used as the basis for the ITS. Plant-specific issues (unique
design features, requirements, and operating practices) were discussed
at length with the licensee, and generic matters with the OG.
The proposed changes from the existing TS can be grouped into four
general categories, as follows:
1. Non-technical (administrative) changes, which were intended to
make the ITS easier to use for plant operations personnel. They are
purely editorial in nature or involve the movement or reformatting of
requirements without affecting technical content. Every section of the
Ginna TS has undergone these types of changes. In order to ensure
consistency, the NRC staff and the licensee have used NUREG-1431 as
guidance to reformat the TS and make other administrative changes.
2. Relocation of requirements, which includes items that were in
the existing Ginna TS but did not meet the criteria set forth in the
Final Policy Statement for inclusion in the TS. In general, the
proposed relocation of items in the Ginna TS to the Updated Final
Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR), appropriate plant-specific programs,
procedures and ITS Bases follows the guidance of the Westinghouse STS
(NUREG-1431). Once these items have been relocated by removing them
from the TS to licensee-controlled documents, the licensee may revise
them under the provisions of 10 CFR 50.59 or other NRC staff-approved
control mechanisms which provide appropriate regulatory and procedural
means to control changes.
3. More restrictive requirements, which consist of proposed Ginna
ITS items that are either more conservative than corresponding
requirements in the existing Ginna TS, or are additional restrictions
which are not in the existing Ginna TS but are contained in NUREG-1431.
Examples of more restrictive requirements include: placing a Limiting
Condition for Operation (LCO) on plant equipment that is not required
by the present TS to be operable; more restrictive requirements to
restore inoperable equipment; and more restrictive surveillance
requirements.
4. Less restrictive requirements, which are relaxations of
corresponding requirements in the existing Ginna TS which provided
little or no safety benefit and placed unnecessary burdens on the
licensee. These relaxations were the result of generic NRC action or
other analyses. They have been justified on a case-by-case basis for
Ginna as described in the staff's Safety Evaluation (SE) which will be
issued with the license amendment.
In addition to the changes described above, the licensee proposed
certain changes to the existing TSs that deviated from the STSs in
NUREG-1431 and constitute a relaxation of the existing TS. Each of
these additional proposed changes is described in the licensee's
application and in the staff's Notice of Consideration of Issuance of
Amendment to Facility Operating License and Opportunity for a Hearing
(60 FR 49636) and Notice of Consideration of Issuance of Amendment to
Facility Operating License, Proposed No Significant Hazards
Consideration, Determination, and Opportunity for a Hearing (60 FR
60371). These changes have been justified on a case-by-case basis for
Ginna as described in the staff's SE which will be issued with the
license amendment.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action
and concludes that the proposed TS conversion would not increase the
probability or consequences of accidents previously analyzed and would
not affect facility radiation levels or facility radiological
effluents.
Changes that are administrative in nature have been found to have
no effect on technical content of the TS, and are acceptable. The
increased clarity and understanding these changes bring to the TS are
expected to improve the operator's control of the plant in normal and
accident conditions.
Relocation of requirements to other licensee-controlled documents
does not change the requirements themselves. Future changes to these
requirements may be made by the licensee under 10 CFR 50.59 or other
NRC-approved control mechanisms, which ensures continued maintenance of
adequate requirements. All such relocations have been found to be in
conformance with 10 CFR 50.36, the guidelines of NUREG-1431 and the
Final Policy Statement, and, therefore, to be acceptable.
Changes involving more restrictive requirements have been found to
be acceptable.
Changes involving less restrictive requirements have been reviewed
individually. When requirements have been shown to provide little or no
safety benefit or to place unnecessary burdens on the licensee, their
removal from the TS was found to be justified. In most cases,
relaxations previously granted to individual plants on a plant-specific
basis were the result of a generic NRC action, or of agreements reached
during discussions with the OG and found to be acceptable for Ginna.
Generic relaxations contained in NUREG-1431 as well as proposed
deviations from NUREG-1431 have also been reviewed by the NRC staff and
have been found to be acceptable.
In summary, the proposed revision to the TS was found to provide
control of plant operations such that reasonable assurance will be
provided that the
[[Page 1787]]
health and safety of the public will be adequately protected.
These TS changes will not increase the probability or consequences
of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of any effluent
that may be released offsite, and there is no significant increase in
the allowable individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
Therefore, the Commission concludes that there are no significant
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed TS
amendment. Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no
significant radiological environmental impacts associated with the
proposed action.
With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed
action involves features located entirely within the restricted area as
defined in 10 CFR Part 20. It does not affect nonradiological plant
effluents and has no other environmental impact. Accordingly, the
Commission concludes that there are no significant nonradiological
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Since the Commission has concluded there is no measurable
environmental impact associated with the proposed amendment, 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.
Alternative Use of Resources
This action did not involve the use of any resources not previously
considered in the Final Environmental Statement related to the
operation of the Ginna Nuclear Power Plant.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on December 20, 1995, the
staff consulted with the New York State official, Mr. F. William
Valentino, State Liaison Officer 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
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 amendment.
For further details with respect to this action, see the licensee's
letters dated May 26, 1995, and supplemental letters dated July 17,
1995, August 14, 1995, August 31, 1995, September 18, 1995, October 6,
1995, October 18, 1995, November 1, 1995, November 16, 1995, two
letters of November 20, 1995, November 21, 1995, November 22, 1995, two
letters of November 27, 1995, November 30, 1995, December 8, 1995, and
December 28, 1995, 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 Rochester Public Library, 115 South Avenue, Rochester, NY 14610.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 16th day of January 1996.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ledyard B. Marsh,
Director, Project Directorate I-1, Division of Reactor Projects--I/II,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 96-809 Filed 1-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
