[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 164 (Wednesday, August 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46423-46424]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-22030]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-344]
Portland General Electric, Trojan Nuclear Plant; 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.
NPF-1 issued to Portland General Electric Company (PGE), the licensee,
for operation of the Trojan Nuclear Plant located in Prescott, Oregon
and a concurrent exemption from 10 CFR 50.54, 10 CFR 50.47(b) and 10
CFR part 50, appendix E.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would exempt PGE from the emergency plan
requirements of 10 CFR 50.54(q), 10 CFR 50.47(b), and 10 CFR part 50,
appendix E and delete the requirements for an emergency plan from the
10 CFR part 50 licensed portion of the site after the spent nuclear
fuel is transferred to a part 72 licensed independent spent fuel
storage installation (ISFSI).
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application for a license amendment and exemption dated August 27,
1998.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed because the remaining quantities of
radioactive material in the part 50 licensed facility will be less than
the quantities specified in 10 CFR 30.72, ``Schedule C'' after the
transfer of the spent nuclear fuel to the ISFSI. This represents a
reduction of over 99 percent of the radioactivity existing prior to the
transfer and the radioactivity remaining in the part 50 licensed plant
will be below the amount requiring an emergency plan as designated in
10 CFR 30.72 above. The ISFSI which will receive the radioactive
inventory has an NRC-approved emergency plan. The proposed action will
allow the licensee to conserve resources for decommissioning
activities.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action
and concludes that exempting the plant from emergency plan requirements
will not have any adverse environmental impact. There will be very
minor savings of energy and vehicular use associated with the reduced
effort related to emergency preparedness drills.
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.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered
denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative).
Denial of the application
[[Page 46424]]
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
Trojan Plant.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on July 19, 1999, the staff
consulted with the Oregon State official, Mr. Adam Bless of the Oregon
Office of Energy, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed
action. The State 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
licensee's letter dated August 27, 1998, 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 public
document room located at the Branford Price Millar Library, Portland
State University, 934 S.W. Harrison Street, Portland, Oregon 92707.
Dated at Rockville, MD, this 16th day of August 1999.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Louis L. Wheeler,
Acting Chief, Decommissioning Section, Project Directorate IV and
Decommissioning, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 99-22030 Filed 8-24-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
