[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 236 (Thursday, December 9, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 69046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-31918]



[[Page 69046]]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-289]


GPU Nuclear, Inc., et al., Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, 
Unit 1; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License No. DPR-50, 
issued to GPU Nuclear, Inc. (the licensee), for operation of the Three 
Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 (TMI-1), located in Dauphin County, 
PA.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would clarify the authority under the TMI-1 
license to possess radioactive materials and components at both Unit 1 
and Unit 2. Following the expected transfer of the TMI-1 operating 
license to AmerGen, certain radioactive materials and components would 
still be able to be moved between the TMI-1 and TMI-2 units as is 
currently authorized. The TMI-2 license would remain with GPU. This 
amendment does not authorize the receipt or possession of radioactive 
waste from other sites.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for amendment dated June 29, 1999, as supplemented by 
letters dated August 27, October 29, and November 3, 1999.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed because TMI Units 1 and 2 have 
adjoining fuel handling buildings and both units share the same 
loading/unloading bay. Since the two units are currently operated or 
maintained by the same licensee, GPU Nuclear, Inc., each unit has 
similar license conditions (2b(3) and 2b(4) for Unit 1 and 2B(4) and 
2B(5) for Unit 2) which effectively permit the possession and movement 
of radioactive materials between the units and common facilities, 
including the staging of contaminated apparatus used at either unit and 
temporary staging of radioactive material generated by the units. In 
anticipation of the forthcoming license transfer of the TMI-1 operating 
license to Amergen, the licensee has requested that TMI-1 License 
Conditions 2b(3) and 2b(4) be amended to clarify the authority to 
possess certain radioactive materials and components at both units so 
that it is clear that the new licensee for Unit 1 may continue to 
possess and move these materials and components between both units 
under its license. The licensee has also proposed to modify the Unit 2 
license in a separate parallel license amendment request which would 
take into account the Unit 1 amendment request.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concluded that the proposed action places appropriate limits on the 
types, amounts and duration of storage of radioactive materials, waste 
and components that may be possessed by the TMI-1 licensee at either 
unit and further has determined that the source term from any accident 
involving radioactive material, waste or components would be within 
that assumed in the Updated Final Safety Analysis Report for Unit 1 and 
the Post Defueling Monitored Storage Safety Analysis Report for Unit 2.
    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 could require the building of separate 
handling facilities for each unit and/or different methods for 
conducting outage activities including staging of contaminated 
scaffolding. This alternative would involve building new handling 
capacity for the processing of contaminated protective clothing, 
processing of liquid radwaste, and temporary staging areas. This 
alternative would be disruptive to plant operations and may give cause 
for increased radiation safety concerns. Therefore, this alternative is 
not considered to be an option.

Alternative Use of Resources

    This action does not involve the use of any resources not 
previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for the 
Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on November 29, 1999, the 
staff consulted with the Pennsylvania State official, Stan Maingi of 
the Pennsylvania Bureau of Radiation 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 June 29, 1999, as supplemented by letters dated 
August 27, October 29, and November 3, 1999, which are available for 
public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, The Gelman 
Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC. Publicly available 
records will be accessible electronically from the ADAMS Public Library 
component on the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov (the Electronic 
Reading Room).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day of December 1999.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Timothy G. Colburn, Sr.,
Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate I, Division of Licensing 
Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 99-31918 Filed 12-8-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P