37418 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 115 / Wednesday, June 14, 2000 / Notices

1By letter dated March 24, 2000, PP&L, Inc.,

informed the Commission that effective February

14, 2000, PP&L, Inc., changed its name to ‘‘PPL

Electric Utilities Corporation.’’ PP&L, Inc., also

informed the Commission of name changes for its

parent and an affiliate. No application for license

amendments to reflect the name change of PP&L,

Inc., was submitted because, according to the

licensee, it believed the amount of time for

processing such an application would cause it to be

approved following a decision on the license

transfers and conforming amendments which are

the subject of this Order. Notwithstanding the above

name change of the PP&L, Inc., entity, since the

licenses for the Susquehanna Steam Electric

Station, Units 1 and 2, have not been amended to

reflect PP&L, Inc.’s new name, PPL Electric Utilities

Corporation, references in this Order to this

particular licensee will use both its former and

current names interchangeably as appropriate in the

given context.

affiliate, successor, or assignee of PECO

to which PECO’s ownership interest in

AmerGen may be subsequently assigned

with the prior written consent of the

NRC.

(5) AmerGen shall provide

decommissioning funding assurance of

no less than $400 million, after payment

of any taxes, deposited in the

decommissioning trust fund for Oyster

Creek when Oyster Creek is transferred

to AmerGen.

(6) The decommissioning trust

agreement for Oyster Creek must be in

a form acceptable to the NRC.

(7) With respect to the

decommissioning trust fund,

investments in the securities or other

obligations of PECO, British Energy,

Inc., AmerGen, or their affiliates,

successors, or assigns shall be

prohibited. Except for investments tied

to market indexes or other nonnuclear

sector mutual funds, investments in any

entity owning one or more nuclear

power plants are prohibited.

(8) The decommissioning trust

agreement for Oyster Creek must

provide that no disbursements or

payments from the trust shall be made

by the trustee unless the trustee has first

given the NRC 30-days prior written

notice of payment. The

decommissioning trust agreement shall

further contain a provision that no

disbursements or payments from the

trust shall be made if the trustee

receives prior written notice of objection

from the Director, Office of Nuclear

Reactor Regulation.

(9) The decommissioning trust

agreement must provide that the

agreement cannot be amended in any

material respect without 30-days prior

written notification to the Director,

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

(10) The appropriate section of the

decommissioning trust agreement shall

state that the trustee, investment

advisor, or anyone else directing the

investments made in the trust shall

adhere to a ‘‘prudent investor’’ standard,

as specified in 18 CFR 35.32(a)(3) of the

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission’s regulations.

(11) AmerGen shall take all necessary

steps to ensure that the

decommissioning trust is maintained in

accordance with the application for

approval of the transfer of the Oyster

Creek license and the requirements of

this Order approving the transfer, and

consistent with the safety evaluation

supporting this Order.

(12) AmerGen shall take no action to

cause PECO or British Energy, Inc. or

their affiliates, successors, or assigns, to

void, cancel, or diminish their $200

million contingency commitment to

AmerGen, the existence of which is

represented in the application, or cause

them to fail to perform or impair their

performance under the commitment, or

remove or interfere with AmerGen’s

ability to draw upon the commitment.

Also, AmerGen shall inform the NRC in

writing whenever it draws upon the

$200 million commitment.

(13) Before the completion of the sale

and transfer of Oyster Creek to it,

AmerGen shall provide the Director,

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation,

satisfactory documentary evidence that

AmerGen has obtained the appropriate

amount of insurance required of

licensees under 10 CFR Part 140 of the

Commission’s regulations.

(14) After receiving of all required

regulatory approvals of the transfer of

Oyster Creek, GPUN and AmerGen shall

immediately inform the Director, Office

of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, in

writing of such receipt, and state therein

the closing date of the sale and transfer

of Oyster Creek. If the transfer of the

license is not completed by June 30,

2001, this Order shall become null and

void, provided, however, on written

application and for good cause shown,

this date may be extended.

It is further ordered that, consistent

with 10 CFR 2.1315(b), a license

amendment that makes changes, as

indicated in Enclosure 2 to the cover

letter forwarding this Order, to conform

the license to reflect the subject license

transfer is approved. The amendment

shall be issued and made effective at the

time the proposed license transfer is

completed.

This Order is effective upon issuance.

For further details with respect to this

Order, see the initial application dated

November 5, 1999, two supplemental

letters dated April 6, 2000, and another

supplemental letter dated April 13,

2000, and the safety evaluation dated

June 6, 2000, which are available for

public inspection at the Commission’s

Public Document Room, the Gelman

Building, 2120 L Street, NW.,

Washington, DC, and are accessible

electronically through the ADAMS

Public Electronic Reading Room link at

the NRC Web site (http://www.nrc.gov).

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day

of June 2000.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Samuel J. Collins,

Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

[FR Doc. 00–14999 Filed 6–13–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50–387 and 50–388]

PP&L, Inc. Allegheny Electric

Cooperative, Inc. (Susquehanna Steam

Electric Station, Units 1 and 2); Order

Approving Transfer of Licenses and

Conforming Amendments

I

PP&L, Inc.,1 and Allegheny Electric

Cooperative, Inc., are the joint owners of

the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station,

Units 1 and 2 (Susquehanna SES),

located in Luzerne, Pennsylvania. They

hold Facility Operating Licenses Nos.

NPF–14 and NPF–22 issued by the U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC

or Commission) on July 17, 1982, and

March 23, 1984, respectively, pursuant

to Part 50 of Title 10 of the Code of

Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 50).

Under these licenses, PP&L, Inc.

(currently owner of 90 percent of each

Susquehanna SES unit) is authorized to

possess Susquehanna SES (along with

Allegheny Electric Cooperative, Inc.,

owner of the remaining 10 percent) and

to use and operate Susquehanna SES.

II

By an application dated December 15,

1999, which was supplemented by

submittals dated February 7, March 24,

April 28, May 4, and May 30, 2000

(collectively referred to as the

application herein), PP&L, Inc.,

requested approval of the proposed

transfer of its rights under the operating

licenses for Susquehanna SES to a new,

affiliated nuclear generating company,

PPL Susquehanna, LLC (PPL

Susquehanna). PP&L, Inc., also

requested approval of conforming

amendments to reflect the transfer.

According to the application, PPL

Susquehanna would become the owner

of PP&L, Inc.’’s ownership interest in

both units following approval of the

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 115 / Wednesday, June 14, 2000 / Notices 37419

proposed license transfers and assume

operational responsibility. No physical

changes or change in the day-to-day

management and operations of

Susquehanna SES are proposed in the

application. The proposed transfers do

not involve any change with respect to

the non-operating ownership interest in

Susquehanna SES held by Allegheny

Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Approval of the transfers and

conforming license amendments was

requested pursuant to 10 CFR 50.80 and

50.90. Notice of the request for approval

and an opportunity for a hearing was

published in the Federal Register on

March 3, 2000 (65 FR 11611). No

hearing requests or written comments

were filed.

Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.80, no license,

or any right thereunder, shall be

transferred, directly or indirectly,

through transfer of control of the

license, unless the Commission shall

give its consent in writing. Upon review

of the information submitted in the

application and other information

before the Commission, the NRC staff

has determined that PPL Susquehanna

is qualified to hold the licenses for

Susquehanna SES to the same extent the

licenses are now held by PP&L, Inc., and

that the transfer of the licenses, as

previously described, is otherwise

consistent with applicable provisions of

law, regulations, and orders issued by

the Commission, subject to the

conditions described herein. The NRC

staff has further found that the

application for the proposed license

amendments complies with the

standards and requirements of the

Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended

(the Act), and the Commission’s rules

and regulations set forth in 10 CFR

Chapter I; the facility will operate in

conformity with the application, the

provisions of the Act, and the rules and

regulations of the Commission; there is

reasonable assurance that the activities

authorized by the proposed license

amendments can be conducted without

endangering the health and safety of the

public and that such activities will be

conducted in compliance with the

Commission’s regulations; the issuance

of the proposed license amendments

will not be inimical to the common

defense and security or to the health

and safety of the public; and the

issuance of the proposed license

amendments will be in accordance with

10 CFR Part 51 of the Commission’s

regulations, and all applicable

requirements have been satisfied. The

foregoing findings are supported by a

Safety Evaluation dated June 6, 2000.

III

Accordingly, pursuant to Sections

161b, 161i, and 184 of the Atomic

Energy Act of 1954, as amended, 42

U.S.C. §§ 2201(b), 2201(i), and 2234;

and 10 CFR 50.80, it is hereby ordered

that the license transfers referenced

above are approved, subject to the

following conditions:

1. For purposes of ensuring public

health and safety, PPL Susquehanna

shall provide decommissioning funding

assurance, to be held in

decommissioning trust(s) for

Susquehanna SES upon transfer of the

respective licenses to PPL Susquehanna,

in the amount specified in PP&L, Inc.’s

March 29, 1999, ‘‘Decommissioning

Report of Financial Assurance’’ as

Owner’s Decommissioning Fund Totals

at December 31, 1998, plus any

additional funds added to the accounts

since the filing of that report, on the

date of transfer. In addition, PPL

Susquehanna shall ensure that its

contractual arrangements with PPL

EnergyPlus, LLC, and the contractual

arrangements of PPL EnergyPlus, LLC

with PPL Electric Utilities Corporation

(PP&L, Inc.) to obtain necessary

decommissioning funds for

Susquehanna SES through a nonbypassable charge will be maintained

until the decommissioning trusts are

fully funded, or shall ensure that other

mechanisms that provide equivalent

assurance of decommissioning funding

in accordance with the Commission’s

regulations are maintained.

2. The decommissioning trust

agreements for Susquehanna SES, Units

1 and 2, at the time the license transfers

are effected, are subject to the following:

(a) The trust agreements must be in a

form acceptable to the NRC.

(b) With respect to the

decommissioning trust funds,

investments in the securities or other

obligations of PPL Corporation or its

affiliates, successors, or assigns shall be

prohibited. Except for investments tied

to market indexes or other non-nuclearsector mutual funds, investments in any

entity owning one or more nuclear

power plants are prohibited.

(c) The decommissioning trust

agreements for Susquehanna SES, Units

1 and 2, must provide that no

disbursements or payments from the

trusts shall be made by the trustee

unless the trustee has first given the

NRC 30-days prior written notice of

payment. The decommissioning trust

agreements shall further contain a

provision that no disbursements or

payments from the trusts shall be made

if the trustee receives prior written

notice of objection from the Director,

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

(d) The decommissioning trust

agreements must provide that the

agreements cannot be amended in any

material respect without 30-days prior

written notification to the Director,

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

(e) The appropriate section of the

decommissioning trust agreements shall

state that the trustee, investment

advisor, or anyone else directing the

investments made in the trusts shall

adhere to a ‘‘prudent investor’’ standard,

as specified in 18 CFR 35.32(a)(3) of the

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission’s regulations.

3. PPL Susquehanna shall not take

any action that would cause PPL

Corporation or any other direct or

indirect parent of PPL Susquehanna to

void, cancel, or diminish any applicable

commitment to fund an extended plant

shutdown as represented in the

application.

4. Before the completion of the

transfer of the interests in Susquehanna

SES to PPL Susquehanna as previously

described herein, PPL Susquehanna

shall provide to the Director of the

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

satisfactory documentary evidence that

PPL Susquehanna has obtained the

appropriate amount of insurance

required of licensees under 10 CFR Part

140 of the Commission’s regulations.

5. After receipt of all required

regulatory approvals of the subject

transfer, PP&L, Inc., shall inform the

Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation in writing of such receipt,

and of the date of closing of the transfer

no later than 7 business days prior to

the date of closing. Should the transfer

not be completed by June 1, 2001, this

Order shall become null and void,

provided, however, on application and

for good cause shown, such date may be

extended.

It is further ordered that, consistent

with 10 CFR 2.1315(b), license

amendments for Susquehanna SES that

make changes, as indicated in Enclosure

2 to the cover letter forwarding this

Order, to conform the licenses to reflect

the subject license transfers are

approved. Such amendments shall be

issued and made effective at the time

the proposed license transfers are

completed.

This Order is effective upon issuance.

For further details with respect to this

Order, see the initial transfer

application and request for conforming

amendments dated December 15, 1999,

supplements dated February 7, March

24, April 28, May 4, and May 30, 2000,

and the safety evaluation dated June 6,

2000, which are available for public

37420 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 115 / Wednesday, June 14, 2000 / Notices

inspection at the Commission’s Public

Document Room, the Gelman Building,

2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC.

Publically available records will be

accessible electronically from the

ADAMS Public Library component on

the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov

(the Electronic Reading Room).

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day

of June 2000.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Samuel J. Collins,

Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

[FR Doc. 00–15002 Filed 6–13–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meetings

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING: Nuclear

Regulatory Commission.

DATE: Weeks of June 12, 19, 26, July 3,

10, and 17, 2000.

PLACE: Commissioner’s Conference

Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,

Maryland.

STATUS: Public and closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: 

Week of June 12

Tuesday, June 13, 2000

9:25 a.m.

Affirmation Session (Public Meeting)

a: Final Rule—Clarification of

Regulations to Explicitly Limit

Which Types of Applications Must

Include Antitrust Information

9:30 a.m.

Meeting with Organization of

Agreement States (OAS) and

Conference of Radiation Control

Program Directors (CRCPD) (Public

Meeting) (Contact: Paul Lohaus,

301–415–3340)

1:00 p.m.

Meeting with Korean Peninsula

Energy Development Organization

(KEDO) and State Department

(Public Meeting) (Contact: Donna

Chaney, 301–415–2644)

Week of June 19—Tentative

Tuesday, June 20, 2000

9:25 a.m.

Affirmation Session (Public Meeting)

(If needed)

9:30 a.m.

Briefing on Final Rule—Part 70—

Regulating Fuel Cycle Facilities

(Public Meeting) (Contact: Theodore

Sherr, 301–415–7218)

1:30 p.m.

Briefing on Risk-Informed Part 50,

Option 3 (Public Meeting) (Contact:

Mary Drouin, 301–415–6675)

Wednesday, June 21, 2000

10:30 a.m.

All Employees Meeting (Public

Meeting) (‘‘The Green’’ Plaza Area)

1:30 p.m.

All Employees Meeting (Public

Meeting) (‘‘The Green’’ Plaza Area)

Week of June 26—Tentative

There are no meetings scheduled for

the Week of June 26.

Week of July 3—Tentative

There are no meetings scheduled for

the Week of July 3.

Week of July 10—Tentative

Tuesday, July 11

9:25 a.m.

Afirmation Session (Public Meeting)

(If necessary.)

Week of July 17—Tentative

There are no meetings scheduled for

the Week of July 17.

*The schedule for Commission

meetings is subject to change on short

notice. To verify the status of meetings

call (recording)—(301) 415–1292.

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Bill Hill (301) 415–1661.

The NRC Commission Meeting

Schedule can be found on the Internet

at: http://www.nrc.gov/SECY/smj/

schedule.htm

This notice is distributed by mail to

several hundred subscribers; if you no

longer wish to receive it, or would like

to be added to it, please contact the

Office of the Secretary, Attn: Operations

Branch, Washington, D.C. 20555 (301–

415–1661). In addition, distribution of

this meeting notice over the Internet

system is available. if you are interested

in receiving this Commission meeting

schedule electronically, please send an

electronic message to wmh@nrc.gov or

dkw@nrc.gov.

Dated: June 9, 2000.

William M. Hill, Jr.,

SECY Tracking Officer, Office of the

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–15159 Filed 6–12–00; 1:31 pm]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–M

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Biweekly Notice; Applications and

Amendments to Facility Operating

Licenses Involving No Significant

Hazards Considerations

I. Background

Pursuant to Public Law 97–415, the

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

(the Commission or NRC staff) is

publishing this regular biweekly notice.

Public Law 97–415 revised section 189

of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as

amended (the Act), to require the

Commission to publish notice of any

amendments issued, or proposed to be

issued, under a new provision of section

189 of the Act. This provision grants the

Commission the authority to issue and

make immediately effective any

amendment to an operating license

upon a determination by the

Commission that such amendment

involves no significant hazards

consideration, notwithstanding the

pendency before the Commission of a

request for a hearing from any person.

This biweekly notice includes all

notices of amendments issued, or

proposed to be issued from May 20,

2000, through June 2, 2000. The last

biweekly notice was published on May

31, 2000.

Notice of Consideration of Issuance of

Amendments to Facility Operating

Licenses, Proposed No Significant

Hazards Consideration Determination,

and Opportunity for a Hearing

The Commission has made a

proposed determination that the

following amendment requests involve

no significant hazards consideration.

Under the Commission’s regulations in

10 CFR 50.92, this means that operation

of the facility in accordance with the

proposed amendment would not (1)

involve a significant increase in the

probability or consequences of an

accident previously evaluated; or (2)

create the possibility of a new or

different kind of accident from any

accident previously evaluated; or (3)

involve a significant reduction in a

margin of safety. The basis for this

proposed determination for each

amendment request is shown below.

The Commission is seeking public

comments on this proposed

determination. Any comments received

within 30 days after the date of

publication of this notice will be

considered in making any final

determination.

Normally, the Commission will not

issue the amendment until the

expiration of the 30-day notice period.