[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 20 (Monday, January 31, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5408-5410]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2034]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-382; NRC-2011-0023]
Entergy Operations, Inc., Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit
3, Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is
considering issuance of an exemption, pursuant to Title 10 of the Code
of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), 26.9, ``Specific exemptions,'' from
paragraphs (c) and (d) of 10 CFR 26.205, ``Work hours,'' for Facility
Operating License No. NPF-38, issued to Entergy Operations, Inc.
(Entergy, the licensee), for operation of the Waterford Steam Electric
Station, Unit 3 (Waterford 3), located in St. Charles Parish,
Louisiana.
In accordance with 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC prepared an environmental
assessment documenting its finding. The NRC concluded that the proposed
actions will have no significant impact.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would consider approval of an exemption for
Waterford 3, from some of the requirements of 10 CFR part 26, ``Fitness
for duty programs.'' Specifically, the licensee requests approval of an
exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 26.205(c), ``Work hours
scheduling,'' and (d), ``Work hour controls,'' to allow for
sequestering site personnel prior to and following the entry and exit
conditions (i.e., emergency declaration) related to adverse weather
conditions caused by a hurricane.
The licensee states that during declaration of severe weather
conditions, such as hurricane watches and warnings or inland hurricane
wind watches and warnings caused by a hurricane impacting the coast,
adherence to all work hour controls requirements could impede the
licensee's ability to use whatever staff resources may be necessary to
respond to a plant emergency and ensure that the plant reaches and
maintains a safe and secure status.
[[Page 5409]]
Since 10 CFR 26.207(d), ``Plant emergencies,'' already provides an
exception for the time period associated with a declared emergency, the
exemption requested per 10 CFR 26.9 only applies to the applicable time
periods prior to and following the 10 CFR 26.207(d) exception,
requiring the sequestering of Waterford 3 response personnel and
related staff resource limitations.
The proposed exemption will allow the licensee not to meet the
requirements of 10 CFR 26.205(c) and (d), from the time the existing
entry conditions for declaring an emergency condition that hurricane
watches and warnings or inland hurricane wind watches and warnings
caused by a hurricane impacting the coast sequestering conditions are
met until severe weather exit conditions are satisfied. The exemption
will only apply to individuals performing certain types of duties
defined in 10 CFR 26.4(a)(1) through (a)(5), namely, (1) Operating or
onsite directing of the operation of structures, systems and components
(SSCs) that a risk-informed evaluation process has shown to be
significant to public health and safety; (2) performing health physics
or chemistry duties required as a member of the onsite emergency
response organization minimum shift complement; (3) performing the
duties of a fire brigade member who is responsible for understanding
the effects of fire and fire suppressants on safe shutdown capability;
(4) performing maintenance or onsite directing of the maintenance of
SSCs that a risk-informed evaluation process has shown to be
significant to public health and safety; and (5) performing security
duties as an armed security force officer, alarm station operator,
response team leader, or watchperson. When crew sequestering exit
conditions are met, full compliance with 10 CFR 26.205(c) and (d) will
be required.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application dated May 27, 2010, as supplemented by letters dated
November 3 and 29, 2010, which are available to the public in the NRC's
Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession
Nos. ML101520325, ML103090716, and ML103350158, respectively.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed because the licensee is unable to
meet the requirements of 10 CFR 26.205(c) and (d) during existing entry
and exit conditions when declarations of severe weather conditions that
could result due to prevailing hurricane watches and warnings or inland
hurricane wind watches and warnings caused by a hurricane impacting the
coast impacting the facility are made.
Compliance with work hour control requirements would impede the
licensee's ability to use whatever staff resources may be necessary to
respond to a plant emergency and ensure that the plant reaches and
maintains a safe and secure status.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and
concludes that there are no environmental impacts associated with the
proposed exemption. The details of the staff's safety evaluation will
be provided in the exemption, if approved by the NRC, that will be
issued as part of the letter to the licensee approving the exemption to
the regulation.
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 offsite. There is no significant
increase in the amount of any effluent released offsite. There is no
significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure.
Therefore, there are no significant radiological environmental impacts
associated with the proposed action.
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 historical and cultural resources. There would
be no noticeable effect on socioeconomic conditions in the region.
Therefore, no changes or different types of non-radiological
environmental impacts are expected as a result of the proposed action.
Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action; therefore,
the staff has determined not to prepare an environmental impact
statement for 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 exemption request would result in no change in current
environmental impacts. If the proposed action was denied, the licensee
would have to comply with the work hour control requirements in 10 CFR
26.205(c) and (d). This would cause unnecessary burden on the licensee,
without a significant benefit in environmental impacts. The
environmental impacts of the proposed exemption and the ``no-action''
alternative are similar.
Alternative Use of Resources
The action does not involve the use of any different resources than
those previously considered by the NRC staff in the Final Environmental
Statement for Waterford 3, dated September 1981 (NUREG-0779).
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on January 4, 2011, the NRC
staff consulted with the Louisiana State official, JiYoung Wiley,
Department of Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response,
regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The
Louisiana State official had no comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the above environmental assessment which, pursuant
to 10 CFR 51.32(a)(4) is incorporated into this finding of no
significant impact by reference, 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 May 27, 2010, as supplemented by letters dated
November 3 and 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, Room O1-F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor),
Rockville, Maryland 20852-2338. Publicly available records will be
accessible electronically from the 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
[[Page 5410]]
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 21st day of January 2011.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Nageswaran Kalyanam,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch IV, Division of Operating
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2011-2034 Filed 1-28-11; 8:45 am]
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