62788 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 227 / Tuesday, November 25, 1997 / Notices

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50–309]

Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company

(Maine Yankee Atomic Power Station);

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. DPR–

36, issued to Maine Yankee Atomic

Power Company (the licensee), for

operation of the Maine Yankee Atomic

Power Station (Maine Yankee) located

in Lincoln County, Maine.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

The proposed action would revise

selected portions of Technical

Specification (TS) Section 5.0,

Administrative Controls, to define the

facility staffing and training

requirements for a permanently

defueled facility.

The proposed action is in accordance

with the licensee’s application for

amendment dated August 15, 1997, as

supplemented by letters dated

September 19 and October 21, 1997.

The Need for the Proposed Action

By letter dated August 7, 1997 the

licensee submitted certifications of

permanent cessation of power

operations and permanent removal of

fuel from the reactor in accordance with

10 CFR 50.82(a)(1) (i) and (ii). Pursuant

to 10 CFR 50.82(a)(2), the 10 CFR Part

50 license no longer authorizes

operation of the reactor or placement or

retention of fuel in the reactor vessel.

The proposed amendment would

implement administrative changes to

reflect the elimination of the TS

requirement for the licensee to maintain

10 CFR Part 55 licensed operators.

There will be no physical changes to the

Maine Yankee facility associated with

this proposed amendment.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed

Action

The Commission has completed its

evaluation of the proposed amendment

to the Maine Yankee TS and concludes

that the proposed amendment is an

administrative change reflecting the

elimination of the TS requirement to

maintain 10 CFR Part 55 licensed

operators that is consistent with the

permanently defueled condition of the

plant. There will be no changes to the

facility or its operation as a result of the

proposed amendment.

The proposed change will not

increase the probability or consequences

of accidents, no changes are being made

in the types of any effluents that may be

released offsite, and there is no

significant increase in the allowable

individual or cumulative occupational

radiation 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 proposed

action does not affect nonradiological

plant effluents and has no other

nonradiological environmental impacts.

Accordingly, the Commission

concludes that there are no significant

environmental impacts associated with

the proposed action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

Since the Commission has concluded

there is no measurable environmental

impact associated with the proposed

action, any alternatives with equal or

greater environmental impact need not

be evaluated. 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 previously

considered in the Final Environmental

Statement for the Maine Yankee facility.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

In accordance with its stated policy,

on October 16, 1997 the staff consulted

with Mr. Pat Dostie of the State of

Maine, Office of Nuclear Safety

regarding the environmental impact of

the proposed action. The State official

had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

Based upon 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 15, 1997, as supplemented

by letters dated September 19 and

October 21, 1997, which are 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

Wiscasset Public Library, High Street,

P. O. Box 367 Wiscasset, Maine, 04578.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 18th day

of November 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. 97–30918 Filed 11–24–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING: Nuclear

Regulatory Commission.

DATE: Weeks of November 24, December

1, 8, and 15, 1997.

PLACE: Commissioners’ Conference

Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,

Maryland.

STATUS: Public and Closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:

Week of November 24

There are no meetings the week of

November 24.

Week of December 1—Tentative

There are no meetings the week of

December 1.

Week of December 8—Tentative

Thursday, December 11

2:00 p.m.

Briefing on Investigative Matters

(Closed—Ex. 5 & 7)

3:00 p.m.

Affirmation Session (PUBLIC

MEETING) (if needed)

Friday, December 12,

9:00 a.m.

Meeting with Northeast Nuclear on

Millstone (PUBLIC MEETING),

(Contact: Bill Travers, 301–415–

1200)

Week of December 15—Tentative

Wednesday, December 17

2:00 p.m.

Briefing on Integration and Evaluation

of Results from Recent LessonsLearned Reviews (including 50.59

Process Improvements)

3:30 p.m.

Affirmation Session (PUBLIC

MEETING) (if needed)

Thursday, December 18

10:00 a.m.