[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 46 (Thursday, March 8, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13981-13982]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-5744]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-146]


Saxton Nuclear Experimental Corporation and GPU Nuclear 
Corporation; Saxton Nuclear Experimental Facility Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an amendment to Amended Facility License No. DPR-4 issued 
to GPU Nuclear Corporation and Saxton Nuclear Experimental Corporation 
(the licensees), for possession of the Saxton Nuclear Experimental 
Facility (SNEF), located in Saxton, Bedford County, Pennsylvania.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would revise Amended Facility License No. DPR-4 
to change the legal name GPU Nuclear Corporation to GPU Nuclear, Inc. 
wherever it appears in the license to reflect the change in name of the 
corporation.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensees' 
application for amendment dated November 30, 2000, as supplemented by 
letter dated January 18, 2001.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed to conform the license to reflect the 
change in the legal name of GPU Nuclear Corporation to GPU Nuclear, 
Inc.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that the proposed amendment to the SNEF amended facility 
license to reflect the change in the legal name of GPU Nuclear 
Corporation to GPU Nuclear, Inc. will have no impact on the continued 
safe possession of the facility. Also, the change does not alter the 
corporate existence of the company, or its obligations, 
responsibilities or liabilities as related to its responsibility as a 
licensee for the SNEF. All legal characteristics, other than the legal 
name of the company will remain the same. An identical change was 
previously approved by the NRC for the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating 
Station (Amendment No. 194 issued on January 14, 1998) and for the 
Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station, Unit-1 (Amendment No. 207 
issued on April 24, 1998).
    Therefore, 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 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 involves an administrative amendment that does not 
involve the use of irreversible or irretrievable resources. Therefore, 
there is no alternative use of resources to be considered.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on January 4, 2001, the staff 
consulted with the Pennsylvania State official, M. Murphy of the Bureau 
of Radiation Protection, 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 November 30, 2000, as supplemented by letter 
dated January 18, 2001, which are available for public inspection, and/
or copied for a fee, at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Public 
Document Room, located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike 
(first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be 
accessible electronically from

[[Page 13982]]

the ADAMS Public Library component on the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov (the Electronic Reading Room).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 31st day of January, 2001.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ledyard B. Marsh,
Chief, Events Assessment, Generic Communications and Non-Power Reactors 
Branch, Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-5744 Filed 3-7-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P