[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 131 (Friday, July 7, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 42038]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-17205]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-245]


Northeast Nuclear Energy Company, Millstone Nuclear Power 
Station, Unit 1; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant 
Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an exemption from certain requirements of 10 CFR 140.11 
regarding financial protection requirements for Facility Operating 
License No. DPR-21, issued to Northeast Nuclear Energy Company (the 
licensee), for the Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit 1, a 
permanently shutdown nuclear reactor facility located in Waterford, 
Connecticut.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed action would allow an exemption from the requirements 
of 10 CFR 140.11(a)(4) regarding secondary financial protection, due to 
the permanently shutdown and defueled status of the Millstone Nuclear 
Power Station, Unit 1.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for exemption dated September 28, 1999, as supplemented by 
letter dated March 2, 2000.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed because the licensee's required 
insurance coverage significantly exceeds the potential cost 
consequences of radiological incidents possible at a permanently 
shutdown and defueled nuclear power plant with spent fuel that will 
have cooled since the plant ceased operations on November 4, 1995.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that exemption from 10 CFR 140.11(a)(4) is an administrative 
action and will not have any environmental impact. Millstone Nuclear 
Power Station, Unit 1 permanently ceased operations on November 4, 
1995, and completed the transfer of all reactor fuel to the spent fuel 
pool shortly afterwards. The licensee maintains and operates the unit 
in a configuration necessary to support the safe storage of spent fuel 
and to comply with the facility operating license and NRC's rules and 
regulations.
    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 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 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 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 
Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit 1.

Agencies and Persons Contacted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on June 2, 2000, the staff 
consulted with the State of Connecticut official, Mr. Michael Firsick 
of the 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 September 28, 1999, as supplemented by letter 
dated March 2, 2000, 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 29th day of June 2000.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 David J. Wrona,
Project Manager, Decommissioning Section, Project Directorate IV & 
Decommissioning, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of 
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 00-17205 Filed 7-6-00; 8:45 am]
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