ML033450124

Environmental Assessment, Ltr., Issuance of Environmental Assessment

ML033450124
Person / Time
Site:	Quad Cities
Issue date:	12/15/2003
From:	Rossbach L NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD3
To:	Matthews J MidAmerican Energy Co, Morgan, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP
Rossbach L, 415-2863, NRR/DLPM
References
TAC MC1371, TAC MC1372
Download: ML033450124 (8)

Text

December 15, 2003 Mr. John E. Matthews Counsel for MidAmerican Energy Company Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004

SUBJECT:

QUAD CITIES NUCLEAR POWER STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 - ISSUANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (TAC NOS. MC1371 AND MC1372)

Dear Mr. Matthews:

Enclosed is a copy of the Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact related to your application for a temporary exemption from the requirements of Section 50.75(h)(2) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), dated November 21, 2003.

The proposed action would exempt MidAmerican Energy Company (MEC) from compliance with requirements of the new regulation until MECs amended nuclear decommissioning trusts are approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission.

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

Sincerely,

/RA/

Lawrence W. Rossbach, Project Manager, Section 2 Project Directorate III Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos.: 50-254 and 50-265

Enclosure:

Environmental Assessment cc w/encl: See next page

December 15, 2003 Mr. John E. Matthews Counsel for MidAmerican Energy Company Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004

SUBJECT:

QUAD CITIES NUCLEAR POWER STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 - ISSUANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (TAC NOS. MC1371 AND MC1372)

Dear Mr. Matthews:

Enclosed is a copy of the Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact related to your application for a temporary exemption from the requirements of Section 50.75(h)(2) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), dated November 21, 2003.

The proposed action would exempt MidAmerican Energy Company (MEC) from compliance with requirements of the new regulation until MECs amended nuclear decommissioning trusts are approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission.

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

Sincerely,

/RA/

Lawrence W. Rossbach, Project Manager, Section 2 Project Directorate III Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos.: 50-254 and 50-265

Enclosure:

Environmental Assessment cc w/encl: See next page DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC OGC, MShuaibi PD3-2 r/f ACRS, WRuland GHill (4)

AMendiola TBoyce LRossbach MRing, RIII PCoates JTappert ADAMS Accession Number: ML033450124 OFFICE PM:LPD3-2 LA:LPD3-2 DRIP:RLEP/ES OGC SC:LPD3-2 NAME LRossbach PCoates JTappert SUtal, NLO DPickett for, AMendiola DATE 12/11/03 12/11/03 12/11/03 12/15/03 12/15/03 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station Units 1 and 2 cc:

Site Vice President - Quad Cities Nuclear Power Illinois Emergency Management Station Agency Exelon Generation Company, LLC Division of Disaster Assistance &

22710 206th Avenue N. Preparedness Cordova, IL 61242-9740 110 East Adams Street Springfield, IL 62701-1109 Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station Plant Manager Exelon Generation Company, LLC Document Control Desk - Licensing 22710 206th Avenue N. Exelon Generation Company, LLC Cordova, IL 61242-9740 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Regulatory Assurance Manager - Quad Cities Exelon Generation Company, LLC Senior Vice President - Nuclear Services 22710 206th Avenue N. Exelon Generation Company, LLC Cordova, IL 61242-9740 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Quad Cities Resident Inspectors Office U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Vice President - Operations Support 22712 206th Avenue N. Exelon Generation Company, LLC Cordova, IL 61242 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 David C. Tubbs MidAmerican Energy Company Chief Operating Officer One River Center Place Exelon Generation Company, LLC 106 E. Second, P.O. Box 4350 4300 Winfield Road Davenport, IA 52808-4350 Warrenville, IL 60555 Vice President - Law and Regulatory Affairs Vice President - Licensing and Regulatory MidAmerican Energy Company Affairs One River Center Place Exelon Generation Company, LLC 106 E. Second Street 4300 Winfield Road P.O. Box 4350 Warrenville, IL 60555 Davenport, IA 52808 Director Licensing Chairman Mid-West Regional Operating Group Rock Island County Board of Supervisors Exelon Generation Company, LLC 1504 3rd Avenue 4300 Winfield Road Rock Island County Office Bldg. Warrenville, IL 60555 Rock Island, IL 61201 Senior Counsel, Nuclear Regional Administrator Exelon Generation Company, LLC U.S. NRC, Region III 4300 Winfield Road 801 Warrenville Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Lisle, IL 60532-4351

Manager Licensing - Dresden and Quad Cities Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555 Mr. John L. Skolds, President Exelon Nuclear Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville, IL 60555

7590-01 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION EXELON GENERATION COMPANY, LLC AND MIDAMERICAN ENERGY COMPANY DOCKET NOS. 50-254 AND 50-265 QUAD CITIES NUCLEAR POWER STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an exemption from 10 CFR 50.75(h)(2) for Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-29 and DPR-30, issued to Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon) and MidAmerican Energy Company (MEC)

(the licensee), for operation of the Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station, Units 1 and 2, located in Rock Island County, Illinois. 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 is an exemption to the requirements of 10 CFR 50.75(h)(2), as requested by MEC by letter dated November 21, 2003. The proposed action would exempt MEC from compliance with requirements of the new regulation until MECs amended nuclear decommissioning trusts are approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission.

The Need for the Proposed Action:

The proposed exemption from 10 CFR 50.75(h)(2) is needed because MEC may not obtain approval of the amended nuclear decommissioning trusts from the Illinois Commerce Commission prior to December 24, 2003.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action:

The NRC has completed its safety evaluation of the proposed action and concludes that the proposed exemption will not present an undue risk to the public health and safety. The details of the staffs safety evaluation will be provided in the exemption that will be issued as part of the letter to the MEC 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.

With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the 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 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 the Quad Cities Power Station, Units 1 and 2 dated September 1972 and the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (NUREG-1437 Supplement 16) dated November 2003.

Agencies and Persons Consulted:

On December 10, 2003, the staff consulted with the Illinois State official, Frank Niziiolek, of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, 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 November 21, 2003. Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRCs 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 Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on 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 at 1-800-397-4209, or 301-415-4737, or send an e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day of December 2003.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATION COMMISSION

/RA/

Lawrence W. Rossbach, Project Manager Project Directorate III Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation