[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 218 (Thursday, November 9, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 67417]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28775]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 amendment to Facility Operating License No. DPR-21 
issued to Northeast Nuclear Energy Company, the licensee, for the 
Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit 1 (MP1), a permanently shutdown 
nuclear reactor facility located in Waterford, Connecticut.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed action would revise certain License Conditions, delete 
other License Conditions, and delete some Confirmatory Orders to 
reflect the permanently shutdown and defueled status of the plant. The 
proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's application for 
amendment dated June 6, 2000.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    Currently, the MP1 Operating License (DPR-21) is written to apply 
to an operating facility. MP1 is permanently shutdown and defueled; 
therefore, the licensee determined that changes to certain License 
Conditions and Confirmatory Orders were necessary to reflect the 
permanently shutdown and defueled status of the plant.

Environmental Impact of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed 
amendment to the MP1 License and concludes that issuance of the 
proposed amendment will not have an environmental impact. The proposed 
changes to the License Conditions and Orders are consistent with the 
regulations and regulatory guidance for a permanently shutdown and 
defueled facility and are considered editorial and administrative in 
nature. The licensee does not propose any disposal or relocation of 
nuclear fuel or any changes to structures, systems, components, or site 
boundaries.
    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 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 historical 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.

Alternative 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 MP1.

Agencies and Persons Contacted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on September 25, 2000, the 
staff consulted with the State of Connecticut official, Mr. Michael 
Firsick of the Connecticut 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 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 letter dated June 6, 2000, which may be examined, and/or 
copied for a fee, at the Commission's Public Document Room, located at 
One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, 
Maryland. Publicly available records are accessible electronically from 
the ADAMS Public Library component on the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/index.html (the Electronic Reading Room).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 31st day of October 2000.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John B. Hickman,
Project Manager, Decommissioning Section, Project Directorate IV & 
Decommissioning, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of 
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 00-28775 Filed 11-8-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P