Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 17 /Tuesday, January 27, 1998 / Notices 3929

moderator at the density corresponding

to optimum moderation.

4. The k-effective does not exceed

0.95, at a 95% probability, 95%

confidence level, in the event that the

spent fuel storage racks are filled with

fuel of the maximum permissible U–235

enrichment and flooded with pure

water.

5. The quantity of forms of SNM other

than nuclear fuel, that is stored on site

in any given area is less than the

quantity necessary for a critical mass.

6. Radiation monitors, as required by

General Design Criterion (GDC) 63, are

provided in fuel storage and handling

areas to detect excessive radiation levels

and to initiate appropriate safety

actions.

7. The maximum nominal U–235

enrichment is limited to 5.0 weight

percent.

By letter dated December 16, 1997,

the licensee requested an exemption

from 10 CFR 70.24. The licensee’s letter

dated January 13, 1998, provided

additional information supporting the

exemption. In the submittals, the

licensee addressed criteria 1, 2, 4, 5, 6,

and 7. Criterion 3 is satisfied because

the licensee’s submittal dated January

13, 1998, states that the cycle 20 fuel

will be channeled and stored in the

spent fuel storage pool until it is loaded

in the core and that the licensee has no

plans to store new fuel in the new fuel

storage vault. The Commission’s

technical staff has reviewed the

licensee’s submittals and has

determined that Vermont Yankee meets

the criteria for prevention of inadvertent

criticality; therefore, the staff has

determined that it is extremely unlikely

for an inadvertent criticality to occur in

SNM handling or storage areas at

Vermont Yankee.

The purpose of the criticality

monitors required by 10 CFR 70.24 is to

ensure that if a criticality were to occur

during the handling of SNM, personnel

would be alerted to that fact and would

take appropriate action. The staff has

determined that it is extremely unlikely

that such an accident could occur;

furthermore, the licensee has radiation

monitors that meet GDC 63 in fuel

storage and handling areas. These

monitors will alert personnel to

excessive radiation levels and allow

them to initiate appropriate safety

actions. The low probability of an

inadvertent criticality, together with the

licensee’s adherence to GDC 63,

constitutes good cause for granting an

exemption to the requirements of 10

CFR 70.24.

IV

The Commission has determined that

pursuant to 10 CFR 70.14, this

exemption is authorized by law, will not

endanger life or property or the common

defense and security, and is otherwise

in the public interest. Therefore, the

Commission hereby grants the Vermont

Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation an

exemption from the requirements of 10

CFR 70.24.

Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the

Commission has determined that the

granting of this exemption will have no

significant impact on the human

environment (63 FR 2425).

This exemption is effective upon

issuance.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day

of January 1998.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Samuel J. Collins,

Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

[FR Doc. 98–1901 Filed 1–26–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50–22]

Westinghouse Electric Corporation

(CBS Corporation); Westinghouse Test

Reactor; Notice of Withdrawal of

Application for Consent to Transfer

Facility License and Conforming

Amendment

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (the Commission) has

permitted the withdrawal of the August

18, 1997 application for consent to

transfer Facility License No. TR–2 for

the Westinghouse Test Reactor, located

at the Westinghouse Waltz Mill site in

Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania,

and application for a conforming license

amendment; submitted by

Westinghouse Electric Corporation (CBS

Corporation).

The proposed action would have

approved the transfer of License No.

TR–2 from the Westinghouse Electric

Corporation to a new corporation that

would have taken the name

Westinghouse Electric Corporation, but

would not have included in its lines of

business certain media operations. The

proposed action would have also

amended the license to reflect the

proposed transfer of the license.

The Commission had previously

issued a Notice of Consideration of

Approval of Transfer of License and

Issuance of a Conforming Amendment

to Facility License, Proposed No

Significant Hazards Consideration

Determination, and Opportunity for

Hearing published in the Federal

Register on September 26, 1997 (62 FR

50628). An Environmental Assessment

and Finding of No Significant Impact

was published in the Federal Register

on October 1, 1997 (62 FR 51493).

However, by letter dated December 18,

1997, the licensee withdrew the August

18, 1997 application.

The licensee withdrew the

application because its plan to

reorganize and create a new corporation

changed.

For further details with respect to this

action, see the application for

amendment dated August 18, 1997, and

the letter from licensee dated December

18, 1997, which withdrew the

application. The above documents are

available for public inspection at the

Commission’s Public Document Room,

the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street,

NW., Washington, DC.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day

of January 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. 98–1899 Filed 1–26–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50–263]

Draft Environmental Assessment;

Relating to a Proposed License

Amendment To Increase the Maximum

Rated Thermal Power Level at the

Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory

Commission.

ACTION: Notice of opportunity for public

comment.

SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory

Commission has prepared a draft

environmental assessment related to the

Northern States Power Company’s

(NSP’s) request for a license amendment

to increase the maximum rated thermal

power level from 1670 megawattsthermal (MWt) to 1775 MWt. As stated

in the NRC staff’s position paper on the

Boiling-Water Reactor Extended Power

Uprate Program dated February 8, 1996,

the staff has the option of preparing an

environmental impact statement if it

believes a significant impact results

from the power uprate. The staff did not

identify a significant impact related to

the NSP’s request and, therefore, the

NRC staff documented its