[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 243 (Thursday, December 18, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66399-66400]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33056]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-219]
GPU Nuclear Corporation and Jersey Central Power & Light Company;
Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station; Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License No.
DPR-16, issued to GPU Nuclear Corporation, et al. (the licensee), for
operation of the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station (OCNGS)
located in Ocean County, New Jersey.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would revise the OCNGS operating license and
technical specifications (TSs) to reflect the registered trade name of
``GPU Nuclear'' under which the owner of OCNGS now does business and to
reflect the change of the legal name of the operator of OCNGS from GPU
Nuclear Corporation to GPU Nuclear, Inc. In addition, the proposed
action includes two minor editorial corrections associated with the
name changes.
Specifically, license conditions 1.A, 1.E, 1.F, and 2 have been
revised to indicate Jersey Central Power & Light Company doing business
as (d/b/a) GPU Energy and GPU Nuclear, Inc. as the licensed operator of
the facility and TSs 6.2.1, 6.5.1, 6.5.2, 6.5.3, 6.18, and 6.19 have
been modified to change GPU Nuclear Corp. to GPU Nuclear or GPU
Nuclear, Inc. as applicable.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application for amendment dated October 10, 1997.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed to conform the license to reflect the
registered trade name under which the owner of OCNGS now does business
and reflect the change in the legal name of the operator of OCNGS.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action
and concludes that the proposed amendment to the OCNGS operating
license to reflect the trade name of the owner and to reflect the
change in the legal name of the operator will have no impact on the
continued safe operation of the facility. The corporate existence of
the owner and operator of OCNGS will continue uninterrupted, and all
legal characteristics other than the legal name of the operator will
remain the same. The State of incorporation, registered agent,
registered office, directors, officers, rights or liabilities of either
the owner or the operator of OCNGS have not and will not change as a
result of the amendment. Similarly, there will be no change in the
function of either the owner or the operator of OCNGS or the way they
do business. The owner's financial responsibility for OCNGS and the
source of funds to support the facility will remain the same. There
will be no alteration in any of the existing licensing conditions
applicable to OCNGS, and no change to GPU Nuclear Corporation's ability
to comply with any licensing conditions or any other obligation or
responsibility under the license. Specifically, the owner of OCNGS will
remain an electric utility as defined in 10 CFR 50.2. The funds accrued
by the owner will continue to be available to fulfill all obligations
related to OCNGS. The two minor editorial changes relate to a name
change in the title of the President of GPU Nuclear Corporation that
will similarly have no effect on the safe operation or licensing
conditions of the facility.
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 offsite, and there is no significant
increase in the allowable individual or cumulative occupational
radiation exposure. Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there
are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with
the proposed action.
With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed
action does not affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no other
environmental impact. Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there
are no significant nonradiological environmental impacts associated
with the proposed action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Since the Commission has concluded there is no measurable
environmental impact associated with the proposed action, any
alternatives with equal or greater environmental impact need not be
evaluated. As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff
considered denial of the proposed action. 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
OCNGS.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on December 12, 1997, the
staff consulted with the New Jersey State official regarding the
environmental impact of the proposed action. The State official had no
comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
Based upon the environmental assessment, the Commission 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 October 10, 1997, which is available for public
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, The Gelman
Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC, and at the local
[[Page 66400]]
public document room located at the Ocean County Library, Reference
Department, 101 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 08753.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 12th day of December 1997.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ronald B. Eaton,
Acting Director, Project Directorate I-3, Division of Reactor
Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-33056 Filed 12-17-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
