[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 1 (Monday, January 3, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 93-32089]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: January 3, 1994]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-261]
Carolina Power & Light Co.; H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant,
Unit No. 2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant
Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering issuance of a
scheduler exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix
E, to Carolina Power & Light Company (CP&L or the licensee), for H.B.
Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2 (HBR), located in Darlington
County, South Carolina.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed exemption would allow temporary relief from the
requirements of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix E, Section IV.F.2., for the
licensee at HBR to annually exercise its emergency plan. By letter
dated November 21, 1993, as supplemented November 22, 1993, the
licensee requested an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR part
50, Appendix E, to conduct an annual exercise of the HBR Radiological
Emergency Plan in 1993. The licensee had planned to conduct a full-
participation exercise involving the State of South Carolina and local
response organizations on November 30, 1993. The licensee requested
that an exemption be granted for the conduct of the onsite portion of
the exercise because the licensee would not have sufficient staff to
conduct a meaningful exercise of the HBR Emergency Plan due to resource
constraints caused by an unscheduled outage to investigate and address
core design issues. This proposed delay will prevent HBR from meeting
the requirement to conduct an annual exercise of the HBR Emergency
Plan. However, the licensee proposed that the offsite portion of the
exercise involving the State of South Carolina and local governmental
authorities be conducted as scheduled on November 30, 1993. The
licensee requested a delay of the onsite portion of the 1993 annual
exercise from November 30, 1993, to the week of March 21, 1994. The
request to move the exercise date was originated by the licensee
because they would be unable to participate on November 30, 1993, as a
result of their involvement at that time in addressing safety issues
identified during startup after refueling outage 15. The reactor was
ascending to full power operation after a refueling outage when low
power physics testing revealed an improper configuration emanating from
the design of the new fuel. The new fuel consisted of 44 fuel
assemblies, 5 of which were found to be configured improperly against
design specifications. As a result, the NRC dispatched an Augmented
Inspection Team to the site and the licensee formed three investigative
teams. The licensee stated that all of these efforts to develop
corrective actions for core reconfiguration and to investigate and
resolve any industry implications of fuel configuration problems
diverted focus and resources. The offsite portion of the exercise
involving the State of South Carolina and local governmental
authorities would be conducted as scheduled on November 30, 1993. This
proposed delay will prevent the licensee from meeting the requirement
to annually exercise the HBR Radiological Emergency Plan, as specified
in Appendix E to 10 CFR part 50, and, therefore, the licensee requested
a scheduler exemption.
The previous emergency preparedness exercise at HBR was
successfully conducted on November 17, 1992, and included the partial
participation of State and local agencies for notifications and
communications only. The licensee had scheduled, planned, and
coordinated the 1993 exercise with participating Federal, State, and
local agencies for November 30, 1993. The scope and objectives, and the
final scenario documentation for the November 1993 exercise were
submitted to the NRC on September 13, 1993, and October 14, 1993,
respectively, which is within the time frame established for their
submittal in support of a November 1993 exercise. In addition, the
licensee states that a training exercise with the State of South
Carolina and local governmental agencies was conducted on November 16,
1993, which activated all emergency facilities and included
participation from all major responder groups.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed exemption is needed because the licensee would not
have sufficient staff to meaningfully exercise the HBR Emergency Plan
due to resource constraints caused by an unscheduled outage to
investigate and address core design issues.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The proposed exemption does not involve any measurable
environmental impacts since the exemption deals with the exercise of
the licensee's emergency plan. Plant configuration and operations are
not changed. Thus, the proposed exemption would not affect the
probability or consequences of a potential reactor accident and would
not otherwise affect radiological plant effluents. Consequently, the
Commission concludes that there are no significant radiological impacts
associated with the proposed exemption.
With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed
exemption involves only the emergency plan exercises. It does not
affect nonradiological plant effluents and there are no other
nonradiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed
exemption.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Since the staff has concluded that there are no measurable
environmental impacts associated with the proposed exemption, any
alternatives with equal or greater environmental impact need not be
evaluated.
The principal alternative to the exemption would be to require
strict compliance with 10 CFR part 50, Appendix E, Section IV.F.2., for
the licensee at HBR to annually exercise its emergency plan. This would
not reduce environmental impacts of plant operation and would result in
a diversion of plant resources from addressing important health and
safety issues.
Alternative Use of Resources
This exemption from the scheduled exercise in November 1993 does
not reduce the use of resources since the schedule for future exercises
will not be affected by this exemption. The licensee has stated it will
conduct the previously scheduled 1994 exercise in November 1994, as
planned. Thus, the requested exemption would provide only temporary
relief from the requirement to conduct an annual exercise.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
The staff consulted with the State of South Carolina regarding the
environmental impact of the proposed action.
Finding of No Significant Impact
Based upon the foregoing environmental assessment, the Commission
concludes that the proposed action would 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 exemption.
For further details with respect to this action, see the
application dated November 21, 1993, as supplemented November 22, 1993,
which is available for public inspection at the Commission's Public
Document Room, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC, and at the local
public document room located at the Hartsville Memorial Library, Home
and Fifth Avenues, Hartsville, SC 29550.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of December 1993.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
George F. Wunder,
Acting Director, Project Directorate II-I, Division of Reactor
Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 93-32089 Filed 12-30-93; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
