[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 233 (Monday, December 4, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75736-75737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-30784]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-423]


Northeast Nuclear Energy Company, et al.; Notice of Issuance of 
Amendment to Facility Operating License and Final Determination of No 
Significant Hazards Consideration

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Commission) has issued 
Amendment No. 189 to Facility Operating License No. NPF-49, issued to 
Northeast Nuclear Energy Company (NNECO), which revised the Technical 
Specifications (TSs) for operation of the Millstone Nuclear Power 
Station, Unit No. 3 located in New London, Connecticut. The amendment 
was effective as of the date of its issuance.
    The amendment modifies License No. NPF-49 for the Millstone Nuclear 
Power Station, Unit No. 3 (MNPS3) by revising TSs 1.40, ``Spent Fuel 
Pool Storage Pattern''; 1.41, ``3-OUT-OF-4 AND 4-OUT-OF-4''; 3/4.9.1.2, 
``Boron Concentration''; 3/4.9.7, ``Crane Travel-Spent Fuel Storage 
Areas''; 3/4.9.13, ``Spent Fuel Pool-Reactivity''; 3.9.14, ``Spent Fuel 
Pool-Storage Pattern''; 5.6.1.1, ``Design Features--Criticality''; and 
5.6.3, ``Design Features--Capacity.'' In addition, the amendment 
revises INDEX pages xii and xv for new figures and page numbers and 
replaces Figures 3.9-1 and 3.9-2 with four new figures and makes 
changes to the TS Bases consistent with changes to their respective TS 
sections. These changes are being made to support the increase in the 
capacity of the spent fuel pool at MNPS3 from 756 assemblies to 1,860 
assemblies.
    The application for the amendment complies with the standards and 
requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), 
and the Commission's rules and regulations. The Commission has made 
appropriate findings as required by the Act and the Commission's rules 
and regulations in 10 CFR Chapter I, which are set forth in the license 
amendment.
    Notice of Consideration of Issuance of Amendment and Proposed No 
Significant Hazards Consideration Determination and Opportunity for 
Hearing in connection with this action was published in the Federal 
Register on September 7, 1999 (64 FR 48672). A request for a hearing 
was filed on October 6, 1999, by the Connecticut Coalition Against 
Millstone (CCAM) and the Long Island Coalition Against Millstone (CAM). 
As a result of the request, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board 
(ASLB) held hearings on July 19, 2000. The ASLB, reaching a conclusion 
on the contentions brought before it, issued its Memorandum and Order 
on October 26, 2000. Having reached a conclusion, the ASLB ordered the 
hearing terminated. However, the proceeding continues, since, on 
November 13, 2000, CCAM/CAM petitioned the Commission for review of the 
Memorandum and Order.
    Under its regulations, the Commission may issue and make an 
amendment immediately effective, notwithstanding the pendency before it 
of a request for a hearing from any person, in advance of the holding 
and completion of any required hearing, where it has determined that no 
significant hazards consideration is involved.
    The Commission has applied the standards of 10 CFR 50.92 and has 
made a final determination that the amendment involves no significant 
hazards consideration. The basis for this determination is contained in 
the Safety Evaluation related to this amendment. Accordingly, as 
described above, the amendment has been issued and made immediately 
effective.
    The Commission has determined that this amendment satisfies the 
criteria for categorical exclusion in accordance with 10 CFR 51.22. 
Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental impact 
statement or environmental assessment need be prepared for this 
amendment.
    For further details with respect to this action see: (1) The 
application for an amendment filed by NNECO dated March 19, 1999, as 
supplemented April 17, May 5, June 16, July 26, and November 21, 2000, 
(2) Amendment No.

[[Page 75737]]

189 to Facility Operating License No. NPF-49, and (3) the Commission's 
related Safety Evaluation. All of these items are available for public 
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, One White Flint 
North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, MD, and 
accessible electronically through the ADAMS Public Electronic Reading 
Room link at the NRC Web site (http://www.nrc.gov).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 28th day of November 2000.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
James W. Clifford,
Chief, Section 2, Project Directorate I, Division of Licensing Project 
Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 00-30784 Filed 12-1-00; 8:45 am]
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