Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for Amendment of a Materials Permit in Accordance With Byproduct Materials License No. 03-23853-01va, for Unrestricted Release of a Department of Veterans Affairs' Facility in Coatesville, PA, 67611-67612 [E7-23161]
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<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 229 / Thursday, November 29, 2007 / Notices
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 Lisle, Illinois, this 16th day of
November 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Patrick L. Louden,
Chief, Decommissioning Branch, Division of
Nuclear Materials Safety, Region III.
[FR Doc. E7–23159 Filed 11–28–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 030–34325]
Notice of Availability of Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for Amendment of a
Materials Permit in Accordance With
Byproduct Materials License No. 03–
23853–01va, for Unrestricted Release
of a Department of Veterans Affairs’
Facility in Coatesville, PA
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Issuance of Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for License
Amendment.
AGENCY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
William Snell, Senior Health Physicist,
Decommissioning Branch, Division of
Nuclear Materials Safety, Region III,
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
2443 Warrenville Road, Lisle, Illinois
60532; telephone: (630) 829–9871; fax
number: (630) 515–1259; or by e-mail at
wgs@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is considering the
amendment of a materials permit held
under Master Byproduct Materials
License No. 03–23853–01VA. The
license is held by the Department of
Veterans Affairs (the Licensee). The
permit pertains to its VA Medical Center
facility located at 1400 Black Horse Hill
Road, Coatesville, Pennsylvania (the
Facility). Issuance of the amendment
would authorize release of the Facility’s
Building 11 for unrestricted use and
VerDate Aug<31>2005
14:52 Nov 28, 2007
Jkt 211001
termination of the permit. The Licensee
requested this action in a letter dated
June 28, 2007. The NRC 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, materials
permit amendment request, resulting in
release of Building 11 for unrestricted
use. License No. 03–23853–01VA was
issued on March 17, 2003, pursuant to
10 CFR Parts 30 and 35, and has been
amended periodically since that time.
This license authorizes the Licensee to
use byproduct materials at Licensee
facilities, as authorized by permits
issued by the Licensee’s National
Radiation Safety Committee for: Medical
use defined in 10 CFR part 35; research
and development as defined in 10 CFR
part 30; portable gauge use; and
veterinary use.
Building 11 is a three-story brick
building containing 65 rooms, is
approximately 40 by 200 feet in size,
and was used for research. The site is
located in a semi-rural area of mixed
residential and commercial land use.
Between 1964 and 1996, the VA
Medical Center in Coatesville possessed
numerous Atomic Energy Commission
and NRC licenses. Use of licensed
materials at the Medical Center ceased
in 1995, and the last of the licenses was
terminated in 1996 and the site was
released for unrestricted use. Following
that action, 28 radioactive-labeled vials
were found in Building 11. Accordingly,
in February 2006, the Licensee issued a
new permit authorizing the Facility to
store these vials pending their disposal.
Based on the Licensee’s historical
knowledge of the site and the conditions
of Building 11, the Licensee determined
that only routine decontamination
activities in accordance with NRC
guidance were required to search for
any other radioactive materials and
conduct radiological surveys of Building
11. 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
PO 00000
Frm 00019
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
67611
Building 11 on February 2, April 6,
September 28, and October 4, 2006, and
on March 9, 2007, and provided
information to the NRC to demonstrate
that the proposed action will meet 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 in Building 11, and
seeks the unrestricted use of Building
11.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed
Action
The historical review of licensed
activities conducted in Building 11
shows that such activities involved use
of the following radionuclides with halflives greater than 120 days: hydrogen-3
(H–3) and carbon-14 (C–14). Prior to
performing the final status survey, the
Licensee conducted decontamination
activities, as necessary, in the areas of
Building 11 affected by these
radionuclides.
The Licensee completed final status
surveys on Building 11 on March 9,
2007. The surveys covered all areas of
Building 11. The final status survey
report was attached to the Licensee’s
amendment request dated June 28, 2007.
The Licensee elected to demonstrate
compliance with the 10 CFR 20.1402
criteria for unrestricted release by using
release criteria for building surfaces
based on NRC Regulatory Guide 1.86,
‘‘Termination of Operating Licenses for
Reactors.’’ The criterion used is 5 × 103
disintegrations per minute per 100
square centimeters (dpm/100 cm2) for
H–3 and C–14. These values are much
more restrictive than the radionuclidespecific dose-based release criteria
described in NUREG–1757,
‘‘Consolidated NMSS Decommissioning
Guidance,’’ Volume 2, which are 1.2 ×
108 dpm/100 cm2 for H–3 and 3.7 × 106
dpm/100 cm2 for C–14. These values
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 values
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
E:\FR\FM\29NON1.SGM
29NON1
67612
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 229 / Thursday, November 29, 2007 / Notices
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 in Building 11. 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 Building 11.
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 Building 11 for unrestricted
use and the termination of the
Licensee’s permit is in compliance with
10 CFR part 20. Based on its review, the
staff considered the impact of the
residual radioactivity from Building 11
and concluded that the proposed action
will not have a significant effect on the
quality of the human environment.
rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
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
Building 11 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.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
14:52 Nov 28, 2007
Jkt 211001
Agencies and Persons Consulted
NRC provided a draft of this
Environmental Assessment to the
Pennsylvania Bureau of Radiation
Protection for review on October 5,
2007. On October 10, 2007, the Bureau
of Radiation Protection, responded by email. 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
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. E. Lynn McGuire, Department of
Veterans Affairs, letter to Cassandra
Frazier, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Region III, dated June 28,
2007 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML071860254);
2. Regulatory Guide 1.86,
‘‘Termination of Operating Licenses for
Reactors;’’
3. Title 10 Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 20, Subpart E,
‘‘Radiological Criteria for License
Termination;’’
4. Title 10 Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 51, ‘‘Environmental
Protection Regulations for Domestic
Licensing and Related Regulatory
Functions;’’
PO 00000
Frm 00020
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
5. NUREG–1496, ‘‘Generic
Environmental Impact Statement in
Support of Rulemaking on Radiological
Criteria for License Termination of NRCLicensed Nuclear Facilities;’’
6. NUREG–1757, ‘‘Consolidated
NMSS Decommissioning Guidance.’’
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 Lisle, Illinois, this 16th day of
November 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Patrick L. Louden,
Chief, Decommissioning Branch, Division of
Nuclear Materials Safety, Region III.
[FR Doc. E7–23161 Filed 11–28–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–56831; File No. SR–Amex–
2007–98]
Self-Regulatory Organizations;
American Stock Exchange LLC; Order
Granting Accelerated Approval of a
Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by
Amendment Nos. 1 and 2, Relating to
the Listing and Trading of Units of the
United States 12 Month Oil Fund, LP
and the United States 12 Month Natural
Gas Fund, LP
November 21, 2007.
I. Introduction
Pursuant to section 19(b)(1) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(‘‘Act’’) 1 and Rule 19b–4 2 thereunder,
notice is hereby given that on August
23, 2007, the American Stock Exchange
LLC (‘‘Amex’’ or ‘‘Exchange’’) filed with
the Securities and Exchange
Commission (‘‘Commission’’) the
proposed rule change as described in
Items I and II below, which Items have
been substantially prepared by the
Exchange. On September 14, 2007, the
Exchange submitted Amendment No. 1
to the proposed rule change. On October
25, 2007, the Exchange submitted
Amendment No. 2 to the proposed rule
change. The proposed rule change, as
1 15
2 17
U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
CFR 240.19b–4.
E:\FR\FM\29NON1.SGM
29NON1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 229 (Thursday, November 29, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67611-67612]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-23161]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 030-34325]
Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of
No Significant Impact for Amendment of a Materials Permit in Accordance
With Byproduct Materials License No. 03-23853-01va, for Unrestricted
Release of a Department of Veterans Affairs' Facility in Coatesville,
PA
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Issuance of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for License Amendment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Snell, Senior Health
Physicist, Decommissioning Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials
Safety, Region III, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2443
Warrenville Road, Lisle, Illinois 60532; telephone: (630) 829-9871; fax
number: (630) 515-1259; or by e-mail at wgs@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering the
amendment of a materials permit held under Master Byproduct Materials
License No. 03-23853-01VA. The license is held by the Department of
Veterans Affairs (the Licensee). The permit pertains to its VA Medical
Center facility located at 1400 Black Horse Hill Road, Coatesville,
Pennsylvania (the Facility). Issuance of the amendment would authorize
release of the Facility's Building 11 for unrestricted use and
termination of the permit. The Licensee requested this action in a
letter dated June 28, 2007. The NRC 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,
materials permit amendment request, resulting in release of Building 11
for unrestricted use. License No. 03-23853-01VA was issued on March 17,
2003, pursuant to 10 CFR Parts 30 and 35, and has been amended
periodically since that time. This license authorizes the Licensee to
use byproduct materials at Licensee facilities, as authorized by
permits issued by the Licensee's National Radiation Safety Committee
for: Medical use defined in 10 CFR part 35; research and development as
defined in 10 CFR part 30; portable gauge use; and veterinary use.
Building 11 is a three-story brick building containing 65 rooms, is
approximately 40 by 200 feet in size, and was used for research. The
site is located in a semi-rural area of mixed residential and
commercial land use. Between 1964 and 1996, the VA Medical Center in
Coatesville possessed numerous Atomic Energy Commission and NRC
licenses. Use of licensed materials at the Medical Center ceased in
1995, and the last of the licenses was terminated in 1996 and the site
was released for unrestricted use. Following that action, 28
radioactive-labeled vials were found in Building 11. Accordingly, in
February 2006, the Licensee issued a new permit authorizing the
Facility to store these vials pending their disposal.
Based on the Licensee's historical knowledge of the site and the
conditions of Building 11, the Licensee determined that only routine
decontamination activities in accordance with NRC guidance were
required to search for any other radioactive materials and conduct
radiological surveys of Building 11. 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 Building 11 on
February 2, April 6, September 28, and October 4, 2006, and on March 9,
2007, and provided information to the NRC to demonstrate that the
proposed action will meet 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 in Building
11, and seeks the unrestricted use of Building 11.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The historical review of licensed activities conducted in Building
11 shows that such activities involved use of the following
radionuclides with half-lives greater than 120 days: hydrogen-3 (H-3)
and carbon-14 (C-14). Prior to performing the final status survey, the
Licensee conducted decontamination activities, as necessary, in the
areas of Building 11 affected by these radionuclides.
The Licensee completed final status surveys on Building 11 on March
9, 2007. The surveys covered all areas of Building 11. The final status
survey report was attached to the Licensee's amendment request dated
June 28, 2007. The Licensee elected to demonstrate compliance with the
10 CFR 20.1402 criteria for unrestricted release by using release
criteria for building surfaces based on NRC Regulatory Guide 1.86,
``Termination of Operating Licenses for Reactors.'' The criterion used
is 5 x 10\3\ disintegrations per minute per 100 square centimeters
(dpm/100 cm\2\) for H-3 and C-14. These values are much more
restrictive than the radionuclide-specific dose-based release criteria
described in NUREG-1757, ``Consolidated NMSS Decommissioning
Guidance,'' Volume 2, which are 1.2 x 10\8\ dpm/100 cm\2\ for H-3 and
3.7 x 10\6\ dpm/100 cm\2\ for C-14. These values 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 values 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
[[Page 67612]]
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 in Building 11. 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 Building 11.
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 Building 11 for
unrestricted use and the termination of the Licensee's permit is in
compliance with 10 CFR part 20. Based on its review, the staff
considered the impact of the residual radioactivity from Building 11
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 Building 11 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
Pennsylvania Bureau of Radiation Protection for review on October 5,
2007. On October 10, 2007, the Bureau of Radiation Protection,
responded by e-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 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. E. Lynn McGuire, Department of Veterans Affairs, letter to
Cassandra Frazier, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region III,
dated June 28, 2007 (ADAMS Accession No. ML071860254);
2. Regulatory Guide 1.86, ``Termination of Operating Licenses for
Reactors;''
3. Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 20, Subpart E,
``Radiological Criteria for License Termination;''
4. Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 51, ``Environmental
Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory
Functions;''
5. NUREG-1496, ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement in Support
of Rulemaking on Radiological Criteria for License Termination of NRC-
Licensed Nuclear Facilities;''
6. NUREG-1757, ``Consolidated NMSS Decommissioning Guidance.''
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 Lisle, Illinois, this 16th day of November 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Patrick L. Louden,
Chief, Decommissioning Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety,
Region III.
[FR Doc. E7-23161 Filed 11-28-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
