Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for Department of the Air Force's Request for 10 CFR 20.2002 Authorization, for Disposal of Four Tanks Containing Depleted Uranium to a Subtitle C RCRA Hazardous Waste Disposal Facility, 61649-61651 [E5-5878]
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 25, 2005 / Notices
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October 2003.
Richard Church,
Certifying Officer, Division of Trade
Adjustment Assistance.
[FR Doc. E5–5888 Filed 10–24–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–30–P
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Charles S. Ciccolella,
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[FR Doc. 05–21277 Filed 10–24–05; 8:45 am]
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15:53 Oct 24, 2005
Jkt 208001
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket Number 030–28641]
Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact for
Department of the Air Force’s Request
for 10 CFR 20.2002 Authorization, for
Disposal of Four Tanks Containing
Depleted Uranium to a Subtitle C
RCRA Hazardous Waste Disposal
Facility
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
Signed at Washington, DC this 13th day of
October 2005.
Douglas F. Small,
Acting Director, Division of Trade Adjustment
Assistance.
[FR Doc. E5–5886 Filed 10–24–05; 8:45 am]
VerDate Aug<31>2005
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington,
DC.
The committee will discuss raising
corporate awareness about the
advantages of hiring veterans.
Individuals needing special
accommodations should notify Bill
Offutt at (202) 693–4717 by November
10, 2005.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rachel S. Browder, M.S., Health
Physicist, Nuclear Materials Licensing
Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials
Safety, Region IV, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, 611 Ryan Plaza
Drive, Suite 400, Arlington, Texas
76011; Telephone: (817) 276–6552; fax
number: (817) 860–8122; e-mail:
rsb3@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is considering
approval of a request dated June 23,
2004, by the U.S. Department of the Air
Force (Air Force), for disposal of four
M–47 tanks containing depleted
uranium (DU) from the 98th Range Wing
at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, to a
Subtitle C RCRA hazardous waste
disposal facility. The request for
approval is submitted pursuant to 10
CFR 20.2002, ‘‘Method of Obtaining
Approval of Proposed Disposal
Procedures.’’ NRC staff evaluated the
licensee’s analyses of disposal to a
Subtitle C RCRA hazardous waste
disposal facility, to demonstrate
compliance with 10 CFR 20.2002. The
staff used the general guidance for dose
modeling as documented in NUREG–
PO 00000
Frm 00050
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
61649
1727, SRP 5.2, and supplemented by the
decommissioning-specific guidance of
the license termination rule. The dose
assessment for the disposal of the
subject material would result in doses
less than 0.01 millisievert (1 millirem)
per year. This action will revise the Air
Force Master Materials License No. 42–
23539–01AF, to authorize the specific
disposal of four M–47 tanks containing
DU material to a Subtitle C RCRA
hazardous waste disposal facility,
pursuant to 10 CFR 20.2002, for
procedures not otherwise authorized in
the regulations of this chapter. This
proposed action would also exempt the
low-contaminated material authorized
for burial from further Atomic Energy
Act (AEA) and NRC licensing
requirements. The NRC staff has
prepared an Environmental Assessment
(EA) in support of this action in
accordance with the requirements of 10
CFR part 51. The NRC has determined
that a Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) is appropriate for the proposed
action.
II. Environmental Assessment
Background
The Air Force used four U.S. Army
M–47 tanks as target practice at Nellis
Air Force Base, Nevada. The M–47 tanks
were contaminated with DU, as a result
of A–10 aircraft target penetrator
rounds. Each tank contains less than
forty GAU–8 30mm DU rounds; each
round contains 300 grams of DU. As a
result of the kinetic energy released
when a tank is hit by a DU round, some
of the DU from the round will bond
with the metal surrounding the entry
point and the interior of the chamber.
The DU is a metal form with a minor
contribution as an oxide. The mass of
the DU per tank is approximately 12 kg,
and when averaged over the mass of the
tank (60 tons), the source material is less
than one-twentieth of 1 percent (0.05
percent) of the mixture. The Air Force
demonstrated by calculation that the
potential dose consequence is less than
1 mrem per year, based on the proposed
burial of the M–47 tanks in a RCRA
facility.
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action is approval of
the disposal of four (4) M–47 tanks from
Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, to U.S.
Ecology facility in Grand View, Idaho,
which is a Subtitle C RCRA hazardous
waste disposal facility. The Air Force
has conservatively assumed the
inventory of DU in each of the four M–
47 tanks and calculated the potential
dose as being less than 1 mrem per year,
if all four tanks were to be disposed of,
E:\FR\FM\25OCN1.SGM
25OCN1
61650
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 25, 2005 / Notices
in such a facility. This proposed action
would also exempt the lowcontaminated material authorized for
burial from further Atomic Energy Act
(AEA) and NRC licensing requirements.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed to
dispose of four M–47 tanks at a RCRA
Subtitle C hazardous waste disposal
facility. The Air Force maintains the
clean-up of the range at Nellis Air Force
Base by implementing an on-going
process to dispose of objects that require
disposition or decontamination in lieu
of postponing clean-up efforts until
there are extensive objects which
require disposition. Therefore, the
disposal of the four M–47 tanks are part
of the Air Force on-going maintenance
efforts on the range.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
The alternatives to the proposed
action include: (1) No action alternative,
(2) decontamination of the M–47 tanks,
or (3) handling the M–47 tanks as lowlevel radioactive waste and shipping the
tanks to a licensed low-level waste
facility. The Air Force performed an
evaluation to determine if the costs to
decontaminate the M–47 tanks would be
comparable to or less than the costs for
burial in a Subtitle C RCRA hazardous
waste disposal facility. For the
respective four M–47 tanks, the Air
Force determined the costs for burial
would be less than the cost to
decontaminate the tanks. Disposal of the
four M–47 tanks in the manner
proposed is protective of the health and
safety, is consistent with as low as
reasonably achievable, and is the most
cost-effective alternative.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed
Action
The four M–47 tanks were used as
target practice in Range 63, Target Area
10, at Nellis Air Force Base. Nellis Air
Force Base is located approximately 8
miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada.
The base itself covers more than 14,000
acres, while the total land area occupied
by Nellis and its restricted ranges is
about 5,000 square miles. The 98th
Range Wing is responsible for the 2.9
million acre Nevada Test and Training
Range, located just north of Las Vegas.
The distance between Las Vegas and US
Ecology, Idaho, is approximately 800
miles. The driving time would be
approximately 16 hours (assuming
average speed of 50 miles per hour). The
Air Force’s dose analysis conservatively
assumed the same driver transported all
four tanks in four separate shipments.
The NRC has completed its evaluation
of the proposed action and concludes
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:53 Oct 24, 2005
Jkt 208001
there are no significant radiological
environmental impacts associated with
the disposal of four M–47 tanks to US
Ecology, Idaho, which is a Subtitle C
RCRA hazardous waste disposal facility.
The Air Force’s analyses conservatively
assumed the inventory of DU in each of
the four M–47 tanks was the maximum
number of penetrators (i.e., 40 rounds)
which potentially hit each tank. The Air
Force analyzed the dose to a transport
driver, loader, burial worker, and longterm impacts to a residence. While the
Air Force did not analyze the
groundwater impacts from the disposal,
the NRC staff reviewed previous
analyses in support of NUREG–1640,
‘‘Radiological Assessment for Clearance
of Materials from Nuclear Facilities,’’
which indicated that the groundwater
pathway is not a controlling factor for
DU. Each of the analyses conservatively
estimated the exposure to less than 1
mrem total dose per year.
With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed
action does not involve any historic
sites nor does it affect non-radiological
plant effluents. There may be a slight
increase in air quality and noise impacts
during the loading and transportation of
each tank. However, there are no
expected adverse impacts to air quality
as a result of the loading and
transportation of the four M–47 tanks.
These activities will be short in duration
and minimal as compared to other
activities at the base. Therefore, there
are no significant non-radiological
environmental impacts associated with
the proposed action.
The NRC has evaluated whether
cumulative environmental impacts
could result from an incremental impact
of the proposed action when added to
other foreseeable actions in the area.
The proposed NRC approval of the 10
CFR 20.2002 alternative disposal
procedure, when combined with known
effects on resource areas of the site, are
not anticipated to result in any
cumulative impacts at the site.
The proposed action and attendant
exemption of the material from further
AEA and NRC licensing requirements
will not significantly increase the
probability or consequence of accidents,
no changes are being made in the types
of effluents that may be released off site,
and there is no significant increase in
occupational or public radiation
exposure. Accordingly, the NRC
concludes there are no significant
environmental impacts associated with
the proposed action.
PO 00000
Frm 00051
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Environmental Impacts of the
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). The implications from the
no-action alternative is that the tanks
would remain on the range until
disposition sometime in the future. The
impacts would therefore be limited to
the site, and there would be no
transportation impacts and no disposal
considerations or impacts until
sometime in the future.
Another alternative to the proposed
action, is that the Air Force may
consider decontamination of the four
M–47 tanks. The environmental impacts
would increase as a result of this
alternative from the air quality, noise
and water usage during the
decontamination process. Additionally,
there would be an increase in
occupational exposure as a result of the
decontamination process.
Disposing of the four M–47 tanks in
a low-level waste disposal facility is
another alternative to the proposed
action. This alternative has similar
environmental impacts as the proposed
action.
Conclusion
Based on its review, the NRC staff
finds that the environmental impact of
the proposed action are either similar to,
or less impactive than, the alternatives
to the proposed action. If the proposed
action is denied, the licensee may be
required to ship the material to an offsite low level radioactive waste disposal
facility. The costs associated with offsite disposal at a low-level waste facility
greatly exceeds the cost of burial under
the proposed action, with no significant
benefit to the environment. Since the
proposed action will not significantly
impact the quality of the human
environment, and the proposed action
complies with the criteria in 10 CFR
20.2002 for alternate disposal
procedure, the NRC staff concludes that
the proposed action is the preferred
alternative.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
The NRC staff has determined that the
proposed action is not a major
decommissioning activity and will not
affect listed or proposed endangered
species, nor critical habitat. Therefore,
no further consultation is required
under Section 7 of the Endangered
Species Act. Likewise, NRC staff
determined that the proposed action is
not the type of activity that has the
potential to cause effects on historic
properties, as the M–47 tanks are
E:\FR\FM\25OCN1.SGM
25OCN1
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 205 / Tuesday, October 25, 2005 / Notices
currently residing in Range 63, Target
Area 10, at Nellis Air Force Base.
Therefore, no consultation is required
under Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act.
On September 23, 2004, the staff
consulted with two Nevada State
officials, Mr. Stan Marshall of the
Radiological Health Section of the
Nevada State Health Division, Bureau of
Health Protection Services and Ms.
Jolene Johnson of the Nevada Division
of Environmental Protection, regarding
the environmental impact of the
proposed action. Neither State Official
had any comments regarding the draft
EA. Additionally, the staff consulted
with the Idaho State official, Mr. Doug
Walker of the Idaho Department of
Environmental Quality. On November 2,
2004, the State of Idaho, Department of
Environmental Quality, provided
comments regarding the draft EA, and
those comments have been incorporated
in the final EA.
III. 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.
IV. Further Information
Documents related to this action,
including the license amendment
request and supporting documentation,
are available electronically at the NRC’s
Electronic Reading Room at https://
www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
From this site, you may access the
NRC’s Agencywide Document Access
and Management System (ADAMS),
which provides text and image files of
NRC’s public documents. The ADAMS
accession numbers for the documents
related to this notice are: U.S. NRC
Radioactive Materials License:
Department of the Air Force, Docket
Number 030–28641, License Number
42–23539–01AF; Request letter dated
June 23, 2004, U.S. Department of the
Air Force (ML041810555); NRC
Technical Review of Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR) Part 20.2002
request by U.S. Department of the Air
Force (ML042120512); Safety Evaluation
Report, August 5, 2005 (ML052170209);
Environmental Assessment and FONSI.
August 5, 2005 (ML052170216); Title 10
Code of Federal Regulations, 20.2002,
‘‘Method of Obtaining Approval of
Proposed Disposal Procedures’’; and
Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations,
Part 51, ‘‘Environmental Protection
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:53 Oct 24, 2005
Jkt 208001
61651
Regulations for Domestic Licensing and
Related Regulatory Functions.’’
If you do not have access to ADAMS
or if there are problems with accessing
the documents located in ADAMS,
contact the NRC Public Document Room
(PDR) Reference staff at (800) 397–4203,
(301) 415–4737, or by e-mail to
pdr@nrc.gov. These documents may also
be viewed electronically on the public
computers located the NRC’s PDR, O1
F21, One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852.
The PDR reproduction contractor will
copy documents for a fee. The PDR is
open from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except on
Federal holidays.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The loss of full core discharge
capability at CPS is projected to occur
during the February 2006 refueling
outage, based on current projections. To
maintain spent fuel storage capability,
AmerGen would like to expand SFP
storage capacity. The proposed action
would result in the increased fuel
storage capacity in the SFP and the
addition of fuel storage capacity in the
fuel cask storage pool. The proposed
expansion will increase the total storage
capacity from 2,512 to 4,159 fuel
assemblies. The additional capacity is
expected to allow operation without
loss of full-core discharge capability
until the year 2016.
Dated at Arlington, Texas, this 12th day of
October 2005
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jack E. Whitten,
Chief, Nuclear Materials Licensing Branch,
Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, Region
IV.
[FR Doc. E5–5878 Filed 10–24–05; 8:45 am]
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed
Action
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50–461]
Amergen Energy Company, LLC;
Clinton Power Station, Unit 1;
Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an amendment to Facility
Operating License No. NPF–62 issued to
AmerGen Energy Company, LLC
(AmerGen or the licensee), for operation
of Clinton Power Station, Unit 1 (CPS),
located in DeWitt County, Illinois.
Therefore, as required by 10 CFR 51.21,
the NRC is issuing this environmental
assessment and finding of no significant
impact.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would revise
Technical Specification 4.3, ‘‘Fuel
Assemblies,’’ for CPS to reflect the
increased fuel storage capacity in the
spent fuel pool (SFP) and the addition
of fuel storage capacity in the fuel cask
storage pool. The proposed expansion
will increase the total storage capacity
from 2,512 to 4,159 fuel assemblies.
The proposed action is in accordance
with the licensee’s application dated
August 18, 2004, as supplemented on
May 13 and 25, June 14, and August 17,
2005.
PO 00000
Frm 00052
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Radioactive Waste Treatment
CPS uses waste treatment systems
designed to collect and process gaseous,
liquid, and solid waste that might
contain radioactive material. These
radioactive waste treatment systems
were evaluated in the Final
Environmental Statement (FES) for CPS,
Unit 1, dated May 1982. The proposed
changes to the SFP will not involve any
change in the waste treatment systems
described in the FES.
Gaseous Radioactive Wastes
The increase in the number of spent
fuel assemblies stored in the SFP will
potentially result in an increase in the
radioactive gasses evolving from the
pool. However, the level of gaseous
radioactivity in the pool water is
dominated by the most recent reactor
core offload to the pool, not the fuel
already stored in the pool. Therefore,
the storage of additional aged spent fuel
assemblies in the pool will have a
minimal contribution to radioactivity in
the pool. The overall release of
radioactive gases from CPS will remain
within the limits of Title 10, Code of
Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Section
20.1301.
Solid Radioactive Wastes
Spent resins are generated by the
processing of SFP water through the
pools’ purification system. These spent
resins are disposed of as solid
radioactive waste. Resin replacement is
determined primarily by the
requirement for water clarity and is
normally done approximately once per
year. No significant increase in the
volume of solid radioactive waste is
expected with the expanded storage
capacity. During pool re-racking
operations, small amounts of additional
waste resin may be generated by the
E:\FR\FM\25OCN1.SGM
25OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 205 (Tuesday, October 25, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61649-61651]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-5878]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Number 030-28641]
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for
Department of the Air Force's Request for 10 CFR 20.2002 Authorization,
for Disposal of Four Tanks Containing Depleted Uranium to a Subtitle C
RCRA Hazardous Waste Disposal Facility
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel S. Browder, M.S., Health
Physicist, Nuclear Materials Licensing Branch, Division of Nuclear
Materials Safety, Region IV, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 611
Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400, Arlington, Texas 76011; Telephone: (817)
276-6552; fax number: (817) 860-8122; e-mail: rsb3@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
approval of a request dated June 23, 2004, by the U.S. Department of
the Air Force (Air Force), for disposal of four M-47 tanks containing
depleted uranium (DU) from the 98th Range Wing at Nellis Air Force
Base, Nevada, to a Subtitle C RCRA hazardous waste disposal facility.
The request for approval is submitted pursuant to 10 CFR 20.2002,
``Method of Obtaining Approval of Proposed Disposal Procedures.'' NRC
staff evaluated the licensee's analyses of disposal to a Subtitle C
RCRA hazardous waste disposal facility, to demonstrate compliance with
10 CFR 20.2002. The staff used the general guidance for dose modeling
as documented in NUREG-1727, SRP 5.2, and supplemented by the
decommissioning-specific guidance of the license termination rule. The
dose assessment for the disposal of the subject material would result
in doses less than 0.01 millisievert (1 millirem) per year. This action
will revise the Air Force Master Materials License No. 42-23539-01AF,
to authorize the specific disposal of four M-47 tanks containing DU
material to a Subtitle C RCRA hazardous waste disposal facility,
pursuant to 10 CFR 20.2002, for procedures not otherwise authorized in
the regulations of this chapter. This proposed action would also exempt
the low-contaminated material authorized for burial from further Atomic
Energy Act (AEA) and NRC licensing requirements. The NRC staff has
prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) in support of this action in
accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR part 51. The NRC has
determined that a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is
appropriate for the proposed action.
II. Environmental Assessment
Background
The Air Force used four U.S. Army M-47 tanks as target practice at
Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The M-47 tanks were contaminated with
DU, as a result of A-10 aircraft target penetrator rounds. Each tank
contains less than forty GAU-8 30mm DU rounds; each round contains 300
grams of DU. As a result of the kinetic energy released when a tank is
hit by a DU round, some of the DU from the round will bond with the
metal surrounding the entry point and the interior of the chamber. The
DU is a metal form with a minor contribution as an oxide. The mass of
the DU per tank is approximately 12 kg, and when averaged over the mass
of the tank (60 tons), the source material is less than one-twentieth
of 1 percent (0.05 percent) of the mixture. The Air Force demonstrated
by calculation that the potential dose consequence is less than 1 mrem
per year, based on the proposed burial of the M-47 tanks in a RCRA
facility.
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action is approval of the disposal of four (4) M-47
tanks from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, to U.S. Ecology facility in
Grand View, Idaho, which is a Subtitle C RCRA hazardous waste disposal
facility. The Air Force has conservatively assumed the inventory of DU
in each of the four M-47 tanks and calculated the potential dose as
being less than 1 mrem per year, if all four tanks were to be disposed
of,
[[Page 61650]]
in such a facility. This proposed action would also exempt the low-
contaminated material authorized for burial from further Atomic Energy
Act (AEA) and NRC licensing requirements.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed to dispose of four M-47 tanks at a
RCRA Subtitle C hazardous waste disposal facility. The Air Force
maintains the clean-up of the range at Nellis Air Force Base by
implementing an on-going process to dispose of objects that require
disposition or decontamination in lieu of postponing clean-up efforts
until there are extensive objects which require disposition. Therefore,
the disposal of the four M-47 tanks are part of the Air Force on-going
maintenance efforts on the range.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
The alternatives to the proposed action include: (1) No action
alternative, (2) decontamination of the M-47 tanks, or (3) handling the
M-47 tanks as low-level radioactive waste and shipping the tanks to a
licensed low-level waste facility. The Air Force performed an
evaluation to determine if the costs to decontaminate the M-47 tanks
would be comparable to or less than the costs for burial in a Subtitle
C RCRA hazardous waste disposal facility. For the respective four M-47
tanks, the Air Force determined the costs for burial would be less than
the cost to decontaminate the tanks. Disposal of the four M-47 tanks in
the manner proposed is protective of the health and safety, is
consistent with as low as reasonably achievable, and is the most cost-
effective alternative.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The four M-47 tanks were used as target practice in Range 63,
Target Area 10, at Nellis Air Force Base. Nellis Air Force Base is
located approximately 8 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. The base
itself covers more than 14,000 acres, while the total land area
occupied by Nellis and its restricted ranges is about 5,000 square
miles. The 98th Range Wing is responsible for the 2.9 million acre
Nevada Test and Training Range, located just north of Las Vegas. The
distance between Las Vegas and US Ecology, Idaho, is approximately 800
miles. The driving time would be approximately 16 hours (assuming
average speed of 50 miles per hour). The Air Force's dose analysis
conservatively assumed the same driver transported all four tanks in
four separate shipments.
The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and
concludes there are no significant radiological environmental impacts
associated with the disposal of four M-47 tanks to US Ecology, Idaho,
which is a Subtitle C RCRA hazardous waste disposal facility. The Air
Force's analyses conservatively assumed the inventory of DU in each of
the four M-47 tanks was the maximum number of penetrators (i.e., 40
rounds) which potentially hit each tank. The Air Force analyzed the
dose to a transport driver, loader, burial worker, and long-term
impacts to a residence. While the Air Force did not analyze the
groundwater impacts from the disposal, the NRC staff reviewed previous
analyses in support of NUREG-1640, ``Radiological Assessment for
Clearance of Materials from Nuclear Facilities,'' which indicated that
the groundwater pathway is not a controlling factor for DU. Each of the
analyses conservatively estimated the exposure to less than 1 mrem
total dose per year.
With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed
action does not involve any historic sites nor does it affect non-
radiological plant effluents. There may be a slight increase in air
quality and noise impacts during the loading and transportation of each
tank. However, there are no expected adverse impacts to air quality as
a result of the loading and transportation of the four M-47 tanks.
These activities will be short in duration and minimal as compared to
other activities at the base. Therefore, there are no significant non-
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
The NRC has evaluated whether cumulative environmental impacts
could result from an incremental impact of the proposed action when
added to other foreseeable actions in the area. The proposed NRC
approval of the 10 CFR 20.2002 alternative disposal procedure, when
combined with known effects on resource areas of the site, are not
anticipated to result in any cumulative impacts at the site.
The proposed action and attendant exemption of the material from
further AEA and NRC licensing requirements will not significantly
increase the probability or consequence of accidents, no changes are
being made in the types of effluents that may be released off site, and
there is no significant increase in occupational or public radiation
exposure. Accordingly, the NRC concludes there are no significant
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Environmental Impacts of the 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).
The implications from the no-action alternative is that the tanks would
remain on the range until disposition sometime in the future. The
impacts would therefore be limited to the site, and there would be no
transportation impacts and no disposal considerations or impacts until
sometime in the future.
Another alternative to the proposed action, is that the Air Force
may consider decontamination of the four M-47 tanks. The environmental
impacts would increase as a result of this alternative from the air
quality, noise and water usage during the decontamination process.
Additionally, there would be an increase in occupational exposure as a
result of the decontamination process.
Disposing of the four M-47 tanks in a low-level waste disposal
facility is another alternative to the proposed action. This
alternative has similar environmental impacts as the proposed action.
Conclusion
Based on its review, the NRC staff finds that the environmental
impact of the proposed action are either similar to, or less impactive
than, the alternatives to the proposed action. If the proposed action
is denied, the licensee may be required to ship the material to an off-
site low level radioactive waste disposal facility. The costs
associated with off-site disposal at a low-level waste facility greatly
exceeds the cost of burial under the proposed action, with no
significant benefit to the environment. Since the proposed action will
not significantly impact the quality of the human environment, and the
proposed action complies with the criteria in 10 CFR 20.2002 for
alternate disposal procedure, the NRC staff concludes that the proposed
action is the preferred alternative.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
The NRC staff has determined that the proposed action is not a
major decommissioning activity and will not affect listed or proposed
endangered species, nor critical habitat. Therefore, no further
consultation is required under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.
Likewise, NRC staff determined that the proposed action is not the type
of activity that has the potential to cause effects on historic
properties, as the M-47 tanks are
[[Page 61651]]
currently residing in Range 63, Target Area 10, at Nellis Air Force
Base. Therefore, no consultation is required under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act.
On September 23, 2004, the staff consulted with two Nevada State
officials, Mr. Stan Marshall of the Radiological Health Section of the
Nevada State Health Division, Bureau of Health Protection Services and
Ms. Jolene Johnson of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection,
regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. Neither
State Official had any comments regarding the draft EA. Additionally,
the staff consulted with the Idaho State official, Mr. Doug Walker of
the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. On November 2, 2004, the
State of Idaho, Department of Environmental Quality, provided comments
regarding the draft EA, and those comments have been incorporated in
the final EA.
III. 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.
IV. Further Information
Documents related to this action, including the license amendment
request and supporting documentation, are available electronically at
the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/
adams.html. From this site, you may access the NRC's Agencywide
Document Access and Management System (ADAMS), which provides text and
image files of NRC's public documents. The ADAMS accession numbers for
the documents related to this notice are: U.S. NRC Radioactive
Materials License: Department of the Air Force, Docket Number 030-
28641, License Number 42-23539-01AF; Request letter dated June 23,
2004, U.S. Department of the Air Force (ML041810555); NRC Technical
Review of Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 20.2002 request by
U.S. Department of the Air Force (ML042120512); Safety Evaluation
Report, August 5, 2005 (ML052170209); Environmental Assessment and
FONSI. August 5, 2005 (ML052170216); Title 10 Code of Federal
Regulations, 20.2002, ``Method of Obtaining Approval of Proposed
Disposal Procedures''; and Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations, Part
51, ``Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and
Related Regulatory Functions.''
If you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are problems with
accessing the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC Public
Document Room (PDR) Reference staff at (800) 397-4203, (301) 415-4737,
or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov. These documents may also be viewed
electronically on the public computers located the NRC's PDR, O1 F21,
One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. The
PDR reproduction contractor will copy documents for a fee. The PDR is
open from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on
Federal holidays.
Dated at Arlington, Texas, this 12th day of October 2005
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jack E. Whitten,
Chief, Nuclear Materials Licensing Branch, Division of Nuclear
Materials Safety, Region IV.
[FR Doc. E5-5878 Filed 10-24-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
