Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc.; Millstone Power Station, Unit No. 3 Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an exemption from title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) § 54.17(c) for Facility Operating License No. NPF-49, issued to Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc. (DNC), for operation of Millstone Power Station, Unit No. 3 (MP3), located in Waterford, Connecticut. 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 action would grant a schedular exemption from the provision of 10 CFR 54.17(c), which stipulates that a licensee may not apply for a renewed operating license earlier than 20 years before the current license expires. The exemption would allow DNC to submit a renewal application for MP3 earlier than 20 years before expiration of its operating license.

The Need for the Proposed Action

The proposed action would allow DNC to submit one application for renewal of the operating licenses of both nuclear units located at the site, with the goal of attaining efficiencies for preparation and review of the application.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and concludes that the issuance of the proposed exemption will not have a significant environmental impact. The proposed schedular exemption pertains solely to the future submission of an application to renew the MP3 operating license. It causes no changes to the current design or operation of MP3, and imparts no prejudice in the future review of the application for license renewal.

The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability or consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types or amounts of radiological 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 have a potential to affect 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.

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 resource than those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for MP3, dated December 1984.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

On November 5, 2003, the NRC staff consulted with the Connecticut official, Mr. Michael Firsick of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, 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 licensee's letter dated December 13, 2002, as supplemented on April 28, 2003, and September 3, 2003. 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 (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 Internet at 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 by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.