[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 15 (Thursday, January 23, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3538-3539]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-1610]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-286]
Power Authority of the State of New York; Indian Point Nuclear
Generating Unit No. 3; Environmental Assessment and Finding of no
Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering issuance of an amendment to an exemption from certain
requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J, Paragraph III.D.3, Type C
tests, to the Power Authority of the State of New York (the licensee)
for the Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 3, located in
Westchester County, New York.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would exempt the licensee from the requirements
of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J, Paragraph III.D.3, to the extent that a
one-time extension would be allowed for conducting Type C local leak
rate tests (LLRTs) on containment isolation valves. Appendix J to 10
CFR Part 50 requires these tests to be performed at intervals no
greater than 2 years. Indian Point 3 is operating under an existing
exemption that allows Type C tests to be conducted at intervals of no
greater than 30 months. The proposed amendment to this exemption would
extend the current test interval by 4\1/2\ months.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action would allow the licensee to complete the
current operating cycle without a shutdown to conduct a Type C LLRT.
The licensee commenced operating on 24-month fuel cycles, as opposed to
the previous 18-month fuel cycles, starting with fuel cycle 9 in August
1992. The requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J, Paragraph
III.D.3, indicate that Type C LLRTs must be performed during each
reactor shutdown for refueling at intervals no greater than 2 years (24
months). In order to conform with this regulation, the licensee would
have to shut down Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 3 and enter
an outage before the scheduled end of each fuel cycle.
The NRC staff had previously recognized that certain regulations
would not accommodate fuel cycles longer than 18-months. Consequently,
the NRC staff issued Generic Letter 91-04, ``Changes in Technical
Specification Surveillance Intervals to Accommodate a 24-Month Fuel
Cycle.'' This generic letter provides guidance to licensees on how to
prepare requests for TS amendments and regulation exemptions which are
needed to accommodate a 24-month fuel cycle. The licensee's letters of
July 17, 1992, and December 23, 1992, which requested the existing
exemption, followed the guidance of Generic Letter 91-04. An exemption
allowing the licensee to extend the interval for Type C LLRts was
issued on February 19, 1993.
Type C testing for containment isolation valves was performed
during the Restart and Continuous Improvement outage; however, due to
the length of this outage the 30-month time interval will expire for
some of the containment isolation valves prior to the next refueling
outage scheduled for spring 1997. The requested amendment to the
exemption provides for a one-time extension of up to 4 months so that
valve testing may be done during the next refueling outage. Deferral of
valve testing will not be used to extend plant operation beyond May 31,
1997.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action
and concludes that the proposed amendment to the existing exemption
does not increase the probability or consequences of accidents
previously analyzed and it does not affect facility radiation levels or
facility radiological effluents. The licensee has analyzed the results
of previous LLRTs performed at Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit No.
3, and has provided the methodology used in extrapolating the previous
LLRT data to the proposed 34.5-month interval. The requested exemption
is also based on increasing the margin to the allowed combined leakage
rate limit by 25 percent. The licensee has provided a sound basis for
concluding that the containment leakage rate would be maintained within
acceptable limits with a maximum LLRT interval of 30 months. The NRC
staff has determined the licensee's actions are consistent with the
guidance provided in Generic Letter 91-04.
The change will not increase the probability or consequences of
accidents, no changes are being made in the types of any effluents that
may be released offsite, and there is no significant increase in the
allowable individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed
exemption involves features located entirely within the restricted area
as
[[Page 3539]]
defined in 10 CFR Part 20. It does not affect non-radiological plant
effluents and has no other environmental impact. Therefore, the
Commission concludes that there is no significant non-radiological
environmental impact associated with the proposed exemption.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Since the Commission has concluded that there is no measurable
environmental associated with the proposed action, any alternatives
with equal or greater environmental impacts 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 does not involve the use of resources not previously
considered in the Final Environmental Statement Related to the
Operation of Indian Point Nuclear Generating Plant Unit No. 3, dated
February 1975.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on December 12, 1996, the
staff consulted with the New York State official, Heidi Voelk, 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 action.
For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the
licensee's letter dated October 1, 1996, as supplemented by letter
dated December 5, 1996, 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 White Plains Public Library, 100 Martine Avenue, White
Plains, New York 10601.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 16th day of January 1997.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
S. Singh Bajwa,
Acting Director, Project Directorate I-1, Division of Reactor
Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-1610 Filed 1-22-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
