Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 70 / Friday, April 11, 1997 / Notices 17885

significant hazards consideration, the

Commission may issue the amendments

and make them immediately effective,

notwithstanding the request for a

hearing. Any hearing held would take

place after issuance of the amendments.

If the final determination is that the

amendment requests involve a

significant hazards consideration, any

hearing held would take place before

the issuance of any amendment.

A request for a hearing or a petition

for leave to intervene must be filed with

the Secretary of the Commission, U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

Washington, DC 20555–0001, Attention:

Docketing and Services Branch, or may

be delivered to the Commission’s Public

Document Room, the Gelman Building,

2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC, by

the above date. When petitions are filed

during the last 10 days of the notice

period, it is requested that the petitioner

promptly so inform the Commission by

a toll-free telephone call to Western

Union at 1–(800) 248–5100 (in Missouri

1(800) 342–6700). The Western Union

operator should be given Datagram

Identification Number N1023 and the

following message addressed to Mr.

John N. Hannon: petitioner’s name and

telephone number, date petition was

mailed, plant name, and publication

date and page number of this Federal

Register notice. A copy of the petition

should also be sent to the Office of the

General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission, Washington,

DC 20555–0001, and to Gary Johnson,

Northern States Power Company, 414

Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401,

attorney for the licensee.

Nontimely filings of petitions for

leave to intervene, amended petitions,

supplemental petitions, and/or requests

for hearing will not be entertained

absent a determination by the

Commission, the presiding officer or the

presiding Atomic Safety and Licensing

Board that the petition and/or request

should be granted on the basis of a

balancing of the factors specified in 10

CFR 2.714(a)(1) (i)–(v) and 2.714(d).

For further details with respect to this

action, see the application for the

transfer of control of licenses dated

October 20, 1995, the application for

amendments dated December 6, 1995,

and NSP’s commitment to notify NRC of

certain transfers of assets dated August

28, 1996, 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 Minneapolis Public

Library, Technology and Science

Department, 300 Nicollet Mall,

Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 1st day

of April 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Samuel J. Collins,

Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

Carl J. Paperiello,

Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety

and Safeguards.

[FR Doc. 97–9303 Filed 4–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50–387 50–388]

Pennsylvania Power and Light

Company Susquehanna Steam Electric

Station, Units 1 and 2; Notice of

Consideration of Issuance of

Amendments to Facility Operating

Licenses and Opportunity for a

Hearing

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (the Commission) is

considering issuance of amendments to

Facility Operating License Nos. NPF–14

and NPF–22, issued to Pennsylvania

Power and Light Company (the

licensee), for operation of Susquehanna

Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2,

located in Luzerne County,

Pennsylvania.

The proposed amendment would

change the technical specifications for

each unit by increasing the High

(Upscale) rod block setpoints associated

with the rod block monitor (RBM)

system for the two loop and single loop

operation. Specifically, the nominal trip

setpoints would be changed from 0.63W

+ 41% to 0.58W + 52% for two loop

operation and from 0.63W + 35% to

0.58W + 47% for single loop operation.

In addition, the allowable values would

be changed for two loop operation from

0.63W + 43% to 0.58W + 55% and for

single loop operation from 0.63W + 37%

to 0.58W + 50%. It also would change

the RBM channel calibration frequency

requirements from quarterly for Unit 1,

from semiannually for Unit 2 to during

refueling outage periods; and the

allowed out-of-service times for the

RBM system from 24 hours to 7 days

with one RBM channel inoperable, and

from one hour to 48 hours with both

RBM channels inoperable.

Before issuance of the proposed

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.

By May 12, 1997, the licensee may file

a request for a hearing with respect to

issuance of the amendment to the

subject facility operating license and

any person whose interest may be

affected by this proceeding and who

wishes to participate as a party in the

proceeding must file a written request

for a hearing and a petition for leave to

intervene. Requests for a hearing and a

petition for leave to intervene shall be

filed in accordance with the

Commission’s ‘‘Rules of Practice for

Domestic Licensing Proceedings’’ in 10

CFR Part 2. Interested persons should

consult a current copy of 10 CFR 2.714

which is available 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 Osterhout

Free Library, Reference Department, 71

South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA

18701. If a request for a hearing or

petition for leave to intervene is filed by

the above date, the Commission or an

Atomic Safety and Licensing Board,

designated by the Commission or by the

Chairman of the Atomic Safety and

Licensing Board Panel, will rule on the

request and/or petition; and the

Secretary or the designated Atomic

Safety and Licensing Board will issue a

notice of hearing or an appropriate

order.

As required by 10 CFR 2.714, a

petition for leave to intervene shall set

forth with particularity the interest of

the petitioner in the proceeding, and

how that interest may be affected by the

results of the proceeding. The petition

should specifically explain the reasons

why intervention should be permitted

with particular reference to the

following factors: (1) The nature of the

petitioner’s right under the Act to be

made a party to the proceeding; (2) the

nature and extent of the petitioner’s

property, financial, or other interest in

the proceeding; and (3) the possible

effect of any order which may be

entered in the proceeding on the

petitioner’s interest. The petition should

also identify the specific aspect(s) of the

subject matter of the proceeding as to

which petitioner wishes to intervene.

Any person who has filed a petition for

leave to intervene or who has been

admitted as a party may amend the

petition without requesting leave of the

Board up to 15 days prior to the first

prehearing conference scheduled in the

proceeding, but such an amended

petition must satisfy the specificity

requirements described above.

Not later than 15 days prior to the first

prehearing conference scheduled in the

proceeding, a petitioner shall file a

supplement to the petition to intervene

which must include a list of the

contentions which are sought to be

litigated in the matter. Each contention
17886 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 70 / Friday, April 11, 1997 / Notices

must consist of a specific statement of

the issue of law or fact to be raised or

controverted. In addition, the petitioner

shall provide a brief explanation of the

bases of the contention and a concise

statement of the alleged facts or expert

opinion which support the contention

and on which the petitioner intends to

rely in proving the contention at the

hearing. The petitioner must also

provide references to those specific

sources and documents of which the

petitioner is aware and on which the

petitioner intends to rely to establish

those facts or expert opinion. Petitioner

must provide sufficient information to

show that a genuine dispute exists with

the applicant on a material issue of law

or fact. Contentions shall be limited to

matters within the scope of the

amendment under consideration. The

contention must be one which, if

proven, would entitle the petitioner to

relief. A petitioner who fails to file such

a supplement which satisfies these

requirements with respect to at least one

contention will not be permitted to

participate as a party.

Those permitted to intervene become

parties to the proceeding, subject to any

limitations in the order granting leave to

intervene, and have the opportunity to

participate fully in the conduct of the

hearing, including the opportunity to

present evidence and cross-examine

witnesses.

A request for a hearing or a petition

for leave to intervene must be filed with

the Secretary of the Commission, U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

Washington, DC 20555–0001, Attention:

Docketing and Services Branch, or may

be delivered to the Commission’s Public

Document Room, the Gelman Building,

2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC, by

the above date. Where petitions are filed

during the last 10 days of the notice

period, it is requested that the petitioner

promptly so inform the Commission by

a toll-free telephone call to Western

Union at 1–(800) 248–5100 (in Missouri

1–(800) 342–6700). The Western Union

operator should be given Datagram

Identification Number N1023 and the

following message addressed to John F.

Stolz, Director, Project Directorate I–2:

petitioner’s name and telephone

number; date petition was mailed; plant

name; and publication date and page

number of this Federal Register notice.

A copy of the petition should also be

sent to the Office of the General

Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, Washington, DC 20555–

0001, and to Jay Silberg, Esquire, Shaw,

Pittman, Potts and Trowbridge, 2300 N

Street NW., Washington, DC 20037,

attorney for the licensee.

Nontimely filings of petitions for

leave to intervene, amended petitions,

supplemental petitions and/or requests

for hearing will not be entertained

absent a determination by the

Commission, the presiding officer or the

presiding Atomic Safety and Licensing

Board that the petition and/or request

should be granted based upon a

balancing of the factors specified in 10

CFR 2.714(a)(1) (i)–(v) and 2.714(d).

If a request for a hearing is received,

the Commission’s staff may issue the

amendment after it completes its

technical review and prior to the

completion of any required hearing if it

publishes a further notice for public

comment of its proposed finding of no

significant hazards consideration in

accordance with 10 CFR 50.91 and

50.92.

For further details with respect to this

action, see the applications for

amendment dated November 27, 1996,

as supplemented February 12, 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 Osterhout Free Library,

Reference Department, 71 South

Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 4th day

of April 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

David H. Jaffe,

Senior Project Manager, Project Directorate

I–2, Division of Reactor Projects—I/II, Office

of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 97–9395 Filed 4–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50–387 and 50–388]

Pennsylvania Power and Light

Company Susquehanna Steam Electric

Station, Units 1 and 2 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 Nos. DPR–

14 and DPR–22, issued to Pennsylvania

Power and Light Company (PP&L) (the

licensee), for the operation of

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station

(SSES), Units 1 and 2, located at the

licensee’s site in Luzerne County,

Pennsylvania.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

The proposed amendment will add to

the current SSES Technical

Specifications (TSs) (Special Test

Exception Section 3.10.7 and 3.10.8),

the Improved Technical Specifications

Sections (ITS) 3.10.3 and 3.10.4 in a

modified format and with applicable

cross references.

The proposed action is in accordance

with the licensee’s amendment request

dated February 11, 1997.

The Need for the Proposed Action

It has been recognized that nuclear

safety in all plants would benefit from

improvement and standardization of

TSs. The ‘‘NRC Interim Policy

Statement on Technical Specification

Improvements for Nuclear Power

Reactors,’’ (52 FR 3788, February 6,

1987) and later the Final Policy

Statement (58 FR 39132, July 22, 1993),

formalized this need. To facilitate the

development of individual ITS, each

reactor vendor owners group (OG) and

the NRC staff developed standard TS

(STS). For General Electric (GE) plants,

the STS are NUREG–1433 for BWR/4

reactor facilities and NUREG–1434 for

BWR/6 facilities. NUREG–1433 formed

the basis of the SSES ITS. The NRC

Committee to Review Generic

Requirements (CRGR) reviewed the STS

and made note of the safety merits of the

STS and indicated its support of

conversion to the STS by operating

plants.

Description of the Proposed Change

The February 11, 1997 submittal

requested that two sections be approved

prior to the staff approval of the entire

ITS to adopt Sections 3.10.3 and 3.10.4

of the ITS into the current TS Special

Test Exception Sections 3.10.3 and

3.10.4. This change will permit control

rod testing during refueling outages. The

only creditable accident associated with

control rod testing during the refuel

outage is the ‘‘Rod Withdrawal Error—

Low Power’’ and is addressed in Section

15.4.1 of SSES Updated Final Safety

Analysis Report (UFSAR).

The February 11, 1997 request is part

of a larger amendment request

submitted on August 1, 1996. The

requests are based on NUREG–1433 and

on guidance provided in the abovereferenced Policy Statement. If granted,

the amendments would completely

rewrite, reformat, and streamline the

existing TSs. Emphasis is placed on

human factors principles to improve

clarity and understanding. The Bases

section would be significantly expanded

to clarify and better explain the purpose