Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for the University of Illinois Nuclear Research Laboratory Triga Research Reactor Champaign-Urbana in the City of Urbana, IL, 71461-71463 [E7-24403]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 241 / Monday, December 17, 2007 / Notices
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RCRAINFO on March 23, 2007.
(ML071040026)
12. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
‘‘Pennsylvania Power and Light Company,
Docket No. 50–388, Susquehanna Steam
Electric Station, Unit 2, Luzerne County,
Pennsylvania.’’ Federal Register, Vol. 59, No.
53, pp. 12990–12992. Washington, D.C.
(April 28, 1994). (ML071040017)
13. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
‘‘Pennsylvania Power & Light Co., Allegheny
Electric Cooperative, Inc., Susquehanna
Steam Electric Station, Unit 1; Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No Significant
Impact.’’ Federal Register, Vol. 60, No. 9, pp.
3278–3280. Washington, D.C. (January 13,
1995). (ML071040020)
14. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
‘‘PPL Susquehanna, LLC; Susquehanna
Steam Electric Station Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No Significant
Impact.’’ Federal Register, Vol. 66, No. 122,
pp. 33716–33717. Washington, D.C. (June 25,
2001). (ML071040021)
15. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
E-mail from J. Fields, PPL Susquehanna, LLC,
Allentown, Pennsylvania, to A. Mullins, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Rockville,
Maryland. Subject: ‘‘Application to
Susquehanna River Basin Commission
(SRBC).’’ January 8, 2007. (ML070320756)
16. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Letter from R. Bowen, Pennsylvania
Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to A.
Mullins, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Rockville, Maryland. Subject:
‘‘Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory
Review, PNDI Number 19031.’’ January 8,
2007. (ML070190672)
[FR Doc. E7–24283 Filed 12–14–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50–151]
Notice of Availability of Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for the University of
Illinois Nuclear Research Laboratory
Triga Research Reactor ChampaignUrbana in the City of Urbana, IL
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
ebenthall on PROD1PC69 with NOTICES
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Thomas McLaughlin, Project Manager,
Materials Decommissioning Branch,
Division of Waste Management and
Environmental Protection, Office of
Federal and State Materials and
Environmental Management Programs,
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC., 20555. Telephone:
(301) 415–5869; fax number: (301) 415–
5369; e-mail: tgm@nrc.gov.
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC or Commission) proposes to issue
a license amendment to Facility
Operating License R–115 that would
allow decommissioning of the
University of Illinois’ (University’s or
licensee’s) Nuclear Research Laboratory
(NRL) Advanced Teaching Research
Isotope General Atomic (TRIGA) Mark II
nuclear research reactor located on the
campus of the University of Illinois at
Champaign-Urbana in the city of
Urbana, Illinois.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
By letters dated March 28, 2006 (See
ADAMS ML060900623), and August 20,
2007 (See ADAMS ML072550089), the
licensee submitted a Decommissioning
Plan (DP) in accordance with 10 CFR
50.82(b)(1), in order to dismantle the
TRIGA Reactor, to dispose of its
component parts and radioactive
material, and to decontaminate the
facilities in accordance with the
proposed DP to meet the Commission’s
unrestricted release criteria. After the
Commission verifies that the release
criteria have been met, Facility
Operating License No. R–115 will be
terminated. The licensee submitted an
Environmental Report dated December
2005, that addresses the estimated
environmental impacts resulting from
decommissioning the TRIGA Reactor.
The University of Illinois ceased
operations of the NRL TRIGA reactor on
August 6, 1998, and it was placed in a
Safe Storage (SAFSTOR) condition. On
August 18, 2004, the reactor fuel was
removed and shipped to the U.S.
Department of Energy’s Idaho National
Laboratory.
A ‘‘Notice and Solicitation of
Comments Pursuant to 10 CFR 20.1405
and 10 CFR 50.82(b)(5) Concerning
Proposed Action to Decommission the
University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign Nuclear Reactor Laboratory’’
was published in the Federal Register
on August 1, 2006 (71 FR 43528), and
in the Champaign County, Illinois daily
newspaper, The News-Gazette, on
August 3, 2006. No comments were
received.
Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is necessary
because of the University of Illinois’
decision to permanently cease
operations at the NRL TRIGA Reactor.
As specified in 10 CFR 50.82, any
licensee may permanently cease
operation and apply to the NRC for
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
71461
license termination and authorization to
decommission the affected facility.
Further, 10 CFR 51.53(d) provides that
each applicant for a license amendment
to authorize decommissioning of a
production or utilization facility shall
submit with its application an
environmental report that reflects any
new information or significant
environmental change associated with
the proposed decommissioning
activities. The University of Illinois is
planning unrestricted use for the area
that would be released.
Environmental Impact of the Proposed
Action
The decommissioning plan states that
all decontamination will be performed
by trained personnel in accordance with
the requirements of the radiation
protection program, and will be
overseen by a radiation safety officer
with multiple years of experience in
decommissioning health physics
practices. All reactor and pool
components will be removed from the
facility as low-level radioactive waste
and managed in accordance with NRC
requirements. The licensee estimates the
total occupational radiation exposure
for the decommissioning process to be
about 8.5 person-rem. The licensee
proposes controls, as mentioned above
and in the DP, to minimize the
occupational exposure to individual
workers, thereby ensuring that the
exposures are within the 10 CFR Part 20
limits. In addition, by keeping the
public at a safe distance, using access
control, and by using the approved DP
and Illinois’s radiation protection
program to control effluent releases, the
licensee expects the radiation exposure
to the general public to be negligible.
The licensees’ conclusion is consistent
with the estimate given for the
‘‘reference research reactor’’ in NUREG–
0586, ‘‘Final Generic Environmental
Impact Statement on Decommissioning
of the Nuclear Facilities, August 1988.’’
Occupational and public exposure
may result from offsite disposal of the
low-level residual radioactive material
from the NRL, which includes the
TRIGA Reactor. In the DP, the licensee
stated that the handling, storage, and
shipment of this radioactive material
will meet the requirements of 10 CFR
20.2006, ‘‘Transfer for Disposal and
Manifest,’’ and 49 CFR Parts 100–177,
‘‘Transportation of Hazardous
Materials.’’ The waste that needs to be
processed prior to disposal will be
shipped by the licensee to a licensed
waste processor. The DP states that
waste for disposal will be shipped to an
acceptable waste disposal site in
accordance with applicable NRC and
E:\FR\FM\17DEN1.SGM
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ebenthall on PROD1PC69 with NOTICES
71462
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 241 / Monday, December 17, 2007 / Notices
Department of Transportation (DOT)
regulations regarding waste packaging,
labeling, and placarding. These
shipments will be mixed waste
containing activated and/or
contaminated lead. It is expected that
EnergySolutions of Clive, Utah, will
receive the Class A waste. Based on the
site characterization, Class B and C lowlevel radioactive waste are not expected
at the NRL facility.
NRC regulations at 10 CFR 20.1402,
provide radiological criteria for release
of a site for unrestricted use. Release
criteria for unrestricted use is a
maximum Total Effective Dose
Equivalent (TEDE) of 25 mrem per year
from residual radioactivity above
background and doses must be as low as
reasonably achievable (ALARA). The
results of the final status survey will be
used to demonstrate that the predicted
dose to a member of the public from any
residual radioactivity does not exceed
the 25 mrem per year dose limit. The
NRC will perform inspections and if
necessary a confirmatory survey to
verify that the decommissioning
activities and the final status survey
results are acceptable.
The DP states that liquid waste that is
generated during the decommissioning
activities will be filtered and disposed
of in accordance with the regulations in
10 CFR Part 20, Subpart K, ‘‘Waste
Disposal.’’ Containment measures will
be taken as necessary to minimize the
spread of contamination. Engineered
features such as enclosures and
temporary barriers with high-efficiency
particulate air filters will be used to
control the spread of airborne
radioactive material. Airborne releases
of radioactive materials are not
expected.
The licensee analyzed accidents
applicable to decommissioning
activities. The dose consequence from
transportation accidents has the
potential for a moderate dose of between
1 and 25 mrem for the public, which is
within the dose limits for members of
the public in 10 CFR Part 20, Subpart D,
‘‘Radiation Dose Limits for Individual
Members of the Public.’’
Based on the review of the specific
proposed activities associated with the
dismantling and decontamination of the
NRL, which includes the TRIGA
Reactor, the staff has determined that
the proposed action will not increase
the probability or consequences of
accidents. No changes are being made in
the types of any effluents that may be
released off site, and there will be no
significant increase in occupational or
public radiation exposure above those
during the operation of the facility.
Therefore, the staff concludes that there
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are no significant radiological
environmental impacts associated with
the proposed action.
With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed
action does not involve any historic
sites. The predominant hazardous
material in the NRL site is elemental
lead and proper precautions will be
taken to reduce the exposure to lead
dust. Asbestos is also present in NRL
construction materials (e.g. floor tiles,
roofing materials) and will be removed
by a licensed asbestos abatement
contractor. Decommissioning activities
will not affect non-radiological facility
effluents and have no other
environmental impact. The licensee
states that there are no sensitive or
endangered species on the NRL site and
will ensure that all construction
activities or any related disturbance will
not result in the impairment of local
waterways. Therefore, the staff
concludes that there are no significant
non-radiological environmental impacts
associated with the proposed action.
Accordingly, NRC concludes that there
are no significant environmental
impacts associated with the proposed
action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
The three alternatives for disposition
of the NRL, which includes the TRIGA
Reactor are: Decontamination (DECON),
SAFSTOR, and no action. The
University of Illinois has proposed the
DECON option. DECON is the
alternative in which the equipment,
structures, and portions of the facilities
containing radioactive contaminants are
removed or decontaminated to a level
that permits the property to be released
for unrestricted use.
SAFSTOR is the alternative in which
the nuclear facilities are placed and
maintained in a condition that allows
the nuclear facilities to be safely stored
and subsequently decontaminated
(deferred decontamination) to levels
that permit release for unrestricted use.
The no-action alternative would leave
the facilities in their present
configuration without any
decommissioning activities required or
implemented. The SAFSTOR and noaction alternatives would entail
continued surveillance as well as
physical security measures to be in
place and continued monitoring by
licensee personnel. The SAFSTOR and
no-action alternatives would also
require continued maintenance of the
facilities. The radiological impacts of
SAFSTOR and no-action would be less
than the DECON option because of
radioactive decay prior to the start of
decommissioning activities. However,
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
these options involve the continued use
of resources during the SAFSTOR or noaction period. The University of Illinois
has determined that the proposed action
(DECON) is the most efficient use of
NRL, including the TRIGA Reactor,
since it proposes to use the space that
will become available for unrestricted
uses. These alternatives would have no
significant environmental impact. In
addition, the regulations in 10 CFR
50.82(b)(4)(i) allow an alternative which
provides for delayed completion of
decommissioning only when the delay
is necessary to protect the public health
and safety. The staff finds that delay is
not justified since the environmental
impacts of the proposed action and the
alternatives are similar and
insignificant.
Alternative Use of Resources
This action does not involve the use
of any resources not previously
considered in the Environmental Report
dated December 2005, for the University
of Illinois NRL TRIGA Reactor.
Agencies and Persons Contacted
On September 18, 2007, the staff sent
a copy of a draft Environmental
Assessment (EA) to the Acting Bureau
Chief, Bureau of Environmental Safety,
Illinois Emergency Management Agency
(IEMA), Division of Nuclear Safety,
regarding the environmental impact of
the proposed action.
This State official’s comments were
received on October 12, 2007, and
incorporated into this EA.
Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the environmental
assessment, the Commission concludes
that the proposed action will not have
a significant effect on the quality of
human health or the environment.
Accordingly, the NRC has determined
not to prepare an environmental impact
statement for the proposed action.
For further details with respect to the
proposed action, see the licensee’s
letters dated March 28, 2006 (See
ADAMS ML060900623), and August 20,
2007 (See ADAMS ML072550089),
which are available for public
inspection, and can be copied for a fee,
at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission’s Public Document Room
(PDR), located at One White Flint North,
11555 Rockville Pike (first floor),
Rockville, Maryland, 20852. The NRC
maintains an Agency-wide Documents
Access and Management System
(ADAMS), which provides text and
image files of NRC’s public documents.
These documents may be accessed
through the NRC’s Public Electronic
E:\FR\FM\17DEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 241 / Monday, December 17, 2007 / Notices
Reading Room on the Internet at
https://www.nrc.gov.
Persons who do not have access to
ADAMS or who have problems in
accessing the documents located in
ADAMS may contact the PDR reference
staff at 1–800–397–4209, 301–415–4737
or by e-mail at pdr@nrc.gov.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 11th day
of December, 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Lydia W. Chang,
Acting Deputy Director, Decommissioning
and Uranium Recovery Licensing Directorate,
Division of Waste Management and
Environmental Protection, Office of Federal
and State Materials and Environmental
Management Programs.
[FR Doc. E7–24403 Filed 12–14–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
appropriate arrangements can be made.
Electronic recordings will be permitted
only during those portions of the
meeting that are open to the public.
Detailed procedures for the conduct of
and participation in ACRS meetings
were published in the Federal Register
on September 26, 2007 (72 FR 54695).
Further information regarding this
meeting can be obtained by contacting
the Designated Federal Official between
6:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (ET). Persons
planning to attend this meeting are
urged to contact the above named
individual at least two working days
prior to the meeting to be advised of any
potential changes to the agenda.
Dated: December 10, 2007.
Cayetano Santos,
Branch Chief, ACRS.
[FR Doc. E7–24349 Filed 12–14–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
Advisory Committee on Reactor
Safeguards (ACRS); Meeting of the
Subcommittee on ESBWR Design
Certification; Notice of Meeting
ebenthall on PROD1PC69 with NOTICES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
The ACRS Subcommittee on ESBWR
Design Certification will hold a meeting
on January 16–17, 2008, Room T–2B3,
11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
Maryland.
The entire meeting will be open to
public attendance, with the exception of
a portion that may be closed to discuss
unclassified safeguards and proprietary
information pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b
(c)(3) and (4).
The agenda for the subject meeting
shall be as follows:
Wednesday, January 16, 2008—8:30
a.m. until 5 p.m.
Thursday, January 17, 2008—8:30
a.m. until 5 p.m.
The Subcommittee will review and
discuss the Safety Evaluation with Open
Items for several chapters of the ESBWR
Design Certification and make a
recommendation to the full Committee.
The Subcommittee will hear
presentations by and hold discussions
with representatives of the NRC staff,
GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas
LLC, and other interested persons
regarding this matter. The
Subcommittee will gather information,
analyze relevant issues and facts, and
formulate proposed positions and
actions, as appropriate, for deliberation
by the full Committee.
Members of the public desiring to
provide oral statements and/or written
comments should notify the Designated
Federal Official, Mr. Charles G. Hammer
(telephone 301/415–7363) five days
prior to the meeting, if possible, so that
DATE:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:28 Dec 14, 2007
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Sunshine Federal Register Notice
Weeks of December 17, 24, 31,
2007; January 7, 14, 21, 2008.
PLACE: Commissioners’ Conference
Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
Maryland.
STATUS: Public and Closed.
MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:
Week of December 17, 2007—Tentative
There are no meetings scheduled for
the Week of December 17, 2007.
Week of December 24, 2007—Tentative
There are no meetings scheduled for
the Week of December 24, 2007.
Week of December 31, 2007—Tentative
There are no meetings scheduled for
the Week of December 31, 2007.
Week of January 7, 2008—Tentative
There are no meetings scheduled for
the Week of January 7, 2008.
Week of January 14, 2008—Tentative
There are no meetings scheduled for
the Week of January 14, 2008.
Week of January 21, 2008—Tentative
There are no meetings scheduled for
the Week of January 21, 2008.
*
*
*
*
*
* The schedule for Commission
meetings is subject to change on short
notice. To verify the status of meetings,
call (recording)—(301) 415–1292.
Contact person for more information:
Michelle Schroll, (301) 415–1662.
*
*
*
*
*
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71463
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: By votes of 3–
0 on December 11, 2007, the
Commission determined pursuant to
U.S.C. 552b(e) and § 9.107(a) of the
Commission’s rules that (1)
‘‘Affirmation of Entergy Nuclear
Operations, Inc. (Indian Point Nuclear
Generating Units 2 and 3, Licensing
Board Order (Censure of Sherwood
Martinelli) (Dec. 3, 2007)’’ and (2)
‘‘Discussion of Management Issues
(Closed—Ex. 2)’’ be held December 12,
2007, and on less than one week’s
notice to the public.
The NRC Commission Meeting
Schedule can be found on the Internet
at: https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/policymaking/schedule.html/.
*
*
*
*
*
The NRC provides reasonable
accommodation to individuals with
disabilities where appropriate. If you
need a reasonable accommodation to
participate in these public meetings, or
need this meeting notice or the
transcript or other information from the
public meetings in another format (e.g.,
braille, large print), please notify the
NRC’s Disability Program Coordinator,
Rohn Brown, at 301–492–2279, TDD:
301–415–2100, or by e-mail at
REB3@nrc.gov. Determinations on
requests for reasonable accommodation
will be made on a case-by-case basis.
*
*
*
*
*
This notice is distributed by mail to
several hundred subscribers; if you no
longer wish to receive it, or would like
to be added to the distribution, please
contact the Office of the Secretary,
Washington, DC 20555 (301–415–1969).
In addition, distribution of this meeting
notice over the Internet system is
available. If you are interested in
receiving this Commission meeting
schedule electronically, please send an
electronic message to dkw@nrc.gov.
Dated: December 12, 2007.
R. Michelle Schroll,
Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 07–6076 Filed 12–13–07; 11:34 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR WASTE TECHNICAL
REVIEW BOARD
U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review
Board Meeting; Las Vegas, NV
Board Meeting: January 16, 2008—Las
Vegas, Nevada; The U.S. Nuclear Waste
Technical Review Board will meet to
discuss U.S. Department of Energy
activities related to the possible
development of a repository for spent
nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive
waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.
E:\FR\FM\17DEN1.SGM
17DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 241 (Monday, December 17, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71461-71463]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-24403]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-151]
Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of
No Significant Impact for the University of Illinois Nuclear Research
Laboratory Triga Research Reactor Champaign-Urbana in the City of
Urbana, IL
AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas McLaughlin, Project Manager,
Materials Decommissioning Branch, Division of Waste Management and
Environmental Protection, Office of Federal and State Materials and
Environmental Management Programs, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC., 20555. Telephone: (301) 415-5869; fax number: (301)
415-5369; e-mail: tgm@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) proposes to
issue a license amendment to Facility Operating License R-115 that
would allow decommissioning of the University of Illinois'
(University's or licensee's) Nuclear Research Laboratory (NRL) Advanced
Teaching Research Isotope General Atomic (TRIGA) Mark II nuclear
research reactor located on the campus of the University of Illinois at
Champaign-Urbana in the city of Urbana, Illinois.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
By letters dated March 28, 2006 (See ADAMS ML060900623), and August
20, 2007 (See ADAMS ML072550089), the licensee submitted a
Decommissioning Plan (DP) in accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(b)(1), in
order to dismantle the TRIGA Reactor, to dispose of its component parts
and radioactive material, and to decontaminate the facilities in
accordance with the proposed DP to meet the Commission's unrestricted
release criteria. After the Commission verifies that the release
criteria have been met, Facility Operating License No. R-115 will be
terminated. The licensee submitted an Environmental Report dated
December 2005, that addresses the estimated environmental impacts
resulting from decommissioning the TRIGA Reactor. The University of
Illinois ceased operations of the NRL TRIGA reactor on August 6, 1998,
and it was placed in a Safe Storage (SAFSTOR) condition. On August 18,
2004, the reactor fuel was removed and shipped to the U.S. Department
of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory.
A ``Notice and Solicitation of Comments Pursuant to 10 CFR 20.1405
and 10 CFR 50.82(b)(5) Concerning Proposed Action to Decommission the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Nuclear Reactor Laboratory''
was published in the Federal Register on August 1, 2006 (71 FR 43528),
and in the Champaign County, Illinois daily newspaper, The News-
Gazette, on August 3, 2006. No comments were received.
Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is necessary because of the University of
Illinois' decision to permanently cease operations at the NRL TRIGA
Reactor. As specified in 10 CFR 50.82, any licensee may permanently
cease operation and apply to the NRC for license termination and
authorization to decommission the affected facility. Further, 10 CFR
51.53(d) provides that each applicant for a license amendment to
authorize decommissioning of a production or utilization facility shall
submit with its application an environmental report that reflects any
new information or significant environmental change associated with the
proposed decommissioning activities. The University of Illinois is
planning unrestricted use for the area that would be released.
Environmental Impact of the Proposed Action
The decommissioning plan states that all decontamination will be
performed by trained personnel in accordance with the requirements of
the radiation protection program, and will be overseen by a radiation
safety officer with multiple years of experience in decommissioning
health physics practices. All reactor and pool components will be
removed from the facility as low-level radioactive waste and managed in
accordance with NRC requirements. The licensee estimates the total
occupational radiation exposure for the decommissioning process to be
about 8.5 person-rem. The licensee proposes controls, as mentioned
above and in the DP, to minimize the occupational exposure to
individual workers, thereby ensuring that the exposures are within the
10 CFR Part 20 limits. In addition, by keeping the public at a safe
distance, using access control, and by using the approved DP and
Illinois's radiation protection program to control effluent releases,
the licensee expects the radiation exposure to the general public to be
negligible. The licensees' conclusion is consistent with the estimate
given for the ``reference research reactor'' in NUREG-0586, ``Final
Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Decommissioning of the
Nuclear Facilities, August 1988.''
Occupational and public exposure may result from offsite disposal
of the low-level residual radioactive material from the NRL, which
includes the TRIGA Reactor. In the DP, the licensee stated that the
handling, storage, and shipment of this radioactive material will meet
the requirements of 10 CFR 20.2006, ``Transfer for Disposal and
Manifest,'' and 49 CFR Parts 100-177, ``Transportation of Hazardous
Materials.'' The waste that needs to be processed prior to disposal
will be shipped by the licensee to a licensed waste processor. The DP
states that waste for disposal will be shipped to an acceptable waste
disposal site in accordance with applicable NRC and
[[Page 71462]]
Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations regarding waste
packaging, labeling, and placarding. These shipments will be mixed
waste containing activated and/or contaminated lead. It is expected
that EnergySolutions of Clive, Utah, will receive the Class A waste.
Based on the site characterization, Class B and C low-level radioactive
waste are not expected at the NRL facility.
NRC regulations at 10 CFR 20.1402, provide radiological criteria
for release of a site for unrestricted use. Release criteria for
unrestricted use is a maximum Total Effective Dose Equivalent (TEDE) of
25 mrem per year from residual radioactivity above background and doses
must be as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA). The results of the
final status survey will be used to demonstrate that the predicted dose
to a member of the public from any residual radioactivity does not
exceed the 25 mrem per year dose limit. The NRC will perform
inspections and if necessary a confirmatory survey to verify that the
decommissioning activities and the final status survey results are
acceptable.
The DP states that liquid waste that is generated during the
decommissioning activities will be filtered and disposed of in
accordance with the regulations in 10 CFR Part 20, Subpart K, ``Waste
Disposal.'' Containment measures will be taken as necessary to minimize
the spread of contamination. Engineered features such as enclosures and
temporary barriers with high-efficiency particulate air filters will be
used to control the spread of airborne radioactive material. Airborne
releases of radioactive materials are not expected.
The licensee analyzed accidents applicable to decommissioning
activities. The dose consequence from transportation accidents has the
potential for a moderate dose of between 1 and 25 mrem for the public,
which is within the dose limits for members of the public in 10 CFR
Part 20, Subpart D, ``Radiation Dose Limits for Individual Members of
the Public.''
Based on the review of the specific proposed activities associated
with the dismantling and decontamination of the NRL, which includes the
TRIGA Reactor, the staff has determined that the proposed action will
not increase the probability or consequences of accidents. No changes
are being made in the types of any effluents that may be released off
site, and there will be no significant increase in occupational or
public radiation exposure above those during the operation of the
facility. Therefore, the staff concludes that there are no significant
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed
action does not involve any historic sites. The predominant hazardous
material in the NRL site is elemental lead and proper precautions will
be taken to reduce the exposure to lead dust. Asbestos is also present
in NRL construction materials (e.g. floor tiles, roofing materials) and
will be removed by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor.
Decommissioning activities will not affect non-radiological facility
effluents and have no other environmental impact. The licensee states
that there are no sensitive or endangered species on the NRL site and
will ensure that all construction activities or any related disturbance
will not result in the impairment of local waterways. Therefore, the
staff concludes that there are no significant non-radiological
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. Accordingly,
NRC concludes that there are no significant environmental impacts
associated with the proposed action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
The three alternatives for disposition of the NRL, which includes
the TRIGA Reactor are: Decontamination (DECON), SAFSTOR, and no action.
The University of Illinois has proposed the DECON option. DECON is the
alternative in which the equipment, structures, and portions of the
facilities containing radioactive contaminants are removed or
decontaminated to a level that permits the property to be released for
unrestricted use.
SAFSTOR is the alternative in which the nuclear facilities are
placed and maintained in a condition that allows the nuclear facilities
to be safely stored and subsequently decontaminated (deferred
decontamination) to levels that permit release for unrestricted use.
The no-action alternative would leave the facilities in their present
configuration without any decommissioning activities required or
implemented. The SAFSTOR and no-action alternatives would entail
continued surveillance as well as physical security measures to be in
place and continued monitoring by licensee personnel. The SAFSTOR and
no-action alternatives would also require continued maintenance of the
facilities. The radiological impacts of SAFSTOR and no-action would be
less than the DECON option because of radioactive decay prior to the
start of decommissioning activities. However, these options involve the
continued use of resources during the SAFSTOR or no-action period. The
University of Illinois has determined that the proposed action (DECON)
is the most efficient use of NRL, including the TRIGA Reactor, since it
proposes to use the space that will become available for unrestricted
uses. These alternatives would have no significant environmental
impact. In addition, the regulations in 10 CFR 50.82(b)(4)(i) allow an
alternative which provides for delayed completion of decommissioning
only when the delay is necessary to protect the public health and
safety. The staff finds that delay is not justified since the
environmental impacts of the proposed action and the alternatives are
similar and insignificant.
Alternative Use of Resources
This action does not involve the use of any resources not
previously considered in the Environmental Report dated December 2005,
for the University of Illinois NRL TRIGA Reactor.
Agencies and Persons Contacted
On September 18, 2007, the staff sent a copy of a draft
Environmental Assessment (EA) to the Acting Bureau Chief, Bureau of
Environmental Safety, Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA),
Division of Nuclear Safety, regarding the environmental impact of the
proposed action.
This State official's comments were received on October 12, 2007,
and incorporated into this EA.
Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the environmental assessment, the Commission
concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect
on the quality of human health or the environment. Accordingly, the NRC
has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the
proposed action.
For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the
licensee's letters dated March 28, 2006 (See ADAMS ML060900623), and
August 20, 2007 (See ADAMS ML072550089), which are available for public
inspection, and can be copied for a fee, at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint
North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland, 20852.
The NRC maintains an Agency-wide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS), which provides text and image files of NRC's public documents.
These documents may be accessed through the NRC's Public Electronic
[[Page 71463]]
Reading Room on the Internet at https://www.nrc.gov.
Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who have problems in
accessing the documents located in ADAMS may contact the PDR reference
staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737 or by e-mail at pdr@nrc.gov.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 11th day of December, 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Lydia W. Chang,
Acting Deputy Director, Decommissioning and Uranium Recovery Licensing
Directorate, Division of Waste Management and Environmental Protection,
Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management
Programs.
[FR Doc. E7-24403 Filed 12-14-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
