Central Maine Power Co; Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit 3; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-423]

Central Maine Power Co; Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit 3;

Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is

considering approval under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations

(10 CFR) Sec. 50.80, by issuance of an Order, of the transfer of

control of Facility Operating License No. NPF-49, to the extent held by

Central Maine Power Company (CMP), which holds a partial ownership

interest in the Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit 3, located in New

London County, Connecticut.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

The proposed action would consent to the transfer of control of the

license, to the extent effected by a proposed restructuring of CMP.

Under the restructuring, CMP would become a wholly owned subsidiary of

a newly created holding company but would continue to hold a partial

ownership interest in Millstone Unit 3. No direct transfer of the

license would occur. Northeast Nuclear Energy Company would continue to

be the licensed operator for Millstone Unit 3, and is not involved in

the proposed transaction. The proposed action is in accordance with the

submittal, dated March 4, 1998, from Central Maine Power Company, by

and through its counsel, Morgan, Lewis, and Bockius.

The proposed action is needed, to the extent the proposed

restructuring of CMP will effect a transfer of control of the license

as held by CMP, to permit the restructuring to occur. CMP has stated

that the proposed restructuring will provide long-term advantages

through increased management and financial flexibility that will better

position CMP and its existing nonutility subsidiaries to compete

effectively in a changing commercial and regulatory environment. CMP

has also stated that this structure will also serve to insulate CMP's

utility business from business risks associated with the activities of

the nonutility subsidiaries and be consistent with the corporate

structure used by many other utilities in the United States.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed

corporate restructuring and concludes that there will be no physical or

operational changes to Millstone Unit 3. The corporate restructuring

will not affect the qualifications or organizational affiliation of the

personnel who operate or maintain the facility, as Northeast Nuclear

Energy Company, which is not involved in the proposed restructuring of

CMP, will continue to be exclusively responsible for the operation and

maintenance of Millstone Unit 3.

The Commission has evaluated the environmental impact of the

proposed action and has determined that the probability or consequences

of accidents will not be increased by the proposed action, and that

post-accident radiological releases will not be greater than previously

determined. Further, the Commission has determined that the proposed

action will not affect routine radiological exposure. Accordingly, the

Commission concludes that there are no significant radiological

environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

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 environmental impacts associated

with the proposed action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

Since the Commission has concluded that there is no measurable

environmental impact associated with the proposed action, any

alternative with equal or greater environmental impact need not be

evaluated.

As an alternative to the proposed requested 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

previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for

Millstone Unit 3, dated December 1984.

Agencies and Persons Contacted

In accordance with its stated policy, on April 20, 1998, the staff

consulted with the Connecticut State Official, Kevin T. A. McCarthy, of

the Monitoring and Radiation Division, Department of Environmental

Protection, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action.

The State Official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

Based upon 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

application dated March 4, 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 Learning Resources Center, Three Rivers

Community-Technical College, 574 New London Turnpike, Norwich,

Connecticut, and at the Waterford Library, ATTN: Vince Juliano, 49 Rope

Ferry Road, Waterford, Connecticut.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 24th day of April 1998.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Phillip F. McKee,

Deputy Director for Licensing, Special Projects Office, Office of

Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 98-11728 Filed 5-1-98; 8:45 am]

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