Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for License Amendment to Byproduct Materials License No. 37-11185-04, for Unrestricted Release of a Franklin & Marshall College Facility in Lancaster, PA, 54945-54947 [E7-19078]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 187 / Thursday, September 27, 2007 / Notices
Open: 9 a.m.–11 a.m.
• Approval of August 2007 CPP
Minutes.
• Committee Chairman’s Remarks.
• Status Report:
Æ Task Force on International
Science.
• Action Item: Revision to NSB
Thresholds Policy.
• Discussion Item: Facilities
Operations and Management.
• Status Reports:
Æ Subcommittee on Polar Issues.
Æ Task Force on Transformative
Research.
• Discussion Item: NSB Policy on
Recompetition of NSF Awards.
• Information Item: Deep
Underground Science and
Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL).
• Information Item: Advanced Laser
Interferometer Gravitational-Wave
Observatory (AdvLIGO) Project.
• Committee Chairman’s Remarks.
Committee on Strategy and Budget
Open: 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
• Approval of CSB Minutes, August
28, 2007.
• Committee Chairman’s Remarks.
• Follow-up Discussion of the Report
of the NSF Working Group on the
Impact of Proposal and Award
Management Mechanisms
(IPAMM).
• Development of Recommendations
on NSF Average Award Size,
Duration, and Proposal Success
Rate.
• Discussion of CSB ad hoc Task
Group on Cost-Sharing.
• Status of NSF FY 2008 Budget
Request.
Plenary Executive Closed
Closed: 1:30 p.m.–1:45 p.m.
• Approval of August 2007 Minutes.
• Board Member Proposals.
Plenary Closed
Closed: 1:45 p.m.–2 p.m.
• Approval of August 2007 Minutes.
• Awards and Agreements.
• Closed Committee Reports.
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Plenary Open
Open: 2 p.m.–3 p.m.
• Approval of August 2007 Minutes.
• Resolution to Close December 2007
Meeting.
• Chairman’s Report.
• Director’s Report.
• Open Committee Reports.
Michael P. Crosby,
Executive Officer and Board Office Director.
[FR Doc. E7–19058 Filed 9–26–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555–01–P
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50–315 and 50–316]
Indiana Michigan Power Company;
Notice of Partial Withdrawal of
Application for Amendment to
Renewed Facility Operating License
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (the Commission) has
granted the request of Indiana Michigan
Power Company (the licensee) to
partially withdraw its November 3,
2006, as supplemented by letter dated
June 27, 2007, application for proposed
amendment to Renewed Facility
Operating License Nos. DPR–58 and
DPR–74 for the Donald C. Cook Nuclear
Plant, Units 1 and 2 (DCCNP–1 and
DCCNP–2), located in Berrien County,
Michigan.
The proposed amendment would
have revised the technical specifications
to reflect a plant modification that will
replace the reactor coolant system (RCS)
resistance temperature detectors (RTDs)
and bypass piping with fast-response
RTD detectors mounted in thermowells
directly in the primary loop piping of
DCCNP–2. The proposed TS changes
affect the applicable notes in the
DCCNP–2 TS surveillance requirement
for channel calibration of the
overtemperature differential
temperature (OTDT) and overpower
differential temperature (OPDT) reactor
trip system (RTS) functions. The
proposed change would also affect both
units’ TS Allowable Values (AV) for
OTDT and OPDT RTS functions.
The Commission had previously
issued a Notice of Consideration of
Issuance of Amendment published in
the Federal Register on January 3, 2007
(72 FR 153). However, by letter dated
June 27, 2007, the licensee withdrew the
proposed changes to the DCCNP–1 and
DCCNP–2 AV for OTDT and OPDT RTS
functions. The proposed changes to
DCCNP–2 TS that were not withdrawn
by the licensee were approved by
Amendment No. 280, dated September
19, 2007.
For further details with respect to this
action, see the application for
amendment dated November 3, 2006,
and the licensee’s letter dated June 27,
2007, which partially withdrew the
application for license amendment.
Documents may be examined, and/or
copied for a fee, at the NRC’s Public
Document Room (PDR), located at One
White Flint North, Public File Area O1
F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor),
Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available
records will be accessible electronically
from the Agencywide Documents
Access and Management Systems
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54945
(ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading
Room on the internet at the NRC Web
site, https://www.nrc.gov/readingrm.html. Persons who do not have
access to ADAMS or who encounter
problems in accessing the documents
located 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 21st day
of September 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
˜
Adrian Muniz,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch
III–1, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E7–19075 Filed 9–26–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 030–17052]
Notice of Availability of Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for License
Amendment to Byproduct Materials
License No. 37–11185–04, for
Unrestricted Release of a Franklin &
Marshall College Facility in Lancaster,
PA
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Issuance of Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for License
Amendment.
AGENCY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dennis Lawyer, Health Physicist,
Commercial and R&D Branch, Division
of Nuclear Materials Safety, Region 1,
475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia,
Pennsylvania; telephone 610–337–5366;
fax number 610–337–5393; or by e-mail:
drl1@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is considering the
issuance of a license amendment to
Byproduct Materials License No. 37–
11185–04. This license is held by
Franklin & Marshall College (the
Licensee), for its Main Campus
Facilities located off Harrisburg Pike in
Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Issuance of the
amendment would authorize release of
the Fackenthal Laboratories Building
(the Facility) for unrestricted use. The
Licensee requested this action in a letter
dated June 28, 2007, and responded
with additional information by letters
dated August 7 and 24, 2007. The NRC
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 187 / Thursday, September 27, 2007 / Notices
has prepared an Environmental
Assessment (EA) in support of this
proposed action in accordance with the
requirements of Title 10, Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 51 (10
CFR Part 51). Based on the EA, the NRC
has concluded that a Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI) is
appropriate with respect to the
proposed action. The amendment will
be issued to the Licensee following the
publication of this FONSI and EA in the
Federal Register.
II. Environmental Assessment
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Identification of Proposed Action
The proposed action would approve
the Licensee’s June 28, 2007, license
amendment request, resulting in release
of the Facility for unrestricted use.
License No. 37–11185–04 was issued on
October 22, 1979, pursuant to 10 CFR
Part 30, and has been amended
periodically since that time. This
license authorized the Licensee to use
unsealed byproduct material at the
Facility for purposes of conducting
research and development activities on
laboratory bench tops and in hoods.
This license, if amended as requested,
will continue to authorize the licensee
to use unsealed byproduct material at
other facilities located on its Main
Campus in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
The Facility is located on the
Licensee’s 182 acre campus and consists
of a 41,215 square foot building
containing office, classroom, and
laboratory space. Within the Facility,
use of licensed materials was confined
to laboratories F–214, F–304, and F–
306. The area of use totaled 2,522 square
feet. The Facility is located in a mixed
residential and commercial area.
On January 30, 2003, the Licensee
ceased licensed activities at the Facility
and initiated a survey and
decontamination of the Facility. Based
on the Licensee’s historical knowledge
of the site and the conditions of the
Facility, the Licensee determined that
only routine decontamination activities,
in accordance with their NRC-approved,
operating radiation safety procedures,
were required. The Licensee was not
required to submit a decommissioning
plan to the NRC because worker cleanup
activities and procedures are consistent
with those approved for routine
operations. The Licensee conducted
surveys of the Facility and provided
information to the NRC to demonstrate
that it meets the criteria in Subpart E of
10 CFR Part 20 for unrestricted release.
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Need for the Proposed Action
The Licensee has ceased conducting
licensed activities at the Facility, and
seeks the unrestricted use of its Facility.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed
Action
The historical review of licensed
activities conducted at the Facility
shows that such activities involved use
of the following radionuclides with halflives greater than 120 days: Hydrogen3 and carbon-14. Prior to performing the
final status survey, the Licensee
conducted decontamination activities,
as necessary, in the areas of the Facility
affected by these radionuclides.
The Licensee conducted final status
surveys on June 28, August 7, and
August 24, 2007. The Licensee elected
to demonstrate compliance with the
radiological criteria for unrestricted
release as specified in 10 CFR 20.1402
by using the screening approach
described in NUREG–1757,
‘‘Consolidated NMSS Decommissioning
Guidance,’’ Volume 2. The Licensee
used the radionuclide-specific derived
concentration guideline levels (DCGLs),
developed there by the NRC, which
comply with the dose criterion in 10
CFR 20.1402. These DCGLs define the
maximum amount of residual
radioactivity on building surfaces,
equipment, and materials that will
satisfy the NRC requirements in Subpart
E of 10 CFR Part 20 for unrestricted
release. The Licensee’s final status
survey results were below these DCGLs
and are in compliance with the As Low
As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA)
requirement of 10 CFR 20.1402.
The NRC thus finds that the
Licensee’s final status survey results are
acceptable. Based on its review, the staff
has determined that the affected
environment and any environmental
impacts associated with the proposed
action are bounded by the impacts
evaluated by the ‘‘Generic
Environmental Impact Statement in
Support of Rulemaking on Radiological
Criteria for License Termination of NRCLicensed Nuclear Facilities’’ (NUREG–
1496) Volumes 1–3 (ML042310492,
ML042320379, and ML042330385). The
staff finds there were no significant
environmental impacts from the use of
radioactive material at the Facility. The
NRC staff reviewed the docket file
records and the final status survey
report to identify any non-radiological
hazards that may have impacted the
environment surrounding the Facility.
No such hazards or impacts to the
environment were identified. The NRC
has identified no other radiological or
non-radiological activities in the area
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that could result in cumulative
environmental impacts.
The NRC staff finds that the proposed
release of the Facility for unrestricted
use is in compliance with 10 CFR
20.1402 including the impact of residual
radioactivity at previously-released site
locations of use. Based on its review, the
staff considered the impact of the
residual radioactivity at the Facility and
concluded that the proposed action will
not have a significant effect on the
quality of the human environment.
Environmental Impacts of the
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Due to the largely administrative
nature of the proposed action, its
environmental impacts are small.
Therefore, the only alternative the staff
considered is the no-action alternative,
under which the staff would leave
things as they are by simply denying the
amendment request. This no-action
alternative is not feasible because it
conflicts with 10 CFR 30.36(d),
requiring that decommissioning of
byproduct material facilities be
completed and approved by the NRC
after licensed activities cease. The
NRC’s analysis of the Licensee’s final
status survey data confirmed that the
Facility meets the requirements of 10
CFR 20.1402 for unrestricted release.
Additionally, denying the amendment
request would result in no change in
current environmental impacts. The
environmental impacts of the proposed
action and the no-action alternative are
therefore similar, and the no-action
alternative is accordingly not further
considered.
Conclusion
The NRC staff has concluded that the
proposed action is consistent with the
NRC’s unrestricted release criteria
specified in 10 CFR 20.1402. Because
the proposed action will not
significantly impact the quality of the
human environment, the NRC staff
concludes that the proposed action is
the preferred alternative.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
NRC provided a draft of this
Environmental Assessment to the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s
Department of Environmental
Protection, Bureau of Radiation
Protection for review on September 4,
2007. On September 9, 2007, the Bureau
of Radiation Protection responded by
electronic mail. The State agreed with
the conclusions of the EA, and
otherwise had no comments.
The NRC staff has determined that the
proposed action is of a procedural
nature, and will not affect listed species
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 187 / Thursday, September 27, 2007 / Notices
or critical habitat. Therefore, no further
consultation is required under Section 7
of the Endangered Species Act. The
NRC staff has also determined that the
proposed action is not the type of
activity that has the potential to cause
effects on historic properties. Therefore,
no further consultation is required
under Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act.
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
The NRC staff has prepared this EA in
support of the proposed action. On the
basis of this EA, the NRC finds that
there are no significant environmental
impacts from the proposed action, and
that preparation of an environmental
impact statement is not warranted.
Accordingly, the NRC has determined
that a Finding of No Significant Impact
is appropriate.
IV. Further Information
Documents related to this action,
including the application for license
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 documents related to
this action are listed below, along with
their ADAMS accession numbers.
1. NUREG–1757, ‘‘Consolidated
NMSS Decommissioning Guidance;’’
2. Title 10 Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 20, Subpart E,
‘‘Radiological Criteria for License
Termination;’’
3. Title 10, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 51, ‘‘Environmental
Protection Regulations for Domestic
Licensing and Related Regulatory
Functions;’’
4. NUREG–1496, ‘‘Generic
Environmental Impact Statement in
Support of Rulemaking on Radiological
Criteria for License Termination of NRCLicensed Nuclear Facilities;’’
5. Franklin & Marshall College,
Amendment Request Letter dated June
28, 2007 [ML071860199];
6. Franklin & Marshall College,
Deficiency Response Letter dated
August 7, 2007 [ML072210540];
7. Franklin & Marshall College,
Deficiency Response Letter dated
August 24, 2007 [ML072410250].
If you do not have access to ADAMS,
or if there are problems in accessing the
documents located in ADAMS, contact
the NRC Public Document Room (PDR)
Reference staff at 1–800–397–4209, 301–
415–4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.
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These documents may also be viewed
electronically on the public computers
located at the NRC’s PDR, O 1 F21, One
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville
Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. The PDR
reproduction contractor will copy
documents for a fee.
Dated at Region I, 475 Allendale Road,
King of Prussia this 20th day of September
2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
James P. Dwyer,
Chief, Commercial and R&D Branch, Division
of Nuclear Materials Safety, Region I.
[FR Doc. E7–19078 Filed 9–26–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
Revised Notice of Intent To Prepare a
Generic Environmental Impact
Statement for Uranium Milling
Facilities
United States Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC).
ACTION: Revised Notice of Intent (NOI).
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: This notice revises a notice
published on August 31, 2007 in the
Federal Register (72 FR 50414) which
announced that an additional scoping
meeting for the NRC’s Generic
Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS)
would be held in Gallup, New Mexico
on September 27, 2007, and that the
GEIS scoping comment period was
extended to October 8, 2007. The GEIS
will assess the potential environmental
impacts associated with uranium
recovery at milling facilities employing
the in-situ leach (ISL) process. The GEIS
may also assess the potential
environmental impacts of alternative
methods of uranium recovery (including
the conventional milling process). The
purpose of this revised notice is to: (1)
Reiterate that an additional scoping
meeting will be held in Gallup, New
Mexico on September 27, 2007; (2)
extend the scoping comment period to
October 31, 2007; and (3) announce that
site-specific environmental assessments
(EAs) that incorporate conclusions from
the GEIS (i.e., tiered off the GEIS) will
be issued for public comment.
DATES: The NRC has recently held
public meetings in Casper, Wyoming,
and Albuquerque, New Mexico as part
of the public scoping process required
by NEPA. In response to public
requests, the public scoping period for
the GEIS has been extended to October
31, 2007. Written comments submitted
by mail should be postmarked by that
date to ensure consideration. Comments
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54947
mailed after that date will be considered
to the extent possible.
In addition, the NRC will conduct a
third public meeting in Gallup, New
Mexico to assist in defining the
appropriate scope of the GEIS, including
the significant environmental issues to
be addressed. The meeting date, time,
and location are listed below:
Meeting Date: September 27, 2007, 7
p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Meeting Location: Best Western Inn
and Suites, 3009 West Hwy 66, Gallup,
NM 87301–6813, Phone (505) 722–2221.
For this meeting, members of the NRC
staff will be available for informal
discussions with members of the public
from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. The formal
meeting and associated NRC
presentation will begin at 7 p.m. For
planning purposes, those who wish to
present oral comments at the meeting
are encouraged to pre-register by
contacting Carol Walls of the NRC by
telephone at 1 (800) 368–5642,
Extension 8028, or by e-mail at
CAW@nrc.gov no later than September
21, 2007. Interested persons may also
register to speak at the meetings.
Depending on the number of speakers,
each speaker may be limited in the
amount of time allocated for their
comments so that all speakers have an
opportunity to offer comments.
ADDRESSES: Members of the public and
interested parties are invited, and
encouraged to submit comments to the
Chief, Rules Review and Directives
Branch, Mail Stop T–6D59, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington,
DC 20555–0001. Also, the NRC
encourages comments to be submitted
electronically to URLGEIS@nrc.gov.
Please refer to the ‘‘Uranium Recovery
GEIS’’ when submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
general information on the NRC NEPA
process, or the environmental review
process related to this GEIS, please
contact: Paul Michalak, Project
Manager, Division of Waste
Management and Environmental
Protection (DWMEP), Mail Stop T–8F5,
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555–0001, by phone
at 1 (800) 368–5642, extension 7612, or
by e-mail at PXM2@nrc.gov. For general
or technical information associated with
the safety and licensing of uranium
milling facilities, please contact:
William Von Till, Branch Chief,
Uranium Recovery Branch, DWMEP,
Mail Stop T–8F5, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington,
DC 20555–0001, by phone at 1 (800)
368–5642, extension 0598, or by e-mail
at RWV@nrc.gov.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 187 (Thursday, September 27, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54945-54947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-19078]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 030-17052]
Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of
No Significant Impact for License Amendment to Byproduct Materials
License No. 37-11185-04, for Unrestricted Release of a Franklin &
Marshall College Facility in Lancaster, PA
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Issuance of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for License Amendment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis Lawyer, Health Physicist,
Commercial and R&D Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, Region
1, 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania; telephone 610-
337-5366; fax number 610-337-5393; or by e-mail: drl1@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering the
issuance of a license amendment to Byproduct Materials License No. 37-
11185-04. This license is held by Franklin & Marshall College (the
Licensee), for its Main Campus Facilities located off Harrisburg Pike
in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Issuance of the amendment would authorize
release of the Fackenthal Laboratories Building (the Facility) for
unrestricted use. The Licensee requested this action in a letter dated
June 28, 2007, and responded with additional information by letters
dated August 7 and 24, 2007. The NRC
[[Page 54946]]
has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) in support of this
proposed action in accordance with the requirements of Title 10, Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 51 (10 CFR Part 51). Based on the
EA, the NRC has concluded that a Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) is appropriate with respect to the proposed action. The
amendment will be issued to the Licensee following the publication of
this FONSI and EA in the Federal Register.
II. Environmental Assessment
Identification of Proposed Action
The proposed action would approve the Licensee's June 28, 2007,
license amendment request, resulting in release of the Facility for
unrestricted use. License No. 37-11185-04 was issued on October 22,
1979, pursuant to 10 CFR Part 30, and has been amended periodically
since that time. This license authorized the Licensee to use unsealed
byproduct material at the Facility for purposes of conducting research
and development activities on laboratory bench tops and in hoods. This
license, if amended as requested, will continue to authorize the
licensee to use unsealed byproduct material at other facilities located
on its Main Campus in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
The Facility is located on the Licensee's 182 acre campus and
consists of a 41,215 square foot building containing office, classroom,
and laboratory space. Within the Facility, use of licensed materials
was confined to laboratories F-214, F-304, and F-306. The area of use
totaled 2,522 square feet. The Facility is located in a mixed
residential and commercial area.
On January 30, 2003, the Licensee ceased licensed activities at the
Facility and initiated a survey and decontamination of the Facility.
Based on the Licensee's historical knowledge of the site and the
conditions of the Facility, the Licensee determined that only routine
decontamination activities, in accordance with their NRC-approved,
operating radiation safety procedures, were required. The Licensee was
not required to submit a decommissioning plan to the NRC because worker
cleanup activities and procedures are consistent with those approved
for routine operations. The Licensee conducted surveys of the Facility
and provided information to the NRC to demonstrate that it meets the
criteria in Subpart E of 10 CFR Part 20 for unrestricted release.
Need for the Proposed Action
The Licensee has ceased conducting licensed activities at the
Facility, and seeks the unrestricted use of its Facility.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The historical review of licensed activities conducted at the
Facility shows that such activities involved use of the following
radionuclides with half-lives greater than 120 days: Hydrogen-3 and
carbon-14. Prior to performing the final status survey, the Licensee
conducted decontamination activities, as necessary, in the areas of the
Facility affected by these radionuclides.
The Licensee conducted final status surveys on June 28, August 7,
and August 24, 2007. The Licensee elected to demonstrate compliance
with the radiological criteria for unrestricted release as specified in
10 CFR 20.1402 by using the screening approach described in NUREG-1757,
``Consolidated NMSS Decommissioning Guidance,'' Volume 2. The Licensee
used the radionuclide-specific derived concentration guideline levels
(DCGLs), developed there by the NRC, which comply with the dose
criterion in 10 CFR 20.1402. These DCGLs define the maximum amount of
residual radioactivity on building surfaces, equipment, and materials
that will satisfy the NRC requirements in Subpart E of 10 CFR Part 20
for unrestricted release. The Licensee's final status survey results
were below these DCGLs and are in compliance with the As Low As
Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) requirement of 10 CFR 20.1402.
The NRC thus finds that the Licensee's final status survey results
are acceptable. Based on its review, the staff has determined that the
affected environment and any environmental impacts associated with the
proposed action are bounded by the impacts evaluated by the ``Generic
Environmental Impact Statement in Support of Rulemaking on Radiological
Criteria for License Termination of NRC-Licensed Nuclear Facilities''
(NUREG-1496) Volumes 1-3 (ML042310492, ML042320379, and ML042330385).
The staff finds there were no significant environmental impacts from
the use of radioactive material at the Facility. The NRC staff reviewed
the docket file records and the final status survey report to identify
any non-radiological hazards that may have impacted the environment
surrounding the Facility. No such hazards or impacts to the environment
were identified. The NRC has identified no other radiological or non-
radiological activities in the area that could result in cumulative
environmental impacts.
The NRC staff finds that the proposed release of the Facility for
unrestricted use is in compliance with 10 CFR 20.1402 including the
impact of residual radioactivity at previously-released site locations
of use. Based on its review, the staff considered the impact of the
residual radioactivity at the Facility and concluded that the proposed
action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human
environment.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Due to the largely administrative nature of the proposed action,
its environmental impacts are small. Therefore, the only alternative
the staff considered is the no-action alternative, under which the
staff would leave things as they are by simply denying the amendment
request. This no-action alternative is not feasible because it
conflicts with 10 CFR 30.36(d), requiring that decommissioning of
byproduct material facilities be completed and approved by the NRC
after licensed activities cease. The NRC's analysis of the Licensee's
final status survey data confirmed that the Facility meets the
requirements of 10 CFR 20.1402 for unrestricted release. Additionally,
denying the amendment request would result in no change in current
environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of the proposed action
and the no-action alternative are therefore similar, and the no-action
alternative is accordingly not further considered.
Conclusion
The NRC staff has concluded that the proposed action is consistent
with the NRC's unrestricted release criteria specified in 10 CFR
20.1402. Because the proposed action will not significantly impact the
quality of the human environment, the NRC staff concludes that the
proposed action is the preferred alternative.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
NRC provided a draft of this Environmental Assessment to the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection,
Bureau of Radiation Protection for review on September 4, 2007. On
September 9, 2007, the Bureau of Radiation Protection responded by
electronic mail. The State agreed with the conclusions of the EA, and
otherwise had no comments.
The NRC staff has determined that the proposed action is of a
procedural nature, and will not affect listed species
[[Page 54947]]
or critical habitat. Therefore, no further consultation is required
under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. The NRC staff has also
determined that the proposed action is not the type of activity that
has the potential to cause effects on historic properties. Therefore,
no further consultation is required under Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
The NRC staff has prepared this EA in support of the proposed
action. On the basis of this EA, the NRC finds that there are no
significant environmental impacts from the proposed action, and that
preparation of an environmental impact statement is not warranted.
Accordingly, the NRC has determined that a Finding of No Significant
Impact is appropriate.
IV. Further Information
Documents related to this action, including the application for
license 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 documents
related to this action are listed below, along with their ADAMS
accession numbers.
1. NUREG-1757, ``Consolidated NMSS Decommissioning Guidance;''
2. Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 20, Subpart E,
``Radiological Criteria for License Termination;''
3. Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 51, ``Environmental
Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory
Functions;''
4. NUREG-1496, ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement in Support
of Rulemaking on Radiological Criteria for License Termination of NRC-
Licensed Nuclear Facilities;''
5. Franklin & Marshall College, Amendment Request Letter dated June
28, 2007 [ML071860199];
6. Franklin & Marshall College, Deficiency Response Letter dated
August 7, 2007 [ML072210540];
7. Franklin & Marshall College, Deficiency Response Letter dated
August 24, 2007 [ML072410250].
If you do not have access to ADAMS, or if there are problems in
accessing the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC 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, O 1
F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852.
The PDR reproduction contractor will copy documents for a fee.
Dated at Region I, 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia this 20th
day of September 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
James P. Dwyer,
Chief, Commercial and R&D Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety,
Region I.
[FR Doc. E7-19078 Filed 9-26-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
