35296 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 124 / Monday, June 29, 1998 / Notices

operations at Maine Yankee Atomic

Power Station and that all fuel had been

permanently removed from the reactor.

In accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(a)(2),

the certifications in the letter modified

the facility operating license to

permanently withdraw MYAPC’s

authority to operate the reactor and to

load fuel in the reactor vessel. In this

permanently shutdown condition, the

facility poses a reduced risk to public

health and safety. Due to this reduced

risk, certain requirements of 10 CFR

73.55 are no longer appropriate. An

exemption is required from portions of

10 CFR 73.55 to allow the licensee to

implement a revised Defueled Security

Plan that is appropriate for the

permanently shutdown and defueled

reactor facility.

Environmental Impact of the Proposed

Action

The Commission has completed its

evaluation of the proposed action. The

Commission concludes that exemption

from certain portions of 10 CFR 73.55

are acceptable given the reduced

consequences of the threat to a defueled

reactor site with respect to public health

and safety from an act of sabotage

resulting in the release of radioactive

material contained in the spent fuel.

The proposed change will not

increase the probability or consequences

of accidents, no changes are being made

in the types of effluents that may be

released offsite, and there is no

significant increase in the allowable

individual or cumulative occupational

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 involve features located

entirely with the restricted area as

defined in 10 CFR Part 20. It does not

affect non-radiological plant effluents

and has no other environmental impact.

Therefore, the Commission concludes

that there are no significant nonradiological 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. The

principal alternative to the action would

be to deny the request. Denial of the

exemption request 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 resources not previously considered

in the Final Environmental Statement

related to Operation of Maine Yankee

Atomic Power Station, (July 1972).

Agencies and Persons Consulted

In accordance with its stated policy,

on May 14, 1998, the NRC staff

consulted with Mr. Patrick Dostie of the

State of Maine, Department of Human

Services, 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 this

action, see the licensee’s letter, dated

November 25, 1997, which is available

for public inspection at the Commission

Public Document Room, Gelman

Building, 2120 L Street, NW.,

Washington, DC, and at the Local Public

Document Room at the Wiscasset Public

Library, High Street, Post Office Box

367, Wiscasset, Maine 04578.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 23rd day

of June 1998.

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. 98–17218 Filed 6–26–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 70–7001; 70–7002]

Procedures for Managing Gaseous

Diffusion Plant Backfit Requirements;

Notice of Availability

On March 26, 1997, the U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission (NRC)

published a notice of availability of the

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and

Safeguards (NMSS) Policy and

Procedures Letter 1–53, ‘‘GDP Plant

Specific and Generic Backfit

Management.’’ This policy and

procedures letter contains guidance and

criteria for implementing the Gaseous

Diffusion Plant backfit requirements of

10 CFR Part 76.76.

NRC received public comments on

NMSS Policy and Procedures Letter 1–

53, and has issued a revised version.

This revised policy and procedures

letter is available for inspection at the

NRC Public Document Room, 2120 L

Street NW (lower level), Washington,

DC; the Paducah Public Library, 555

Washington Street, Paducah, Kentucky

42003 (Docket No. 70–7001); and the

Portsmouth Public Library, 1220 Gallia

Street, Portsmouth, Ohio 45662 (Docket

No. 70–7002).

For further information, contact Tom

Wenck, Office of Nuclear Material

Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission, Washington,

DC 20555, telephone (301) 415–8088.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 15th day

of June 1998.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Malcolm R. Knapp,

Acting Director, Office of Nuclear Material

Safety and Safeguards.

[FR Doc. 98–17216 Filed 6–26–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–M

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Advisory Committee on Reactor

Safeguards; Subcommittee Meeting on

Plant License Renewal; Notice of

Meeting

The ACRS Subcommittee on Plant

License Renewal will hold a meeting on

July 16, 1998, Room T–2B3, 11545

Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland.

The entire meeting will be open to

public attendance.

The agenda for the subject meeting

shall be as follows:

Thursday, July 16, 1998—8:30 a.m. until

the conclusion of business

The Subcommittee will discuss the

NRC staff’s activities associated with

license renewal, proposed staff’s plans

and schedule for reviewing the license

renewal application and related safety

issues. The Subcommittee will also

discuss the ACRS involvement in

reviewing the license renewal submittal

and related matters. The purpose of this

meeting is to gather information,

analyze relevant issues and facts, and to

formulate proposed positions and

actions, as appropriate, for deliberation

by the full Committee.

Oral statements may be presented by

members of the public with the

concurrence of the Subcommittee

Chairman; written statements will be

accepted and made available to the

Committee. Electronic recordings will