[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 212 (Thursday, November 2, 1995)] [Notices] [Pages 55741-55742] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 95-27193] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 50-344] Portland General Electric Company; Trojan Nuclear Plant; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is considering issuance of an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 140.11(a)(4) to Facility Operating License No. NPF-1 issued to Portland General Electric (PGE or the licensee) for the Trojan Nuclear Plant (TNP) located at the licensee's site in Columbia County, Oregon. The exemption would be effective on November 9, 1995, 3 years from the date of final shutdown of the reactor. Environmental Assessment Identification of Proposed Action The proposed action would grant an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 140.11(a)(4) reducing the primary financial protection that shall be maintained by the licensee for the facility from $200 million to $100 million. Exemption will be granted from participation in the industry retrospective rating plan (secondary level financial protection) for TNP. The licensee requested the exemption in a letter dated April 6, 1995. The Need for the Proposed Action TNP was permanently shut down on November 9, 1992. In a license amendment dated May 5, 1993, the NRC modified Facility Operating License No. NPF-1 to a possession-only license (POL). The license is conditioned so that PGE is not authorized to operate or place fuel in the reactor vessel, thus formalizing the licensee's commitment to permanently cease power operations. The plant will have been shut down for 3 years at the time the exemption becomes effective, and radioactive decay will have significantly reduced the radionuclide inventory and decay heat of the spent fuel. Because sufficient spent fuel cooling period of 3 years has elapsed, the potential for significant offsite consequences no longer exists at TNP. Therefore, the requested exemption addresses two areas for relief in financial protection requirements: (1) A reduction in the primary financial protection coverage requirements from $200 million to $100 million and (2) withdrawal from participation in the industry retrospective rating plan. Because TNP no longer contributes as great a risk to the industry retrospective rating plan participants as an operating plant, this reduction in risk should be reflected in the indemnification requirements to which the licensee is subject. Approval of this request would allow a more equitable allocation of financial risk. Environmental Impact of the Proposed Action The proposed action does not involve any environmental impacts. The proposed exemption involves changes in insurance and/or indemnity requirements, for which the Commission in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(10) has determined that a license amendment would meet the criteria for categorical exclusion from the need for either an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement. Therefore, the Commission has determined that this exemption will have no significant impact on the environment. Because the proposed action does not involve a change in plant operation or configuration, there is reasonable assurance that the proposed action would not increase the probability or the consequences of an accident or reduce the margin of safety, no changes would be made in the types or quantities of effluents that may be released offsite, and there would be no significant increase in the allowable individual or cumulative radiation exposure. Accordingly, the Commission concludes that this proposed action would result in no significant radiological environmental impact. With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed action does not affect nonradiological 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 Because the Commission has concluded that there are no measurable environmental impacts associated with the proposed action, any alternative with equal or greater environmental impacts need not be evaluated. [[Page 55742]] The principal alternative would be to deny the action. This alternative would not reduce the environmental impacts of plant operation and would not enhance the protection of the environment nor public health and safety. Alternative Use of Resources This action does not involve the use of any resources not previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for TNP dated August 1973. Agencies and Persons Consulted The NRC staff consulted with a representative of the State of Oregon regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The representative had no comments. Finding of No Significant Impact The Commission has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed exemption. On the basis of the foregoing environmental assessment, the Commission concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment. For further details with respect to this action, see the licensee's application for exemption dated April 6, 1995, which is available for public inspection at the Commission's 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. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 26th day of October 1995. 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. 95-27193 Filed 11-1-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P