[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 101 (Thursday, May 26, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-12859]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: May 26, 1994]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-438 and 50-439]
Bellefonte Nuclear Plant; Environmental Assessment and Finding of
No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering issuance of extensions of the latest construction
completion dates specified in Construction Permit Nos. CPPR-122 and
CPPR-123 issued to Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, applicant) for the
Bellefonte Nuclear Plant (BLN), Units 1 and 2, respectively. The
facility is located at the applicant's site on the west shore of
Guntersville Reservoir, about 6 miles east-northeast of Scottsboro,
Alabama.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of Proposed Action
The proposed action would extend the latest construction completion
date of Construction Permit No. CPPR-122 from July 1, 1994 to October
1, 2001 and the latest construction completion date of Construction
Permit No. CPPR-123 from July 1, 1996 to October 1, 2004. The proposed
action is in response to the applicant's request dated April 19, 1994.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed because the construction of the
facility is not yet fully completed. The applicant requested the
extensions because construction activities had been deferred in 1988
due, in part, to a lower than expected load forecast. On March 23,
1993, TVA notified NRC that it planned to resume completion activities
120 days from the date of the letter. As a result of the delay from the
inactivity during the construction deferral, TVA is unable to complete
the construction of the two units before the expiration dates of the
construction permits, therefore extensions are now necessary. In
addition, pursuant to the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 1992,
TVA is currently engaged in an Integrated Resource Planning (IRP)
process to consider the least cost options for providing an adequate
supply of electricity to TVA's customers. As part of this planning
process, TVA will evaluate the completion of the BLN units along with
other generating options. The IRP process is presently scheduled for
completion in November 1995. Additional delays associated with the
above efforts to ensure that BLN meets regulatory requirements and
licensing commitments make it necessary for TVA to request extensions
of the expiration dates for Construction Permit Nos. CPPR-122 and CPPR-
123.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The environmental impacts associated with the construction of the
facility have been previously discussed and evaluated in the staff's
Final Environmental Statement (FES) issued in June 1974 for the
construction permit stage which covered construction of both units.
The proposed extensions will not allow any work to be performed
that is not already allowed by the existing construction permit. The
only change is that the environmental impacts discussed and evaluated
in the FES will be gradual and extend to longer periods of time than
the construction periods considered in the FES. The probability of
accidents has not been increased and post-accident radiological
releases will not be greater than previously determined, nor do the
proposed extensions otherwise affect radiological plant effluents.
Therefore, the Commission concludes that there are no significant
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed
extensions.
Based on the foregoing, the NRC staff has concluded that the
proposed action would have no significant environmental impact. Since
this action would only extend the period of construction activities
described in the FES, it does not involve any different impacts or a
significant change to those impacts described and analyzed in the
original environmental impact statement. Consequently, an environmental
impact statement addressing the proposed action is not required.
Alternatives Considered
A possible alternative to the proposed action would be to deny the
request. Under this alternative, the applicant would not be able to
complete construction of the facility. This would result in a denial of
the benefit of power production. This option would not eliminate the
environmental impacts of construction already incurred.
If construction were halted and not completed, site redress
activities would restore some small areas to their natural states. This
would be a slight environmental benefit, but much outweighed by the
economic losses from denial of use of a facility that is nearly
completed. (Unit 1 is about 85% complete, and Unit 2 is about 45%
complete). Therefore, this alternative is rejected.
Alternative Use of Resources
This action does not involve the use of resources not previously
considered in the FES for Bellefonte.
Agencies and Persons Contacted
The NRC staff reviewed the applicant's request and applicable
documents referenced therein that support the extensions. The NRC did
not consult other agencies or persons.
Finding Of No Significant Impact
The Commission has determined not to prepare an environmental
impact statement for this action. Based upon the environmental
assessment, the staff concludes that this action will not have a
significant effect on the quality of the human environment.
For details with respect to this action, see the request for
extensions dated April 19, 1994, which is available for public
inspection at the Commission Public Document Room, 2120 L Street, NW.,
Washington, DC and at the Local Public Document Room, Scottsboro Public
Library, 1002 South Broad Street, Scottsboro, Alabama 37402.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 19th day of May 1994.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Frederick J. Hebdon,
Director, Project Directorate II-4, Division of Reactor Projects I/II,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 94-12859 Filed 5-25-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
