[Federal Register: December 14, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 239)]
[Notices]               
[Page 69807]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14de99-133]                         


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

DOCKET NO. 50-320

 
GPU Nuclear, Inc., et al; Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 
2, Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an amendment to Possession Only License No. DPR-73, issued 
to GPU Nuclear, Inc. (the licensee), for the Three Mile Island Nuclear 
Station, Unit 2 (TMI-2), located in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would add a statement to existing License 
Condition 2.B.(5) to ensure that the storage of certain radioactive 
materials at TMI-2 from the co-located Three Mile Island, Unit 1, as 
authorized under the Unit 1 license, does not result in a source term 
that, if released, would exceed that previously analyzed in the Post-
Defueling Monitored Storage Safety Analysis Report for TMI-2.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application for amendment dated June 29, 1999, as supplemented by 
letters dated August 27, October 29, and November 3, 1999.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed to ensure that activities conducted 
under authorization of the TMI-1 license, which permits the movement to 
and storage at TMI-2 of certain radioactive materials, do not 
contravene the existing restrictions applicable to TMI-2.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that the proposed action effectively places appropriate 
limits on the radioactive materials that may be possessed by the TMI-1 
licensee at TMI-2, and, further, has determined that the source term 
from any accident involving radioactive material at TMI-2 under the 
TMI-1 license would be within that assumed in the Post Defueling 
Monitored Storage Safety Analysis Report for TMI-2.
    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 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 nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
action does not involve any historic sites, 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 NRC 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 actions 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 
Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 2.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on October 20, 1999, the 
staff consulted with the Pennsylvania State official, Stan Maingi of 
the Pennsylvania Bureau of Radiation Protection, 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 letter dated June 29, 1999, as supplemented by letters dated 
August 27, October 29, and November 3, 1999, which are available for 
public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, The Gelman 
Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC. Publically available 
records will be accessible electronically from the ADAMS Public Library 
component on the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov (the Electronic 
Reading Room).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day of December 1999.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
John L. Minns,
Project Manager, Decommissioning Section, Project Directorate IV & 
Decommissioning Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of 
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 99-32310 Filed 12-13-99; 8:45 am]
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