[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 8, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11682-11683]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3291]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-271]


Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC and Entergy Nuclear 
Operations, Inc.; Notice of Issuance of Amendment to Facility Operating 
License and Final Determination of No Significant Hazards Consideration

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Commission) has issued 
Amendment No. 229 to Facility Operating License No. DPR-28, issued to 
Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC and Entergy Nuclear Operations, 
Inc. (the licensee), which revised the Technical Specifications (TSs) 
and License for operation of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station 
(VYNPS) located in Windham County, Vermont. The amendment was effective 
as of the date of its issuance.
    The amendment increases the maximum authorized power level for 
VYNPS from 1593 megawatts thermal (MWt) to 1912 MWt, which is an 
increase of approximately 20 percent. The increase in power level is 
considered an extended power uprate.
    The application for the amendment complies with the standards and 
requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), 
and the Commission's rules and regulations. The Commission has made 
appropriate findings as required by the Act and the Commission's rules 
and regulations in 10 CFR Chapter I, which are set forth in the license 
amendment.
    The Commission published a ``Notice of Consideration of Issuance of 
Amendment to Facility Operating License and Opportunity for a Hearing'' 
related to this action in the Federal Register on July 1, 2004 (69 FR 
39976). This Notice provided 60 days for the public to request a 
hearing. On August 30, 2004, the Vermont Department of Public Service 
and the New England Coalition filed requests for hearing in connection 
with the proposed amendment. By Order dated November 22, 2004, the 
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) granted those hearing requests 
and by Order dated December 16, 2004, the ASLB issued its decision to 
conduct a hearing using the procedures in 10 CFR part 2, subpart L,

[[Page 11683]]

``Informal Hearing Procedures for NRC Adjudications.''
    The Commission published a ``Notice of Consideration of Issuance of 
Amendment to Facility Operating License and Proposed No Significant 
Hazards Consideration Determination'' related to this action in the 
Federal Register on January 11, 2006 (71 FR 1744). This Notice provided 
30 days for public comment. The Commission received comments on the 
proposed no significant hazards consideration as discussed below.
    Under its regulations, the Commission may issue and make an 
amendment immediately effective, notwithstanding the pendency before it 
of a request for a hearing from any person, in advance of the holding 
and completion of any required hearing, where it has determined that no 
significant hazards consideration is involved.
    The Commission has applied the standards of 10 CFR 50.92 and has 
made a final determination that the amendment involves no significant 
hazards consideration. Public comments received on the proposed no 
significant hazards consideration determination were considered in 
making the final determination. The basis for this determination is 
contained in the Safety Evaluation related to this action. Accordingly, 
as described above, the amendment has been issued and made immediately 
effective and any hearing will be held after issuance.
    The Commission published an Environmental Assessment related to the 
action in the Federal Register on January 27, 2006 (71 FR 4614). Based 
on the Environmental Assessment, the Commission concluded that the 
action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human 
environment. Accordingly, the Commission determined not to prepare an 
environmental impact statement for the proposed action.
    For further details with respect to this action, see the 
application for amendment dated September 10, 2003, as supplemented by 
letters dated October 1, and October 28 (2 letters), 2003; January 31 
(2 letters), March 4, May 19, July 2, July 27, July 30, August 12, 
August 25, September 14, September 15, September 23, September 30 (2 
letters), October 5, October 7 (2 letters), December 8, and December 9, 
2004; February 24, March 10, March 24, March 31, April 5, April 22, 
June 2, August 1, August 4, September 10, September 14, September 18, 
September 28, October 17, October 21 (2 letters), October 26, October 
29, November 2, November 22, and December 2, 2005; January 10, and 
February 22, 2006, which is available for public inspection at the 
Commission's PDR, located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 
F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly 
available records will be accessible electronically from the Agencywide 
Documents Access and Management System's (ADAMS) Public Electronic 
Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who 
encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should 
contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209, 
301-415-4737, or by e-mail to [email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of March, 2006.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Richard B. Ennis,
Senior Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch I-2, Division of 
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E6-3291 Filed 3-7-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P