[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 243 (Tuesday, December 18, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65231-65232]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-31157]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-352 and 50-353]
Exelon Generation Company, LLC, Limerick Generating Station,
Units 1 and 2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant
Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an exemption from Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR), part 50, Appendix E, Items IV.F.2. b and c, for
Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-39 and NPF-85, issued to Exelon
Generation Company, LLC (Exelon, the licensee), for operation of the
Limerick Generating Station, Units 1 and 2, located in Montgomery
County, 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 Action
The proposed action would allow a one-time exemption from the
requirements of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix E, Items IV.F.2.b and c,
regarding conduct of a full-participation exercise of the onsite and
offsite emergency plan every 2 years. Under the proposed exemption, the
licensee would reschedule the exercise originally scheduled for
November 1, 2001, and complete the exercise requirements by December
31, 2002.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application for an exemption dated October 16, 2001.
The Need for the Proposed Action
Currently under 10 CFR part 50, Appendix E, Items IV.F.2. b and c,
each licensee at each site is required to conduct a full-participation
exercise of its onsite and offsite emergency plans every 2 years.
Federal agencies, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
observe these exercises and evaluate the performance of the licensee,
State, and local authorities having a role under the emergency plan.
The licensee had initially planned to conduct an exercise of its
offsite emergency plan on November 1, 2001, which was within the
required 2-year interval. However, due to the ongoing national security
threat in the United States, and the response, recovery, and other
offsite agency activities associated with the September 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks, the licensee has decided to postpone the exercise.
The licensee does not plan to conduct the full-participation exercise
until after the 2-year interval has expired.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and
concludes that the proposed action involves an administrative activity
unrelated to plant operations.
The proposed action will not significantly 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 occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, there
are no significant radiological environmental
[[Page 65232]]
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.
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
This action does not involve the use of any different resource than
those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for
the Limerick Generating Station, Units 1 and 2, dated April 1984.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
On December 6, 2001, the staff contacted the Pennsylvania State
official, Dennis Dyckman of the Pennsylvania Department of Environment
and Natural Resources, regarding the environmental impact of the
proposed action. The State official had no comments. In addition, the
licensee notified the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, who indicated support for
rescheduling the exercise.
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 can be found in
the licensee's letter dated October 16, 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. Publicly available records will be
accessible electronically from the ADAMS Public Library component on
the NRC web site, http://www.nrc.gov (the 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 12th day of December 2001.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Christopher Gratton,
Sr. Project Manager, Section 2, Project Directorate 1, Division of
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-31157 Filed 12-17-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P