[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 78 (Monday, April 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 17736]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-9854]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-344]
Portland General Electric Company, Trojan Nuclear Plant; Order
Approving the Decommissioning Plan and Authorizing Decommissioning of
Facility
I
The Portland General Electric Company (PGE or the licensee) is the
holder of Facility Operating License No. NPF-1 issued by the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) pursuant to 10
CFR Part 50 on November 21, 1975, for the operation of the Trojan
Nuclear Plant (TNP or the facility). The facility is located on the
west bank of the Columbia River in Columbia County, Oregon. The license
was amended to a possession-only license on May 5, 1993, removing the
authority of the licensee to operate TNP.
II
The plant operated until November 9, 1992, when a leak in the ``B''
steam generator was detected and forced a shutdown of the plant. The
licensee notified the NRC of the decision to permanently cease power
operations on January 27, 1993. The fuel was transferred to the spent
fuel pool, and on March 24, 1993, the NRC staff issued a Confirmatory
Order to confirm a PGE commitment not to place fuel back into the
reactor building without written approval by the NRC. The operating
license was amended to a possession-only license on May 5, 1993. TNP is
permanently defueled and cannot be operated nor can fuel be placed in
the reactor under the terms of the license. The licensee submitted the
decommissioning plan and a supplement to the environmental report for
TNP on January 26, 1995.
On March 8, 1995, in accord with 10 CFR 50.82(e), a Notice of
Receipt of the Decommissioning Plan and the Supplement to the
Environmental Report and an Opportunity for Public Comment were
published in the Federal Register (60 FR 12788). Because of public
interest in the decommissioning process, the Federal Register notice
announced a local public meeting to provide the public an opportunity
to comment on the plan. The meeting was held on March 29, 1995, at St.
Helens, Oregon, and was transcribed.
By a letter of December 18, 1995, the staff informed the licensee
that the decommissioning plan was acceptable. The staff documented its
review of the licensee's decommissioning plan and supplement to the
environmental report in a safety evaluation report and environmental
assessment related to the licensee's request to authorize facility
decommissioning. Public comments received at the meeting on March 29,
1995, in St. Helens, Oregon, were addressed in an appendix to the
safety evaluation report.
On December 22, 1995, by a notice in the Federal Register (60 FR
66569) the Commission announced that the Commission was considering
issuance of an Order approving the Trojan Decommissioning Plan. The
notice also offered an opportunity for a hearing on the licensee's
decommissioning plan. The licensee and members of the public were
afforded 30 days from the date that the notice appeared in the Federal
Register to submit a request for hearing and a petition for leave to
intervene. No request for a hearing has been filed.
On January 22, 1996, the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) issued
the results of its review of the PGE decommissioning plan for Trojan.
The ODOE also offered a 30 day window of opportunity for members of the
public to request a hearing under the State of Oregon statutes. On
February 13, 1996, the NRC staff and the ODOE held a joint public
meeting near the plant site in the town of Rainier, Oregon. The results
of the review by both the NRC staff and the ODOE staff of the
licensee's decommissioning plan and the supplement to the environmental
report were presented. There were no comments by members of the public.
The time period in which a member of the public or the licensee could
request a contested case hearing in the State venue on the proposed
decommissioning expired without a request. On March 7, 1996, the Energy
Facility Siting Council of the ODOE voted to approve the proposed rule
that allows the licensee to proceed with decommissioning.
III
The NRC has reviewed the PGE decommissioning plan with respect to
the provisions of the Commission's rules and regulations and has found
that decommissioning as described in the TNP Decommissioning Plan will
be performed in accordance with the regulations of 10 CFR 50.82 and 10
CFR Chapter I and will not be inimical to the common defense and
security or to the health and safety of the public.
IV
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.21, 51.30, and 51.35, the Commission prepared
an environmental assessment, which was issued on December 18, 1995. The
Commission published on December 22, 1995, in the Federal Register (60
FR 66568) a notice of issuance of the Environmental Assessment and
Final Finding of No Significant Impact. On the basis of the
environmental assessment, the Commission has determined that the
proposed action will not result in any significant environmental impact
and that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.
V
Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 103, 161b, 161i, and 161o, of the
Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, 42 U.S.C. Secs. 2133, 2201(b),
2201(i), 2201(o), and 10 CFR 50.82, the PGE Decommissioning Plan is
approved and decommissioning of TNP is authorized in accordance with
the plan.
For further details with respect to this action, see: (1) The
application for authorization to decommission the facility of January
26, 1995, as supplemented November 13, 1995; (2) the Environmental
Assessment by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Related to the
Request to Authorize Facility Decommissioning, December 1995; and (3)
the Safety Evaluation Report by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Related to the Request to Authorize Facility Decommissioning, December
1995. These documents are available for public inspection at the
Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street
NW, Washington, DC 20555, and at the Local Public Document Room for the
TNP at the Branford Price Millar Library, Portland State University,
Portland, Oregon 97207.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day of April 1996.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
William T. Russell,
Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 96-9854 Filed 4-19-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
