[Federal Register: February 3, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 22)]
[Notices]               
[Page 5320-5321]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03fe99-86]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-29]

 
Yankee Atomic Electric Company; Yankee Nuclear Power Station 
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Commission) is considering 
issuance of an amendment to Possession Only License (POL) No. DPR-3 
issued to the Yankee Atomic Electric Company (YAEC or licensee) for the 
Yankee Nuclear Power Station (YNPS or plant). The plant is located in 
Rowe Township, Franklin County, Massachusetts.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    The proposed action would revise the POL through the following 
three changes to the Technical Specifications (TS) by (1) deletion of 
the definition of SITE BOUNDARY, (2) moving the Site Boundary and Plant 
Exclusion Area map from the TS to the Final Safety Analysis Report 
(FSAR) and (3) Deletion of TS 5.1.1--EXCLUSION AREA.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for amendment dated August 20, 1998.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would, for item (1) above, remove an obsolete 
and unneeded definition from the TS. For Item (2), the TS that is being 
relocated to a licensee controlled document, the FSAR, is not required 
to be in the TS under 10 CFR 50.36 requirements. The licensee may 
revise the FSAR under the provisions of 10 CFR 50.59, which provides 
appropriate procedural means to control such revisions. Furthermore, 
this change is consistent with the NRC guidance in NUREG-1625, Proposed 
Standard Technical Specifications for Permanently Defueled Westinghouse 
Plants. Item (3) would delete an unneeded section of the TS as its only 
function was to reference the map being moved to the FSAR.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes that the proposed action will not have any impact on the 
environment as the proposed changes are administrative in nature. The 
licensee does not propose any disposal nor relocation of fuel by this 
action. This action is considered administrative in nature.

[[Page 5321]]

    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.

Alternative to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered 
denial of the proposed action. 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

    This action does not involve the use of any resources not evaluated 
in previous environmental reviews for the YNPS.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on December 15, 1998, the 
staff consulted with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts State liaison 
officer, Jim Muckerheide of the Massachusetts Civil Defense Agency, 
regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The 
Commonwealth 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 
YAEC's letter of August 20, 1998, which is available for public 
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman 
Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, D.C., and at the Local Public 
Document Room located in the Library of the Greenfield Community 
College, 1 College Drive, Greenfield, Massachusetts 01301.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of January 1999.

    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. 99-2514 Filed 2-2-99; 8:45 am]
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