[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 138 (Wednesday, July 19, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37110-37112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-17722]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-206, 50-361, 50-362]
Southern California Edison Company; San Onofre Nuclear Generating
Station, Unit Nos. 1, 2, and 3; 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. DPR 13, NPF-10, and NPF-
15, issued to Southern California Edison (the licensee), for operation
of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3,
located in San Diego County, California.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed exemption would allow individuals not employed by the
licensee (i.e., contractors) who have unescorted access to retain
possession of their picture badges instead of returning them as they
exit the protected area.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated
[[Page 37111]]
March 13, 1995, for exemption from certain requirements of 10 CFR
73.55, ``Requirements for physical protection of licensed activities in
nuclear power plant reactors against radiological sabotage.''
The Need for the Proposed Action
Paragraph (1) of 10 CFR 73.55(a), the licensee is required to
establish and maintain an onsite physical system and security
organization.
Paragraph (1) of 10 CFR 73.55(d), ``Access Requirements,''
specifies in part that ``The licensee shall control all points of
personnel and vehicle access into a protected area.'' It is specified
in 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5), ``A numbered picture badge identification system
shall be used for all individuals who are authorized access to
protected areas without escort.'' It further indicates that an
individual not employed by the licensee (e.g., contractors) may be
authorized access to protected areas without an escort provided the
individual, ``receives a picture badge upon entrance into the protected
area which must be returned upon exit from the protected area.''
Currently, unescorted access for both employee and contractor
personnel into the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station is controlled
through the use of picture badges. Positive identification of personnel
who are authorized and request access into the protected area is
established by security personnel making visual comparison of the
individual requesting access and that individual's picture badge. The
picture badges are issued, stored, and retrieved at the entrance/exit
locations to the protected area. These picture badges are not taken
offsite. This current practice is in accordance with the applicable
requirements of 10 CFR Part 73 discussed above.
The licensee proposes to revise its security plan to implement an
alternative unescorted access control system which would eliminate the
need for site security personnel to issue and retrieve picture badges
at the entrance/exit locations to the protected area. The proposal
would enable the licensee to revise the SONGS security plan to allow
all individuals, including contractors, who have unescorted access to
the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station to retrieve their own badges
before entering the protected area and return their badges when exiting
the protected area for retrieval for their next entrance. Thus, an
exemption is required from 10 CFR 73.55(d)(5) to allow individuals,
including contractors, who have unescorted access to keep their picture
badges in their possession when departing the San Onofre Nuclear
Generating Station.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action.
In addition to their picture badges, all individuals with authorized
unescorted access will have the physical characteristics of their hand
(hand geometry) registered with their picture badge number in a
computerized access control system. Therefore, all authorized
individuals must not only have their picture badges to gain access into
the protected area, but must also have their hand geometry confirmed.
All other access processes, including search function capability
and access revocation, will remain the same. A security officer
responsible for access control will continue to be positioned within a
hardened cubicle. The proposed system is only for individuals with
authorized unescorted access and will not be used for individuals
requiring escorts.
The underlying purpose for requiring that individuals not employed
by the licensee must receive and return their picture badges at the
entrance/exit is to provide reasonable assurance that the access badges
could not be compromised or stolen with a resulting risk that an
unauthorized individual could potentially enter the protected area.
Although the proposed exemption will allow individuals to take their
picture badges offsite, the proposed measures require not only that the
picture badge be provided for access to the protected area, but also
that verification of the hand geometry registered with the badge be
performed as discussed above. Thus, the proposed system provides an
identity verification process that is equivalent to the existing
process.
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that the exemption to allow
individuals to take their picture badges offsite will not result in an
increase in the risk that an unauthorized individual could potentially
enter the protected area. The change will not increase the probability
or consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of
any effluents that may be released offsite, and there is no significant
increase in the allowable individual or cumulative occupational
radiation exposure. Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there
are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with
the proposed action.
With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed
actions does involve features located entirely within the restricted
area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20. 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 action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Since the Commission has concluded there is no measurable
environmental impact associated with the proposed action, any
alternatives with equal or greater environmental impact need not be
evaluated. The principal alternative to the action would be to deny the
request. Such action would not significantly enhance the protection of
the environment in that the proposed action will result in a process
that is equivalent to the existing identification verification process.
Alternative Use of Resources
This action does not involve the use of any resources not
previously considered in the Environmental Assessment related to the
conversion of the Provisional Operating License to a Full Term
Operating License issued to Southern California Edison Company for the
San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 1, on September 26, 1991,
or the Final Environmental Report Related to the Operation of San
Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, units 2 and 3 (April 1981).
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on June 19, 1995, the staff
consulted with the California State official, Mr. Stephen Hsu of the
California Department of health Services, 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 action.
For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the
licensee's letter dated March 13, 1995, which is 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 Main Library, University of California,
[[Page 37112]]
Post Office Box 19557, Irvine, California 92713.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 13th day of July 1995.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Seymour H. Weiss,
Director, Non-Power Reactor's and Decommissioning Project Directorate,
Division of Project Support, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 95-17722 Filed 7-18-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
