[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 190 (Friday, September 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 58577]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25034]



[[Page 58577]]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. STN 50-528, STN 50-529, and STN 50-530]


Arizona Public Service Company; Palo Verde Nuclear Generating 
Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is 
considering the issuance of amendments to make administrative changes 
to the Facility Operating Licenses Nos. NPF-41, NPF-51, and NPF-74, 
issued to Arizona Public Service Company (the licensee) for operation 
of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3, 
located in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would remove or correct outdated administrative 
information and remove completed licensing conditions from the 
licenses. The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for amendments request dated December 1, 1999.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed to update the Palo Verde operating 
licenses by removing or correcting outdated administrative information 
and removing completed license conditions from the licenses. This will 
help reduce any potential for misinterpreting the operating licensing 
requirements. The Palo Verde licenses were issued by the Commission to 
permit the operation of Palo Verde, Units 1, 2, and 3. The operating 
licenses include administrative information and references that were 
valid at the time of issuance but are now outdated. In addition, the 
operating licenses include many license conditions that were required 
by the Commission to operate Palo Verde plants but have since been 
completed and are no longer required. The changes consist of 21 changes 
to the Unit 1 license, 15 changes to the Unit 2 license, and 7 changes 
to the Unit 3 license.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes that the proposed action is administrative in nature and 
unrelated to plant operations.
    The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability 
or consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of 
any effluents that may be released offsite, and there is no significant 
increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, there 
are no significant radiological impacts associated with the proposed 
action.
    With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
action does not involve any historic sites. It does not affect 
nonradiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. 
Therefore, there are no significant nonradiological 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 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

    The proposed action does not involve the use of any resources not 
previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement Related to 
the Operation of Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 
3, dated February 1982 (NUREG-0841).

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on August 24, 2000, the staff 
consulted with the Arizona State official, Mr. William Wright of the 
Arizona Radiation Protection Agency, 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 NRC concludes 
that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the 
quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC 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 application dated December 1, 1999 (ML993430261), which is 
available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document 
Room, located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first 
floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be 
accessible electronically from the ADAMS Public Library component on 
the NRC Web site, (the Electronic Reading Room). http:\\www.nrc.gov.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 22nd day of September 2000.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Steven D. Bloom,
Project Manager, Section 2, Project Directorate IV & Decommissioning, 
Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 00-25034 Filed 9-28-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P