03-21882. PSEG Nuclear, LLC, Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering the issuance of amendments to Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-70 and DPR-75, issued to PSEG Nuclear, LLC (the licensee), for operation of the Salem Nuclear Generating Station (Salem), Unit Nos. 1 and 2, located in Salem County, New Jersey. Therefore, as required by Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 51.21, the NRC is issuing this environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action: The proposed action would allow the licensee to make an editorial change to the Salem Technical Specifications (TSs) by revising the description of the P-7 permissive interlock defined in TS Table 3.3-1, “Reactor Trip System Instrumentation,” in accordance with the licensee's application dated April 10, 2003.

The Need for the Proposed Action: The proposed action would revise the description of the P-7 permissive interlock defined in TS Table 3.3-1 due to changes in the design of the high pressure turbine. As part of this design change, the pressure taps for transmitters PT505 and PT506 will be relocated. Consequently, the description for the “Turbine impulse chamber pressure” will be changed to “Turbine steam line inlet pressure.” The proposed action is considered an editorial change.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action: The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and concludes, as set forth below, that there are no significant environmental impacts associated with the administrative and editorial changes to the Salem TSs.

The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability or consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of effluents that may be released offsite, 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 nonradiological impacts, the proposed action does not have a potential to affect any historic sites. It does not affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. Therefore, there are no significant nonradiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

Environmental Impacts of the 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: The action does not involve the use of any different resource than those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement related to operation of Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2, dated April 1973.

Agencies and Persons Consulted: On June 10, 2003, the staff consulted with the New Jersey State official, Mr. Rich Pinney of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 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 NRC concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC 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 April 10, 2003. Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/​reading-rm/​adams.html. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS, or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC's PDR reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to [e-mail].

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day of June, 2003.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Richard B. Ennis,

Acting Chief, Section 2, Project Directorate I, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.