[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 239 (Tuesday, December 14, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 69806]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-32309]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Commonwealth Edison Co.; Zion Nuclear Power Station, Units 1 and
2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
[Docket Nos. 50-295 and 50-304]
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering issuance of an exemption from certain requirements of its
regulations for Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-39 and DPR-48,
issued to Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd or the licensee) for the
Zion Nuclear Power Station (ZNPS) Units 1 and 2, located in Lake
County, Illinois.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed exemption would exempt ZNPS, because of its
permanently shutdown and defueled status, from certain requirements of
10 CFR 50.54(w) regarding the amount of onsite property insurance
required and from the requirements of 10 CFR 140.11 regarding the
amount of offsite liability insurance required. Specifically, the
exemption would allow the licensee to reduce onsite insurance coverage
to $50 million, offsite coverage to $100 million, and withdraw from
participation in the secondary insurance pool based on the permanently
defueled status of ZNPS.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application for exemption dated October 22, 1999.
The Need for the Proposed Action
ZNPS was shut down permanently in February 1997. ComEd certified
the permanent shutdown on February 13, 1998, and, on March 9, 1998,
certified that all fuel had been removed from the reactor vessels. In
accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(a)(2), upon docketing of the
certifications, the facility operating license no longer authorizes
ComEd to operate the reactor or to load fuel into the reactor vessel.
In this permanently shutdown condition, the facility poses a reduced
risk to public health and safety. Because of this reduced risk, full
compliance with all the requirements in 10 CFR 50.54(w) and 10 CFR
140.11 is no longer necessary. The requested exemptions from portions
of 10 CFR 50.54(w) and 10 CFR 140.11 are needed to allow a reduction in
the insurance coverage to a level that is appropriate for ZNPS in its
permanently shutdown and defueled condition.
Environmental Impact of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and
concludes that since the exemption only involves changes to indemnity
insurance, the proposed action will not increase the probability or
consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of
effluents that may be released off site, and there is no significant
increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, there
are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with
the proposed action.
With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed
action does not involve any historic sites. It does not affect non-
radiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact.
Therefore, there are no significant non-radiological environmental
impacts associated with the proposed action.
The only potential environmental impacts associated with the
proposed action would be economic in nature in the event of an
accident, if insurance coverage is not sufficient. The NRC staff
determined in SECY-96-256, ``Changes to the Financial Protection
Requirements for Permanently Shutdown Nuclear Power Reactors, 10 CFR
50.54(w) and 10 CFR 140.11,'' that $50 million in on-site coverage and
$100 million in offsite coverage is sufficient for the most limiting
accident associated with a permanently shutdown defueled plant.
Therefore, given that the proposed action conforms to the dollar
amounts of SECY-96-256, the staff has concluded that there would be no
significant economic impact on the surrounding community in the event
of an accident.
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered
denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative).
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 for the Zion Nuclear
Power Station, Units 1 and 2, dated December 1972.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on November 23, 1999, the
staff consulted with the Illinois State officials, Mr. Gary Wright and
Mr. Neill Howey, of the Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety (IDNS)
regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The State
official had no comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of 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 July 30, 1999, which is available for public
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, The Gelman
Building, 2120 L Street, NW, Washington, DC. Publicly available records
will be accessible electronically from the ADAMS Public Library
component on the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov (the Electronic
Reading Room).
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day of December 1999.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Dino C. Scaletti,
Project Manager, Decommissioning Section, Project Directorate IV &
Decommissioning Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 99-32309 Filed 12-13-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
