Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for Proposed Pa'ina Hawaii, LLC Irradiator in Honolulu, HI, 46249-46251 [E7-16255]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 159 / Friday, August 17, 2007 / Notices
ebenthall on PRODPC61 with NOTICES
• Triple Combo Geophysical Tool
String, used to measure standard
geophysical parameters.
• Sonic (Isonic) Tool, used to acquire
acoustic waveforms.
• Ultrasonic Borehole Imager (UBI),
used to provide acoustic images of the
borehole.
• Vibration isolation television (VIT)
camera system.
• The Well Seismic Tool (WST) is a
single axis check shot tool used for zero
offset vertical seismic profiles (VSP).
• Kuster Sampler, used to sample
fluids.
• Measurement While Drilling
(MWD), including Logging While
Drilling (LWD, formation resistivity
images and density/porosity).
• Pressure-While-Drilling (PWD) Tool
String, used to measure formation
pressure.
• Conical Sidewall Entry Sub (CSES),
used to deploy logging tools along the
drill string.
Geophysical Surveying
• Occasional use of geophysical
techniques such as limited singlechannel seismic surveying to
characterize the seafloor and
supplement or verify existing
geophysical data.
The Programmatic EIS addresses U.S.
laws and regulations, as appropriate,
including but not necessarily limited to
NEPA; the Marine Mammal Protection
Act of 1972 (MMPA); the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 (ESA); and
Executive Order (EO) 12114 (1979),
Environmental Effects Abroad of Major
Federal Actions. In addition, the
assessment addreses foreign regulations,
especially where research will be
carried out entirely or partially within
territorial waters or Exclusive Economic
Zone waters surrounding a foreign
nation or in international waters subject
to the United Nations Law of the Sea or
other international agreements.
The Programmatic EIS is designed to
view the USIO drilling program as a
whole and thereby assembles and
analyzes the broadest range of direct,
indirect, and cumulative impacts
associated with the entire program
rather than assessing individual cruises
separately. This approach also addresses
possible concerns that NSF evaluates
regarding each expedition’s contribution
to the cumulative impacts of the entire
program. Further, the Programmatic EIS
provides a broad analytical baseline
within which NSF, using tiered
documents, will be able to analyze and
decide upon various cruise-specific
activities which could potentially affect
biologically sensitive areas. This process
enables the NSF to streamline the
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:36 Aug 16, 2007
Jkt 211001
preparation of subsequent
environmental documents for the
individual cruises, if needed, and
enable NSF to identify any prudent
conservation practices and mitigation
measures that may be applied across the
entire program or applicable to a
particular expedition.
Major environmental issues addressed
in the Programmatic EIS include the
release of any substances from the ship
during vessel transit, drilling, and
research operations which may affect
marine water quality, sea bottom and
sediment quality, air quality, acoustic
environment, marine biological
resources including marine mammals,
fish, sea turtles, invertebrates, Essential
Fish Habitats (EFH), and threatened and
endangered species, commercial and
recreational fisheries, marine vessel
transportation, and cultural resources.
NSF has evaluated three alternatives
in the EIS: (1) The proposed action as
dictated by specific scientific research
needs and consistent with robust IODP
policies; (2) riserless ocean drilling
expeditions designed and conducted to
meet site-specific scientific objectives,
however without input from the IODP
Science Advisory Structure process
including the review of environmental
conditions at each drillsite that may be
adversely affected by drilling activities;
and (3) the no action alternative.
NSF welcomes comments on
mitigation measures to be considered
and included in the program that could
be used to avoid or substantially reduce
the environmental consequences of the
proposed action.
NSF will hold public meetings as
identified in the DATES AND ADDRESSES
section of this notice. These meetings
will also be advertised in area
newspapers. NSF and NMFS
representatives will be available at these
meetings to receive comments from the
public regarding issues of concern to the
public. Federal, state, and local agencies
and interested individuals are
encouraged to take this opportunity to
comment on environmental concerns
that should be addressed in the Draft
Programmatic EIS. Agencies and the
public are also invited and encouraged
to provide written comments on the
Draft Programmatic EIS in addition to,
or in lieu of, oral comments at the
public meetings. To be most helpful,
comments should clearly reference a
particular section or pages of the Draft
Programmatic EIS and describe issues or
topics that the commenter believes
should be addressed.
We invite you to learn about NSF’s
funding of the USIO’s role in the
Integrated Ocean Drilling Program at the
public meeting and provide comments
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46249
on the Draft Programmatic EIS. The
public meeting locations are
wheelchair-accessible. If you plan to
attend a public meeting and need
special assistance such as sign language
interpretation or other reasonable
accommodation, please notify NSF (see
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) at
least 3 business days in advance.
Include your contact information as
well as information about your specific
needs.
We request public comments or other
relevant information on environmental
issues related to the NSF drilling
program. The public meetings are not
the only opportunity you have to
comment. In addition to or in place of
attending a meeting, you can submit
comments to Dr. James Allan by October
1, 2007. (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT). We request that you include
in your comments:
• Your name and address (noting if
you would like to receive a copy of the
Final Programmatic EIS/OEIS upon
completion);
• An explanation for each comment;
and
• Include any background materials
to support your comments, as you feel
necessary.
You may mail or e-mail your comments
to NSF (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT). All comment submissions
must be unbound, no larger than 81⁄2 by
11 inches, and suitable for copying and
electronic scanning. Please note that
regardless of the method used for
submitting comments or material, all
submissions will be publicly available
and, therefore, any personal information
you provide in your comments will be
open for public review. No decision will
be made to implement any alternative
until the NEPA process is completed.
Dated: August 7, 2007.
James Allan,
Program Director, Ocean Drilling Program,
Division of Ocean Sciences, National Science
Foundation.
[FR Doc. 07–3949 Filed 8–16–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555–01–M
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 030–36974]
Notice of Availability of Final
Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact for
Proposed Pa’ina Hawaii, LLC Irradiator
in Honolulu, HI
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
AGENCY:
E:\FR\FM\17AUN1.SGM
17AUN1
46250
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 159 / Friday, August 17, 2007 / Notices
Notice of Availability and
Finding of No Significant Impact.
ACTION:
ebenthall on PRODPC61 with NOTICES
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that
the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is issuing a final
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the
Pa’ina Hawaii, LLC (Pa’ina or the
applicant) license application, dated
June 23, 2005, which requested
authorization to use sealed radioactive
sources in an underwater irradiator for
the production and research irradiation
of food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical
products. The final EA is being issued
as part of the NRC’s decision-making
process on whether to issue a license to
Pa’ina, pursuant to Title 10 of the U.S.
Code of Federal Regulations Part 36,
‘‘Licenses and Radiation Safety
Requirements for Irradiators.’’ The
proposed irradiator would be located
immediately adjacent to Honolulu
International Airport on Palekona Street
near Lagoon Drive. The irradiator would
primarily be used for phytosanitary
treatment of fresh fruit and vegetables
bound for the mainland from the
Hawaiian Islands and similar products
being imported to the Hawaiian Islands
as well as irradiation of cosmetics and
pharmaceutical products. The irradiator
would also be used by the applicant to
conduct research and development
projects, and irradiate a wide range of
other materials as specifically approved
by the NRC on a case-by-case basis.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patricia Swain, Environmental Project
Manager, Environmental and
Performance Assessment Branch,
Division of Waste Management and
Environmental Protection, Mail Stop
T8–F5, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555–
0001. Telephone: (301) 415–5405; email: pbs2@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
On June 27, 2005, the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) received
a license application from Pa’ina
Hawaii, LLC, that, if approved, would
authorize the use of sealed radioactive
sources in an underwater irradiator for
the production and research irradiation
of food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical
products. The proposed irradiator
would be located immediately adjacent
to Honolulu International Airport on
Palekona Street near Lagoon Drive. The
irradiator would primarily be used for
phytosanitary treatment of fresh fruit
and vegetables bound for the mainland
from the Hawaiian Islands and similar
products being imported to the
Hawaiian Islands as well as irradiation
of cosmetics and pharmaceutical
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:36 Aug 16, 2007
Jkt 211001
products. The irradiator would also be
used by the applicant to conduct
research and development projects, and
irradiate a wide range of other materials
as specifically approved by the NRC on
a case-by-case basis.
The NRC has completed its evaluation
of the proposed irradiator against the
requirements found in the NRC’s
regulations at Title 10 of the Code of
Federal Regulations, Part 51,
‘‘Environmental Protection Regulations
for Domestic Licensing and Related
Regulatory Functions,’’ (i.e., 10 CFR Part
51). Typically, the licensing of
irradiators is categorically excluded
from detailed environmental review as
described in the NRC regulations at 10
CFR 51.22(c)(14)(vii). However, the NRC
staff entered into a settlement agreement
with Concerned Citizens of Honolulu,
the interveners in the adjudicatory
hearing to be held on the license
application. The settlement agreement
included a provision for the NRC staff
to prepare a draft EA and hold a public
comment meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii
prior to making a final decision.
The NRC staff published a notice in
the Federal Register requesting public
review and comment on the draft
Environmental Assessment on
December 28, 2006 (71 FR 78231) and
established February 8, 2007 as the
deadline to submit comments.
Approximately 47 individual comment
documents (i.e., letters, facsimiles, and
e-mails) were received by the NRC.
Also, 221 identical e-mails were
submitted by various individuals. In
addition, oral comments were received
from 43 individuals at the public
meeting conducted by NRC in Honolulu
on February 1, 2007. The staff also
issued a supplemental appendix to the
Draft EA on June 8, 2007 (72 FR 31866)
which presented the staff’s
consideration of terrorist acts on the
proposed facility. The staff established
July 9, 2007 as the deadline for
submitting public comments on
Appendix B and received comments
from six individuals.
The NRC staff reviewed each
comment letter and the transcript of the
public meeting. Comments relating to
similar issues and topics were grouped.
The final EA includes an appendix
which presents summaries of
comments, along with the NRC staff’s
corresponding responses. When
comments have resulted in a
modification to the draft EA, those
changes are noted in the staff’s
response. In cases for which the
comments did not warrant a detailed
response, the NRC staff provided an
explanation as to why no further
response is necessary. In all cases, the
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
NRC staff sought to respond to all
comments received during the public
comment period.
II. EA Summary
The purpose of the license request
(i.e., the proposed action) is to authorize
Pa’ina Hawaii to use sealed radioactive
sources in a pool irradiator to be located
adjacent to the Honolulu International
Airport, Honolulu, Hawaii. Pa’ina’s
license request was previously noticed
in the Federal Register on August 2,
2005 (70 FR 44396) with a notice of an
opportunity to request a hearing.
The staff has completed its final EA
in support of its review of the license
application. The staff considered
impacts to such areas as public and
occupational health, transportation of
the sources, socioeconomics, ecology,
water quality, and the effects of aviation
accidents and natural phenomena.
During routine operations the dose
rate at the surface of the irradiator pool
is expected to be well below 1 millirem/
hour. Considering the location of
personnel and operational practices of
the irradiator, it is unlikely that an
employee could receive more than the
occupational dose limit which is 5,000
millirem/year. The expected dose rates
outside the building are expected to be
indistinguishable from naturally
occurring background radiation,
therefore it is unlikely that a member of
the public could receive more than
public dose limit which is 100 millirem/
year. For the shipment of the radioactive
sources, the maximum dose is also
expected to be very small: 0.04 mrem/
year. The staff also considered
alternative treatments such as
fumigation with methyl bromide and
heat treatments.
The staff completed consultations
under section 7 of the Endangered
Species Act and section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act. In
addition the staff provided interested
members of the public, the applicant,
and State officials with an opportunity
to comment on the draft EA.
The final EA includes two new
sections. The first section deals with the
NRC’s consideration of terrorist
activities and the second section
discusses public comments on the draft
EA and provides the NRC’s
corresponding response.
The complete final EA is available on
the NRC’s Web site: https://www.nrc.gov/
materials.html by selecting ‘‘Pa’ina
Irradiator’’ in the Quick Links box.
Copies are also available by contacting
Patricia Swain as noted above.
E:\FR\FM\17AUN1.SGM
17AUN1
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 159 / Friday, August 17, 2007 / Notices
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
The NRC staff has prepared this final
EA in support of the proposed action to
issue a license to Pa’ina Hawaii for the
possession and use of sealed radioactive
sources in an underwater irradiator for
the production and research irradiation
of food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical
products. On the basis of this EA, NRC
has concluded that there are no
significant environmental impacts and
the license application does not warrant
the preparation of an Environmental
Impact Statement. Accordingly, it has
been determined that a Finding of No
Significant Impact is appropriate.
SUMMARY: Representatives from Time
Inc. will present a briefing on Monday,
August 20, 2007, beginning at 3 p.m., in
the Postal Regulatory Commission’s
main conference room. The briefing will
address delivery service measurement
for certain Periodicals mailings. The
briefing is open to the public.
DATES: August 20, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Postal Regulatory
Commission, 901 New York Avenue,
NW., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20268–
0001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ann
C. Fisher, chief of staff, Postal
Regulatory Commission, 202–789–6803.
IV. Further Information
Documents related to this action,
including the application for
amendment 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 can 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: Pa’ina License
Application, ML052060372; NRC final
Environmental Assessment,
ML071150121. If you do not have access
to ADAMS or if there are problems in
accessing the documents located in
ADAMS, contact the NRC’s Public
Document Room (PDR) Reference staff
at 1–800–397–4209, 301–415–4737, or
by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.
These documents may also be viewed
electronically on the public computers
located at 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.
Steven W. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 07–4029 Filed 8–16–07; 8:45 am]
Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 10th day
of August, 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Patricia Swain,
Acting Chief, Environmental Review Branch,
Division of Waste Management and
Environmental Protection, Office of Federal
and State Materials and Environmental
Management Programs.
[FR Doc. E7–16255 Filed 8–16–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
ebenthall on PRODPC61 with NOTICES
POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
Briefing on Industry Delivery Tracking
System
Postal Regulatory Commission
Notice of briefing.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:36 Aug 16, 2007
Jkt 211001
BILLING CODE 7710–FW–M
RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed collections;
Comment Request
Summary: In accordance with the
requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
which provides opportunity for public
comment on new or revised data
collections, the Railroad Retirement
Board (RRB) publishes periodic
summaries of proposed data collections.
The information collections numbered
below are pending at RRB and will be
submitted to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) 60 days from the
publication date of this notice.
Comments are Invited on: (a) Whether
the proposed information collection(s)
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the agency, including
whether the information has practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the RRB’s
estimate of the burden of the collection
of the information; (c) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d)
ways to minimize the burden related to
the collection of information on
respondents, including the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
1. Title and Purpose of Information
Collection; Railroad Service and
Compensation Reports/System Access
Application; OMB 3220–0008 Under
Section 9 of the Railroad Retirement Act
(RRA) and Section 6 of the Railroad
Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA)
the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)
maintains for each railroad employee, a
record of compensation paid to that
employee by all railroad employers for
whom the employee worked after 1936.
PO 00000
Frm 00058
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
46251
This record, which is used by the RRB
to determine eligibility for, and amount
of, benefits due under the laws it
administers, is conclusive as to the
amount of compensation paid to an
employee during such period(s) covered
by the report(s) of the compensation by
the employee’s railroad employer(s),
except in cases when an employee files
a protest pertaining to his or her
reported compensation within the statue
of limitations cited in Section 9 of the
RRA and Section 6 of the RUIA.
To enable the RRB to establish and
maintain the record of compensation,
employers are required to file with the
RRB, in such manner and form and at
such times as the RRB prescribes,
reports of compensation of employees.
Railroad Employers’ Reports and
Responsibilities are prescribed in 20
CFR 209. The RRB currently utilizes
Form BA–3a, Annual Report of
Compensation and Form BA–4, Report
of Creditable Compensation
Adjustments, to secure required
information from railroad employers.
Form BA–3a provides the RRB with
information regarding annual creditable
service and compensation for each
individual who worked for a railroad
employer covered by the RRA and RUIA
in a given year. Form BA–4 provides for
the adjustment of any previously
submitted reports and also the
opportunity to provide any service and
compensation that had been previously
omitted. Requirements specific to Forms
BA–3a and BA–4 are prescribed in 20
CFR 209.8 and 209.9.
Employers currently have the option
of submitting the reports on the
aforementioned forms, electronically via
the Internet utilizing the RRB’s
Employer Reporting System (ERS) (for
Form BA–4), or in like format on
magnetic tape cartridges, CD–ROM’s
and PC diskettes.
The RRB proposes major changes to
the information collection. They are
intended to streamline the employer
reporting process, ensuring more
accurate and timely reporting, while
eliminating or reducing the employer
reporting burden associated with several
other RRB information collections.
Form BA–3a will be significantly
revised and renamed Form BA–3,
Annual Report of Compensation.
Revisions to proposed Form BA–3
include the expansion of existing data
fields to allow for: the reporting of
amounts for Tier I and Tier II
compensation greater than $99,999.99
(the annual creditable maximum for
Tier I will exceed that amount within
the next two years), RUIA daily pay
amounts of more than $99.99, 4-digit
year fields and an employee’s complete
E:\FR\FM\17AUN1.SGM
17AUN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 159 (Friday, August 17, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46249-46251]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-16255]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 030-36974]
Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact for Proposed Pa'ina Hawaii, LLC
Irradiator in Honolulu, HI
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
[[Page 46250]]
ACTION: Notice of Availability and Finding of No Significant Impact.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is issuing a final Environmental Assessment (EA) for
the Pa'ina Hawaii, LLC (Pa'ina or the applicant) license application,
dated June 23, 2005, which requested authorization to use sealed
radioactive sources in an underwater irradiator for the production and
research irradiation of food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products.
The final EA is being issued as part of the NRC's decision-making
process on whether to issue a license to Pa'ina, pursuant to Title 10
of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 36, ``Licenses and
Radiation Safety Requirements for Irradiators.'' The proposed
irradiator would be located immediately adjacent to Honolulu
International Airport on Palekona Street near Lagoon Drive. The
irradiator would primarily be used for phytosanitary treatment of fresh
fruit and vegetables bound for the mainland from the Hawaiian Islands
and similar products being imported to the Hawaiian Islands as well as
irradiation of cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. The irradiator
would also be used by the applicant to conduct research and development
projects, and irradiate a wide range of other materials as specifically
approved by the NRC on a case-by-case basis.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Swain, Environmental Project
Manager, Environmental and Performance Assessment Branch, Division of
Waste Management and Environmental Protection, Mail Stop T8-F5, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Telephone:
(301) 415-5405; e-mail: pbs2@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
On June 27, 2005, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
received a license application from Pa'ina Hawaii, LLC, that, if
approved, would authorize the use of sealed radioactive sources in an
underwater irradiator for the production and research irradiation of
food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products. The proposed irradiator
would be located immediately adjacent to Honolulu International Airport
on Palekona Street near Lagoon Drive. The irradiator would primarily be
used for phytosanitary treatment of fresh fruit and vegetables bound
for the mainland from the Hawaiian Islands and similar products being
imported to the Hawaiian Islands as well as irradiation of cosmetics
and pharmaceutical products. The irradiator would also be used by the
applicant to conduct research and development projects, and irradiate a
wide range of other materials as specifically approved by the NRC on a
case-by-case basis.
The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed irradiator
against the requirements found in the NRC's regulations at Title 10 of
the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 51, ``Environmental Protection
Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions,''
(i.e., 10 CFR Part 51). Typically, the licensing of irradiators is
categorically excluded from detailed environmental review as described
in the NRC regulations at 10 CFR 51.22(c)(14)(vii). However, the NRC
staff entered into a settlement agreement with Concerned Citizens of
Honolulu, the interveners in the adjudicatory hearing to be held on the
license application. The settlement agreement included a provision for
the NRC staff to prepare a draft EA and hold a public comment meeting
in Honolulu, Hawaii prior to making a final decision.
The NRC staff published a notice in the Federal Register requesting
public review and comment on the draft Environmental Assessment on
December 28, 2006 (71 FR 78231) and established February 8, 2007 as the
deadline to submit comments. Approximately 47 individual comment
documents (i.e., letters, facsimiles, and e-mails) were received by the
NRC. Also, 221 identical e-mails were submitted by various individuals.
In addition, oral comments were received from 43 individuals at the
public meeting conducted by NRC in Honolulu on February 1, 2007. The
staff also issued a supplemental appendix to the Draft EA on June 8,
2007 (72 FR 31866) which presented the staff's consideration of
terrorist acts on the proposed facility. The staff established July 9,
2007 as the deadline for submitting public comments on Appendix B and
received comments from six individuals.
The NRC staff reviewed each comment letter and the transcript of
the public meeting. Comments relating to similar issues and topics were
grouped. The final EA includes an appendix which presents summaries of
comments, along with the NRC staff's corresponding responses. When
comments have resulted in a modification to the draft EA, those changes
are noted in the staff's response. In cases for which the comments did
not warrant a detailed response, the NRC staff provided an explanation
as to why no further response is necessary. In all cases, the NRC staff
sought to respond to all comments received during the public comment
period.
II. EA Summary
The purpose of the license request (i.e., the proposed action) is
to authorize Pa'ina Hawaii to use sealed radioactive sources in a pool
irradiator to be located adjacent to the Honolulu International
Airport, Honolulu, Hawaii. Pa'ina's license request was previously
noticed in the Federal Register on August 2, 2005 (70 FR 44396) with a
notice of an opportunity to request a hearing.
The staff has completed its final EA in support of its review of
the license application. The staff considered impacts to such areas as
public and occupational health, transportation of the sources,
socioeconomics, ecology, water quality, and the effects of aviation
accidents and natural phenomena.
During routine operations the dose rate at the surface of the
irradiator pool is expected to be well below 1 millirem/hour.
Considering the location of personnel and operational practices of the
irradiator, it is unlikely that an employee could receive more than the
occupational dose limit which is 5,000 millirem/year. The expected dose
rates outside the building are expected to be indistinguishable from
naturally occurring background radiation, therefore it is unlikely that
a member of the public could receive more than public dose limit which
is 100 millirem/year. For the shipment of the radioactive sources, the
maximum dose is also expected to be very small: 0.04 mrem/year. The
staff also considered alternative treatments such as fumigation with
methyl bromide and heat treatments.
The staff completed consultations under section 7 of the Endangered
Species Act and section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
In addition the staff provided interested members of the public, the
applicant, and State officials with an opportunity to comment on the
draft EA.
The final EA includes two new sections. The first section deals
with the NRC's consideration of terrorist activities and the second
section discusses public comments on the draft EA and provides the
NRC's corresponding response.
The complete final EA is available on the NRC's Web site: https://
www.nrc.gov/materials.html by selecting ``Pa'ina Irradiator'' in the
Quick Links box. Copies are also available by contacting Patricia Swain
as noted above.
[[Page 46251]]
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
The NRC staff has prepared this final EA in support of the proposed
action to issue a license to Pa'ina Hawaii for the possession and use
of sealed radioactive sources in an underwater irradiator for the
production and research irradiation of food, cosmetic, and
pharmaceutical products. On the basis of this EA, NRC has concluded
that there are no significant environmental impacts and the license
application does not warrant the preparation of an Environmental Impact
Statement. Accordingly, it has been determined that a Finding of No
Significant Impact is appropriate.
IV. Further Information
Documents related to this action, including the application for
amendment 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 can 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: Pa'ina License Application,
ML052060372; NRC final Environmental Assessment, ML071150121. If you do
not have access to ADAMS or if there are problems in accessing the
documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC's Public Document Room
(PDR) Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to
pdr@nrc.gov.
These documents may also be viewed electronically on the public
computers located at 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.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 10th day of August, 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Patricia Swain,
Acting Chief, Environmental Review Branch, Division of Waste Management
and Environmental Protection, Office of Federal and State Materials and
Environmental Management Programs.
[FR Doc. E7-16255 Filed 8-16-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
