Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 28 / Thursday, February 10, 2000 / Notices 6641

is otherwise consistent with applicable

provisions of law, regulations, and

orders issued by the Commission

pursuant thereto, subject to the

conditions set forth below. The

foregoing findings are supported by a

safety evaluation dated February 4,

2000.

IV

Accordingly, pursuant to Sections

161b, 161i, 161o, and 184 of the AEA,

as amended, 42 USC §§ 2201(b), 2201(i),

2201(o), and 2234; and 10 CFR 50.80, IT

IS HEREBY ORDERED that the license

transfer referenced above is approved,

subject to the following conditions:

(1) Central Maine shall provide the

Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation a copy of any application, at

the time it is filed, to transfer (excluding

grants of security interests or liens) from

Central Maine to its current or proposed

direct or indirect parent or to any other

affiliated company, facilities for the

production, transmission, or

distribution of electric energy having a

depreciated book value exceeding 10

percent (10%) of Central Maine’s

consolidated net utility plant, as

recorded on Central Maine’s books of

account.

The foregoing condition shall

supersede Condition (1) of the Order

dated June 2, 1998, which approved the

application regarding the restructuring

of Central Maine by establishment of a

holding company.

(2) Should the proposed merger of

CMP and Energy East not be completed

by January 30, 2001, this Order shall

become null and void, provided,

however, on application and for good

cause shown, such date may be

extended.

This Order is effective upon issuance.

For further details with respect to this

Order, see the application dated October

6, 1999, which is available for public

inspection at the Commission’s Public

Document Room, the Gelman Building,

2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC,

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 4th day

of February 2000.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Samuel J. Collins,

Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

[FR Doc. 00–3093 Filed 2–9–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50–263]

Northern States Power Company,

Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant;

Notice of Consideration of Approval of

Transfer of Facility Operating License

and Conforming Amendment, and

Opportunity for a Hearing

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (the Commission) is

considering the issuance of an order

under 10 CFR 50.80 approving the

transfer of Facility Operating License

No. DPR–22 for the Monticello Nuclear

Generating Plant currently held by

Northern States Power Company (NSP)

as owner and licensed operator of

Monticello. The transfer would be to a

newly formed company (referred to

herein as ‘‘New NSP’’). The Commission

is also considering amending the license

for administrative purposes to reflect

the proposed transfer.

By application dated October 29,

1999, the Commission was informed

that NSP entered into an agreement on

March 24, 1999, to merge with New

Century Energies, Inc. (NCE). Under the

agreement, NCE will be merged with

and into NSP, which will be renamed

Xcel Energy, Inc. (Xcel). At the time of

the merger, NSP will transfer all of its

existing electric and natural gas utility

facilities and responsibility and control

over operations to New NSP, which will

be a wholly owned subsidiary of Xcel.

New NSP would assume title to the

facilities following approval of the

proposed license transfer, and would

become responsible for the operation,

maintenance, and eventual

decommissioning of Monticello. No

physical changes to the facility or

operational changes other than the

transfer of operating authority to New

NSP are being proposed in the

application.

The proposed amendment would add

a footnote to the license to reflect its

transfer from NSP to the newly formed,

wholly owned subsidiary.

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. The

Commission will approve an

application for the transfer of a license,

if the Commission determines that the

proposed transferee is qualified to hold

the license, and that the transfer is

otherwise consistent with applicable

provisions of law, regulations, and

orders issued by the Commission

pursuant thereto.

Before issuance of the proposed

conforming license amendment, the

Commission will have made findings

required by the Atomic Energy Act of

1954, as amended (the Act), and the

Commission’s regulations.

As provided in 10 CFR 2.1315, unless

otherwise determined by the

Commission with regard to a specific

application, the Commission has

determined that any amendment to the

license of a utilization facility which

does no more than conform the license

to reflect the transfer action involves no

significant hazards consideration. No

contrary determination has been made

with respect to this specific license

amendment application. In light of the

generic determination reflected in 10

CFR 2.1315, no public comments with

respect to significant hazards

considerations are being solicited,

notwithstanding the general comment

procedures contained in 10 CFR 50.91.

The filing of requests for hearing and

petitions for leave to intervene, and

written comments with regard to the

license transfer application, are

discussed below.

By March 1, 2000, any person whose

interest may be affected by the

Commission’s action on the application

may request a hearing, and, if not the

applicants, may petition for leave to

intervene in a hearing proceeding on the

Commission’s action. Requests for a

hearing and petitions for leave to

intervene should be filed in accordance

with the Commission’s rules of practice

set forth in Subpart M, ‘‘Public

Notification, Availability of Documents

and Records, Hearing Requests and

Procedures for Hearings on License

Transfer Applications,’’ of 10 CFR Part

2. In particular, such requests and

petitions must comply with the

requirements set forth in 10 CFR 2.1306,

and should address the considerations

contained in 10 CFR 2.1308(a).

Untimely requests and petitions may be

denied, as provided in 10 CFR

2.1308(b), unless good cause for failure

to file on time is established. In

addition, an untimely request or

petition should address the factors that

the Commission will also consider, in

reviewing untimely requests or

petitions, set forth in 10 CFR

2.1308(b)(1)–(2)

Requests for a hearing and petitions

for leave to intervene should be served

upon Jay Silberg, Esq., counsel for NSP,

at Shaw, Pittman, Potts, and

Trowbridge, 2300 N Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20037 (tel: 202–663–

8063; fax: 202–663–8007; e-mail:

jay.silberg@shawpittman.com); and the

General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission, Washington,

6642 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 28 / Thursday, February 10, 2000 / Notices

DC 20555 (e-mail address for filings

regarding license transfer cases only:

OGCLT@NRC.gov); and the Secretary of

the Commission, U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission, Washington,

DC 20555–0001, Attention: Rulemakings

and Adjudications Staff, in accordance

with 10 CFR 2.1313.

The Commission will issue a notice or

order granting or denying a hearing

request or intervention petition,

designating the issues for any hearing

that will be held and designating the

Presiding Officer. A notice granting a

hearing will be published in the Federal

Register and served on the parties to the

hearing.

As an alternative to requests for

hearing and petitions to intervene, by

March 13, 2000, persons may submit

written comments regarding the license

transfer application, as provided for in

10 CFR 2.1305. The Commission will

consider and, if appropriate, respond to

these comments, but such comments

will not otherwise constitute part of the

decisional record. Comments should be

submitted to the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission, Washington,

DC 20555–0001, Attention: Rulemakings

and Adjudications Staff, and should cite

the publication date and page number of

this Federal Register notice.

For further details with respect to this

action, see the application dated

October 29, 1999, available for public

inspection at the Commission’s Public

Document Room, the Gelman Building,

2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC,

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 7th day

of February 2000.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Claudia M. Craig,

Chief, Section Project Directorate III, Division

of Licensing Project Management, Office of

Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 00–3096 Filed 2–9–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50–282; 50–306; 72–10]

Northern States Power Company

Prairie Island Nuclear Generating

Plant, Units 1 and 2, and Prairie Island

Independent Spent Fuel Storage

Installation; Notice of Consideration of

Approval of Transfer of Facility

Operating Licenses and Materials

License and Conforming Amendment,

and Opportunity for a Hearing

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (the Commission) is

considering the issuance of an order

under 10 CFR 50.80 and 10 CFR 72.50

approving the transfer of Facility

Operating Licenses Nos. DPR–42 and

DPR–60 for the Prairie Island Nuclear

Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2, and

Materials License No. SNM–2506 for the

Prairie Island Independent Spent Fuel

Storage Installation (ISFSI) currently

held by Northern States Power

Company (NSP), as owner and licensed

operator of Prairie Island, Units 1 and 2,

and Prairie Island ISFSI. The transfer

would be to a newly formed company

(referred to herein as ‘‘New NSP’’). The

Commission is also considering

amending the licenses for

administrative purposes to reflect the

proposed transfer.

By application dated October 29,

1999, the Commission was informed

that Northern States Power Company

entered into an agreement on March 24,

1999, to merge with New Century

Energies, Inc. (NCE). Under the

agreement, NCE will be merged with

and into NSP, which will be renamed

Xcel Energy, Inc. At the time of the

merger, NSP will transfer all of its

existing electric and natural gas utility

facilities and responsibility and control

over operations to New NSP. New NSP

would assume title to the facilities

following approval of the proposed

license transfers, and would become

responsible for the operation,

maintenance, and eventual

decommissioning of Prairie Island,

Units 1 and 2, and Prairie Island ISFSI.

No physical changes to the Prairie

Island, Units 1 and 2, or Prairie Island

ISFSI facilities or operational changes

other than the transfer of operating

authority to New NSP are being

proposed in the application.

The proposed amendment would add

a footnote to the licenses to reflect their

transfer from NSP to the newly formed,

wholly owned subsidiary.

Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.80 and 10 CFR

72.50, 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. The

Commission will approve an

application for the transfer of a license,

if the Commission determines that the

proposed transferee is qualified to hold

the license, and that the transfer is

otherwise consistent with applicable

provisions of law, regulations, and

orders issued by the Commission

pursuant thereto.

Before issuance of the proposed

conforming license amendment, the

Commission will have made findings

required by the Atomic Energy Act of

1954, as amended (the Act), and the

Commission’s regulations.

As provided in 10 CFR 2.1315, unless

otherwise determined by the

Commission with regard to a specific

application, the Commission has

determined that any amendment to the

license of a utilization facility or the

license of an independent spent fuel

storage installation which does no more

than conform the license to reflect the

transfer action, involves respectively,

‘‘no significant hazards consideration’’

or ‘‘no genuine issue as to whether the

health and safety of the public will be

significantly affected.’’ No contrary

determination has been made with

respect to this specific license

amendment application. In light of the

generic determinations reflected in 10

CFR 2.1315, no public comments with

respect to significant hazards

considerations are being solicited,

notwithstanding the general comment

procedures contained in 10 CFR 50.91.

The filing of requests for hearing and

petitions for leave to intervene, and

written comments with regard to the

license transfer application, are

discussed below.

By March 1, 2000, any person whose

interest may be affected by the

Commission’s action on the application

may request a hearing, and, if not the

applicants, may petition for leave to

intervene in a hearing proceeding on the

Commission’s action. Requests for a

hearing and petitions for leave to

intervene should be filed in accordance

with the Commission’s rules of practice

set forth in Subpart M, ‘‘Public

Notification, Availability of Documents

and Records, Hearing Requests and

Procedures for Hearings on License

Transfer Applications,’’ of 10 CFR Part

2. In particular, such requests and

petitions must comply with the

requirements set forth in 10 CFR 2.1306,

and should address the considerations

contained in 10 CFR 2.1308(a).

Untimely requests and petitions may be

denied, as provided in 10 CFR

2.1308(b), unless good cause for failure

to file on time is established. In