24576 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 85 / Monday, May 4, 1998 / Notices

should be granted based upon 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

amendment dated April 24, 1998, which

is 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

Cameron Village Regional Library, 1930

Clark Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina

27605.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 27 day

of April 1998.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Scott C. Flanders,

Project Manager, Project Directorate II–1,

Division of Reactor Projects -I/II, Office of

Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 98–11731 Filed 5–1–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50–423]

Central Maine Power Co; Millstone

Nuclear Power Station, Unit 3;

Environmental Assessment and

Finding of No Significant Impact

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (the Commission) is

considering approval under Title 10 of

the Code of Federal Regulations (10

CFR) § 50.80, by issuance of an Order,

of the transfer of control of Facility

Operating License No. NPF–49, to the

extent held by Central Maine Power

Company (CMP), which holds a partial

ownership interest in the Millstone

Nuclear Power Station, Unit 3, located

in New London County, Connecticut.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

The proposed action would consent to

the transfer of control of the license, to

the extent effected by a proposed

restructuring of CMP. Under the

restructuring, CMP would become a

wholly owned subsidiary of a newly

created holding company but would

continue to hold a partial ownership

interest in Millstone Unit 3. No direct

transfer of the license would occur.

Northeast Nuclear Energy Company

would continue to be the licensed

operator for Millstone Unit 3, and is not

involved in the proposed transaction.

The proposed action is in accordance

with the submittal, dated March 4, 1998,

from Central Maine Power Company, by

and through its counsel, Morgan, Lewis,

and Bockius.

The proposed action is needed, to the

extent the proposed restructuring of

CMP will effect a transfer of control of

the license as held by CMP, to permit

the restructuring to occur. CMP has

stated that the proposed restructuring

will provide long-term advantages

through increased management and

financial flexibility that will better

position CMP and its existing nonutility

subsidiaries to compete effectively in a

changing commercial and regulatory

environment. CMP has also stated that

this structure will also serve to insulate

CMP’s utility business from business

risks associated with the activities of the

nonutility subsidiaries and be consistent

with the corporate structure used by

many other utilities in the United

States.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed

Action

The Commission has completed its

evaluation of the proposed corporate

restructuring and concludes that there

will be no physical or operational

changes to Millstone Unit 3. The

corporate restructuring will not affect

the qualifications or organizational

affiliation of the personnel who operate

or maintain the facility, as Northeast

Nuclear Energy Company, which is not

involved in the proposed restructuring

of CMP, will continue to be exclusively

responsible for the operation and

maintenance of Millstone Unit 3.

The Commission has evaluated the

environmental impact of the proposed

action and has determined that the

probability or consequences of accidents

will not be increased by the proposed

action, and that post-accident

radiological releases will not be greater

than previously determined. Further,

the Commission has determined that the

proposed action will not affect routine

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 proposed

action does not affect nonradiological

plant effluents and has 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

Since the Commission has concluded

that there is no measurable

environmental impact associated with

the proposed action, any alternative

with equal or greater environmental

impact need not be evaluated.

As an alternative to the proposed

requested 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 Millstone Unit 3, dated

December 1984.

Agencies and Persons Contacted

In accordance with its stated policy,

on April 20, 1998, the staff consulted

with the Connecticut State Official,

Kevin T. A. McCarthy, of the Monitoring

and Radiation Division, Department of

Environmental Protection, 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 application

dated March 4, 1998, which is 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

Learning Resources Center, Three Rivers

Community-Technical College, 574 New

London Turnpike, Norwich,

Connecticut, and at the Waterford

Library, ATTN: Vince Juliano, 49 Rope

Ferry Road, Waterford, Connecticut.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 24th day

of April 1998.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Phillip F. McKee,

Deputy Director for Licensing, Special

Projects Office, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

[FR Doc. 98–11728 Filed 5–1–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P