[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 8, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76495-76496]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-30855]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

 [Docket Nos. 50-338 and 50-339; Docket Nos. 50-280 and 50-281; NRC-
2010-0376]


Virginia Electric and Power Company North Anna Power Station, 
Unit Nos. 1 and 2 Surry Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2; Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering changes 
to the Emergency Plan, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.54, ``Conditions of 
licenses,'' paragraph (q), for North Anna Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 
and 2 (NAPS), for Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-4 and 
NPF-7, and Surry Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (Surry) for Renewed 
Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-32 and DPR-37, issued to Virginia 
Electric and Power Company (the licensee), for operation of NAPS and 
Surry located in Louisa County, Virginia, and Surry County, Virginia, 
respectively. Therefore, as required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC performed 
an environmental assessment. Based on the results of the environmental 
assessment, the NRC is issuing a finding of no significant impact.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would upgrade selected Emergency Action Levels 
(EALs) based on NEI 99-01, Revision 5, ``Methodology for Development of 
Emergency Action Levels,'' using the guidance of NRC Regulatory Issue 
Summary 2003-18, Supplement 1 and 2, ``Use of Nuclear Energy Institute 
(NEI) 99-01, Methodology for Development of Emergency Action Levels.''
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
applications dated January 29, 2010 (Agencywide Documents Access and 
Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML100500566).

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed because amendments would change an 
EAL scheme based on NUREG-0654, ``Criteria for Preparation and 
Evaluation of Radiological Emergency Response Plan and Preparedness in 
Support of Nuclear Power Plants,'' to one based on NEI 99-01, 
``Methodology for Development of Emergency Action Levels,'' Revision 4. 
This would change the methodology for deriving selected Notification of 
Unusual Event values in Table R-1, Gaseous Effluent Monitor 
Classification Thresholds, and deleting EAL RA2.4, which evaluates 
abnormal radiation readings at infrequently accessed areas and revise 
the radiation level threshold values for reactor coolant system (RCS) 
letdown indication.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its environmental assessment of the proposed 
EAL changes to NAPS and Surry. The staff has concluded that the changes 
would not significantly affect plant safety and would not have a 
significant adverse effect on the probability of an accident occurring. 
The proposed action would not result in an increased radiological 
hazard beyond those previously analyzed in the Updated Final Safety 
Analysis Report. There will be no change to radioactive effluents that 
affect radiation exposures to plant workers and members of the public. 
No changes will be made to plant buildings or the site property. 
Therefore, no changes or different types of radiological impacts are 
expected as a result of the proposed changes.
    The proposed action does not result in changes to land use or water 
use, or result in changes to the quality or quantity of non-
radiological effluents. No changes to the National Pollution Discharge 
Elimination System permit are needed. No effects on the aquatic or 
terrestrial habitat in the vicinity of the plant, or to threatened, 
endangered, or protected species under the Endangered Species Act, or 
impacts to essential fish habitat covered by the Magnuson-Stevens Act 
are expected. There are no impacts to the air or ambient air quality. 
There are no impacts to historic and cultural resources. There would be 
no noticeable effect on socioeconomic conditions in the region.
    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 NRC 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 
Related to the Continuation of Construction and the Operation,'' for 
NAPS dated April 1973, and Surry dated May 1972 and June 1972, 
respectively, as supplemented through the ``Generic Environmental 
Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Supplements 6 
and 7 Regarding Surry and NAPS--Final Report (NUREG-1437, Supplements 6 
and 7),'' dated November 2002.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on November 17, 2010, the 
staff consulted with the Virginia State official, Leslie P. Foldesi, 
Director of the Division of Radiological Health, 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.

[[Page 76496]]

    For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the 
licensee's letters dated January 29, 2010. 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 send an e-mail to [email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 1st day of December 2010.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
V. Sreenivas,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch 2-1, Division of Operating 
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2010-30855 Filed 12-7-10; 8:45 am]
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