[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 90 (Friday, May 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25069-25070]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-11526]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-302]
Florida Power Corporation; Crystal River Unit 3; 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 55, section 55.59(c)(1) for Facility
Operating License No. DPR-72, issued to Florida Power Corporation (the
licensee), for operation of Crystal River Unit 3 (CR-3), located in
Citrus County, Florida. 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 constitute a one-time exemption to allow
the current licensed operator requalification program to exceed 24
months. The requested exemption would extend the completion date for
the current requalification program from December 31, 2004, to February
28, 2005, and would include an extension to February 28, 2005, for
completing the required annual operating tests and comprehensive
biennial written examination. The next requalification program period
would begin on March 1, 2005, and continue for 24 months to February
28, 2007, with successive periods running for 24 months.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application for exemption dated March 6, 2003.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action would extend the current CR-3 requalification
program from December 31, 2004, to February 28, 2005. The next
requalification program period would begin on March 1, 2005, and
continue for 24 months to February 28, 2007, with successive periods
running for 24 months. The proposed action is needed to allow for
minimal interruption of the licensed personnel based on scheduling
difficulties associated with an end-of-the-year requalification program
cycle. Specifically, the licensee has stated that moving operator
annual and biennial exams to a January to February timeframe would
support the following benefits for the licensee: (1) Minimize the fall
refueling outage impact on exam development; (2) minimize the potential
impact from any fall refueling outage extensions; (3) minimize the
scheduling and resource impact from holidays; (4) minimize the
potential scheduling and resource impact of any exam remediation or
retesting requirements during the holidays; and (5) minimize the
potential impact from future bargaining unit negotiations that occur
periodically in the fourth calendar quarter. The licensee deems it
prudent to allow the licensed personnel operating the plant to remain
fully available to stand watch on operating
[[Page 25070]]
crews and not be distracted by completing the licensed operator
requalification program by December 31, 2004.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and
concludes that there are no significant environmental impacts
associated with the extension of the completion date for the operator
requalification program from December 31, 2004, to February 28, 2005.
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. 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 resources than
those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for
CR-3.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
On May 1, 2003, the staff consulted with the Florida State
official, William Passetti, of the Florida Department of Health Bureau
of Radiation Control, 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 March 6, 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 PDR
Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by
e-mail to [email protected].
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day of May, 2003.
Allen G. Howe,
Chief, Section 2, Project Directorate II, Division of Licensing
Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 03-11526 Filed 5-8-03; 8:45 am]
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