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Entergy Operations, Inc.; Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 2 Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

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 [Federal Register: October 4, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 193)]
[Notices]
[Page 59216-59217]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04oc00-79]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-368]


Entergy Operations, Inc.; Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 2
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an exemption from 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J, for Facility
Operating License No. NPF-6, issued to Entergy Operations, Inc. (the
licensee), for operation of Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 2 (ANO-2),
located in Pope County, Arkansas.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would provide a one-time exemption to Entergy
Operations, Inc. from the requirements of Title 10 of the Code of
Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Appendix J, ``Primary Reactor
Containment Leakage Testing For Water-Cooled Power Reactors,'' which
requires that licensees of all power reactors conduct integrated
leakage rate tests (ILRT) under conditions representing design basis
loss-of-coolant accident containment peak pressure. The licensee
requires an exemption in order to conduct the ILRT at the same pressure
that is used for the structural integrity test (SIT).
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application for exemption dated June 29, 2000.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The ANO-2 steam generators (SGs) are scheduled for replacement
during the fall of 2000. The replacement SGs (RSGs) will require that
an access opening be cut in the containment building structure. Upon
closure of the structure, an ILRT will be required to test for primary
containment leakage integrity.
    The ANO-2 containment building was originally designed and tested
for an internal pressure of 54 psig. The ANO-2 containment building has
recently been reevaluated, to address the containment post-accident
response resulting from the RSGs, for an increase in accident pressure
to 58 psig with a design pressure of 59 psig, and shown to be
acceptable as discussed in a letter to the NRC dated November 3, 1999,
as revised by a letter dated June 29, 2000. As a result of this
increase, an SIT will be performed to evaluate the ANO-2 containment
building for the change in containment design pressure. The purpose of
the SIT is to verify that the containment building structure can safely
carry design loads and that the structural behavior is similar to that
predicted by analysis. The post-RSG SIT will be performed at 68 psig
(1.15 times the revised design pressure). The licensee would like to
also perform the ILRT concurrently with the post-RSG SIT, at the SIT
pressure of 68 psig, in order to recover approximately 30 hours of
projected plant outage time. However, Appendix J requires that the ILRT
be conducted at a pressure representing the design basis loss-of-
coolant accident containment peak pressure, which is 58 psig. Hence,
the need for the proposed exemption.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and
concludes that the proposed action will not significantly increase the
probability or consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in
the types of any 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 involve 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.

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

    This action does not involve the use of any resources not
previously considered in the ``Final Environmental Statement Related to
the Operation of Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 2,'' dated June 1977.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on September 7, 2000, the
staff consulted with the Arkansas State official, Bernie Bevill of the
Arkansas Department of Health, 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

[[Page 59217]]

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 June 29, 2000, which may be examined, and/or
copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room, located at One
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville,
Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically
from the ADAMS Public Library component on the NRC Web site,
http:\\www.nrcgov (the Electronic Reading Room).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of September 2000.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Mohan C. Thadani,
Acting Chief, Section 1, Project Directorate IV-1 & Decommissioning
Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 00-25463 Filed 10-3-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

 
 

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