[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 78 (Thursday, April 23, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20223-20224]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10845]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-289]


GPU Nuclear Corporation (Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating 
Station, Unit 1); 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-50, issued to GPU Nuclear Corporation (GPU, the licensee), for 
operation of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 1 
(TMI-1), located in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would revise the Facility Operating License No. 
DPR-50

[[Page 20224]]

and the Technical Specifications (TS) appended to Facility Operating 
License No. DPR-50 for the TMI-1 plant. Specifically, the proposed 
action would amend the license to reflect the change in the legal name 
of the operator from GPU Nuclear Corporation to GPU Nuclear, Inc. and 
to reflect the registered trade name of GPU Energy under which the 
owners of TMI-1 are now conducting business. In addition, the TMI-1 TSs 
would be revised to reflect the new legal name of the operator of TMI-
1.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for amendment dated December 16, 1996, as supplemented 
September 11, 1997 and March 25, 1998.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed actions are necessary because on or about August 1, 
1996, the owners of TMI-1 registered to do business under the trade 
name of GPU Energy. Also on or about August 1, 1996, the legal name of 
the operator of TMI-1 was changed from GPU Nuclear Corporation to GPU 
Nuclear, Inc.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action. 
As stated by the licensee,

    The corporate existence of all three Owners and the operator of 
TMI-1 continues uninterrupted, and all legal characteristics remain 
the same. The name changes do not alter the state of incorporation, 
registered agent, registered office, directors, officers, rights or 
liabilities of the Owners of TMI-1 or the operator of TMI-1. 
Similarly, the name changes do not alter the function of either the 
Owners or the operator of TMI-1, or the way they do business. The 
Owner's financial responsibility for TMI-1 and their sources of 
funds to support the facility remain the same. These name changes do 
not impact the existing ownership of TMI-1 and do not alter any of 
the existing licensing conditions applicable to TMI-1. There is no 
change to GPU Nuclear, Inc.'s ability to comply with these licensing 
conditions or with any other obligation or responsibility under the 
license. Specifically, the Owners of TMI-1 remain regulated electric 
utilities. The funds accrued by the Owners continue to be available 
to fulfill all obligations related to TMI-1 as they were before the 
name changes.
    There will be no impact on the safe operation of TMI-1 as a 
result of the name changes. Access to funds necessary to safely 
operate TMI-1 to the end of the license is unaffected. Access to 
decommissioning trust funds to ensure that TMI-1 can be 
decommissioned in accordance with NRC regulations remains as it was 
prior to the name changes.

    In light of the foregoing, the Commission concludes that the change 
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 will be 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 is administrative in nature and does not involve any physical 
features of the plant. Thus, it 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 TMI-
1 plant.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on March 16, 1998, the staff 
consulted with the Pennsylvania State official, Mr. Stan J. Maingi, of 
the Bureau of Radiation Protection, Pennsylvania Department of 
Environmental Resources, 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 submittals dated December 16, 1996, September 11, 1997 and 
March 25, 1998, 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 LAW/Government Publications Section, State Library of Pennsylvania, 
(Regional Dispository) Walnut Street and Commonwealth Avenue, P.O. Box 
1601, Harrisburg, PA 17105.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 17th day of April 1998.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Cecil O. Thomas,
Director, Project Directorate I-3, Division of Reactor Projects--I/II, 
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 98-10845 Filed 4-22-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P