[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 251 (Thursday, December 31, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72338-72339]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-34686]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-22]


CBS Corporation Acting Through Its Westinghouse Electric Company 
Division; Westinghouse Test Reactor Environmental Assessment and 
Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is 
considering issuance of an amendment to Facility License No. TR-2, 
issued to the CBS Corporation acting through its Westinghouse Electric 
Company Division. The license authorizes possession only and 
decommissioning of the Westinghouse Test Reactor (WTR), located in 
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would amend Facility License No. TR-2 for the 
WTR

[[Page 72339]]

to reflect the change in the legal name of the licensee from CBS 
Corporation acting through its Westinghouse Electric Company Division 
to simply the CBS Corporation once the change is accomplished.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for amendment dated September 28, 1998, as supplemented on 
November 17, 1998.

Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed to accurately reflect the legal name 
of the licensee once the name is changed.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes that the action is administrative in nature and will not 
modify the WTR facility configuration, procedures or requirements, or 
affect licensed activities. The employees responsible for the licensed 
WTR facility will still be responsible, either directly through the CBS 
Corporation or through contractual arrangements for which CBS 
Corporation is ultimately responsible, notwithstanding the new name of 
the licensee. The proposed action will not affect the financial 
qualifications of the licensee to possess and decommission the 
facility.
    The proposed action 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 is no significant 
increase in occupational or public exposure. Therefore, there are no 
significant radiological environmental impacts associated with the 
proposed action.
    With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed 
action does not involve any historic sites. It does not affect non-
radiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. 
Therefore, there are no significant non-radiological environmental 
impacts associated with the proposed action.
    Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    Since the Commission has concluded there is no significant 
environmental impacts 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

    The action does not involve the use of any resources not previously 
considered in the environmental report for the decommissioning of the 
WTR.

Agencies and Persons Contacted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on November 20, 1998, the NRC 
staff consulted with the Pennsylvania State Official, James G. Yusko, 
of the Bureau of Radiation Protection, Pennsylvania Department of 
Environmental Protection, regarding the environmental impact of the 
proposed action. The State official had no comments.

Findings of No Significant Impact

    On the basis of 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 application dated September 28, 1998, as supplemented by 
submittal dated November 17, 1998, which are available for public 
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, The Gelman 
Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 21st day of December 1998.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Seymour H. Weiss,
Director, Non-Power Reactors and Decommissioning Project Directorate, 
Division of Reactor Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 98-34686 Filed 12-30-98; 8:45 am]
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