10094 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 43 / Wednesday, March 5, 1997 / Notices

pollutants, maximum concentrations are

within the NAAQS, and impacts to local

air quality associated with these

pollutants would be minor. NMI is

prepared to undertake mitigative action

to prevent potential exceedances of the

short-term SO2 NAAQS, and the

Massachusetts Department of

Environmental Protection is prepared to

resolve the issue.

Accident Evaluation

The EA evaluated one accident as the

bounding accident: the potential

quantities of uranium and

nonradiological materials that might be

released to the atmosphere in the

unlikely event of a major fire at the NMI

facility. The regulatory analysis

documented in NUREG–1140 (McGuire

1988), which assessed the accident

potential for doses exceeding EPA

protective action guides, was used to

evaluate potential impacts. For

uranium, NUREG–1140 found that the

highest doses come from the inhalation

pathway. The analysis shows a

committed effective dose equivalent of

0.89 rems at 100 m (330 ft) might occur

to a nearby downwind individual that

would result from a fire involving the

limiting value quantities agreed to by

NMI of 454,000 kg (1,000,000 lb) of

depleted uranium in any one building.

This value is less than the EPArecommended lower limit for

consideration of protective actions (i.e.,

a dose of 1 rem). Therefore, radiological

impacts resulting from exposure to

natural uranium during a severe fire

would not be major.

NMI’s operations with licensed

material involve use of several acids.

The evaluation of the potential impacts

of these nonradiological materials was

based on a release to the atmosphere

using the same accidental fire scenario

as for the radiological materials. The

results were compared to the Emergency

Response Planning Guidelines (ERPGs)

established by the American Industrial

Hygiene Association, the immediately

dangerous to life and health (IDLH)

threshold value, established by the

National Institute of Occupational

Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the

LC50, the concentration which would

result in fatalities to 50 percent of the

exposed population. Of the acids, only

sulfuric (H2SO4) caused concern as the

predicted concentration of H2SO4 is

below the LC50 but higher than the

ERPG levels. These results were

discussed with Commonwealth of

Massachusetts staff and NMI is prepared

to discuss the potential for an accidental

H2SO4 release with local emergency

response officials.

Conclusion

The NRC staff concludes that the

environmental impacts associated with

the proposed license renewal for

continued operation of the NMI’s

Concord, Massachusetts facility are

expected to be insignificant.

Finding of No Significant Impact

The Commission has prepared an EA

related to the renewal of Special

Nuclear Material Licenses SMB–179 and

SUB–1452. On the basis of the

assessment, the Commission has

concluded that environmental impacts

that would be created by the proposed

action would not be significant and do

not warrant the preparation of an

Environmental Impact Statement.

Accordingly, it has been determined

that a Finding of No Significant Impact

is appropriate.

The EA is being made available as

NUREG/CR–6528. Copies of NUREG/

CR–6528 may be purchased from the

Superintendent of Documents, U.S.

Government Printing Office, P.O. Box

37082, Washington, DC 20402–9328.

Copies are also available from the

National Technical Information Service,

5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA

22161. A copy is also available for

inspection and copying for a fee in the

NRC Public Document Room, 2120 L

Street, NW. (Lower Level), Washington,

DC 20555–0001.

Opportunity for a Hearing

Any person whose interest may be

affected by the issuance of this renewal

may file a request for a hearing. Any

request for hearing must be filed with

the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission, Washington,

DC 20555, within 30 days of the

publication of this notice in the Federal

Register; be served on the NRC staff

(Executive Director for Operations, One

White Flint North, 11555 Rockville

Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852), and

on the licensee (Nuclear Metals, Inc.,

2229 Main Street, Concord, MA 01742);

and must comply with the requirements

for requesting a hearing set forth in the

Commission’s regulations, 10 CFR Part

2, Subpart L, ‘‘Information Hearing

Procedures for Adjudications in

Materials Licensing Proceedings.’’

These requirements, which the

request must address in detail, are:

1. The interest of the requestor in the

proceeding;

2. How that interest may be affected

by the results of the proceeding

(including the reasons why the

requestor should be permitted a

hearing);

3. The requestor’s areas of concern

about the licensing activity that is the

subject matter of the proceeding; and

4. The circumstances establishing that

the request for hearing is timely—that

is, filed within 30 days of the date of

this notice.

In addressing how the requestor’s

interest may be affected by the

proceeding, the request should describe

the nature of the requestor’s right under

the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as

amended, to be made a party to the

proceeding; the nature and extent of the

requestor’s property, financial, or other

(i.e., health, safety) interest in the

proceeding; and the possible effect of

any order that may be entered in the

proceeding upon the requestor’s

interest.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day

of February, 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Larry W. Camper,

Chief, Medical, Academic, and Commercial

Use Safety Branch, Division of Industrial and

Medical Nuclear Safety, Office of Nuclear

Material Safety and Safeguards.

[FR Doc. 97–5385 Filed 3–4–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

[Docket No. 50–344]

Portland General Electric Company,

Trojan Nuclear Plant; Environmental

Assessment and Finding of No

Significant Impact

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (the Commission) is

considering the issuance of an order

approving an application regarding a

proposed merger involving the holding

company for Portland General Electric

Company (PGE, the licensee), holder of

Facility Operating License No. NPF–1,

for the Trojan Nuclear Plant located on

the west bank of the Columbia River in

Columbia County, Oregon. The Trojan

Nuclear Plant permanently ceased

operating in January 1993 and is being

decommissioned.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

The proposed action would approve,

by issuance of an order, the application

under 10 CFR 50.80 regarding the

merger between Portland General

Corporation (PGC), the parent company

of PGE, a 67.5 percent holder of the

Trojan Nuclear Plant license, and Enron

Corporation (Enron). Enron is a

Delaware corporation engaged in the

gathering, transportation, and wholesale

marketing of natural gas. PGC has

agreed to a merger with Enron, subject

to certain conditions. Those conditions
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 43 / Wednesday, March 5, 1997 / Notices 10095

include approval by the shareholders of

the companies and obtaining

appropriate governmental approvals

which do not impose terms or

conditions that would be reasonably

likely to have an adverse effect on PGE

or Enron. Under an Agreement and Plan

of Merger, Enron will become an Oregon

corporation (hereinafter referred to as

the ‘‘Merger Company’’), and PGC will

merge with and into the Merger

Company. Shares of stock held in Enron

and in PGC would be converted into

shares of the Merger Company on a onefor-one basis. The proposed action is in

accordance with PGE’s application

dated August 20 1996, as supplemented

by letters dated October 16, 1996, and

October 30, 1996.

The Need for the Proposed Action

The proposed action is required to

facilitate the merger between PGC and

Enron.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed

Action

The Commission has completed its

evaluation of the proposed merger and

concludes that there will be no physical

or operational change to the

decommissioning activities now in

progress at the Trojan Nuclear Plant as

a result of the merger. The merger will

not affect the qualifications or

organizational affiliations of the

personnel responsible for the

decommissioning activities at the Trojan

Nuclear Plant.

The merger will not affect PGE’s

status as a regulated public utility in the

State of Oregon. PGE will continue to be

headquartered in Portland, Oregon and

senior management will remain in

place. According to the licensee, the

planned merger of PGE’s parent

company, PGC, with the Merger

Company should improve the overall

financial strength and stability of PGE’s

parent after the merger. After the

merger, PGE will continue to be the

NRC licensee for Trojan Nuclear Plant

and no direct transfer of the operating

license or interests in the unit will

result from the merger.

The Commission has evaluated the

environmental impact of the proposed

action and has determined that the

probability and consequences of

accidents would not be increased by the

merger, and that radiological releases,

both normal releases and accidental

releases, would not be greater than

previously evaluated. Further, the

Commission has determined that the

merger would not increase occupational

radiological 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 merger

would not affect nonradiological plant

effluents and would have no other

environmental impact. Therefore, the

Commission concludes that there are no

significant nonradiological

environmental impacts associated with

the proposed action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

Having concluded that there are no

significant environmental effects that

would result from the proposed action,

the Commission has no need to evaluate

any alternative with equal or greater

environmental impacts.

The principal alternative would be to

deny the requested action. Denial of the

application would not change the

environmental impact. The

environmental impact of the proposed

action and the alternative action are the

same.

Alternative Use of Resources

This action does not involve the use

of any resources not previously

considered in the Final Environmental

Statement for the Trojan Nuclear Plant

dated August 1973 or the Final Generic

Environmental Impact Statement on

Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities,

dated August 1988.

Agencies and Persons Contacted

In accordance with its stated policy,

on Feb. 10, 1997, the staff consulted

with Mr. Adam Bless, of the Oregon

Department of Energy, regarding the

environmental impact of the proposed

action. Mr. Bless had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

On the basis of 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 20 1996, as supplemented

by letters dated October 16, 1996, and

October 30, 1996, which are available

for public inspection at the

Commission’s Public Document Room,

Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C., and at the local

public document room for the Trojan

Nuclear Plant located at the Branford

Price Millar Library, Portland State

University, Portland, Oregon 97207.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 27th day

of February 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. 97–5386 Filed 3–4–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste,

Revised Notice

The agenda of the 90th meeting of the

Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste

(ACNW) scheduled for March 20 and

21, 1997, in Room T–2B3, at 11545

Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland is

being revised to include a session to

discuss:

• 10 CFR Part 960—The ACNW will

review an options paper prepared by the

NRC staff for commenting on DOE’s

recently revised Siting Guidelines in10

CFR Part 960. These guidelines are now

Yucca Mountain specific.

All other items pertaining to this

meeting remain the same as published

in the Federal Register on Tuesday,

February 18, 1997 (62 FR 7280).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Richard K. Major, Chief, Nuclear Waste

Branch (telephone 301/415–7366),

between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. EDT.

ACNW meeting notices, meeting

transcripts, and letter reports are now

available on FedWorld from the ‘‘NRC

MAIN MENU.’’ Direct Dial Access

number to FedWorld is (800) 303–9672;

the local direct dial number is 703–321–

3339.

Dated: February 27, 1997.

Andrew L. Bates,

Advisory Committee Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–5390 Filed 3–4–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL

MANAGEMENT

Excepted Service

AGENCY: Office of Personnel

Management.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This gives notice of positions

placed or revoked under Schedules A

and B, and placed under Schedule C in

the excepted service, as required by

Civil Service Rule VI, Exceptions from

the Competitive Service.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Patricia H. Paige, Staffing Reinvention

Office, Employment Service (202) 606–

0830.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office

of Personnel Management published its