66568 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 246 / Friday, December 22, 1995 / Notices

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. The principal alternative

to this action would be to deny the

requested amendments. Such action

would not reduce the environmental

impacts of plant operations.

Alternative Use of Resources

This action does not involve the use

of resources not previously considered

in the ‘‘Final Environmental Statement

Related to the Operation of Catawba

Nuclear Station Units 1 and 2,’’ dated

January 1983.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

In accordance with its stated policy,

on November 30, 1995, the NRC staff

consulted with the South Carolina State

official, Mr. V. Autrey of the Bureau of

Radiological Health, Department of

Health and Environmental Controls,

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 license

amendments.

For further details with respect to this

action, see the licensee’s letter dated

September 5, 1995, 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

York County Library, 138 East Black

Street, Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 18th day

of December 1995.

For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Leonard A. Wiens, Acting Director,

Project Directorate II–2, Division of Reactor

Projects - I/II, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

[FR Doc. 95–31158 Filed 12–21–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

Docket No. 50–344

Portland General Electric Company;

Trojan Nuclear Plant; Notice of

Issuance of Environmental

Assessment and Final Finding of no

Significant Impact

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (NRC) is considering

approving a Portland General Electric

(PGE) proposed decommissioning plan

for the Trojan Nuclear Plant (TNP) and

issuing an order authorizing

decommissioning of the facility.

Description of the Proposed Action

On January 27, 1993, PGE notified the

NRC of their decision to permanently

cease power operations after

approximately 17 years of operation.

The fuel was transferred to the spent

fuel pool, and on May 5, 1993, the NRC

amended the TNP Facility Operating

License (NFP–1) to a Possession Only

License, which allows the licensee to

maintain but not operate the facility. On

January 26, 1995, the licensee submitted

an application to terminate the TNP

Possession Only License. The

application for termination of the TNP

license included a proposed

decommissioning plan and an

supplement to the environmental report.

The licensee proposes to decommission

the TNP using a dismantlement

(DECON) approach as defined in the

‘‘Final Generic Environmental Impact

Statement on Decommissioning of

Nuclear Facilities’’ NUREG–0586, dated

August 1988 (GEIS).

The licensee plans to precede the

DECON radiological decontamination

and dismantlement period with a fiveyear transition period. Transition period

activities include the removal and

disposal of selected large components,

licensing and construction of an

Independent Spent Fuel Storage

Installation (ISFSI), and transfer of the

fuel to the ISFSI. Assessment of the

environmental impact associated with

the construction and operation of the

Trojan ISFSI will be conducted during

the licensing of the ISFSI. Radioactive

structures, systems, and components

that are removed from the facility

during decommissioning will be

shipped to a licensed burial site for

permanent disposal.

Summary of the Environmental

Assessment

The purpose of decommissioning a

nuclear facility is to remove the facility

safely from service, and to reduce

residual radioactivity at the site to levels

that permit the release of the property

for unrestricted use. Once this state is

reached the license granted by the NRC

may be terminated.

The NRC staff has reviewed the PGE

decommissioning plan, and

supplemental environmental report

prepared in accordance with 10 CFR

51.53(b). To document its review, the

staff has prepared an environmental

assessment (EA) consistent with 10 CFR

51.95(b), which examined

decommissioning alternatives, nonradiological and radiological impacts of

decommissioning, and effects of

postulated radiological accidents during

decommissioning. The alternatives

available for decommissioning—

DECON, ENTOMB, SAFSTOR, and No

Action—are evaluated and discussed in

the GEIS. Based on its review of the

proposed PGE decommissioning plan,

the staff has determined that the

environmental impacts associated with

the decommissioning of TNP in

accordance with the plan are either

bounded by the impacts evaluated by

the GEIS or in the NRC Final

Environmental Statement related to

Operation of Trojan Nuclear Plant dated

August 1973. The staff also finds that

the proposed decommissioning of TNP

is in compliance with 10 CFR Part 50,

Appendix I annual design objectives for

offsite releases or 10 CFR Part 20.

Final Finding of No Significant Impact

The staff has reviewed the proposed

decommissioning plan and supplement

to the environmental report in

accordance with the requirements of 10

CFR Part 51. The staff has concluded

that there are no significant

environmental impacts associated with

the proposed action and that the

proposed action will not have a

significant effect on the quality of the

human environment. Therefore, the

NRC has determined, pursuant to 10

CFR 51.31, not to prepare an

environmental impact statement.

For further details with respect to this

action, see the licensee application for

termination of license, dated January 26,

1995 and updated November 13, 1995,

and the NRC staff Environmental

Assessment and Safety Evaluation

Report. These documents are available

for public inspection at the NRC Public

Document Room, Gelman Building,

2120 L Street, NW, Washington, DC.

20555, and at the Local Public

Document Room for TNP at the

Branford Price Millar Library, Portland

State University, Portland, Oregon

97207. Single copies of the NRC staff

Environmental Assessment and Safety

Evaluation may be obtained from Dr.

Michael T. Masnik, Senior Project

Manager, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 246 / Friday, December 22, 1995 / Notices 66569

Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this

December 18, 1995.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Singh S. Bajwa,

Acting Director, Non-Power Reactors and

Decommissioning Project Directorate,

Division of Reactor Program Management,

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 95–31156 Filed 12–21–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

[Docket No. 50–344]

Portland General Electric Company;

Trojan Nuclear Power Station;

Consideration of Issuance of an Order

Authorizing Decommissioning a

Facility and Opportunity for a Hearing

A. Introduction

Pursuant to 10 CFR 2.105(a)(9), the

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

(‘‘the Commission’’) hereby gives notice

that it is considering issuance of an

order under 10 CFR 50.82(e) to the

Portland General Electric Company

(‘‘PGE,’’ the licensee), for the Trojan

Nuclear Power Station (‘‘Trojan NPS’’),

located near Ranier, Oregon. The order

would involve approval of the Trojan

NPS decommissioning plan as it relates

to the decommissioning of the

remaining portions of the Trojan NPS.

On October 12, 1995, the Commission

issued a Memorandum and Order, CLI–

95–13, in which it announced that it

would issue a Notice of Opportunity for

a Hearing on the licensee’s

decommissioning plan and the

application of that plan to the

completion of the decommissioning of

the Trojan NPS. The Commission also

announced in CLI–95–13 that it would

‘‘direct an expedited hearing process in

this case.’’

The licensee is the holder of facility

Possession Only License No. NPF–1,

which was issued on May 5, 1993. All

spent fuel has been removed from the

reactor and placed in the plant’s spent

fuel pool. In addition, the pressurizer

and the four steam generators have been

removed from the reactor containment

and shipped to a low level waste

disposal facility.

By issuance of this order, the licensee

would be authorized to complete the

decommissioning of the Trojan NPS

facility in accordance with its proposed

decommissioning plan, submitted on

January 25, 1995, as supplemented.

Under that plan, PGE intends to

dismantle the Trojan facility using the

DECON decommissioning alternative as

defined in NUREG–0586, ‘‘Final Generic

Environmental Impact Statement on

Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities,’’

(1988).

The licensee has proposed to precede

the DECON decommissioning and

dismantlement period with a five-year

transition period. Proposed activities

during the transition period, which

began with the permanent shutdown of

the facility in January 1993, include the

removal and disposal of selected

components, the licensing and

construction of an Independent Spent

Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), and the

transfer of the spent fuel, currently in

the spent fuel pool, to the ISFSI.

Licensing of the ISFSI will be the

subject of a separate Notice of

Opportunity for a Hearing and will not

be a part of the proceeding to approve

the Decommissioning Plan.

Once the spent fuel has been

transferred to the ISFSI the DECON

phase will begin. The DECON phase

will consist of the major disassembly

and dismantlement of structures

systems and components that are

radioactive. Low level radioactive waste

resulting from decommissioning

activities will be shipped to a licensed

waste disposal site for burial. The

DECON phase will end with the site,

except for the ISFSI, being released for

unrestricted use.

B. Requests for Hearing and Petitions

for Leave To Intervene

By January 22, 1996, the licensee may

file a request for a hearing with respect

to issuance of the order to the subject

facility. During that same period, any

other person whose interest may be

affected by this proceeding and who

wishes to participate as a party in the

proceeding must file both a written

request for a hearing and a petition for

leave to intervene. Requests for a

hearing and petitions 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, and the

special instructions provided in this

notice.

This notice provides a brief overview

of the requirements in 10 CFR 2.714.

However, the fact that a requirement is

not addressed in this notice does not

excuse compliance with that

requirement. Each person seeking to

participate in this proceeding is

responsible for complying with all

applicable requirements. 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. (Lower Level), Washington,

DC 20555, or the NRC Local Public

Document Room, located at the

Bandford Price Millar Library, Portland

State University, 934 S.W. Harrison

Street (P.O. Box 1151), Portland Oregon

97207.

If a request for hearing or a petition

for leave to intervene is filed by the

above date, either the Commission or an

Atomic Safety and Licensing Board,

designated by the Chairman of the

Atomic Safety and Licensing Board

Panel, will rule on the request and/or

petition, and either the Secretary of the

Commission 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, both a

request for hearing and 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 that 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 the petitioner wishes to

intervene.

C. Filing of Contentions

The Commission has determined to

take several steps to expedite this

proceeding. The first step toward

expediting this proceeding is to require

that all contentions be filed at the same

time as petitions for leave to intervene.

Accordingly, any person who files a

request for hearing and a petition for

leave to intervene shall, at the same

time, submit a supplement to the

petition for leave to intervene which

must include a list of contentions which

are sought to be litigated in the

proceeding. The Commission will issue

additional directions to expedite this

proceeding where appropriate in the

future.

Potential petitioners should not be

prejudiced by this requirement because

the documents which would give rise to

potential disputes are already in

existence and in the public domain. For

example, the most important document

for consideration in the formation of

contentions is the licensee’s proposed

decommissioning plan, which has been

in the public domain since January 25,

1995. The NRC Staff has now prepared