ML22147A125
| ML22147A125 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Davis Besse  |
| Issue date: | 07/14/2022 |
| From: | Blake Purnell Plant Licensing Branch III |
| To: | Tony Brown Energy Harbor Nuclear Corp |
| Purnell B | |
| References | |
| 87 FR 43556: 07/21/22, NRC-2022-0138 | |
| Download: ML22147A125 (8) | |
Text
[7590-01-P]
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-0346; NRC-2022-0138]
Energy Harbor Nuclear Corp. and Energy Harbor Nuclear Generation LLC
Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station, Unit No. 1
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact; issuance.
SUMMARY
- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering iss uance
of an amendment to Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-3, issued on
December 8, 2015, and held by Energy Harbor Nuclear Corp. (EHNC ) and Energy
Harbor Nuclear Generation LLC for the operation of Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station,
Unit No. 1 (Davis-Besse). The proposed amendment would revise the emergency plan
for Davis-Besse by changing the emergency response organization (ERO) requirements.
The NRC is issuing an environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant
impact (FONSI) associated with the proposed license amendment.
DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document are available on
July 21, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2022-0138 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 Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and
search for Docket ID NRC-2022-0138. Address questions about Docket IDs in
Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; telephone: 301-415-0624; em ail:
Stacy.Schumann@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the i ndividual listed in the
For Further Information Contact section of this document.
- NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the ADA MS Public
Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.ht ml. To begin the
search, select Begin Web-based ADAMS Search. For problems wi th ADAMS, please
contact the NRCs Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209,
301-415-4737, or by email to PDR.Resource@nrc.gov. The ADAMS a ccession number
for each document referenced (if it is available in ADAMS) is p rovided the first time that it
is mentioned in this document.
- NRCs PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents,
by appointment, at the NRCs PDR, Room P1 B35, One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. To make an appointm ent to visit the PDR,
please send an email to PDR.Resource@nrc.gov or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-
4737, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Blake A. Purnell, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washing ton, DC 20555-
0001, telephone: 301-415-1380, email: Blake.Purnell@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
By letter dated January 19, 2022 (ADAMS Accession No. ML22019A2 36), as
supplemented by letter dated July 5, 2022 (ADAMS Accession No. ML22186A121),
EHNC submitted a request to amend Renewed Facility Operating Li cense No. NPF-3,
issued to EHNC and Energy Harbor Nuclear Generation LLC, for th e operation of Davis-
Besse, which is located in Ottawa County, Ohio. The proposed a mendment would
revise the emergency plan for Davis-Besse by changing the ERO s taffing requirements.
2 The changes include eliminating ERO positions; adding ERO posit ions; changing
position descriptions, titles, duties, and duty locations; chan ging response times; and
relocating certain position descriptions to other parts of the emergency plan or to
implementing procedures.
Each licensee for a nuclear power plant is required to establis h an emergency
plan to be implemented in the event of an accident in accordanc e with section 50.47 and
appendix E of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR). The emergency
plan covers preparation for evacuation, sheltering, and other a ctions to protect
individuals near the plant in the event of an accident. An eff ective emergency
preparedness program decreases the likelihood of an initiating event at a nuclear power
plant proceeding to a severe accident. Emergency preparedness cannot affect the
probability of the initiating event, but a high level of emerge ncy preparedness increases
the probability of accident miti gation if the initiating event proceeds beyond the need for
initial operator actions.
The regulations in 10 CFR 50.54(q)(2) require licensees for nuc lear power plants
to follow and maintain the effectiveness of an emergency plan t hat meets the standards
in 10 CFR 50.47(b) and the requirements in 10 CFR part 50, appe ndix E. Sections
50.54(q)(3) and (4) specify the process by which a licensee may make changes to its
emergency plan. In accordance with 10 CFR 50.54(q)(4), EHNC su bmitted the January
19, 2022, license amendment request, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.90, to obtain NRC
approval of the proposed changes to the Davis-Besse emergency p lan prior to
implementation.
The NRC staff is considering approval of the January 19, 2022, license
amendment request for Davis-Besse. Therefore, as required by 1 0 CFR 51.21, the NRC
performed an EA. Based on the results of the EA that follows, the NRC has determined
3 not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the propos ed licensing action and
is issuing a FONSI.
In addition to this EA, the NRC is conducting a safety evaluati on of EHNCs
proposed changes to the emergency plan for Davis-Besse, which w ill be documented
separately. The safety evaluation of the proposed changes to t he emergency plan will
determine whether there continues to be reasonable assurance th at adequate protective
measures can and will be taken in the event of a radiological e mergency at Davis-Besse,
in accordance with the standards of 10 CFR 50.47(b) and the req uirements in
10 CFR part 50, appendix E.
II. Environmental Assessment.
Description of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would revise the ERO requirements identifie d in the
emergency plan for Davis-Besse, including the on-shift, minimum, and full-augmentation
ERO staffing requirements. The proposed revisions include elim inating ERO positions;
adding ERO positions; changing position descriptions, titles, d uties, and duty locations;
changing response times, and relocating certain position descri ptions to other parts of
the emergency plan or to implementing procedures. Overall, sta ffing levels are not
expected to increase.
The proposed action is in accordance with EHNCs application da ted
January 19, 2022.
Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action would align the emergency plan for Davis-Be sse with the
NRCs alternative guidance for EROs provided in a June 12, 2018, letter to the Nuclear
Energy Institute (ADAMS Accession No. ML18022A352). This alter native guidance is
also included in NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Revision 2, Criteria f or Preparation and
4 Evaluation of Radiological Emergency Response Plans and Prepare dness in Support of
Nuclear Power Plants, dated December 2019 (ADAMS Accession No. ML19347D139).
This change would provide EHNC with greater flexibility in staf fing ERO positions. The
application states that EHNC discussed the proposed changes to the emergency plan
with the offsite response organizations for the State of Ohio, Ottawa County, and Lucas
County, and that these organizations had no concerns.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The proposed action consists of changes related to staffing pos itions, position
descriptions, titles, duties, duty locations, and response time s specified in the
emergency plan for Davis-Besse. The on-shift, minimum, and ful l-augmentation ERO
staffing requirements listed in the emergency plan would be rev ised. The proposed
revisions include eliminating ERO positions; adding ERO positio ns; changing position
descriptions, titles, duties, and duty locations; changing resp onse times, and relocating
certain position descriptions to other parts of the emergency p lan or to implementing
procedures.
The proposed changes would have no impact on nonradiological re sources, such
as land use or water resources, including terrestrial and aquat ic biota, as they involve no
new construction, ground disturbing activities, or modification of plant operational
systems. There would be no changes to the quality or quantity of nonradiological
effluents and no changes to the plants National Pollutant Disc harge Elimination System
permit as a result of the proposed amendment. The overall staf fing levels are not
expected to increase; therefore, worker vehicle air emissions a re not expected to
increase, and established threshold emissions set forth in 40 C FR 93.153(b) for
designated nonattainment or maintenance areas would not be exce eded. Since the
proposed changes will not increase staffing levels and will not involve ground disturbing
5 activities, modification of plant operation systems, or new con struction, there would be
no noticeable effect on socioeconomic conditions in the region, no environment justice
impacts, and no impacts to historic and cultural resources from the proposed changes.
Therefore, there would be no significant nonradiological enviro nmental impacts
associated with the proposed action.
With regard to potential radiological environmental impacts, th e proposed action
would not increase the probability or consequences of radiologi cal accidents because
the emergency plan must continue to meet the standards of 10 CF R 50.47(b) and the
requirements in 10 CFR part 50, appendix E. There would be no change to the types or
amounts of radioactive effluents that may be released and, ther efore, no change in
occupational or public radiation exposure from the proposed cha nges. Moreover, no
changes would be made to plant buildings or the site property f rom the proposed
changes. Therefore, there would be no significant radiological 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 conside red denial of the
license amendment request (i.e., the no-action alternative). Denial of the license
amendment request would result in no change to current environm ental impacts.
Accordingly, the environmental impacts of the proposed action a nd the no-action
alternative would be similar.
Alternative Use of Resources
There are no unresolved conflicts concerning alternative uses o f available
resources under the proposed action.
6 Agencies and Persons Consulted
No additional agencies or persons were consulted regarding the environmental
impact of the proposed action.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
EHNC has requested a license amendment pursuant to 10 CFR 50.90 to revise
the emergency plan for Davis-Besse by eliminating ERO positions ; adding ERO
positions; changing position descriptions, titles, duties, and duty locations; changing
response times, and relocating certain position descriptions to other parts of the
emergency plan or to implementing procedures. The NRC staff is considering issuance
of the requested amendment.
Consistent with 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC staff conducted an EA of the proposed
action, which is provided in Section II of this notice and is i ncorporated by reference in
this FONSI. Based on this EA, the NRC staff has concluded that the proposed action
will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly,
the NRC staff has determined there is no need to prepare an env ironmental impact
statement for the proposed action.
Previous considerations regarding the environmental impacts of operating Davis-
Besse, in accordance with its renewed facility operating licens e, are described in
NUREG-1437, Supplement 52, Generic Environmental Impact Statem ent for License
Renewal of Nuclear Plants: Regarding Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station, Final
Report, Volumes 1 and 2 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML15112A098 and M L15113A187,
respectively), dated April 2015.
This FONSI and other related environmental documents may be exa mined,
and/or copied for a fee, at the NRCs PDR, located at Room P1 B 35, One White Flint
North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. Public ly available records are
7 also accessible online in the AD AMS Public Documents collection at
https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Persons who do not have access to
ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents loca ted in ADAMS
should contact the NRCs PDR reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or
301-415-4737, or by email to PDR.Resource@nrc.gov.
Dated: July 14, 2022.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
/RA/
Blake A. Purnell, Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch III, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
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