[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 5, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10094-10095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-5386]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-344]
Portland General Electric Company, Trojan Nuclear Plant;
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering the issuance of an order approving an application regarding
a proposed merger involving the holding company for Portland General
Electric Company (PGE, the licensee), holder of Facility Operating
License No. NPF-1, for the Trojan Nuclear Plant located on the west
bank of the Columbia River in Columbia County, Oregon. The Trojan
Nuclear Plant permanently ceased operating in January 1993 and is being
decommissioned.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would approve, by issuance of an order, the
application under 10 CFR 50.80 regarding the merger between Portland
General Corporation (PGC), the parent company of PGE, a 67.5 percent
holder of the Trojan Nuclear Plant license, and Enron Corporation
(Enron). Enron is a Delaware corporation engaged in the gathering,
transportation, and wholesale marketing of natural gas. PGC has agreed
to a merger with Enron, subject to certain conditions. Those conditions
[[Page 10095]]
include approval by the shareholders of the companies and obtaining
appropriate governmental approvals which do not impose terms or
conditions that would be reasonably likely to have an adverse effect on
PGE or Enron. Under an Agreement and Plan of Merger, Enron will become
an Oregon corporation (hereinafter referred to as the ``Merger
Company''), and PGC will merge with and into the Merger Company. Shares
of stock held in Enron and in PGC would be converted into shares of the
Merger Company on a one-for-one basis. The proposed action is in
accordance with PGE's application dated August 20 1996, as supplemented
by letters dated October 16, 1996, and October 30, 1996.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is required to facilitate the merger between
PGC and Enron.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed merger
and concludes that there will be no physical or operational change to
the decommissioning activities now in progress at the Trojan Nuclear
Plant as a result of the merger. The merger will not affect the
qualifications or organizational affiliations of the personnel
responsible for the decommissioning activities at the Trojan Nuclear
Plant.
The merger will not affect PGE's status as a regulated public
utility in the State of Oregon. PGE will continue to be headquartered
in Portland, Oregon and senior management will remain in place.
According to the licensee, the planned merger of PGE's parent company,
PGC, with the Merger Company should improve the overall financial
strength and stability of PGE's parent after the merger. After the
merger, PGE will continue to be the NRC licensee for Trojan Nuclear
Plant and no direct transfer of the operating license or interests in
the unit will result from the merger.
The Commission has evaluated the environmental impact of the
proposed action and has determined that the probability and
consequences of accidents would not be increased by the merger, and
that radiological releases, both normal releases and accidental
releases, would not be greater than previously evaluated. Further, the
Commission has determined that the merger would not increase
occupational radiological 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 merger would
not affect nonradiological plant effluents and would have no other
environmental impact. Therefore, the Commission concludes that there
are no significant nonradiological environmental impacts associated
with the proposed action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Having concluded that there are no significant environmental
effects that would result from the proposed action, the Commission has
no need to evaluate any alternative with equal or greater environmental
impacts.
The principal alternative would be to deny the requested action.
Denial of the application would not change the environmental impact.
The environmental impact of the proposed action and the alternative
action are the same.
Alternative Use of Resources
This action does not involve the use of any resources not
previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for the
Trojan Nuclear Plant dated August 1973 or the Final Generic
Environmental Impact Statement on Decommissioning of Nuclear
Facilities, dated August 1988.
Agencies and Persons Contacted
In accordance with its stated policy, on Feb. 10, 1997, the staff
consulted with Mr. Adam Bless, of the Oregon Department of Energy,
regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. Mr. Bless
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
licensee's letter dated August 20 1996, as supplemented by letters
dated October 16, 1996, and October 30, 1996, which are available for
public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, Gelman
Building, 2120 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., and at the local
public document room for the Trojan Nuclear Plant located at the
Branford Price Millar Library, Portland State University, Portland,
Oregon 97207.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 27th day of February 1997.
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. 97-5386 Filed 3-4-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
