[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 206 (Tuesday, October 24, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63630-63631]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-27285]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-245, 50-336, and 50-423]


Northeast Nuclear Energy Company et al.; Millstone Nuclear Power 
Station, Unit Nos. 1, 2, and 3; 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. DPR-21, DPR-65, and NPF-49 
for Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit Nos. 1, 2, and 3 (M1, M2, and 
M3) to the extent currently held by Northeast Nuclear Energy Company 
(NNECO), the licensed operator and non-owner of the facilities, and 
certain co-licensees listed below holding ownership interests in the 
facilities. The transfer would be to a new generating company, Dominion 
Nuclear Connecticut, Inc., (DNC). DNC is an indirect subsidiary of 
Dominion Energy, which is in turn owned by Dominion Resources, Inc. The 
Commission is also considering amending the licenses for administrative 
purposes to reflect the proposed transfer. The facilities are located 
in New London County, Connecticut.

[[Page 63631]]

    The following is a list of the licensees involved in the license 
transfers who hold ownership interests in M1, M2, and M3, and their 
respective interests:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Percent
------------------------------------------------------------------------
M1 and M2:
  The Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P)........            (81)
  Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECO)........            (19)
M3:
  CL&P..................................................       (52.9330)
  WMECO.................................................       (12.2385)
  Public Service Co. of New Hampshire...................        (2.8475)
  The United Illuminating Company.......................        (3.6850)
  New England Power Company.............................       (16.2140)
  Central Maine Power Company...........................        (2.5000)
  Chicopee Municipal Lighting Plant.....................        (1.3500)
  Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative.....        (1.0870)
    Vermont Electric Generation and Transmission Coop...        (0.3500)
    Fitchburg Gas & Electric Light Company..............        (0.2170)
    Village of Lyndonville Electric Department..........        (0.0487)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Central Vermont Public Service Corporation (Central Vermont) which 
holds a 1.7303% ownership interest in M3, and Massachusetts Municipal 
Wholesale Electric Company (Massachusetts Municipal) which holds a 
4.7990% ownership interest in M3, are not involved in the subject 
license transfers.
    According to an application for approval filed by NNECO and DNC, 
DNC would assume ownership of the facilities (except for the interests 
in M3 by Central Vermont and Massachusetts Municipal) following 
approval of the proposed transfer of the licenses, and would become 
exclusively responsible for the operation, maintenance, and eventual 
decommissioning of M1, M2, and M3. No physical changes to the 
facilities or operational changes are being proposed in the 
application.
    The proposed amendments would replace references in the licenses to 
NNECO and the other licensees transferring their interests with 
references to DNC and make other changes for administrative purposes 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 license, 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 November 13, 2000, any person whose interest may be affected by 
the Commission's action on the application may request a hearing and, 
if not the applicant, 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:

David R. Lewis, Esq., Counsel for Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc., 
at Shaw Pittman, 2300 N Street, NW., Washington DC 20037;
Lillian M. Cuoco, Counsel for NNECO, at Northeast Utilities Service 
Co., P.O. Box 270, Hartford CT 06141;
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 November 24, 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 
applications dated August 31 and October 12, 2000, available for public 
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, One White Flint 
North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, MD, and 
accessible electronically through the ADAMS Public Electronic Reading 
Room link at the NRC Web site (http://www.nrc.gov).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 18th day of October 2000.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jacob I. Zimmerman,
Project Manager, Section 2, Project Directorate I, Division of 
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 00-27285 Filed 10-23-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P