[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 78 (Thursday, April 23, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20223-20224]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10845]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-289]
GPU Nuclear Corporation (Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating
Station, Unit 1); Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License No.
DPR-50, issued to GPU Nuclear Corporation (GPU, the licensee), for
operation of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 1
(TMI-1), located in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would revise the Facility Operating License No.
DPR-50
[[Page 20224]]
and the Technical Specifications (TS) appended to Facility Operating
License No. DPR-50 for the TMI-1 plant. Specifically, the proposed
action would amend the license to reflect the change in the legal name
of the operator from GPU Nuclear Corporation to GPU Nuclear, Inc. and
to reflect the registered trade name of GPU Energy under which the
owners of TMI-1 are now conducting business. In addition, the TMI-1 TSs
would be revised to reflect the new legal name of the operator of TMI-
1.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application for amendment dated December 16, 1996, as supplemented
September 11, 1997 and March 25, 1998.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed actions are necessary because on or about August 1,
1996, the owners of TMI-1 registered to do business under the trade
name of GPU Energy. Also on or about August 1, 1996, the legal name of
the operator of TMI-1 was changed from GPU Nuclear Corporation to GPU
Nuclear, Inc.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action.
As stated by the licensee,
The corporate existence of all three Owners and the operator of
TMI-1 continues uninterrupted, and all legal characteristics remain
the same. The name changes do not alter the state of incorporation,
registered agent, registered office, directors, officers, rights or
liabilities of the Owners of TMI-1 or the operator of TMI-1.
Similarly, the name changes do not alter the function of either the
Owners or the operator of TMI-1, or the way they do business. The
Owner's financial responsibility for TMI-1 and their sources of
funds to support the facility remain the same. These name changes do
not impact the existing ownership of TMI-1 and do not alter any of
the existing licensing conditions applicable to TMI-1. There is no
change to GPU Nuclear, Inc.'s ability to comply with these licensing
conditions or with any other obligation or responsibility under the
license. Specifically, the Owners of TMI-1 remain regulated electric
utilities. The funds accrued by the Owners continue to be available
to fulfill all obligations related to TMI-1 as they were before the
name changes.
There will be no impact on the safe operation of TMI-1 as a
result of the name changes. Access to funds necessary to safely
operate TMI-1 to the end of the license is unaffected. Access to
decommissioning trust funds to ensure that TMI-1 can be
decommissioned in accordance with NRC regulations remains as it was
prior to the name changes.
In light of the foregoing, the Commission concludes that the change
will not increase the probability or consequences of accidents, no
changes are being made in the types of any effluents that may be
released offsite, and there will be no significant increase in the
allowable individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed
action is administrative in nature and does not involve any physical
features of the plant. Thus, it does not affect nonradiological plant
effluents and has no other environmental impact. Accordingly, the
Commission concludes that there are no significant nonradiological
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Since the Commission has concluded there is no measurable
environmental impact associated with the proposed action, any
alternatives with equal or greater environmental impact need not be
evaluated. As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff
considered denial of the proposed action. 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 for the TMI-
1 plant.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on March 16, 1998, the staff
consulted with the Pennsylvania State official, Mr. Stan J. Maingi, of
the Bureau of Radiation Protection, Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Resources, regarding the environmental impact of the
proposed action. The State Official had no comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
Based upon the environmental assessment, the Commission concludes
that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the
quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the Commission 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 submittals dated December 16, 1996, September 11, 1997 and
March 25, 1998, which are available for public inspection at the
Commission's Public Document Room, The Gelman Building, 2120 L Street,
NW., Washington, DC, and at the local public document room located at
the LAW/Government Publications Section, State Library of Pennsylvania,
(Regional Dispository) Walnut Street and Commonwealth Avenue, P.O. Box
1601, Harrisburg, PA 17105.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 17th day of April 1998.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Cecil O. Thomas,
Director, Project Directorate I-3, Division of Reactor Projects--I/II,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 98-10845 Filed 4-22-98; 8:45 am]
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