Saxton Nuclear Experimental Corporation and GPU Nuclear, Inc.; Notice of Termination of Saxton Nuclear Experimental Corporation Facility Amended Facility License No. DPR-4, 70638 [E5-6414]

Download as PDF 70638 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 224 / Tuesday, November 22, 2005 / Notices NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 50–146, License No. DPR–4] Saxton Nuclear Experimental Corporation and GPU Nuclear, Inc.; Notice of Termination of Saxton Nuclear Experimental Corporation Facility Amended Facility License No. DPR–4 Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Notice of Termination of the Saxton Nuclear Experimental Corporation (SNEC) and GPU Nuclear, Inc., SNEC Facility Amended Facility License No. DPR–4. AGENCY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is noticing the termination of Amended Facility License No. DPR–4 (NRC Docket No. 50–146) for the SNEC facility near Saxton, Pennsylvania. Background: The SNEC facility is in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. The SNEC facility operated from 1962 to 1972. It was mainly used for research in various aspects of power reactor technology and to train personnel. The reactor was licensed at 23.5 megawatts of thermal energy. Electric power was produced by sending steam produced by operation of the reactor to a nearby coalfired power station (because the SNEC facility did not have its own turbine or generator). The nuclear steam supply system was a one-loop pressurized water reactor. After shutdown, the reactor fuel was removed from the facility and shipped to what is now the Department of Energy Savannah River Site in South Carolina. Some minor decommissioning activities were done from 1972 to 1974. The facility was then placed in a monitored storage condition. Support structures and buildings were decontaminated and removed between 1987 and 1992. Full-scale decommissioning activities started in May 1998. In February 2000 the licensees submitted their license termination plan (LTP) for the SNEC facility. Under the provisions of 10 CFR 50.82(a)(10), the NRC approved the LTP by a license amendment dated March 28, 2003. In accordance with the approved LTP, the licensees conducted final status surveys (FSSs) to demonstrate that the facility and site met the criteria in 10 CFR 20.1402 for unrestricted release. The licensees presented the FSS results to the NRC in FSS reports (FSSRs). The licensees submitted an application for termination of SNEC Amended Facility License No. DPR–4 on September 15, 2005. The application SUMMARY: VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:22 Nov 21, 2005 Jkt 208001 states that GPU Nuclear, Inc., has completed the remaining radiological decommissioning activities and the final radiation surveys of the SNEC Facility and the associated PENELEC site in accordance with an NRC-approved LTP and the final radiation surveys demonstrate that the facility and site area meet the criteria in 10 CFR part 20, subpart E, for the decommissioning and release of the site for unrestricted use. The NRC did a number of performance-based in-process inspections of the licensee’s FSS program during the decommissioning process. The purpose of the inspections was to verify that the FSSs were being done in accordance with the licensees’ commitments in the LTP and to evaluate the quality of the FSSs by reviewing the FSS procedures, methodology, equipment, surveyor training and qualifications, document quality control, and survey data. The NRC also did independent confirmatory surveys to verify the licensees’ FSS results. The confirmatory surveys consisted of surface scans for beta and gamma radiation, direct measurements for total beta activity, and smear sampling for determining removable-radioactivity levels. The NRC staff reviewed the FSSRs and concludes that (i) dismantlement and decontamination activities were performed in accordance with the approved LTP; and (ii) the FSSRs demonstrate that the facility and site have met the criteria for decommissioning in 10 CFR part 20, subpart E. NRC is therefore terminating SNEC Facility Amended Facility License No. DPR–4. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: See the application for license termination dated September 15, 2005 (ML052640047) and NRC Inspection Report Nos. 50–146/2003–201, dated November 12, 2003 (ML033090608), 50– 146/2003–202, dated December 17, 2003 (ML033420687), 50–146/2004–201, dated February 10, 2005 (ML050380407), and 50–146/2005–201, dated October 31, 2005 (ML052730465). They are available for public inspection at the Commission’s Public Document Room (PDR) at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System’s (ADAMS’s) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, https:// www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (use the ADAMS ML numbers given above). Persons who do not have access PO 00000 Frm 00061 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 to ADAMS or who have trouble accessing the documents in ADAMS should contact the NRC PDR reference staff by telephone at 1–800–397–4209 or 301–415–4737 or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov. Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 7th day of November 2005. For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Brian E. Thomas, Branch Chief, Research and Test Reactors Branch, Division of Policy and Rulemaking, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. E5–6414 Filed 11–21–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; Meeting Notice In accordance with the purposes of sections 29 and 182b. of the Atomic Energy Act (42 U.S.C. 2039, 2232b), the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) will hold a meeting on December 7–10, 2005, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. The date of this meeting was previously published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, November 24, 2004 (69 FR 68412). Wednesday, December 7, 2005, Conference Room T–2B3, Two White Flint North, Rockville, Maryland 1 p.m.–1:05 p.m.: Opening Remarks by the ACRS Chairman (Open)—The ACRS Chairman will make opening remarks regarding the conduct of the meeting. 1:05 p.m.–3 p.m.: Final Review of the Vermont Yankee Extended Power Uprate Application and the Associated Safety Evaluation (Open)—The Committee will hear presentations by and hold discussions with representatives of the Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. and the NRC staff regarding the 20% power uprate application for the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant and the NRC staff’s associated Safety Evaluation. 3:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m.: Draft ACRS report on the NRC Safety Research Program (Open)—The Committee will discuss the draft ACRS report to the Commission on the NRC Safety Research Program. 5:45 p.m.–6:45 p.m.: Preparation for Meeting with the NRC Commissioners (Open)—The Committee will discuss the topics scheduled for discussion with the NRC Commissioners between 1 and 3 p.m. on Thursday, December 8, 2005. E:\FR\FM\22NON1.SGM 22NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 224 (Tuesday, November 22, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 70638]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-6414]



[[Page 70638]]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-146, License No. DPR-4]


Saxton Nuclear Experimental Corporation and GPU Nuclear, Inc.; 
Notice of Termination of Saxton Nuclear Experimental Corporation 
Facility Amended Facility License No. DPR-4

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of Termination of the Saxton Nuclear Experimental 
Corporation (SNEC) and GPU Nuclear, Inc., SNEC Facility Amended 
Facility License No. DPR-4.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is noticing the 
termination of Amended Facility License No. DPR-4 (NRC Docket No. 50-
146) for the SNEC facility near Saxton, Pennsylvania.
    Background: The SNEC facility is in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. 
The SNEC facility operated from 1962 to 1972. It was mainly used for 
research in various aspects of power reactor technology and to train 
personnel. The reactor was licensed at 23.5 megawatts of thermal 
energy. Electric power was produced by sending steam produced by 
operation of the reactor to a nearby coal-fired power station (because 
the SNEC facility did not have its own turbine or generator). The 
nuclear steam supply system was a one-loop pressurized water reactor. 
After shutdown, the reactor fuel was removed from the facility and 
shipped to what is now the Department of Energy Savannah River Site in 
South Carolina. Some minor decommissioning activities were done from 
1972 to 1974. The facility was then placed in a monitored storage 
condition. Support structures and buildings were decontaminated and 
removed between 1987 and 1992. Full-scale decommissioning activities 
started in May 1998.
    In February 2000 the licensees submitted their license termination 
plan (LTP) for the SNEC facility. Under the provisions of 10 CFR 
50.82(a)(10), the NRC approved the LTP by a license amendment dated 
March 28, 2003. In accordance with the approved LTP, the licensees 
conducted final status surveys (FSSs) to demonstrate that the facility 
and site met the criteria in 10 CFR 20.1402 for unrestricted release. 
The licensees presented the FSS results to the NRC in FSS reports 
(FSSRs).
    The licensees submitted an application for termination of SNEC 
Amended Facility License No. DPR-4 on September 15, 2005. The 
application states that GPU Nuclear, Inc., has completed the remaining 
radiological decommissioning activities and the final radiation surveys 
of the SNEC Facility and the associated PENELEC site in accordance with 
an NRC-approved LTP and the final radiation surveys demonstrate that 
the facility and site area meet the criteria in 10 CFR part 20, subpart 
E, for the decommissioning and release of the site for unrestricted 
use.
    The NRC did a number of performance-based in-process inspections of 
the licensee's FSS program during the decommissioning process. The 
purpose of the inspections was to verify that the FSSs were being done 
in accordance with the licensees' commitments in the LTP and to 
evaluate the quality of the FSSs by reviewing the FSS procedures, 
methodology, equipment, surveyor training and qualifications, document 
quality control, and survey data. The NRC also did independent 
confirmatory surveys to verify the licensees' FSS results. The 
confirmatory surveys consisted of surface scans for beta and gamma 
radiation, direct measurements for total beta activity, and smear 
sampling for determining removable-radioactivity levels.
    The NRC staff reviewed the FSSRs and concludes that (i) 
dismantlement and decontamination activities were performed in 
accordance with the approved LTP; and (ii) the FSSRs demonstrate that 
the facility and site have met the criteria for decommissioning in 10 
CFR part 20, subpart E. NRC is therefore terminating SNEC Facility 
Amended Facility License No. DPR-4.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: See the application for license 
termination dated September 15, 2005 (ML052640047) and NRC Inspection 
Report Nos. 50-146/2003-201, dated November 12, 2003 (ML033090608), 50-
146/2003-202, dated December 17, 2003 (ML033420687), 50-146/2004-201, 
dated February 10, 2005 (ML050380407), and 50-146/2005-201, dated 
October 31, 2005 (ML052730465). They are available for public 
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room (PDR) at One White 
Flint North, Public File Area O1F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first 
floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be 
accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents Access and 
Management System's (ADAMS's) Public Electronic Reading Room on the 
Internet at the NRC Web site, https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html 
(use the ADAMS ML numbers given above). Persons who do not have access 
to ADAMS or who have trouble accessing the documents in ADAMS should 
contact the NRC PDR reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 
301-415-4737 or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 7th day of November 2005.

    For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Brian E. Thomas,
Branch Chief, Research and Test Reactors Branch, Division of Policy and 
Rulemaking, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E5-6414 Filed 11-21-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
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