ML032481286

Environmental Assessment Related to Deletion of Antitrust Conditions

ML032481286
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas
Issue date:	09/05/2003
From:	Jaffe D NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD4
To:	Sheppard J South Texas
Jaffe D, NRR/DLPM, 415-1439
References
TAC MB6169, TAC MB6170
Download: ML032481286 (7)

Text

September 5, 2003 Mr. James J. Sheppard President and Chief Executive Officer STP Nuclear Operating Company South Texas Project Electric Generating Station P. O. Box 289 Wadsworth, TX 77483

SUBJECT:

SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNITS 1 AND 2 - ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT RELATED TO DELETION OF ANTITRUST CONDITIONS (TAC NOS. MB6169 AND 6170)

Dear Mr. Sheppard:

Enclosed is a copy of the Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact related to your application for amendments dated August 20, 2002. The proposed amendments would delete antitrust conditions contained in the Facility Operating Licenses, and Appendix C, for South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2.

The assessment is being forwarded to the Office of the Federal Register for publication.

Sincerely,

/RA/

David Jaffe, Senior Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate IV Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-498 and 50-499

Enclosure:

As stated cc w/encl: See next page

ML032481286 NRR-042 OFFICE PDIV-1/PM PDIV-1/LA RLEP/SC OGC PDIV-1/SC NAME DJaffe:sab MMcAllister PKuo CMarco RGramm JTappert DATE 8/29/03 8/28/03 8/29/03 9/04/03 9/05/03 7590-01-P UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STP NUCLEAR OPERATING COMPANY, ET AL.

SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT, UNITS 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-498 AND 50-499 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of amendments to delete the anti-trust conditions contained in Appendix C to Facility Operating Licenses (FOLs) Nos. NPF-76 and NPF-80, issued to STP Nuclear Operating Company (the licensee), for operation of South Texas Project (STP), Units 1 and 2, respectively. STP, Units 1 and 2, are located in Matagorda County, Texas. Therefore, as required by Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 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 delete the antitrust conditions contained in Appendix C to the FOLs for STP, Units 1 and 2.

The proposed action is in accordance with the licensees application dated August 20, 2002.

The Need for the Proposed Action:

The proposed action is needed, according to the licensee's application, in order to, among other things, remove certain requirements that are no longer necessary following Texas's adoption of a comprehensive restructuring system.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action:

The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and concludes that the proposed license amendments represent administrative actions which have no effect on plant equipment or operation.

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 the same.

Alternative Use of Resources:

The action does not involve the use of any different resource than those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for STP, Units 1 and 2, dated August 1986.

Agencies and Persons Consulted:

On August 27, 2003, the staff consulted with the Texas State official, Mr. Arthur Tate of the Texas 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 licensees letter dated August 20, 2002. Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRCs Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public File Area Room 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 pdr@nrc.gov.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day of September , 2003.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

/RA/

Robert A. Gramm, Chief, Section 1 Project Directorate IV Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

South Texas Project, Units 1 & 2 cc:

Mr. Cornelius F. OKeefe A. H. Gutterman, Esq.

Senior Resident Inspector Morgan, Lewis & Bockius U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW P. O. Box 910 Washington, DC 20004 Bay City, TX 77414 Mr. T. J. Jordan, Vice President A. Ramirez/C. M. Canady Engineering & Technical Services City of Austin STP Nuclear Operating Company Electric Utility Department P. O. Box 289 721 Barton Springs Road Wadsworth, TX 77483 Austin, TX 78704 S. M. Head, Manager, Licensing Mr. L. K. Blaylock Nuclear Quality & Licensing Department Mr. W. C. Gunst STP Nuclear Operating Company City Public Service Board P. O. Box 289, Mail Code: N5014 P. O. Box 1771 Wadsworth, TX 77483 San Antonio, TX 78296 Environmental and Natural Resources Mr. C. A. Johnson/A. C. Bakken Policy Director AEP Texas Central Company P. O. Box 12428 P. O. Box 289 Austin, TX 78711-3189 Mail Code: N5022 Wadsworth, TX 77483 Jon C. Wood Matthews & Branscomb INPO 112 East Pecan, Suite 1100 Records Center San Antonio, TX 78205 700 Galleria Parkway Atlanta, GA 30339-3064 Arthur C. Tate, Director Division of Compliance & Inspection Regional Administrator, Region IV Bureau of Radiation Control U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Texas Department of Health 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 1100 West 49th Street Arlington, TX 76011 Austin, TX 78756 D. G. Tees/R. L. Balcom Brian Almon Texas Genco, LP Public Utility Commission P. O. Box 1700 William B. Travis Building Houston, TX 77251 P. O. Box 13326 1701 North Congress Avenue Judge, Matagorda County Austin, TX 78701-3326 Matagorda County Courthouse 1700 Seventh Street Bay City, TX 77414

South Texas Project, Units 1 & 2 cc:

Susan M. Jablonski Office of Permitting, Remediation and Registration Texas Commission on Environmental Quality MC-122 P. O. Box 13087 Austin, TX 78711-3087 Mr. Terry Parks, Chief Inspector Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Boiler Division P. O. Box 12157 Austin, TX 78711 Mr. Ted Enos 4200 South Hulen Suite 630 Ft. Worth, Texas 76109