[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5320-5321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-2514]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-29]
Yankee Atomic Electric Company; Yankee Nuclear Power Station
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Commission) is considering
issuance of an amendment to Possession Only License (POL) No. DPR-3
issued to the Yankee Atomic Electric Company (YAEC or licensee) for the
Yankee Nuclear Power Station (YNPS or plant). The plant is located in
Rowe Township, Franklin County, Massachusetts.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of Proposed Action
The proposed action would revise the POL through the following
three changes to the Technical Specifications (TS) by (1) deletion of
the definition of SITE BOUNDARY, (2) moving the Site Boundary and Plant
Exclusion Area map from the TS to the Final Safety Analysis Report
(FSAR) and (3) Deletion of TS 5.1.1--EXCLUSION AREA.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application for amendment dated August 20, 1998.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action would, for item (1) above, remove an obsolete
and unneeded definition from the TS. For Item (2), the TS that is being
relocated to a licensee controlled document, the FSAR, is not required
to be in the TS under 10 CFR 50.36 requirements. The licensee may
revise the FSAR under the provisions of 10 CFR 50.59, which provides
appropriate procedural means to control such revisions. Furthermore,
this change is consistent with the NRC guidance in NUREG-1625, Proposed
Standard Technical Specifications for Permanently Defueled Westinghouse
Plants. Item (3) would delete an unneeded section of the TS as its only
function was to reference the map being moved to the FSAR.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action
and concludes that the proposed action will not have any impact on the
environment as the proposed changes are administrative in nature. The
licensee does not propose any disposal nor relocation of fuel by this
action. This action is considered administrative in nature.
[[Page 5321]]
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 Commission 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. 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 evaluated
in previous environmental reviews for the YNPS.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on December 15, 1998, the
staff consulted with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts State liaison
officer, Jim Muckerheide of the Massachusetts Civil Defense Agency,
regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The
Commonwealth official had no comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of 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
YAEC's letter of August 20, 1998, which is available for public
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman
Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, D.C., and at the Local Public
Document Room located in the Library of the Greenfield Community
College, 1 College Drive, Greenfield, Massachusetts 01301.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of January 1999.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Seymour H. Weiss,
Director, Non-Power Reactors, and Decommissioning Project Directorate,
Division of Reactor Program Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 99-2514 Filed 2-2-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
