Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Related to Issuance of Exemption for the Humboldt Bay Power Plant Unit 3 License DPR-007, Humboldt, CA, 3757-3759 [E8-987]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 14 / Tuesday, January 22, 2008 / Notices
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p.m., Eastern time, Monday through
Friday. You also may obtain a copy of
the data collection instrument and
instructions from Ms. Plimpton.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title of Collection: NSF Surveys to
Measure Customer Service Satisfaction.
OMB Number: 3145–0157.
Expiration Date of Approval: June 30,
2008.
Type of Request: Intent to seek
approval to renew an information
collection.
Abstract:
Proposed Project: On September 11,
1993, President Clinton issued
Executive Order 12862, ‘‘Setting
Customer Service Standards,’’ which
calls for Federal agencies to provide
service that matches or exceeds the best
service available in the private sector.
Section 1(b) of that order requires
agencies to ‘‘survey customers to
determine the kind and quality of
services they want and their level of
satisfaction with existing services.’’ The
National Science Foundation (NSF) has
an ongoing need to collect information
from its customer community (primarily
individuals and organizations engaged
in science and engineering research and
education) about the quality and kind of
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Estimate of Burden: The burden on
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needs of each individual customer
satisfaction survey; however, each
survey is estimated to take
approximately 30 minutes per response.
Respondents: Will vary among
individuals or households; business or
other for-profit; not-for-profit
institutions; farms; federal government;
state, local or tribal governments.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Survey: This will vary by survey.
Comments: Comments are invited on
(a) whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
Agency, including whether the
information shall have practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the Agency’s
estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information; (c) ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information on respondents,
including through the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology; and (d) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to
respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
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collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Dated: January 15, 2008.
Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science
Foundation.
[FR Doc. 08–188 Filed 1–18–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555–01–M
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50–133]
Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact
Related to Issuance of Exemption for
the Humboldt Bay Power Plant Unit 3
License DPR–007, Humboldt, CA
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Environmental Assessment and
Finding of No Significant Impact.
AGENCY:
John
Hickman, Division of Waste
Management and Environmental
Protection, Office of Federal and State
Materials and Environmental
Management Programs, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop:
T8F5, Washington, DC 20555–0001.
Telephone: (301) 415–3017; e-mail:
jbh@nrc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) staff is considering a
request dated October 30, 2007, by the
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
(PG&E or the Licensee), to approve a
request for exemption from the values of
the Inhalation Annual Limits on Intake
(ALIs) and Derived Air Concentrations
(DACs) that appear in 10 CFR Part 20,
Appendix B, Table 1, for use at
Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Unit 3
(HBPP). PG&E proposes replacing the 10
CFR Part 20, Appendix B, Table 1 ALI
and DAC values, derived using previous
(1977) recommendations of the
International Commission on
Radiological Protection (ICRP), with ALI
and DAC values derived using more
recent (1995) ICRP recommendations.
This Environmental Assessment (EA)
has been developed in accordance with
the requirements of 10 CFR 51.21.
II. Environmental Assessment
Background
HBPP was permanently shut down in
July 1976, and until recently was in safe
storage condition (SAFSTOR).
SAFSTOR is defined as a method of
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
3757
decommissioning in which the nuclear
facility is placed and maintained in safe
condition for an extended period of time
to permit radioactive material to decay
to levels that facilitate subsequent
decontamination and decommissioning
of the facility. A Decommissioning Plan
was approved in July 1988. Subsequent
to the 1997 decommissioning rule, the
licensee converted its decommissioning
plan into its Defueled Safety Analysis
Report which is updated every two
years. A Post Shutdown
Decommissioning Activities Report was
issued by the licensee in February 1998.
In December 2003, PG&E formally
submitted a license application to the
NRC for approval of a dry-cask
Independent Spent Fuel Storage
Installation (ISFSI) at the Humboldt Bay
site. A preliminary license and safety
evaluation report for the Humboldt Bay
ISFSI was issued on August 24, 2005.
The ISFSI is currently under
construction and the licensee is now
engaged in some incremental
decommissioning activities.
Fuel failures occurred at HBPP in the
past when the reactor was operating,
resulting in contamination from alpha
emitters which pose an inhalation
hazard to workers. The inhalation of
airborne radioactive materials in
restricted areas poses a potential
internal radiation hazard and the NRC
regulations in 10 CFR Part 20 require
licensees to assess these radiation
hazards and to implement protective
measures to minimize that hazard to
workers, the public and the
environment. These actions and
measures include air sampling, posting
airborne radioactivity area warning
signs, the use of respiratory protection,
and bioassay monitoring of workers.
These actions and measures are
triggered when air concentrations in the
workplace reach specified fractions of
the DAC values in 10 CFR Part 20,
Appendix B.
Proposed Action
HBPP has requested that NRC allow
an exemption under 10 CFR 20.2301 to
allow the use of DAC and ALI values
calculated using ICRP–68, ‘‘Dose
Coefficients for Intake of Radionuclides
by Workers,’’ (Ref. 3) dose coefficients
and parameters instead of the DAC and
ALI values in 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix
B, Table 1, Occupational Values. HBPP
believes that this change will result in
greater worker efficiency in
decommissioning work activities and
should result in an overall reduction in
worker dose. The ICRP 68 parameters
used in calculating DAC and ALI values
are generally accepted as more
representative models of the actual
E:\FR\FM\22JAN1.SGM
22JAN1
3758
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 14 / Tuesday, January 22, 2008 / Notices
physical and biological mechanisms
involved in the inhalation and
deposition of aerosols in the human
body. The Department of Energy (DOE)
adopted the ICRP–68 recommendations
for DAC and ALI values in a revision to
10 CFR Part 835, Occupational
Radiation Protection, earlier this year
(Ref. 4). Also, the Commission has
indicated in Staff Requirements
Memoranda for SECY–01–148 (Ref. 5)
and SECY–99–077 (Ref. 6) that the NRC
staff should consider and approve, as
appropriate, licensee requests to use
more recent ICRP radiation protection
recommendations on a case-by-case
basis. The licensee states that the
exemption is allowed by NRC
regulations and will not result in any
new or increased hazard to life of
property.
Need for Proposed Action
To protect plant workers from doses
due to inhalation of alpha emitters, the
HBPP internal exposure control program
requires the use of respirators when
performing certain activities. Using a
respirator reduces worker efficiency and
requires workers to remain in radiation
areas longer than if respirators were not
used. By remaining in a radiation area
longer than necessary, workers receive
higher external doses due to gamma
radiation. At the present time, plant
workers are actively performing
preparatory decommissioning activities
that are scheduled to increase in mid2008 after spent nuclear fuel assemblies
and fuel fragment containers are
transferred from the spent fuel pool to
the ISFSI.
III. Environmental Impacts of the
Proposed Action
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Radiological Impacts
The DAC and ALI values in 10 CFR
Part 20, Appendix B, Table 1, were
calculated using ICRP 26 and ICRP 30
radiation dosimetry methodology. This
methodology was adopted by the ICRP
in 1977 and 1978, respectively. The
ICRP has continued to update and revise
its dosimetric models and input
parameters as new information became
available. The current ICRP basic
radiation protection recommendations
are in ICRP 60 which was adopted in
1991. HBPP proposes to use the dose
coefficients for intake of radionuclides
by workers in ICRP–68 which were
adopted for use by ICRP in 1995.
The differences in the values between
the current NRC DAC values and values
for most radionuclides using more
recent ICRP methodology are generally
two-fold or less. However, the difference
between some radionuclides is larger—
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especially for uranium and some of the
transuranic radionuclides. HBPP has
provided a comparison of inhalation
ALIs for these radionuclides. ICRP–68
inhalation ALI values are greater than
ICRP–30 values by a factor of 4.9 for U–
235; 6.1 for Pu–238; 2.0 for Am–241;
and 5.0 for Np–237.
Engineering controls are the preferred
method to control airborne radioactive
materials, but this is more difficult to
implement for the changing conditions
in decommissioning activities than
during routine operations. The use of
ICRP–68 dose coefficients and
parameters to develop DAC and ALI
values should result in less conservative
values than those currently in 10 CFR
Part 20. This should reduce the reliance
on respirators to prevent the inhalation
of airborne radioactivity by workers,
and this should improve worker’s
ability to better identify and avoid
industrial safety hazards and also
should reduce physical stresses on
workers. The reduced reliance on
respirators will also allow workers to
perform activities in radiation areas
more efficiently, reducing external
radiation dose due to gamma rays, and
resulting in reduced overall dose
received. Therefore, PG&E’s request for
an exemption under 10 CFR Part
20.2301 is acceptable because it gives its
workers equivalent radiological
protection as required by 10 CFR Part
20.
Non-Radiological Impacts
The NRC has determined that there
are no adverse non-radiological impacts
associated with the proposed action.
Cumulative Impacts
The NRC has determined that there
are no adverse cumulative impacts
associated with this proposed action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
The alternative to considering the
exemption request for approval is to
deny the request. The alternative was
rejected by NRC because the impacts on
workers, the public and the
environment were not adversely
affected by the requested action. The
use of ICRP 68 recommendations to
calculate DAC and ALI values should
reduce potential industrial safety
hazards to workers by lessening reliance
on respirators and will not increase any
hazards to the public or the
environment.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
The NRC contacted the California
Radiologic Health Branch in the State
Department of Health Services
concerning this request. There were no
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Frm 00099
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
comments, concerns or objections from
the state official.
NRC staff determined that the
proposed action is not a major
decommissioning activity and will not
affect listed or proposed endangered
species, nor critical habitat. Therefore,
no further consultation is required
under Section 7 of the Endangered
Species Act. Likewise, NRC staff
determined that the proposed action is
not the type of activity that has the
potential to cause previously
unconsidered effects on historic
properties, as consultation for site
decommissioning has been conducted
previously. There are no additional
impacts to historic properties associated
with the disposal method and location
for demolition debris. Therefore, no
consultation is required under Section
106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act.
IV. Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the environmental
assessment, the NRC concludes that the
proposed action will not have a
significant effect on the quality of the
human environment. Accordingly, the
NRC has determined that preparation of
an environmental impact statement is
not warranted for the proposed action.
V. Further Information
For further information with respect
to the proposed action, see the following
documents:
1. J. S. Keenan, Pacific Gas and
Electric Company, letter to the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
‘‘Exemption Request From 10 CFR 20
Appendix B, Table 1 Values,’’ October
30, 2007. (ML073060034)
2. U.S. Code of Federal Regulation,
‘‘Standards for Protection Against
Radiation,’’ Part 20, Chapter 1, Title 10,
Energy.
3. International Commission on
Radiological Protection Publication 68,
Dose Coefficients for Intakes of
Radionuclides by Workers, published
July, 1994 (ISBN 0 08 042651 4). This
document is available from Elsevier
Science Inc., Tarrytown, NY.
4. Federal Register Notice, Friday,
June 8, 2007 (FR Vol. 72, No.110, Pages
31904—31941), DOE Final Rule for the
adoption of current ICRP methodology
for DAC and ALI values in 10 CFR 835,
Occupational Radiation Protection.
5. SR–SECY–01–148, Staff
Requirements—SECY–01–0148—
Processes for Revision of 10 CFR Part 20
Regarding Adoption of ICRP
Recommendations on Occupational
Dose Limits and Dosimetric Models and
Parameters, April 12, 2002.
(ML011580363)
E:\FR\FM\22JAN1.SGM
22JAN1
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 14 / Tuesday, January 22, 2008 / Notices
6. SR–SECY–99–077, Staff
Requirements—SECY–99–0077—To
Request Commission Approval to Grant
Exemptions From Portions of 10 CFR
Part 20, April 21, 1999. (ML042750086)
The NRC Public Documents Room is
located at NRC Headquarters in
Rockville, MD, and can be contacted at
(800) 397–4209. Documents may be
examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the
NRC’s Public Document Room (PDR),
located at One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville,
Maryland. Publicly available records
will be accessible electronically from
the Agencywide Documents Access and
Management System’s (ADAMS) Public
Library component on the NRC Web
site, https://www.nrc.gov (the Public
Electronic Reading Room). 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 at pdr@nrc.gov.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day
of January, 2008.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Keith I. McConnell,
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. E8–987 Filed 1–18–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50–373]
following the thirteenth LSCS refueling
outage for Unit 1.
The Commission had previously
issued a Notice of Consideration of
Issuance of Amendment published in
the Federal Register on July 31, 2007
(72 FR 41784). However, by letter dated
October 12, 2007, the licensee withdrew
the proposed change.
For further details with respect to this
action, see the application for
amendment dated June 18, 2007, as
supplemented by letter dated September
7, 2007, and the licensee’s letter dated
October 12, 2007, which 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
(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 14th day
of January, 2008.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Stephen P. Sands,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch III–
2, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E8–988 Filed 1–18–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Exelon Generation Company, LLC;
Notice of Withdrawal of Application for
Amendment to Facility Operating
License
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (the Commission) has
granted the request of Exelon
Generation Company, LLC (the
licensee), to withdraw its June 18, 2007,
application for proposed amendment, as
supplemented by letter dated September
7, 2007, to Facility Operating License
No. NPF–11, for the LaSalle County
Station (LSCS), Unit 1, located in Will
County.
The proposed amendment would
have revised the facility Technical
Specification 5.5.13 pertaining to
primary containment leakage rate
testing, to reflect a one-time extension of
the LSCS, Unit 1 primary containment
Type A Integrated Leak Rate Test date
from the current requirement of no later
than June 13, 2009, to prior to startup
VerDate Aug<31>2005
20:38 Jan 18, 2008
Jkt 214001
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL
MANAGEMENT
January 2008 Pay Adjustments
U.S. Office of Personnel
Management.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The President adjusted the
rates of basic pay and locality payments
for certain categories of Federal
employees effective in January 2008.
This notice documents those pay
adjustments for the public record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Carey Johnston, Center for Pay and
Leave Administration, Division for
Strategic Human Resources Policy, U.S.
Office of Personnel Management; (202)
606–2858; FAX (202) 606–0824; or email to pay-performancepolicy@opm.gov.
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3759
On
January 4, 2008, the President signed
Executive Order 13454 (73 FR 1481),
which implemented the January 2008
pay adjustments. The President made
these adjustments consistent with
Public Law 110–161, December 26,
2007, which authorized an overall
average pay increase of 3.5 percent for
the ‘‘statutory pay systems,’’ including
the General Schedule (GS).
Schedule 1 of Executive Order 13454
provides the rates for the 2008 General
Schedule and reflects a 2.5 percent
across-the-board increase. Executive
Order 13454 also includes the
percentage amounts of the 2008 locality
payments. (See Section 5 and Schedule
9 of Executive Order 13454.)
The publication of this notice satisfies
the requirement in section 5(b) of
Executive Order 13454 that the U.S.
Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
publish appropriate notice of the 2008
locality payments in the Federal
Register.
GS employees receive locality
payments under 5 U.S.C. 5304. Locality
payments apply in the continental
United States (as defined in 5 CFR
531.602 to include the several States
and the District of Columbia, but not
Alaska or Hawaii). In 2008, locality
payments ranging from 13.18 percent to
32.53 percent apply to GS employees in
32 locality pay areas. (The 2008 locality
pay areas definitions can be found at
https://www.opm.gov/oca/08tables/
locdef.asp.). These 2008 locality pay
percentages, which replaced the 2007
locality pay percentages, became
effective on the first day of the first pay
period beginning on or after January 1,
2008 (January 6, 2008). An employee’s
locality rate of pay is computed by
increasing his or her scheduled annual
rate of pay (as defined in 5 CFR 531.602)
by the applicable locality pay
percentage. (See 5 CFR 531.604 and
531.609.)
Executive Order 13454 establishes the
new Executive Schedule, which
incorporates a 2.5 percent increase
required under 5 U.S.C. 5318 (rounded
to the nearest $100). By law, Executive
Schedule officials are not authorized to
receive locality payments.
Executive Order 13454 establishes the
range of rates of basic pay for senior
executives in the Senior Executive
Service (SES), as established pursuant to
5 U.S.C. 5382. The minimum rate of
basic pay for the SES may not be less
than the minimum rate payable under 5
U.S.C. 5376 for senior-level positions
($114,468 in 2008). The maximum rate
of the SES rate range is level II of the
Executive Schedule ($172,200 in 2008)
for SES members covered by a certified
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
E:\FR\FM\22JAN1.SGM
22JAN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3757-3759]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-987]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-133]
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
Related to Issuance of Exemption for the Humboldt Bay Power Plant Unit
3 License DPR-007, Humboldt, CA
AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Hickman, Division of Waste
Management and Environmental Protection, Office of Federal and State
Materials and Environmental Management Programs, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop: T8F5, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
Telephone: (301) 415-3017; e-mail: jbh@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is considering a
request dated October 30, 2007, by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company
(PG&E or the Licensee), to approve a request for exemption from the
values of the Inhalation Annual Limits on Intake (ALIs) and Derived Air
Concentrations (DACs) that appear in 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B, Table
1, for use at Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Unit 3 (HBPP). PG&E proposes
replacing the 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B, Table 1 ALI and DAC values,
derived using previous (1977) recommendations of the International
Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), with ALI and DAC values
derived using more recent (1995) ICRP recommendations.
This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been developed in accordance
with the requirements of 10 CFR 51.21.
II. Environmental Assessment
Background
HBPP was permanently shut down in July 1976, and until recently was
in safe storage condition (SAFSTOR). SAFSTOR is defined as a method of
decommissioning in which the nuclear facility is placed and maintained
in safe condition for an extended period of time to permit radioactive
material to decay to levels that facilitate subsequent decontamination
and decommissioning of the facility. A Decommissioning Plan was
approved in July 1988. Subsequent to the 1997 decommissioning rule, the
licensee converted its decommissioning plan into its Defueled Safety
Analysis Report which is updated every two years. A Post Shutdown
Decommissioning Activities Report was issued by the licensee in
February 1998. In December 2003, PG&E formally submitted a license
application to the NRC for approval of a dry-cask Independent Spent
Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) at the Humboldt Bay site. A
preliminary license and safety evaluation report for the Humboldt Bay
ISFSI was issued on August 24, 2005. The ISFSI is currently under
construction and the licensee is now engaged in some incremental
decommissioning activities.
Fuel failures occurred at HBPP in the past when the reactor was
operating, resulting in contamination from alpha emitters which pose an
inhalation hazard to workers. The inhalation of airborne radioactive
materials in restricted areas poses a potential internal radiation
hazard and the NRC regulations in 10 CFR Part 20 require licensees to
assess these radiation hazards and to implement protective measures to
minimize that hazard to workers, the public and the environment. These
actions and measures include air sampling, posting airborne
radioactivity area warning signs, the use of respiratory protection,
and bioassay monitoring of workers. These actions and measures are
triggered when air concentrations in the workplace reach specified
fractions of the DAC values in 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B.
Proposed Action
HBPP has requested that NRC allow an exemption under 10 CFR 20.2301
to allow the use of DAC and ALI values calculated using ICRP-68, ``Dose
Coefficients for Intake of Radionuclides by Workers,'' (Ref. 3) dose
coefficients and parameters instead of the DAC and ALI values in 10 CFR
Part 20, Appendix B, Table 1, Occupational Values. HBPP believes that
this change will result in greater worker efficiency in decommissioning
work activities and should result in an overall reduction in worker
dose. The ICRP 68 parameters used in calculating DAC and ALI values are
generally accepted as more representative models of the actual
[[Page 3758]]
physical and biological mechanisms involved in the inhalation and
deposition of aerosols in the human body. The Department of Energy
(DOE) adopted the ICRP-68 recommendations for DAC and ALI values in a
revision to 10 CFR Part 835, Occupational Radiation Protection, earlier
this year (Ref. 4). Also, the Commission has indicated in Staff
Requirements Memoranda for SECY-01-148 (Ref. 5) and SECY-99-077 (Ref.
6) that the NRC staff should consider and approve, as appropriate,
licensee requests to use more recent ICRP radiation protection
recommendations on a case-by-case basis. The licensee states that the
exemption is allowed by NRC regulations and will not result in any new
or increased hazard to life of property.
Need for Proposed Action
To protect plant workers from doses due to inhalation of alpha
emitters, the HBPP internal exposure control program requires the use
of respirators when performing certain activities. Using a respirator
reduces worker efficiency and requires workers to remain in radiation
areas longer than if respirators were not used. By remaining in a
radiation area longer than necessary, workers receive higher external
doses due to gamma radiation. At the present time, plant workers are
actively performing preparatory decommissioning activities that are
scheduled to increase in mid-2008 after spent nuclear fuel assemblies
and fuel fragment containers are transferred from the spent fuel pool
to the ISFSI.
III. Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
Radiological Impacts
The DAC and ALI values in 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B, Table 1, were
calculated using ICRP 26 and ICRP 30 radiation dosimetry methodology.
This methodology was adopted by the ICRP in 1977 and 1978,
respectively. The ICRP has continued to update and revise its
dosimetric models and input parameters as new information became
available. The current ICRP basic radiation protection recommendations
are in ICRP 60 which was adopted in 1991. HBPP proposes to use the dose
coefficients for intake of radionuclides by workers in ICRP-68 which
were adopted for use by ICRP in 1995.
The differences in the values between the current NRC DAC values
and values for most radionuclides using more recent ICRP methodology
are generally two-fold or less. However, the difference between some
radionuclides is larger--especially for uranium and some of the
transuranic radionuclides. HBPP has provided a comparison of inhalation
ALIs for these radionuclides. ICRP-68 inhalation ALI values are greater
than ICRP-30 values by a factor of 4.9 for U-235; 6.1 for Pu-238; 2.0
for Am-241; and 5.0 for Np-237.
Engineering controls are the preferred method to control airborne
radioactive materials, but this is more difficult to implement for the
changing conditions in decommissioning activities than during routine
operations. The use of ICRP-68 dose coefficients and parameters to
develop DAC and ALI values should result in less conservative values
than those currently in 10 CFR Part 20. This should reduce the reliance
on respirators to prevent the inhalation of airborne radioactivity by
workers, and this should improve worker's ability to better identify
and avoid industrial safety hazards and also should reduce physical
stresses on workers. The reduced reliance on respirators will also
allow workers to perform activities in radiation areas more
efficiently, reducing external radiation dose due to gamma rays, and
resulting in reduced overall dose received. Therefore, PG&E's request
for an exemption under 10 CFR Part 20.2301 is acceptable because it
gives its workers equivalent radiological protection as required by 10
CFR Part 20.
Non-Radiological Impacts
The NRC has determined that there are no adverse non-radiological
impacts associated with the proposed action.
Cumulative Impacts
The NRC has determined that there are no adverse cumulative impacts
associated with this proposed action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
The alternative to considering the exemption request for approval
is to deny the request. The alternative was rejected by NRC because the
impacts on workers, the public and the environment were not adversely
affected by the requested action. The use of ICRP 68 recommendations to
calculate DAC and ALI values should reduce potential industrial safety
hazards to workers by lessening reliance on respirators and will not
increase any hazards to the public or the environment.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
The NRC contacted the California Radiologic Health Branch in the
State Department of Health Services concerning this request. There were
no comments, concerns or objections from the state official.
NRC staff determined that the proposed action is not a major
decommissioning activity and will not affect listed or proposed
endangered species, nor critical habitat. Therefore, no further
consultation is required under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.
Likewise, NRC staff determined that the proposed action is not the type
of activity that has the potential to cause previously unconsidered
effects on historic properties, as consultation for site
decommissioning has been conducted previously. There are no additional
impacts to historic properties associated with the disposal method and
location for demolition debris. Therefore, no consultation is required
under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
IV. Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC concludes
that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the
quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has determined
that preparation of an environmental impact statement is not warranted
for the proposed action.
V. Further Information
For further information with respect to the proposed action, see
the following documents:
1. J. S. Keenan, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, letter to the
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ``Exemption Request From 10 CFR 20
Appendix B, Table 1 Values,'' October 30, 2007. (ML073060034)
2. U.S. Code of Federal Regulation, ``Standards for Protection
Against Radiation,'' Part 20, Chapter 1, Title 10, Energy.
3. International Commission on Radiological Protection Publication
68, Dose Coefficients for Intakes of Radionuclides by Workers,
published July, 1994 (ISBN 0 08 042651 4). This document is available
from Elsevier Science Inc., Tarrytown, NY.
4. Federal Register Notice, Friday, June 8, 2007 (FR Vol. 72,
No.110, Pages 31904--31941), DOE Final Rule for the adoption of current
ICRP methodology for DAC and ALI values in 10 CFR 835, Occupational
Radiation Protection.
5. SR-SECY-01-148, Staff Requirements--SECY-01-0148--Processes for
Revision of 10 CFR Part 20 Regarding Adoption of ICRP Recommendations
on Occupational Dose Limits and Dosimetric Models and Parameters, April
12, 2002. (ML011580363)
[[Page 3759]]
6. SR-SECY-99-077, Staff Requirements--SECY-99-0077--To Request
Commission Approval to Grant Exemptions From Portions of 10 CFR Part
20, April 21, 1999. (ML042750086)
The NRC Public Documents Room is located at NRC Headquarters in
Rockville, MD, and can be contacted at (800) 397-4209. Documents may be
examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room
(PDR), located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first
floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be
accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents Access and
Management System's (ADAMS) Public Library component on the NRC Web
site, https://www.nrc.gov (the Public Electronic Reading Room). 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 at
pdr@nrc.gov.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day of January, 2008.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Keith I. McConnell,
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. E8-987 Filed 1-18-08; 8:45 am]
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