[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 246 (Friday, December 21, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66000-66001]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-31472]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-361 and 50-362]
Southern California Edison Company; San Onofre Nuclear Generating
Station, Units 2 and 3 Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission, or NRC) is
considering issuance of an exemption from Title 10 of the Code of
Federal Regulations (10 CFR) part 50, Appendix E, sections IV.F.2.b and
c to Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-10 and NPF-15, issued to
Southern California Edison Company (the licensee), for operation of the
San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Units 2 and 3, (SONGS), located
in San Diego County, California. 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 is a one time exemption from the requirements
of Appendix E, sections IV.F.2.b and c regarding conduct of a full
participation exercise of the onsite and offsite emergency plans every
2 years. Under the proposed exemption, as modified by the staff (which
is discussed below), the licensee would reschedule the exercise
originally scheduled for September 12, 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 September 18, 2001. The licensee
requested a one-time exemption, in accordance with 10 CFR 50.12,
``Specific exemptions,'' from the requirements in 10 CFR part 50,
Appendix E, sections IV.F.2.b and c to perform a biennial exercise of
the onsite and offsite emergency plans (EPs) with full participation of
each offsite authority having a role under the offsite plan (i.e., a
full participation exercise), for SONGS. A full participation exercise
had been scheduled for SONGS for September 12, 2001; however, as a
result of the national security events occurring in the United States
on September 11, 2001, this exercise was canceled. The licensee
requested that the biennial exercise for 2001 not be conducted as
required by Appendix E, and the next full participation exercise be
conducted in 2003 and every two years thereafter.
Because the NRC's staff has concluded that it cannot grant the
licensee's request to cancel the full participation exercise for 2001,
and because the scheduled 2001 full participation exercise to meet the
regulations was canceled for good cause, there is insufficient time
before January 1, 2002, when the licensee would be in violation of the
regulations, to prepare and conduct the exercise and the licensee has
provided sufficient information to provide a basis for a one-year
schedular extension to the requirements in the regulations, the NRC has
concluded that such a one-year schedular exemption to the biennial
exercise requirements in Appendix E to 10 CFR part 50 can be granted
SONGS. The full participation exercise for SONGS scheduled for 2001
would be conducted by December 31, 2002. Future exercises, however,
will be performed as previously scheduled (i.e., granting of a
schedular exemption for the current exercise does not reset the 2-year
clock and the licensee will be expected to complete the next scheduled
exercise in 2003).
The Need for the Proposed Action
Sections IV.F.2.b and c, of Appendix E to 10 CFR part 50, require
each licensee at each site to conduct an exercise of its onsite and
offsite EPs every 2 years. Federal agencies (the NRC for the onsite
exercise portion and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the
offsite exercise portion) 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
onsite and offsite EPs on September 12, 2001, within the required 2-
year interval. However, as a result of the national security events
occurring in the United States on September 11, 2001, this exercise was
canceled.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its evaluation of the revised proposed action
to grant a one-year schedular extension exemption to SONGS for the
biennial exercise requirements in Appendix E to 10 CFR part 50 and
concludes that it involves an administrative activity (a schedular
change in conducting an exercise) unrelated to plant operations.
The revised 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
[[Page 66001]]
significant radiological environmental impacts ass ociated with the
revised proposed action.
With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the revised
proposed action does not have a potential to affect any historic sites.
It does not affect non-radiological plant effluents and has no other
environmental impact. Therefore, there are no significant non-
radiological environmental impacts associated with the revised proposed
action.
Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant
environmental impacts associated with the revised proposed action.
Environmental Impacts of Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the revised proposed action, the NRC staff
considered denial of the action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative).
Denial of the revised proposed action 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 resources
than those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement
for SONGS dated April 1981.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
On November 29 and December 17, 2001, the NRC staff consulted with
the California State official, Ben Tong of the Governor's Office of
Emergency Services, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed
action. The State official had no comments on the environmental impact;
however, the State official did not agree with rescheduling the
exercise. The State official's comments will be addressed in the safety
evaluation supporting the exemption. In addition, by phone on December
3, 2001, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) indicated that
it had no disagreement with rescheduling the exercise.
Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC concludes
that the revised 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
revised proposed action.
For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the
licensee's letter dated September 18, 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 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 17th day of December, 2001.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jack Donohew,
Senior Project Manager, Section 2, Project Directorate IV, Division of
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-31472 Filed 12-20-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P