[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 120 (Thursday, June 22, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 32567]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-15289]
[[Page 32567]]
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-414]
Duke Power Co., el al; Catawba Nuclear Station, Unit No. 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 10
CFR part 50, appendix J, Paragraph III.D.1.(a), Type A Tests, to Duke
Power Company, et al. (the licensee), for operation of the Catawba
Nuclear Station, Unit No. 2, located in York County, South Carolina, in
accordance with Facility Operating License No. NFP-35.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
This Environmental Assessment has been prepared to address
potential environmental issues related to the licensee's application
dated May 18, 1995, as supplemented by letter dated May 31, 1995. The
proposed action would exempt the licensee from the requirements of 10
CFR part 50, appendix J, Paragraph III.D.1.(a), to the extent that a
one-time schedular extension would permit rescheduling the third
containment integrated leak rate test (ILRT) in the first 10-year
service period from the end-of-cycle 7 outage until the end-of-cycle 8
outage. The requested exemption would also allow the decoupling of this
third test from the endpoint of the first 10-year inservice inspection.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The current containment integrated leakage rate requirement for
Catawba, Unit 2, pursuant to Appendix J, is that, after the
preoperational leak rate preoperational leak rate test, a set of three
Type A tests must be performed at approximately equal intervals during
each 10-year period. Also, the third test of each set must be conducted
when the plant is shut down for the 10-year plant inservice inspection.
This is reflected in the Catawba Technical Specifications (TS) as a
testing interval of once each 40 months plus or minus 10 months, for a
frequency of three time in a 120-month period. To date, for Catawba
Unit 2, the preoperational and the first two periodic ILRTs have been
conducted. The most recent ILRT was conducted in February 1993,
approximately 28 months ago. Thus, in accordance with appendix J and
the current TS, an ILRT would have to be conducted during the refueling
outage beginning in October 1995 (the end-of-cycle (EOC) 7 outage).
The licensee has requested an exemption from Appendix J and a
corresponding change to the TS that would allow a one-time change to
the interval for the Unit 2 ILRT from 40 plus or minus 10 months to
less than or equal to 70 months. This would allow the EOC-7 ILRT to be
rescheduled for EOC-8. Therefore, the need for the licensee's proposed
action is to allow a longer interval between the Catawba Unit 2 second
and third periodic Type A ILRTs, which will result in a cost savings to
the licensee.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The proposed one-time exemption would not increase the probability
or consequences of accidents previously analyzed and the proposed one-
time exemption would not affect facility radiation levels or facility
radiological effluents. The licensee has analyzed the results of
previous Type A tests performed at the Catawba Nuclear Station, Unit
No. 2. The licensee has provided an acceptable basis for concluding
that the proposed one-time extension of the Type A test interval would
maintain the containment leakage rates within acceptable limits.
Accordingly, the Commission has concluded that the one-time extension
does not result in a significant increase in the amounts of any
effluents that may be released nor does it result in a significant
increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
Therefore, there are no significant radiological environmental impacts
associated with the proposed exemption.
With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed
exemption only involves Type A testing on the containment. It does not
affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no other environmental
impact. Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no
significant nonradiological environmental impacts associated with the
proposed exemption.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Since the Commission has concluded there is no measurable
environmental impact associated with the proposed exemption, any
alternatives with equal or greater environmental impact need not be
evaluated. The principal alternative to this action would be to deny
the request for exemption. Such action would not reduce the
environmental impacts of plant operations.
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 Catawba Nuclear Station Units 1 and 2,'' dated January
1983.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on June 6, 1995, the NRC
staff consulted with the South Carolina State official, Mr. M.K.
Batavia, PE, Chief of the Bureau of Radiological Health, Department of
Health and Environmental controls, 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 exemption.
For further details with respect to this action, see the licensee's
letter dated May 18, 1995, as supplemented by letter dated May 31,
1995, 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
York County Library, 138 East Black Street, Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Dated at Rockville, MD this 15th day of June 1995.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Herbert N. Berkow,
Director, Project Directorate II-2, Division of Reactor Projects-I/II,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 95-15289 Filed 6-21-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
