ML18130A885
| ML18130A885 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Beaver Valley, Davis Besse, Perry |
| Issue date: | 08/29/2018 |
| From: | Bhalchandra Vaidya Plant Licensing Branch III |
| To: | Moul D FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co |
| Vaidya B | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML18130A889 | List: |
| References | |
| CAC MG0010, CAC MG0011, CAC MG0012, CAC MG0013, EPID L-2018-LLE-0019 | |
| Download: ML18130A885 (31) | |
Text
Mr. Don Moul UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 August 29, 2018 President and Chief Nuclear Officer FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company 341 White Pine Drive Akron, OH 44320
SUBJECT:
FENOC FLEET-BEAVER VALLEY POWER STATION, UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2; DAVIS-BESSE NUCLEAR POWER STATION, UNIT NO. 1; AND PERRY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, UNIT NO. 1 - ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT RELATED TO EXEMPTION REQUEST FOR A PHYSICAL BARRIER REQUIREMENT
Dear Mr. Moul:
(CAC NOS. MG0010, MG0011, MG0012, AND MG0013; EPID L-2018-LLE-0019)
Enclosed are copies of the Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact related to your application for exemption dated July 19, 2017 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML17200D139), as supplemented by letters dated March 16, 2018, and May 2, 2018 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML18078A033 and ML18122A133, respectively).
The proposed request is for a permanent exemption from the provisions in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 73.2, "Definitions" for Beaver Valley Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2, Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station, Unit No. 1, and Perry Nuclear Power Plant, Unit No. 1. The request relates solely to a requirement for fences in the definition of a physical barrier in 10 CFR 73.2. The regulation requires, in part, that fences topped by three strands or more of barbed wire or similar material on brackets to be angled inward or outward between 30 and 45 degrees from the vertical. An exemption is requested since not all protected area physical barrier fencing sections meet this requirement. Specifically, barbed wire on top of physical barrier fencing on gates, near gates, near interfaces with buildings, and on corners is oriented vertically. The location of these sections are presented on maps provided by the licensee in a letter dated March 16, 2018.
The assessment is being forwarded to the Office of the Federal Register for publication.
Sincerely, Bhalchandra Vaidya, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch Ill Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-334, 50-412, 50-346, 50-440
Enclosures:
- 1. Environmental Assessment for Beaver Valley
- 2. Environmental Assessment for Davis-Besse
- 3. Environmental Assessment for Perry cc:
Mr. David B. Hamilton Site Vice President FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Mail Stop A-PY-A290 P.O. Box 97, 10 Center Road Perry, OH 44081-0097 Mr. Mark Bezilla Site Vice President FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Mail Stop A-DB-3080 5501 North State, Route 2 Oak Harbor, OH 43449-9760 Additional Distribution by Listserv Mr. Richard D. Bologna Site Vice President FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Beaver Valley Power Station Mail Stop A-BV-SSB P.O. Box 4, Route 168 Shippingport, PA 15077
ENCLOSURE 1 FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-334 and 50-412; NRC-2018-0193]
FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company FirstEnergy Nuclear Generation, LLC Beaver Valley Power Station, Units 1 and 2 AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
[7590-01-P]
ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact; issuance.
SUMMARY
- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is making a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for a proposed issuance of an exemption to FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC, the licensee), for Beaver Valley Power Station (BVPS), Units 1 and 2, located in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. The proposed action would grant the licensee a partial exemption from the "Physical barrier" requirements in the NRC's regulations, to allow FENOC to continue using vertical, rather than angled, barbed wire fence toppings in certain limited protected area sections on-site. The NRC is considering an Exemption to Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-66, and Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-73, issued on November 5, 2009, and held by FENOC; and FirstEnergy Nuclear Generation, LLC for the operation of BVPS, Units 1 and 2.
DATES: The environmental assessment referenced in this document is available on September 4, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2018-0193 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You may obtain publicly-available information related to this document using any of the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2018-0193. Address questions about NRC dockets to Jennifer Borges; telephone: 301-287-9127; e-mail: Jennifer.Borges@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONT ACT section of this document.
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select "Begin Web-based ADAMS Search." For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. For the convenience of the reader, the ADAMS accession numbers are provided in a table in the "Availability of Documents" section of this document.
NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC's PDR, Room 01-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bhalchandra K. Vaidya, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-3308; e-mail: Bhalchandra.Vaidya@nrc.gov.
2
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I.
Introduction The NRC is considering issuance of a partial exemption, pursuant to section 73.5 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations ( 10 CFR), "Specific exemptions," from the "Physical barrier requirement of 10 CFR 73.2, specifically with respect to the design criteria specified in 10 CFR 73.2(1) "fences," as it applies to the angular specification for brackets used to support the required barbed wire (or similar material) topper, to FENOC and FirstEnergy Nuclear Generation, LLC (collectively, the licensee), for BVPS, Units 1 and 2, located in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.
In accordance with 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) that analyzes the environmental effects of the proposed action. Based on the results of the EA, and in accordance with 10 CFR 51.31(a), the NRC has prepared a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the proposed exemption.
II.
Environmental Assessment Description of the Proposed Action The proposed action would grant the licensee a partial exemption from the "physical barrier requirements of 10 CFR 73.2, specifically with respect to the design criteria specified in 10 CFR 73.2 (1) "fences," as it applies to the angular specification for brackets used to support the required barbed wire (or similar material) topper. As stated in 10 CFR 73.2, fences must be constructed of No. 11 American wire gauge, or heavier wire fabric, topped by three strands or more of barbed wire or similar material on 3
brackets angled inward or outward between 30 and 45 degrees from the vertical, with an overall height of not less than eight feet, including the barbed topping. If approved, the partial exemption would allow the licensee to continue to use, without modification, the current configuration of vertical barbed wire fence toppings in limited protected area sections on-site, as specified on the maps submitted by the licensee in its letter dated March 16, 2018, to meet the regulatory requirements of 10 CFR part 73, "Physical protection of plants and materials." Specifically, barbed wire on top of physical barrier fencing on gates, near gates, near interfaces with buildings, and on corners is oriented vertically.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's application dated July 19, 2017, as supplemented by letters dated March 16, 2018; and May 2, 2018.
Need for the Proposed Action Physical protection consists of a variety of measures to protect nuclear facilities and material against sabotage, theft, diversion, and other malicious acts. The NRC and its licensees use a graded approach for physical protection, consistent with the significance of the facilities or material to be protected. In so doing, the NRC establishes the regulatory requirements and assesses compliance, and licensees are responsible for providing the protection.
The proposed action is needed to allow the licensee to continue to use, without modification, the current configuration of vertical barbed wire fence toppings in certain limited protected area sections on-site, as shown on the maps submitted by the licensee in its March 16, 2018, letter. Currently, some of the barbed wire bracketing on top of the*
protected area physical barrier fencing do not meet certain design criteria specified in 4
10 CFR 73.2. Specifically, barbed wire on top of physical barrier fencing on gates, near gates, near interfaces with buildings, and on corners is oriented vertically.
Separate from this EA, the NRC staff is evaluating the licensee's proposed action, which will be documented in a safety evaluation report. The staff's review will determine whether there is reasonable assurance that the site maintains adequate protection from the current physical barriers in accordance with the requirements in 10 CFR part 73.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action The NRC has completed its environmental evaluation of the proposed action.
The proposed action would grant the licensee a partial exemption from the "physical barrier" requirements of 10 CFR 73.2, specifically with respect to the design criteria specified in 10 CFR 73.2(1) "fences," as it applies to the angular specification for brackets used to support the required barbed wire (or similar material) topper. This will allow the licensee to continue using vertical, rather than angled, barbed wire fence toppings in certain limited protected area sections on site.
The proposed action would have no direct impacts on land use or water resources, including terrestrial and aquatic biota as the proposed action involves no new construction or modification of plant operational systems. There would be no changes to the quality or quantity of non-radiological effluents. No changes to the plant's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit are needed. In addition, there would be no noticeable effect on air pollutant emissions, socio-economic conditions in the region, no environment justice impacts, and no impacts to historic and cultural resources.
Therefore, there would be no significant non-radiological impacts associated with the proposed action.
5
The NRC has concluded that the proposed action would not significantly affect plant safety and would not have a significant adverse effect on the probability of an accident occurring. There would be no change to radioactive effluents that affect radiation exposures to plant workers and members of the public. No changes would be made to plant buildings or the site property. Therefore, implementing the proposed action would not result in a change to the radiation exposures to the public or radiation exposure to plant workers.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC considered denial of the proposed action (i.e., the "no-action" alternative). Denial of the exemption request would result in the licensee having to replace the vertical barbed wire fence toppings with angled barbed wire that meets the definition of "Physical barrier" in 10 CFR 73.2. This could result in temporary, minor changes in vehicular traffic and associated air pollutant emissions due to any construction-related impacts of performing the necessary modificatio11s, but no significant changes in ambient air quality would be expected.
Alternative Use of Resources There are no unresolved conflicts concerning alternative uses of available resources under the proposed action.
Agencies and Persons Consulted The NRC staff did not enter into consultation with any other Federal agency or with the State of Pennsylvania regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action.
6
Ill.
Finding of No Significant Impact The licensee has requested an exemption from the "physical barrier
requirements of 10 CFR 73.2, specifically with respect to the design criteria specified in 10 CFR 73.21, "fences," to allow the licensee to continue using vertical, rather than angled, barbed wire fence toppings in limited protected area sections on site. The NRC is considering issuing the requested exemption. The proposed action would not significantly affect plant safety, would not have a significant adverse effect on the probability of an accident occurring, and would not have any significant radiological and non-radiological impacts. This FONSI incorporates by reference the EA in Section II of this notice. Therefore, 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.
The related environmental document is NUREG-1437, "Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Regarding Beaver Valley Power Station, Units 1 and 2, Final Report," which provides the latest environmental review of current operations and a description of environmental conditions at BVPS, Units 1 and 2.
IV.
Availability of Documents The documents identified in the following table are available to interested persons through one or more of the following methods, as indicated.
7
DOCUMENT ADAMS ACCESSION NO.
FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company ML172000139 Exemption Request for a Physical Barrier Requirement Dated July 19, 2017 FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company ML18078A033 Response to Request For Additional Information Regarding Exemption Request for a Physical Barrier Requirement Dated March 16, 2018 FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company ML18122A133 Response to Request For Additional Information Regarding Exemption Request for a Physical Barrier Requirement Dated May 2, 2018 NUREG-1437, Supplement 36 ML091260011 Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants:
Regarding Beaver Valley Power Station, Units 1 and 2, Final Report Dated May 2009 Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 29th day of August, 2018.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
IRA/
Bhalchandra K. Vaidya, Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch Ill, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
8
ENCL0SURE2 FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-346; NRC-2018-0192]
FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC)
FirstEnergy Nuclear Generation, LLC Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station, Unit No. 1 AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
[7590-01-P]
ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact; issuance.
SUMMARY
- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is making a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for a proposed issuance of an exemption to FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC, the licensee), for Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station (DBNPS), Unit No. 1, located in Ottawa County, Ohio. The proposed action would grant the licensee a partial exemption from the "Physical barrier requirements in the NRC's regulations, to allow FENOC to continue using vertical, rather than angled, barbed wire fence toppings in certain limited protected area sections on-site. The NRC is considering an Exemption to Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-3, issued on December 8, 2015, and held by FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC);
and First Energy Nuclear Generation, LLC; for the operation of DBNPS, Unit No. 1.
DATES: The environmental assessment referenced in this document is available on September 4, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2018-0192 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You may obtain publicly-available information related to this document using any of the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2018-0192. Address questions about NRC dockets to Jennifer Borges; telephone: 301-287-9127; e-mail: Jennifer.Borges@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONT ACT section of this document.
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select "Begin Web-based ADAMS Search." For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to PDR.Resource@nrc.gov. For the convenience of the reader, the ADAMS accession numbers are provided in a table in the "Availability of Documents" section of this document.
NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC's PDR, Room 01-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bhalchandra K. Vaidya, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-3308; e-mail: Bhalchandra.Vaidya@nrc.gov.
2
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I.
Introduction The NRC is considering issuance of a partial exemption, pursuant to section 73.5 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), "Specific exemptions," from the "Physical barrier" requirements of 10 CFR 73.2, specifically with respect to the design criteria specified in 10 CFR 73.2 (1) "fences," as it applies to the angular specification for brackets used to support the required barbed wire ( or similar material) topper, to FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC) and First Energy Nuclear Generation, LLC (collectively, the licensee), for DBNPS, Unit No. 1, located in Ottawa County, Ohio.
In accordance with 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) that analyzes the environmental effects of the proposed action. Based on the results of the EA, and in accordance with 10 CFR 51.31(a), the NRC has prepared a FONSI for the proposed exemption.
II.
Environmental Assessment Description of the Proposed Action The proposed action would grant the licensee a partial exemption from the "physical barrier" requirements of 10 CFR 73.2, specifically with respect to the design criteria specified in 1 O CFR 73.2 ( 1) "fences," as it applies to the angular specification for brackets used to support the required barbed wire (or similar material) topper. As stated in 1 O CFR 73.2, fences must be constructed of No. 11 American wire gauge, or heavier 3
wire fabric, topped by three strands or more of barbed wire or similar material on brackets angled inward or outward between 30 and 45 degrees from the vertical, with an overall height of not less than 8 feet, including the barbed topping. If approved, the partial exemption would allow the licensee to continue to use, without modification, the current configuration of vertical barbed wire fence toppings in limited protected area sections on-site, as specified on the maps submitted by the licensee in its letter dated March 16, 2018, to meet the regulatory requirements of 1 O CFR part 73, "Physical protection of plants and materials." Specifically, barbed wire on top of physical barrier fencing on gates, near gates, near interfaces with buildings, and on corners is oriented vertically.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's application dated July 19, 2017, as supplemented by letters dated March 16, 2018; and May 2, 2018.
Need for the Proposed Action Physical protection consists of a variety of measures to protect nuclear facilities and material against sabotage, theft, diversion, and other malicious acts. The NRC and its licensees use a graded approach for physical protection, consistent with the significance of the facilities or material to be protected. In so doing, the NRC establishes the regulatory requirements and assesses compliance, and licensees are responsible for providing the protection.
The proposed action is needed to allow the licensee to continue to use, without modification, the current configuration of vertical barbed wire fence toppings in certain limited protected area sections on-site, as shown on the maps submitted by the licensee in its March 16, 2018, letter. Currently, some of the barbed wire bracketing on top of the protected area physical barrier fencing do not meet certain design criteria specified in 4
10 CFR 73.2. Specifically, barbed wire on top of physical barrier fencing on gates, near gates, near interfaces with buildings, and on corners is oriented vertically.
Separate from this EA, the NRC staff is evaluating the licensee's proposed action which will be documented in a safety evaluation report. The staff's review will determine whether there is reasonable assurance that the site maintains adequate protection from the current physical barriers in accordance with the requirements in 10 CFR part 73.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action The NRC has completed its environmental evaluation of the proposed action.
The proposed action would grant the licensee a partial exemption from the "physical barrier requirements of 10 CFR 73.2, specifically with respect to the design criteria specified in 1 O CFR 73.2 (1) "fences," as it applies to the angular specification for brackets used to support the required barbed wire (or similar material) topper. This will allow the licensee to continue using vertical, rather than angled, barbed wire fence toppings in certain limited protected area sections on site.
The proposed action would have no direct impacts on land use or water resources, including terrestrial and aquatic biota as the proposed action involves no new construction or modification of plant operational systems. There would be no changes to the quality or quantity of non-radiological effluents. No changes to the plant's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit are needed. In addition, there would be no noticeable effect on air pollutant emissions, socio-economic conditions in the region, no environment justice impacts, and no impacts to historic and cultural resources.
Therefore, there would be no significant non-radiological impacts associated with the proposed action.
5
The NRC has concluded that the proposed action would not significantly affect plant safety and would not have a significant adverse effect on the probability of an accident occurring. There would be no change to radioactive effluents that affect radiation exposures to plant workers and members of the public. No changes would be made to plant buildings or the site property. Therefore, implementing the proposed action would not result in a change to the radiation exposures to the public or radiation exposure to plant workers.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC considered denial of the proposed action (i.e., the "no-action" alternative). Denial of the exemption request would result in the licensee having to replace the vertical barbed wire fence toppings with angled barbed wire that meets the definition of "Physical barrier in 10 CFR 73.2. This could result in temporary, minor changes in vehicular traffic and associated air pollutant emissions due to any construction-related impacts of performing the necessary modifications, but no significant changes in ambient air quality would be expected.
Alternative Use of Resources There are no unresolved conflicts concerning alternative uses of available resources under the proposed action.
Agencies and Persons Consulted The NRC staff did not enter into consultation with any other Federal agency or with the State of Ohio regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action.
6
Ill.
Finding of No Significant Impact The licensee has requested an exemption from the "physical barrier" requirements of 10 CFR 73.2, specifically with respect to the design criteria specified in 1 O CFR 73.2(1) "fences," to allow the licensee to continue using vertical, rather than angled, barbed wire fence toppings in limited protected area sections on site. The NRC is considering issuing the requested exemption. The proposed action would not significantly affect plant safety, would not have a significant adverse effect on the probability of an accident occurring, and would not have any significant radiological and non-radiological impacts. This FONSI incorporates by reference the EA in Section II of this notice. Therefore, 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 propo~ed action.
The related environmental document is NUREG-1437 "Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Regarding the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station, Final Report," Supplement 52, Volumes 1 and 2, which provides the latest environmental review of current operations and a description of environmental conditions at DBNPS.
The finding and other related environmental documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. Publicly-available records will be accessible electronically from ADAMS Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC's 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's PDR Reference 7
staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or send an e-mail to pdr.resource@nrc.gov.
IV.
Availability of Documents The documents identified in the following table are available to interested persons through one or more of the following methods, as indicated.
DOCUMENT ADAMS ACCESSION NO.
FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company ML17200D139 Exemption Request for a Physical Barrier Requirement Dated July 19, 2017 FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company ML18078A033 Response to Request For Additional Information Regarding Exemption Request for a Physical Barrier Requirement Dated March 16, 2018 FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company ML18122A133 Response to Request For Additional Information Regarding Exemption Request for a Physical Barrier Requirement Dated May 2, 2018 NUREG-1437, Supplement 52, Vol. 1 and 2 ML15112A098, ML15113A187 Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants:
Regarding the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station, Final Report Dated April 2015 8
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 29th day of August, 2018.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
IRA/
Bhalchandra K. Vaidya, Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch Ill, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
9
ENCLOSURE 3 FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-440; NRC-2018-0187]
FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company; FirstEnergy Nuclear Generation Company, LLC; Perry Nuclear Power Plant, Unit No. 1 AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
[7590-01-P]
ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact; issuance.
SUMMARY
- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is making a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for a proposed issuance of an exemption to FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC, the licensee), for Perry Nuclear Power Plant (PNPP), Unit No. 1, located in Lake County, Ohio. The proposed action would grant the licensee a partial exemption from the "Physical barrier requirements in the NRC's regulations, to allow FENOC to continue using vertical, rather than angled, barbed wire fence toppings in certain limited protected area sections on-site. The NRC is considering an exemption to facility operating license no. NPF-58, issued on November 13, 1986, and held by FENOC, and FirstEnergy Nuclear Generation Company, LLC for the operation of PNPP, Unit No. 1.
DATES: The environmental assessment referenced in this document is available on September 4, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2018-0187.when contacting the NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You may obtain publicly-available information related to this document using any of the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2018-0187. Address questions about NRC dockets to Jennifer Borges; telephone: 301-287-9127; e-mail: Jennifer.Borges@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document.
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select "Begin Web-based ADAMS Search." For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. For the convenience of the reader, the ADAMS accession numbers are provided in a table in the "Availability of Documents" section of this document.
NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC's PDR, Room 01-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bhalchandra K. Vaidya, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-3308; e-mail: Bhalchandra.Vaidya@nrc.gov.
2
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction The NRC is considering issuance of a partial exemption, pursuant to section 73.5 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), "Specific exemptions," from the "Physical barrier requirement of 10 CFR 73.2, specifically with respect to the design criteria specified in 10 CFR 73.2(1) "fences," as it applies to the angular specification for brackets used to support the required barbed wire (or similar material) topper, to FENOC and FirstEnergy Nuclear Generation Company, LLC (collectively, the licensee), for PNPP, Unit No. 1, located in Lake County, Ohio.
In accordance with 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) that analyzes the environmental effects of the proposed action. Based on the results of the EA and in accordance with 10 CFR 51.31(a), the NRC has prepared a FONSI for the proposed exemption.
II. Environmental Assessment Description of the Proposed Action The proposed action would grant the licensee a partial exemption from the "physical barrier requirement of 10 CFR 73.2, specifically with respect to the design criteria specified in 10 CFR 73.2(1) "fences," as it applies to the angular specification for brackets used to support the required barbed wire (or similar material) topper. As stated in 10 CFR 73.2, fences must be constructed of No. 11 American wire gauge, or heavier wire fabric, topped by three strands or more of barbed wire or similar material on 3
brackets angled inward or outward between 30 and 45 degrees from the vertical, with an overall height of not less than eight feet, including the barbed topping. If approved, the partial exemption would allow the licensee to continue to use, without modification, the current configuration of vertical barbed wire fence toppings in limited protected area sections on-site, as specified on the maps submitted by the licensee in its letter dated March 16, 2018, to meet the regulatory requirements of 10 CFR part 73, "Physical protection of plants and materials." Specifically, barbed wire on top of physical barrier fencing on gates, near gates, near interfaces with buildings, and on corners is oriented vertically.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's application dated July 19, 2017, as supplemented by letters dated March 16, 2018; and May 2, 2018.
Need for the Proposed Action Physical protection consists of a variety of measures to protect nuclear facilities and material against sabotage, theft, diversion, and other malicious acts. The NRC and its licensees use a graded approach for physical protection, consistent with the significance of the facilities or material to be protected. In so doing, the NRC establishes the regulatory requirements and assesses compliance, and licensees are responsible for providing the protection.
The proposed action is needed to allow the licensee to continue to use, without modification, the current configuration of vertical barbed wire fence toppings in certain limited protected area sections on-site, as shown on the maps submitted by the licensee in its March 16, 2018, letter. Currently, some of the barbed wire bracketing on top of the protected area physical barrier fencing do not meet certain design criteria specified in 4
10 CFR 73.2. Specifically, barbed wire on top of physical barrier fencing on gates, near gates, near interfaces with buildings, and on corners is oriented vertically.
Separate from this EA, the NRC staff is evaluating the licensee's proposed action, which will be documented in a safety evaluation report. The staff's review will determine whether there is reasonable assurance that the site maintains adequate protection from the current physical barriers in accordance with the requirements in 10 CFR part 73.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action The NRC has completed its environmental evaluation of the proposed action.
The proposed action would grant the licensee a partial exemption from the "physical barrier" requirement of 10 CFR 73.2, specifically with respect to the design criteria specified in 10 CFR 73.2(1) "fences," as it applies to the angular specification for brackets used to support the required barbed wire (or similar material) topper. This will allow the licensee to continue using vertical, rather than angled, barbed wire fence toppings in certain limited protected area sections on site.
The proposed action would have no direct impacts on land use or water resources, including terrestrial and aquatic biota as the proposed action involves no new construction or modification of plant operational systems. There would be no changes to the quality or quantity of non-radiological effluents. No changes to the plant's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit are needed. In addition, there would be no noticeable effect on air pollutant emissions, socio-economic conditions in the region, no environment justice impacts, and no impacts to historic and cultural resources.
Therefore, there would be no significant non-radiological impacts associated with the proposed action.
5
The NRC has concluded that the proposed action would not significantly affect plant safety and would not have a significant adverse effect on the probability of an accident occurring. There would be no change to radioactive effluents that affect radiation exposures to plant workers and members of the public. No changes would be made to plant buildings or the site property. Therefore, implementing the proposed action would not result in a change to the radiation exposures to the public or radiation exposure to plant workers.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC considered denial of the proposed action (i.e., the "no-action" alternative). Denial of the exemption request would result in the licensee having to replace the vertical barbed wire fence toppings with angled barbed wire that meets the definition of "Physical barrier in 10 CFR 73.2. This could result in temporary, minor changes in vehicular traffic and associated air pollutant emissions due to any construction-related impacts of performing the necessary modifications, but no significant changes in ambient air quality would be expected.
Alternative Use of Resources There are no unresolved conflicts concerning alternative uses of available resources under the proposed action.
Agencies and Persons Consulted The NRC staff did not enter into consultation with any other Federal agency or with the State of Ohio regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action.
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Ill.
Finding of No Significant Impact The licensee has requested an exemption from the "physical barrier" requirement of 10 CFR 73.2, specifically with respect to the design criteria specified in 10 CFR 73.2(1} "fences," to allow the licensee to continue using vertical, rather than angled, barbed wire fence toppings in limited protected area sections on site. The NRC is considering issuing the requested exemption. The proposed action would not significantly affect plant safety, would not have a significant adverse effect on the probability of an accident occurring, and would not have any significant radiological and non-radiological impacts. This FONSI incorporates by reference the EA in Section II of this notice. Therefore, 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.
The related environmental document is NUREG-0884, "Final Environmental Statement Related to the Operation of Perry Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2," which provides the latest description of environmental conditions at Perry Nuclear Power Plant,
- Unit No. 1.
IV.. Availability of Documents The documents identified in the following table are available to interested persons through one or more of the following methods, as indicated.
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DOCUMENT ADAMS ACCESSION NO.
FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company ML172000139 Exemption Request for a Physical Barrier Requirement Dated July 19, 2017 FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company ML18078A033 Response to Request For Additional Information Regarding Exemption Request for a Physical Barrier Requirement Dated March 16, 2018 FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company ML18122A133 Response to Request For Additional Information Regarding Exemption Request for a Physical Barrier Requirement Dated May 2, 2018 NUREG-0884 ML15134A060 Final Environmental Statement Related to the Operation of Perry Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2, Dated August 1982 Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 29th day of August, 2018.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
IRA/
Bhalchandra K. Vaidya, Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch Ill, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
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Package: ML18130A889 Letter: ML18130A885 RidsNrrDorlLpl3 Resource RidsRgn3Mai1Center RidsNrrLASRohrer Resource RidsNrrPMDavisBesse RidsNrrPMPerry : (Beaver Valley) ML18130A760 : (Davis-Besse) ML18130A849 : (Perry) ML18130A820 OFFICE NRR/DORULPL3/PM NRR/DORL/LPL3/LA NAME BVaidya SRohrer DATE 05/14/18 05/14/18 OFFICE OGC (*)
NRR/DORULPL3/BC NAME AGhosh DWrona DATE 07/11/18 08/29/18