[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 43 (Friday, March 3, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 11611]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-5155]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-387 and 50-388]


PP&L, Inc., Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2; 
Notice of Consideration of Approval of Transfer of Facility Operating 
Licenses and Conforming Amendments, and Opportunity for a Hearing

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is 
considering the issuance of an order under 10 CFR 50.80 approving the 
transfer of Facility Operating Licenses Nos. NPF-14 and NPF-22 for the 
Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 (SSES, Units 1 and 
2), to the extent currently held by PP&L, Inc. (PP&L), as a co-owner 
and the licensed operator of SSES Units 1 and 2. The transfer would be 
to PPL Susquehanna, LLC, which will be created as a new, indirect 
subsidiary of PPL Resources, Inc., the holding company for PP&L. PP&L 
currently owns 90 percent of each SSES unit. The proposed transfers do 
not involve any change with respect to the non-operating ten percent 
ownership interests in SSES Units 1 and 2 held by Allegheny Electric 
Cooperative, Inc. The Commission is also considering amending the 
licenses for administrative purposes to reflect the proposed transfer.
    According to an application for approval filed by PP&L, PPL 
Susquehanna, LLC, would become the owner of PP&L's interest in both 
units of the facility following approval of the proposed transfer of 
the licenses, and would become exclusively responsible for the 
operation, maintenance, and eventual decommissioning of SSES Units 1 
and 2. No physical changes to the SSES facility or operational changes 
are being proposed in the application.
    The proposed amendments would replace references to PP&L in the 
licenses with references to PPL Susquehanna, LLC, and make other 
administrative changes, to reflect the proposed transfer.
    Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.80, no license, or any right thereunder, 
shall be transferred, directly or indirectly, through transfer of 
control of the licenses, unless the Commission shall give its consent 
in writing. The Commission will approve an application for the transfer 
of a license, if the Commission determines that the proposed transferee 
is qualified to hold the license, and that the transfer is otherwise 
consistent with applicable provisions of law, regulations, and orders 
issued by the Commission pursuant thereto.
    Before issuance of the proposed conforming license amendments, the 
Commission will have made findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 
1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's regulations.
    As provided in 10 CFR 2.1315, unless otherwise determined by the 
Commission with regard to a specific application, the Commission has 
determined that any amendment to the license of a utilization facility 
which does no more than conform the license to reflect the transfer 
action involves no significant hazards consideration. No contrary 
determination has been made with respect to this specific license 
amendment application. In light of the generic determination reflected 
in 10 CFR 2.1315, no public comments with respect to significant 
hazards considerations are being solicited, notwithstanding the general 
comment procedures contained in 10 CFR 50.91.
    The filing of requests for hearing and petitions for leave to 
intervene, and written comments with regard to the license transfer 
application, are discussed below.
    By March 23, 2000, any person whose interest may be affected by the 
Commission's action on the application may request a hearing, and, if 
not the applicants, may petition for leave to intervene in a hearing 
proceeding on the Commission's action. Requests for a hearing and 
petitions for leave to intervene should be filed in accordance with the 
Commission's rules of practice set forth in Subpart M, ``Public 
Notification, Availability of Documents and Records, Hearing Requests 
and Procedures for Hearings on License Transfer Applications,'' of 10 
CFR Part 2. In particular, such requests and petitions must comply with 
the requirements set forth in 10 CFR 2.1306, and should address the 
considerations contained in 10 CFR 2.1308(a). Untimely requests and 
petitions may be denied, as provided in 10 CFR 2.1308(b), unless good 
cause for failure to file on time is established. In addition, an 
untimely request or petition should address the factors that the 
Commission will also consider, in reviewing untimely requests or 
petitions, set forth in 10 CFR 2.1308(b)(1)-(2).
    Requests for a hearing and petitions for leave to intervene should 
be served upon John E. Matthews, counsel for PP&L, Inc., at Morgan, 
Lewis & Bockius LLP, 1800 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036-5869 (tel: 
202-467-7524; fax: 877-432-9652; e-mail: [email protected]); the 
General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 
20555 (e-mail address for filings regarding license transfer cases 
only: [email protected]); and the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: 
Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff, in accordance with 10 CFR 2.1313.
    The Commission will issue a notice or order granting or denying a 
hearing request or intervention petition, designating the issues for 
any hearing that will be held and designating the Presiding Officer. A 
notice granting a hearing will be published in the Federal Register and 
served on the parties to the hearing.
    As an alternative to requests for hearing and petitions to 
intervene, by April 3, 2000 persons may submit written comments 
regarding the license transfer application, as provided for in 10 CFR 
2.1305. The Commission will consider and, if appropriate, respond to 
these comments, but such comments will not otherwise constitute part of 
the decisional record. Comments should be submitted to the Secretary, 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, 
Attention: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff, and should cite the 
publication date and page number of this Federal Register notice.
    For further details with respect to this action, see the 
application dated December 15, 1999, and supplement dated February 7, 
2000, available for public inspection at the Commission's Public 
Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC, 
and accessible electronically through the ADAMS Public Electronic 
Reading Room link at the NRC Website (http://www.nrc.gov).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of February, 2000.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Robert G. Schaaf,
Project Manager, Section 1, Project Directorate I, Division of 
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 00-5155 Filed 3-2-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P