[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 164 (Wednesday, August 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46423-46424]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-22030]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-344]


Portland General Electric, Trojan Nuclear Plant; 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. 
NPF-1 issued to Portland General Electric Company (PGE), the licensee, 
for operation of the Trojan Nuclear Plant located in Prescott, Oregon 
and a concurrent exemption from 10 CFR 50.54, 10 CFR 50.47(b) and 10 
CFR part 50, appendix E.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would exempt PGE from the emergency plan 
requirements of 10 CFR 50.54(q), 10 CFR 50.47(b), and 10 CFR part 50, 
appendix E and delete the requirements for an emergency plan from the 
10 CFR part 50 licensed portion of the site after the spent nuclear 
fuel is transferred to a part 72 licensed independent spent fuel 
storage installation (ISFSI).
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for a license amendment and exemption dated August 27, 
1998.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed because the remaining quantities of 
radioactive material in the part 50 licensed facility will be less than 
the quantities specified in 10 CFR 30.72, ``Schedule C'' after the 
transfer of the spent nuclear fuel to the ISFSI. This represents a 
reduction of over 99 percent of the radioactivity existing prior to the 
transfer and the radioactivity remaining in the part 50 licensed plant 
will be below the amount requiring an emergency plan as designated in 
10 CFR 30.72 above. The ISFSI which will receive the radioactive 
inventory has an NRC-approved emergency plan. The proposed action will 
allow the licensee to conserve resources for decommissioning 
activities.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes that exempting the plant from emergency plan requirements 
will not have any adverse environmental impact. There will be very 
minor savings of energy and vehicular use associated with the reduced 
effort related to emergency preparedness drills.
    The proposed action will not increase the probability or 
consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of 
any effluents that may be released off site, and there is no 
significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. 
Therefore, there are no significant radiological environmental impacts 
associated with the proposed action.
    With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed 
action does not involve any historic sites. It does not affect non-
radiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. 
Therefore, there are no significant non-radiological environmental 
impacts associated with the proposed action.
    Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered 
denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). 
Denial of the application

[[Page 46424]]

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 
Trojan Plant.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on July 19, 1999, the staff 
consulted with the Oregon State official, Mr. Adam Bless of the Oregon 
Office of Energy, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed 
action. The State official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    On the basis of 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 letter dated August 27, 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 Branford Price Millar Library, Portland 
State University, 934 S.W. Harrison Street, Portland, Oregon 92707.

    Dated at Rockville, MD, this 16th day of August 1999.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Louis L. Wheeler,
Acting Chief, Decommissioning Section, Project Directorate IV and 
Decommissioning, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of 
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 99-22030 Filed 8-24-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P