Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co.; Northeast Nuclear Energy Co. Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-213, 50-245, 50-336 and 50-423]

Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co.; Northeast Nuclear Energy Co.

Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is

considering issuance of an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR

26.21(b) regarding fitness-for-duty (FFD) refresher training to

Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company and Northeast Nuclear Energy

Company (the licensees), for the Haddam Neck Plant, located in

Middlesex County, Connecticut, and Millstone Nuclear Power Station,

Unit Nos. 1, 2 and 3, located in New London County, Connecticut.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

The proposed action would exempt the licensees from the

requirements of 10 CFR 26.21(b) regarding FFD refresher training on a

nominal 12-month frequency. By letter dated February 10, 1994, the

licensees requested a one-time exemption from 10 CFR 26.21(b) to allow

the licensees to consolidate their response to several training

requirements by extending the time requirement for providing FFD

refresher training to approximately 21 months.

The Need for the Proposed Action

The proposed exemption is needed because the licensees perform FFD

refresher training as part of a consolidation of various annual

training requirements. While the consolidation of annual training

requirements results in substantial gains in efficiency, it also

results in the potential for individuals who would have been scheduled

to receive FFD refresher training during January 1994, to go until

October 1994, before receiving this training. In addition, there will

be individuals whose scheduled training interval is extended for

shorter durations. However, the 9-month delay is the most bounding, so

an overall extension from 12 to 21 months has been requested by the

licensees.

The licensees state in their February 10, 1994, application that

they are confident that affected personnel understand the FFD program

and requirements, and that no adverse impact will result from this

requested change. Between the four units, approximately 15 percent of

the on-shift personnel will fall outside of the nominal 12-month

window. All of the individuals have received FFD training in the past,

and will read and sign a synopsis of the FFD requirements prior to

exceeding the nominal 12-month window. In addition, within each shift,

the supervisory personnel will be trained within the nominal 12-month

frequency pursuant to 10 CFR 26.22.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

The NRC staff evaluation of the proposed exemption from 10 CFR

26.21(b) indicates that the granting of the exemption will not impair

the level of knowledge of personnel involved in the FFD program.

Moreover, there will be no changes in plant operating conditions or

associated routine or accidental effluents. Therefore, the Commission

concludes that there are no measurable radiological or nonradiological

environmental impacts associated with the proposed exemption.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

Since the Commission has concluded that there is no measurable

environmental impact associated with the proposed exemption, any

alternatives will either have no environmental impact or have a greater

environmental impact. The principal alternative would be to deny the

requested exemption. This would not reduce the environmental impacts

attributed to this facility and would result in forcing the licensees

to separate the FFD refresher training from other annual training.

Alternative Use of Resources

This action does not involve the use of any resources not

previously considered in the Final Environmental Statements for the

Haddam Neck Plant (October 1973), Millstone, Units 1 and 2 (June 1973)

and Millstone, Unit 3 (December 1984).

Agencies and Persons Consulted

The Commission's staff consulted with the Connecticut State

official regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The

State official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

The Commission has determined not to prepare an environmental

impact statement for the proposed exemption. Based upon the foregoing

environmental assessment, the Commission concludes that the proposed

action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human

environment.

For further details with respect to this action, see the request

for exemption dated February 10, 1994, which is available for public

inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, 2120 L Street,

NW., Washington, DC 20555 and at the local public document room located

at the Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown, Connecticut 06457

for the Haddam Neck Plant, and the Learning Resource Center, Three

Rivers Community-Technical College, Thames Valley Campus, 574 New

London Turnpike, Norwich, Connecticut 06360 for the Millstone Nuclear

Power Station, Unit Nos. 1, 2, and 3.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 17th day of March 1994.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Ronald W. Hernan,

Acting Director, Project Directorate I-4, Division of Reactor

Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 94-6762 Filed 3-22-94; 8:45 am]

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