ML20136D576

Environ Assessment & Finding of No Significant Impact Re Order Approving Application Involving Proposed Merger of Holding Company for Portlans General Electric Co & Enron Corp

ML20136D576
Person / Time
Site:	Trojan File:Portland General Electric icon.png
Issue date:	03/06/1997
From:	Weiss S NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:
Shared Package
ML20136D540	List: ML20136D534 ML20136D548 ML20136D559 ML20136D576
References
NUDOCS 9703120409
Download: ML20136D576 (4)

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'1 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY TROJAN NUCLEAR PLANT

DOCKET NO. 50-344 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The U.S.-Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is considering the

issuance of an order approving an application regarding a proposed merger involving the holding company for Portland General Electric Company (PGE, the S

. licensee), holder of Facility Operating License No. NPF-1, for the Trojan l Nuclear Plant located on the west bank of the Columbia River in Columbia l 1

County, Oregon. The Trojan Nuclear Plant permanently ceased operating in January 1993 and is being decommissioned.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Identification of the Proposed Action The proposed action would approve, by issuance of an order, the application under 10 CFR 50.80 regarding the merger between Portland General Corporation (PGC), the parent company of PGE, a 67.5 percent holder of the Trojan Nuclear Plant license, and Enron Corporation (Enron). Enron is a Delaware corporation engaged in the gathering, transportation, and wholesale marketing of natural gas. PGC has agreed to a merger with Enron, subject to certain conditions. Those conditions include approval by the shareholders of 3

the companies and obtaining appropriate governmental approvals which do not

) impose terms or conditions that would be reasonably likely to have an adverse effect on PGE or Enron. Under an Agreement and Plan of Merger, Enron will become an Oregon corporation (hereinafter referred to as the " Merger 9703120409 970306

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Company"), and PGC will merge with and into the Merger Company. Shares of stock held in Enron and in PGC would be converted into shares of the Merger l l

Company on a one-for-one basis. The proposed action is in accordance with l PGE's application dated August 20 1996, as supplemented by letters dated l October 16, 1996, and October 30, 1996.

The Need for the Proposed Action The proposed action is required to facilitate the merger between PGC and

! Enron.

Environmental Imoacts of the Prooosed Action l The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed merger and concludes that there will be no physical or operational change to the decommissioning activities now in progress at the Trojan Nuclear Plant as a result of the merger. The merger will not affect the qualifications or organizational affiliations of the personnel responsible for the decommissioning activities at the Trojan Nuclear Plant.

The merger will not affect PGE's status as a regulated public utility in the State of Oregon. PGE will continue to be headquartered in Portland, Oregon and senior management will remain in place. According to the licensee, the planned merger of PGE's parent company, PGC, with the Merger Compaqy should improve the overall financial strength and stability of PGE's parent after the merger. After the me'.ger, PGE will continue to be the NRC licensee for Trojan Nuclear Plant and no direct transfer of the operating license or interests in the unit will result from the merger.

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!. 4 The Commission has evaluated the environmental impact of the proposed action and has determined that the probability and consequences of accidents

! would not be increased by the merger, and that radiological releases, both l normal releases and accidental releases, would not be greater than previously l evaluated. Further, the Commission has determined that the merger would not increase occupational 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 merger would not affect nonradiological plant effluents and would have 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 Having concluded that there are no significant environmental effects that would result from the proposed action, the Commission has no need to evaluate any alternative with equal or greater environmental impacts.

The principal alternative would be to deny the requested action. Denial of the application would not change the environmental impact. The environmental impact of the proposed action and the alternative action are the same.

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Alternative Use of Resources

This action does not involve the use of any resources not previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for the Trojan Nuclear Plant

dated August 1973 or the Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities, dated August 1988.

4 Aaencies and Persons Contacted In accordance with its. stated policy, on Feb. 10, 1997, the staff

! consulted with Mr. Adam Bless, of the Oregon Department of Energy, regarding

! the environmental impact of the proposed action. Mr. Bless had no comments.

i Findina of No Sianificant Imoact f 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 l

licensee's letter dated August 20 1996, as supplemented by letters dated October 16, 1996, and October 30, 1996, which are available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., and at the local public document room for the Trojan Nuclear Plant located at the Branford Price Millar Library, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon 97207.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 27th day of February 1997.

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION r

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eymo H. Weiss, Director Non-Power Reactors and Decommissioning Project Directorate Division of Reactor Program Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

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