[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 243 (Thursday, December 18, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66399-66400]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33056]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-219]


GPU Nuclear Corporation and Jersey Central Power & Light Company; 
Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating 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-16, issued to GPU Nuclear Corporation, et al. (the licensee), for 
operation of the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station (OCNGS) 
located in Ocean County, New Jersey.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would revise the OCNGS operating license and 
technical specifications (TSs) to reflect the registered trade name of 
``GPU Nuclear'' under which the owner of OCNGS now does business and to 
reflect the change of the legal name of the operator of OCNGS from GPU 
Nuclear Corporation to GPU Nuclear, Inc. In addition, the proposed 
action includes two minor editorial corrections associated with the 
name changes.
    Specifically, license conditions 1.A, 1.E, 1.F, and 2 have been 
revised to indicate Jersey Central Power & Light Company doing business 
as (d/b/a) GPU Energy and GPU Nuclear, Inc. as the licensed operator of 
the facility and TSs 6.2.1, 6.5.1, 6.5.2, 6.5.3, 6.18, and 6.19 have 
been modified to change GPU Nuclear Corp. to GPU Nuclear or GPU 
Nuclear, Inc. as applicable.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for amendment dated October 10, 1997.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed to conform the license to reflect the 
registered trade name under which the owner of OCNGS now does business 
and reflect the change in the legal name of the operator of OCNGS.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes that the proposed amendment to the OCNGS operating 
license to reflect the trade name of the owner and to reflect the 
change in the legal name of the operator will have no impact on the 
continued safe operation of the facility. The corporate existence of 
the owner and operator of OCNGS will continue uninterrupted, and all 
legal characteristics other than the legal name of the operator will 
remain the same. The State of incorporation, registered agent, 
registered office, directors, officers, rights or liabilities of either 
the owner or the operator of OCNGS have not and will not change as a 
result of the amendment. Similarly, there will be no change in the 
function of either the owner or the operator of OCNGS or the way they 
do business. The owner's financial responsibility for OCNGS and the 
source of funds to support the facility will remain the same. There 
will be no alteration in any of the existing licensing conditions 
applicable to OCNGS, and no change to GPU Nuclear Corporation's ability 
to comply with any licensing conditions or any other obligation or 
responsibility under the license. Specifically, the owner of OCNGS will 
remain an electric utility as defined in 10 CFR 50.2. The funds accrued 
by the owner will continue to be available to fulfill all obligations 
related to OCNGS. The two minor editorial changes relate to a name 
change in the title of the President of GPU Nuclear Corporation that 
will similarly have no effect on the safe operation or licensing 
conditions of the facility.
    Therefore, 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 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 
environmental impact. Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there 
are no significant nonradiological 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 
OCNGS.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on December 12, 1997, the 
staff consulted with the New Jersey State official 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 October 10, 1997, 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

[[Page 66400]]

public document room located at the Ocean County Library, Reference 
Department, 101 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 08753.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 12th day of December 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ronald B. Eaton,
Acting Director, Project Directorate I-3, Division of Reactor 
Projects--I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-33056 Filed 12-17-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P