[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 178 (Thursday, September 13, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47699-47700]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-22978]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-334 and 50-412]
Firstenergy Nuclear Operating Company, Ohio Edison Company:
Pennsylvania Power Company: Beaver Valley Power Station, Unit Nos. 1
and 2 (BVPS-1 and 2); Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License (FOL) Nos. DPR-
66 and NPF-73, issued to FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company, et al.
(the licensee), for operation of BVPS-1 and 2, located in Shippingport,
Pennsylvania. Therefore, as required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC is
issuing this environmental assessment and finding of no significant
impact.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed
The proposed action would revise the FOL and the technical
specifications (TSs) to reflect an increased licensed maximum steady
state reactor core power level of 2689 megawatts thermal (MWt), an
increase of approximately 1.4% as compared to the current licensed
maximum steady state reactor core power level of 2652 MWt. This
increase is facilitated by taking advantage of the reduced feedwater
flow measurement uncertainty associated with utilization of the Caldon
Leading Edge Flowmeter.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated January 18, 2001 (Agencywide Documents Access and
Management System [ADAMS] Accession No. ML010230096), as supplemented
by letters dated February 20 (ADAMS Accession No. ML010540305), April
12 (ADAMS Accession No. Ml011130105), May 7 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML011340076), May 18 (ADAMS Accession No. ML011440046), June 9 (3
letters) (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML011640192, ML011640189, and
ML011640086), June 26 (ADAMS Accession No. ML011840215), and June 29
(ADAMS Accession No. ML011870434), 2001.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action would allow an increase in power generation at
BVPS-1 and 2 to provide additional electrical power for distribution to
the grid. Power uprate has been widely recognized by the industry as a
safe and cost-effective method to increase generating capacity.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and
concludes that the proposed action does not present a significant
environmental impact.
The Commission has previously evaluated the environmental impacts
of operation of BVPS-1 and 2, as described in the final environmental
statements (FESs) for BVPS-1 and 2, dated July 31, 1973, and September
30, 1985, respectively (Nuclear Documents Systems [NUDOCS] Accession
Nos. 8907200125 and 8509300559, respectively). The findings and
conclusions of the BVPS-1 and 2 FESs remain bounding and valid for the
proposed power uprate conditions.
With regard to dose consequences of postulated design-basis
accidents (DBAs), the licensee has confirmed that the calculated dose
consequences resulting from a postulated DBA at the exclusion area
boundary, low population zone, and the control room remain within the
acceptable regulatory guidelines of Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR) part 20, 10 CFR part 100, and 10 CFR part 50,
appendix A, General Design Criterion 19. The NRC staff found the
calculated dose consequence results of a postulated BVPS-1 Main Steam
Line Break DBA acceptable in License Amendment No. 236 dated March 12,
2001 (ADAMS Accession No. ML010460384). The NRC staff found all other
calculated dose consequence results for postulated BVPS-1 and 2 DBAs
acceptable in License Amendments Nos. 237 and 119, dated March 22, 2001
(ADAMS Accession No. ML010610212) for BVPS-1 and 2, respectively (the
environmental assessment for this action was published in the Federal
Register on March 15, 2001 (66 FR 15147)). The licensee's current
shielding and DBA dose consequence analyses assume a maximum steady
state power level of 2766 MWt and 2705 MWt, respectively. These values
bound the proposed increase in the maximum licensed steady state
reactor core power level to 2689 MWt and the .6% core power measurement
uncertainty that will result from the use of the Caldon Leading Edge
Flowmeter technology.
[[Page 47700]]
Occupational doses for normal operations will be maintained within
acceptable limits by the site ALARA (as-low-as-reasonably-achievable)
program.
With regard to potentially increased normal radiological releases,
the BVPS-1 and 2 gaseous and liquid waste system designs were based on
operation at a maximum steady state reactor core power level of 2766
MWt and, consequently, can accommodate the effects of the power uprate
satisfactorily. The gaseous and liquid effluent releases are expected
to increase from current values by no more than the percentage increase
in power level. Effluents are controlled administratively by the
Offsite Dose Calculation Manual which ensures that offsite release
concentrations and doses are maintained well within the limits of 10
CFR part 50, Appendix I. Normal average gaseous releases remain limited
to a small fraction of 10 CFR part 20, appendix B, Table 2 limits.
With respect to potentially increased normal solid waste
generation, the volume of solid waste would not be expected to increase
significantly as compared to that generated at the current power
levels, since the power uprate neither appreciably impacts installed
equipment performance nor does it require drastic changes in system
operation. Only minor, if any, changes in solid waste generation volume
are expected. As the estimated coolant activity does not change
appreciably and maintenance and operational practices are not expected
to change, the calculated specific activity of solid waste is not
expected to change.
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 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 nonradiological impacts, the proposed
action does not have a potential to affect any historic sites. BVPS-1
and 2 employ a closed-loop cooling system that includes natural draft
cooling towers (one per unit) to dissipate waste heat to the
atmosphere. All water used at the plant is recycled within the closed-
loop cooling system except station makeup that comes from the Ohio
River via the service water system. The Beaver Valley National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Impact (NPDES) permit
(Permit No. PA0025615) does not place any absolute operating limits on
either flow or temperature for discharging into the Ohio river. Due to
the design of the closed-loop cooling system and the relatively small
increase in waste heat generated due to the power uprate, the minimal
potential increase in flow and temperature to the Ohio river will have
no adverse impact on the environment. Therefore, there are no
significant non-radiological 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 FESs for BVPS-1 and 2, dated July
31, 1973, and September 30, 1985, respectively.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
On August 10, 2001, the NRC staff consulted with the Pennsylvania
State official, Mr. Larry Ryan of the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection, Bureau of Radiation 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.
Further details with respect to the proposed action may be found in
the licensee's letter dated January 18, 2001, as supplemented by
letters dated February 20, April 12, May 7, May 18, June 9 (3 letters),
June 26, and June 29, 2001. Documents may be examined, and/or copied
for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville,
Maryland. Publically available records will be accessible
electronically from the ADAMS Public Library component on the NRC Web
site, http://www.nrc.gov (the Public Electronic Reading Room). Persons
who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing
the documents located in ADAMS should contact the NRC PDR Reference
staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209, or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at
[email protected].
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 7th day of September 2001.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Lawrence J. Burkhart,
Project Manager, Section 1, Project Directorate I, Division of
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-22978 Filed 9-12-01; 8:45 am]
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