[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 206 (Monday, October 26, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57144-57145]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-28584]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-498 and 50-499]
South Texas Project, Units 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 its
regulations to Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-76 and NPF-80 for
the South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2 (STP) issued to the STP Nuclear
Operating Company (the licensee).
Environmental Assessment
Identification of Proposed Action
The proposed action is in response to the licensee's application
dated June 17, 1998, for exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR
50.71(e)(4) regarding submission of revisions to the Updated Final
Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR). Under the proposed exemption the
licensee would submit revisions to the UFSAR to the NRC no later than
24 calendar months from the previous revision. In addition, pursuant to
10 CFR 50.54(a)(3) and 10 CFR 50.59(b)(2), revisions to the Operations
Quality Assurance Plan (OQAP) and the safety evaluation summary reports
for facility changes made under 10 CFR 50.59 for STP, respectively, may
be submitted on the same schedule as the UFSAR revisions.
The Need for the Proposed Action
10 CFR 50.71(e)(4) requires licensees to submit updates to their
UFSAR annually or within 6 months after each refueling outage providing
that the interval between successive updates does not exceed 24 months.
Since Units 1 and 2 of STP share a common UFSAR, the licensee must
update the same document annually or within 6 months after a refueling
outage for either unit. The underlying purpose of the rule was to
relieve licensees of the burden of filing annual FSAR revisions while
assuring that such revisions are made at least every 24 months. The
Commission reduced the burden, in part, by
[[Page 57145]]
permitting a licensee to submit its FSAR revisions 6 months after
refueling outages for its facility, but did not provide for multiple
unit facilities sharing a common FSAR in the rule. Rather, the
Commission stated that ``With respect to the concern about multiple
facilities sharing a common FSAR, licensees will have maximum
flexibility for scheduling updates on a case-by-case basis,'' 57 FR
39355 (1992). Allowing the exemption would maintain the UFSAR current
within 24 months of the last revision. Submission of the 10 CFR 50.59
design change report for either unit together with the UFSAR revision,
as permitted by 10 CFR 50.59(b)(2), also would not exceed a 24-month
interval.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action
and concludes that the proposed action is administrative in nature,
unrelated to plant operations.
The proposed action will not result in an increase in the
probability or consequences of accidents or result in a change in
occupational exposure 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.
Alternative to the Proposed Action
Since the Commission has concluded that 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 exemption would result in
no change in current environmental impacts. The environmental impacts
of the proposed exemption and this alternative 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 South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2,'' dated August 1986,
in NUREG-1171.
Agencies and Persons Contacted
In accordance with its stated policy, on September 18, 1998, the
staff consulted with the Texas State official regarding the
environmental impact of the proposed action. The State official had no
comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
Based upon the foregoing 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 exemption.
For further details with respect to this action, see the licensee's
request for the exemption dated June 17, 1998, which is available for
public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, Gelman
Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington DC, 20555 and at the local
public document room located at the Wharton County Junior College, J.M.
Hodges Learning Center, 911 Boling Highway, Wharton, TX 77488.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 15th day of October 1998.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John N. Hannon,
Director, Project Directorate IV-1, Division of Reactor Projects III/
IV, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 98-28584 Filed 10-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
