ML20214W590

Environ Assessment & Finding of No Significant Impact Re Issuance of Amend to License NPF-29,transferring Control of Licensed Activities to Sys Energy Resources,Inc

ML20214W590
Person / Time
Site:	Grand Gulf
Issue date:	12/05/1986
From:	Butler W Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:
Shared Package
ML20214W561	List: ML20214W557 ML20214W579 ML20214W590
References
TAC-62754, NUDOCS 8612100316
Download: ML20214W590 (5)

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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION MISSISSIPPI POWER AND LIGHT COMPANY MIDDLE SOUTH ENERGY INC.

SOUTH MISSISSIPPI ELECTRIC POWER ASSOCIATION DOCKET NO. 50-416 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is considering issuance of an amendment to the facility operating license no. NPF-29 and issuance of its consent to transfer control of licensed activities for the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station (GGNS) Unit 1, located in Claiborne County, Mississippi. Mississippi Power and Light Company (MPAL), Middle South, Energy, Inc., (MSE) and the South Mississippi Electric Power Association (SMEPA) are the current joint licensees for the GGNS. MP&L has heretofore been licensed to operate the GGNS Unit 1 pursuant to license no. NPF-29. MP&L has acted as an agent for MSE and SMEPA in the operation of GGNS Unit 1.

MSE and SMEPA own 90% and 10%, respectively, of the GGNS. The name of the company Middle South Energy, Inc. has recently been changed to System Energy Resources. Inc. (SERI).

The proposed amendment and transfer of control would transfer responsibility and authority for operation and control of licensed activities from MP&L to MSE (nowSERI).

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Identification of Proposed Action The proposed action would:

(1)amendtheUnit1operatinglicenseNPF-29and the facility Technical Specifications to reflect a change in the title of the 0612100316 861205 '

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. chief management official, and to reflect a change in the name of one of the joint licensees, Middle South Energy, Inc., to System Energy Resources, Inc.

(SERI)and (2) authorize a transfer of control of licensed activities for GGNS Unit I from MP&L to SERI. The ownership of the GGNS and SMEPA's role as a joint licensee are not changed by the proposed action.

The proposed action is being reviewed by the Comission in several parts:

a technical and financial review of the transfer of control and an amendment to reflect the transfer of authority for control of operation of Unit 1 from MP&L to SERI and to reflect a change in the name of one of the joint licensees, Middle South Energy, Inc. to System Energy Resources Inc. (SERI) and an additional review dealing with the antitrust conditions currently included in the operating license. The Commission's initial review and this assessment deal only with the amendment, the transfer of control and non-antitrust related issues; a later review will deal with the antitrust aspects. Pending the completion of this later review the amended license will hold MP&L and SERI to the terms of the existing antitrust conditions.

Consistent with the above, the revised joint licensees _ will be MP&L, SERI and SMEPA with authority for control of licensed activities concerning the operation of Unit I transferred from MP&L to SERI. The transfer of control and amendments herein reviewed are in accordance with the joint licensees' request dated September 2, 1986 as amended on October 4, 13 and 24, and as supplemented on November 20, 21, and December 2 and 3,1986.

The Need for the Proposed Action The transfer of operational authority and responsibility to SERI is necessary to allow the nuclear activities now performed by MP&L to be shifted to SERI (formerly MSE) which heretofore was limited to owning 90% of the GGNS but,will now also be the operating entity for the GGNS.

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= The joint licensees indicate that the organizational changes which would be aut'horized, by the proposed transfer of control and accompanying amendment will (1) enable management to focus its full attention on the GGNS versus also having responsibility for certain non-nuclear activities in the present 'organi-zational structure, (2) permit management to focus on the development of human rssources needed for nuclear plant operations and construction, (3) enable certain corporate support functions to be more effectively focussed on the requirements of a nuclear generating company, and (4) will enable a consolidation of the responsibility for control of licensed activities to be brought within tha oroanization which is also the principal owner of the GGNS rather than within a contracted agent.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action The joint licensees state that the MP&L nuclear organization (plant and headquarters) currently responsible for the GGNS will be transferred virtually intact to SERI. No change in the design or physical operation of the GGNS is involved in this proposed action. Except for the antitrust provisions, changes to the Unit I license. Technical Specifications (TSs) and to the Environmental Protection Plan are limited to changes in the titles for the chief management official shown in the TS and a modification to reflect a change in the name of t

the operating organization from MP&L to SERI. Two of the joint licensees, MP&L l

and SERI, will be held to the terms of the existing antitrust conditions pending completion of the review of the antitrust considerations of the amendment appli-cation. Since the proposed changes will not directly affect the design or i

physical operation of the GGNS but will only result in transfer of the perfor-mance by essentially the same people of the same functions the staff has concluded that there is no significant environmental impact associated with the proposed action.

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Alternative to the Proposed Action

, Because the staff has concluded that there is no measurable envireraen~tal impact associated with the proposed action any alternative to this proposed-action will have either no environmental impact or greater environmental impact.

The principal alternative would be to deny the requested changes..This would.

not accomplish any reduction in environmental impacts of plant operation and would deny the benefits discussed above to those responsible for the coWtrol of licensed activities at the GGNS, Unit 1.

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Alternative Use of Resources The proposed action does not involve the use of resources not previausly' censidered in connection with the " Final Environmental Statement related to the Operation of the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2," dated September 1981.

Acencies and Persons Contacted The NRC staff reviewed the joint licer. sees' requests and did not consult

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Other agencies or persons.

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Finding of No Sianificant Impact The staff has reviewed the proposed action relative to'the rsquireeents set forth in 10 CFR Part 51. Based on this assessment, the staff concludes that' l

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there are no significant environmental impacts associated with the propcsed

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actionandthattheissuanceoftheproposedamendmenttothediensewillhave 1

no significant impact on the quality of the human environment; Therefore.

pursuant to 10 CFR 51.31, an environmental impact statement need not be prepared for this action.

For further details with respect to this action,'see the request for amendment and approval of transfer of control of the Unit'l operating license

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.e 5-and th,e Unit 2 construction permit dated September 2, as amended on October 4, 13 and 24, amt as supplemented on November 20, 21, and December 2 and 3,1986, which is available for public inspection at the Comission's Public Document Room, 1717 H St., N.W., Washington, D.C.

20555 and at the Hinds Junior College, McLendon Library, Raymond, Mississippi 39154.

Oated at Bethesda, Maryland this 5th day of December,1986.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

$ ll Walter R. Butler, Director BWR Project Directorate No. 4 Division of BWR Licensing