Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for License Amendment to Byproduct Materials License No. 29-30984-01, for Unrestricted Release of the Conopco, Incorporated's Waste Storage Facility in Trumbull, CT, 79934-79936 [E8-30944]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 250 / Tuesday, December 30, 2008 / Notices
scheme of Surveillance Requirements
(SRs) 3.3.2.6 and 3.3.2.7 for Technical
Specification (TS) 3.3.2, ‘‘Engineered
Safety Feature Actuation System
(ESFAS) Instrumentation,’’ to correct
inconsistencies introduced in previous
license amendments issued by the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff.
The amendments also supersede the
120-day period for implementation of
the changes to SRs 3.3.2.6 and 3.3.2.7,
approved in the previous license
amendments.
Date of issuance: December 3, 2008.
Effective date: As of the date of
issuance and shall be implemented
within 30 days.
Amendment Nos.: Braidwood Unit
1—154; Braidwood Unit 2—154; Byron
Unit No. 1—159; and Byron Unit No.
2—159.
Facility Operating License Nos. NPF–
72, NPF–77, NPF–37, and NPF–66: The
amendments revise the TSs and
Licenses.
Date of initial notice in Federal
Register: June 17, 2008 (73 FR 34341).
The Commission’s related evaluation
of the amendments is contained in a
Safety Evaluation dated December 3,
2008.
No significant hazards consideration
comments received: No.
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
FPL Energy Duane Arnold, LLC, Docket
No. 50–331, Duane Arnold Energy
Center, Linn County, Iowa
Date of application for amendment:
December 20, 2007.
Brief description of amendment: The
amendment adds surveillance
requirements to the Technical
Specifications, Section 3.7.2, ‘‘River
Water Supply (RWS) System and
Ultimate Heat Sink (UHS),’’ to require
surveillance of the Cedar River depth to
assure UHS operability.
Date of issuance: December 3, 2008.
Effective date: As of the date of
issuance and shall be implemented
within 120 days of the date of issuance.
Amendment No.: 272.
Facility Operating License No. DPR–
49: The amendment revised the
Technical Specifications.
Date of initial notice in Federal
Register: June 17, 2008 (73 FR 34342)
The Commission’s related evaluation
of the amendment is contained in a
Safety Evaluation dated December 3,
2008.
No significant hazards consideration
comments received: No.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
22:55 Dec 29, 2008
Jkt 217001
PPL Susquehanna, LLC, Docket Nos. 50–
387 and 50–388, Susquehanna Steam
Electric Station, Units 1 and 2, Luzerne
County, Pennsylvania
Date of application for amendments:
March 28, 2008, as supplemented by a
letter dated August 29, 2008.
Brief description of amendments: The
amendments revised PPL Susquehanna,
LLC, Units 1 and 2 (PPL) Technical
Specifications (TSs) 3.8.4, ‘‘DC
Sources—Operating,’’ to establish two
new Conditions, A and B, the associated
Required Actions with their completion
times, and also, make some editorial
and administrative changes.
Date of issuance: December 11, 2008.
Effective date: December 11, 2008.
Amendment Nos.: 248 for Unit 1 and
227 for Unit 2.
Facility Operating License Nos. NPF–
14 and NPF–22: The amendments
revised the Facility Operating Licenses
and Technical Specifications.
Date of initial notice in Federal
Register: May 6, 2008 (73 FR 25044).
The supplemental letter dated August
29, 2008, provided additional
information that clarified the
application, did not expand the scope of
the application as originally noticed,
and did not change the staff’s original
proposed no significant hazards
consideration determination as
published in the Federal Register. The
Commission’s related evaluation of the
amendments is contained in a Safety
Evaluation dated December 11, 2008.
No significant hazards consideration
comments received: No.
Virginia Electric and Power Company, et
al., Docket Nos. 50–280 and 50–281,
Surry Power Station, Units 1 and 2,
Surry County, Virginia
Date of application for amendments:
April 2, 2008.
Brief description of amendments: The
proposed change revised Technical
Specification (TS) Section 5.0, ‘‘Design
Features,’’ to delete certain design
details and descriptions included in TS
5.0 that are appropriately controlled by
other applicable TSs, or does not meet
the criteria of Title 10 of the Code of
Federal Regulations, Section 50.36(c)(4)
for inclusion in the TSs, and are already
contained in the Updated Final Safety
Analysis Report. The change also
revised the format of, and incorporated
design descriptions into, TS 5.0
consistent with the content and format
of NUREG–1431, ‘‘Standard Technical
Specifications Westinghouse Plants’’. A
minor editorial change was made to
address a previously deleted paragraph.
Section 5.2, ‘‘Containment’’ was
removed from the TSs in its entirety.
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Sfmt 4703
The change removed the statement
regarding how draining of the spent fuel
pool in prevented and included a
statement in the TS that would limit
draining the spent fuel pool below a
specific elevation. A previously
established spent fuel pool storage
capacity was also incorporated into the
TSs.
Date of issuance: December 10, 2008.
Effective date: As of the date of
issuance and shall be implemented
within 30 days.
Amendment Nos.: 262/262.
Renewed Facility Operating License
Nos. DPR–32 and DPR–37: Amendments
changed the licenses and the technical
specifications.
Date of initial notice in Federal
Register: May 20, 2008 (73 FR 29165).
The proposed amendment was renoticed on November 4, 2008 (73 FR
65699). The Commission’s final no
significant hazards consideration
determination and related evaluation of
the amendments is contained in a Safety
Evaluation dated December 10, 2008.
No significant hazards consideration
comments received: No.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 18th day
of December 2008.
Joseph G. Giitter,
Director, Division of Operating Reactor
Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation.
[FR Doc. E8–30779 Filed 12–29–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 03036785]
Notice of Availability of Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for License
Amendment to Byproduct Materials
License No. 29–30984–01, for
Unrestricted Release of the Conopco,
Incorporated’s Waste Storage Facility
in Trumbull, CT
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Issuance of Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for License
Amendment.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Steven R. Courtemanche, Health
Physicist, Commercial and Research and
Development Branch, Division of
Nuclear Materials Safety, Region I, 475
Allendale Road, King of Prussia,
Pennsylvania; telephone (610) 337–
5075; fax number (610) 337–5269; or by
e-mail: src@nrc.gov.
E:\FR\FM\30DEN1.SGM
30DEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 250 / Tuesday, December 30, 2008 / Notices
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is considering the
issuance of a license amendment to
Byproduct Materials License No. 29–
30984–01. This license is held by
Conopco, Incorporated (the Licensee),
for its facility located at 40 Merritt
Boulevard in Trumbull, Connecticut
(the Facility). Issuance of the
amendment would authorize release of
the Facility’s radioactive waste storage
trailer for unrestricted use. The Licensee
requested this action in a letter dated
April 16, 2008. 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
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
Identification of Proposed Action
The proposed action would approve
the Licensee’s April 16, 2008, license
amendment request, resulting in release
of the Facility’s radioactive waste
storage trailer for unrestricted use.
License No. 29–30984–01 was issued on
March 21, 2005, pursuant to 10 CFR Part
30. This license authorized the Licensee
to use unsealed byproduct material for
purpose of conducting research and
development activities on laboratory
bench tops and in hoods and sealed
sources for the purpose of sample
analysis in compatible gas
chromatography devices.
The Facility is situated on
approximately 4.4 acres of land and
consists of office space, laboratories,
warehouse areas, and a manufacturing
area. The Facility is located in a
commercial area. Within the Facility,
the area that the licensee is requesting
to be released for unrestricted use is a
waste storage trailer of approximately
225 square feet, one-third of which was
used for the storage of waste radioactive
material.
On March 28, 2008, the Licensee
ceased licensed activities in the
radioactive waste storage trailer and
initiated a survey and decontamination
of the trailer. Based on the Licensee’s
historical knowledge of the site and the
conditions of the trailer, the Licensee
determined that only routine
decontamination activities, in
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23:00 Dec 29, 2008
Jkt 217001
accordance with their NRC-approved,
operating radiation safety procedures,
were required. The Licensee was not
required to submit a decommissioning
plan to the NRC because worker cleanup
activities and procedures are consistent
with those approved for routine
operations. The Licensee conducted
surveys of the radioactive waste storage
trailer and provided information to the
NRC to demonstrate that it meets the
criteria in Subpart E of 10 CFR Part 20
for unrestricted release.
Need for the Proposed Action
The Licensee has ceased conducting
licensed activities in the radioactive
waste storage trailer and seeks the
unrestricted use of this area.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed
Action
The historical review of licensed
activities conducted at the radioactive
waste storage trailer shows that such
activities involved use of the following
radionuclides with half-lives greater
than 120 days: Hydrogen-3 and carbon14. Prior to performing the final status
survey, the Licensee conducted
decontamination activities, as
necessary, in the areas of the radioactive
waste storage trailer affected by these
radionuclides.
The Licensee conducted a final status
survey of the radioactive waste storage
trailer on April 1, 2008. The final status
survey report was attached to the
Licensee’s amendment request dated
April 16, 2008. The Licensee elected to
demonstrate compliance with the
radiological criteria for unrestricted
release as specified in 10 CFR 20.1402
by using the screening approach
described in NUREG–1757,
‘‘Consolidated NMSS Decommissioning
Guidance,’’ Volume 2. The Licensee
used the radionuclide-specific derived
concentration guideline levels (DCGLs),
developed there by the NRC, which
comply with the dose criterion in 10
CFR 20.1402. These DCGLs define the
maximum amount of residual
radioactivity on building surfaces,
equipment, and materials, and in soils,
that will satisfy the NRC requirements
in Subpart E of 10 CFR Part 20 for
unrestricted release. The Licensee’s
final status survey results were below
these DCGLs and are in compliance
with the As Low As Reasonably
Achievable (ALARA) requirement of 10
CFR 20.1402. The NRC thus finds that
the Licensee’s final status survey results
are acceptable.
Based on its review, the staff has
determined that the affected
environment and any environmental
impacts associated with the proposed
PO 00000
Frm 00147
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
79935
action are bounded by the impacts
evaluated by the ‘‘Generic
Environmental Impact Statement in
Support of Rulemaking on Radiological
Criteria for License Termination of NRCLicensed Nuclear Facilities’’ (NUREG–
1496) Volumes 1–3 (ML042310492,
ML042320379, and ML042330385). The
staff finds there were no significant
environmental impacts from the use of
radioactive material at the waste storage
trailer. The NRC staff reviewed the
docket file records and the final status
survey report to identify any nonradiological hazards that may have
impacted the environment surrounding
the radioactive waste storage trailer. No
such hazards or impacts to the
environment were identified. The NRC
has identified no other radiological or
non-radiological activities in the area
that could result in cumulative
environmental impacts.
The NRC staff finds that the proposed
release of the radioactive waste storage
trailer described above for unrestricted
use is in compliance with 10 CFR
20.1402. Although the Licensee will
continue to perform licensed activities
at other parts of the Facility, the
Licensee must ensure that this
decommissioned area does not become
recontaminated. Before the license can
be terminated, the Licensee will be
required to show that the entire Facility,
including previously-released areas,
complies with the radiological criteria
in 10 CFR 20.1402. Based on its review,
the staff considered the impact of the
residual radioactivity at the radioactive
waste storage trailer and concluded that
the proposed action will not have a
significant effect on the quality of the
human environment.
Environmental Impacts of the
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Due to the largely administrative
nature of the proposed action, its
environmental impacts are small.
Therefore, the only alternative the staff
considered is the no-action alternative,
under which the staff would leave
things as they are by simply denying the
amendment request. This no-action
alternative is not feasible because it
conflicts with 10 CFR 30.36(d),
requiring that decommissioning of
byproduct material facilities be
completed and approved by the NRC
after licensed activities cease. The
NRC’s analysis of the Licensee’s final
status survey data confirmed that the
radioactive waste storage trailer 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
E:\FR\FM\30DEN1.SGM
30DEN1
79936
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 250 / Tuesday, December 30, 2008 / Notices
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 State
of Connecticut Department of
Environmental Protection’s Division of
Radiation for review on September 16,
2008. On October 7, 2008, the State of
Connecticut Department of
Environmental Protection’s Division of
Radiation 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.
this action are listed below, along with
their ADAMS accession numbers.
[1]. Licensee’s letter dated April 16,
2008 (ML081150270);
[2]. Licensee’s letter dated May 15,
2008 (ML081480490);
[3]. NUREG–1757, ‘‘Consolidated
NMSS Decommissioning Guidance;’’
[4]. Title 10 Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 20, Subpart E,
‘‘Radiological Criteria for License
Termination;’’
[5]. Title 10, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 51, ‘‘Environmental
Protection Regulations for Domestic
Licensing and Related Regulatory
Functions;’’ and
[6]. NUREG–1496, ‘‘Generic
Environmental Impact Statement in
Support of Rulemaking on Radiological
Criteria for License Termination of NRCLicensed Nuclear Facilities.’’
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 NRC Region I at 475 Allendale
Road, King of Prussia, PA this 18th day of
December.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
James P. Dwyer,
Chief, Commercial and R&D Branch, Division
of Nuclear Materials Safety, Region I.
[FR Doc. E8–30944 Filed 12–29–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50–362]
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
IV. Further Information
Southern California Edison Company;
San Onofre Nuclear Generating
Station, Unit 3, Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact
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
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an exemption from Title 10
of the Code of Federal Regulations (10
CFR) Part 74, Section 74.19(c), for
Facility Operating License No. NPF–15,
issued to Southern California Edison
Company (SCE, the licensee), for
operation of the San Onofre Nuclear
Generating Station (SONGS), Unit 3,
located in San Diego County, California.
Therefore, as required by 10 CFR 51.21,
VerDate Aug<31>2005
22:55 Dec 29, 2008
Jkt 217001
PO 00000
Frm 00148
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
the NRC is issuing this environmental
assessment and finding of no significant
impact.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action:
The regulation 10 CFR 74.19(c) states,
‘‘Other than licensees subject to
Sections 74.31, 74.33, 74.41, or 74.51,
each licensee who is authorized to
possess special nuclear material, at any
one time and site location, in a quantity
greater than 350 grams of contained
uranium-235, uranium-233, or
plutonium, or any combination thereof,
shall conduct a physical inventory of all
special nuclear material in its
possession under license at intervals not
to exceed 12 months.’’
By application dated January 14,
2008, the licensee requested an
exemption from certain recordkeeping
requirements in Section 74.19(c) for
SONGS Unit 3. The exemption would
allow SCE to deviate from the physical
inventory requirements for 12 irradiated
fission chambers removed from SONGS
3 in 1995 and in storage at the plant.
The Need for the Proposed Action:
The proposed action would allow the
licensee to not have to perform physical
inventory of the 12 irradiated fission
chambers that are stored in the plant.
The licensee pointed out that the as
low as is reasonably achievable
(ALARA) requirement in 10 CFR Part
20, ‘‘Standards for protection against
radiation,’’ requires ‘‘* * * making
every reasonable effort to maintain
exposures to radiation as far below the
dose limits in this part as is practical
consistent with the purpose for which
the licensed activity is undertaken,
* * *.’’ This request for an exemption
from the physical inventory
requirements of 10 CFR 74.19(c) would
relieve SCE of significant and
unnecessary personnel exposures with
no decrease in quality and safety.
Environmental Impacts of the
Proposed Action:
NRC completed its safety evaluation
of the proposed action and concludes
that the exempting the licensee from
performing a physical inventory of the
12 irradiated fission chambers in the
plant is acceptable.
The details of the staff’s safety
evaluation will be provided in the
exemption that will be issued as part of
the letter to the licensee approving the
exemption to the regulation.
The proposed action will not
significantly increase the probability or
consequences of accidents. No changes
are being made in the types of effluents
that may be released off site. There is no
significant increase in the amount of
any effluent released off site. There is no
E:\FR\FM\30DEN1.SGM
30DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 250 (Tuesday, December 30, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79934-79936]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30944]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 03036785]
Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of
No Significant Impact for License Amendment to Byproduct Materials
License No. 29-30984-01, for Unrestricted Release of the Conopco,
Incorporated's Waste Storage Facility in Trumbull, CT
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Issuance of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for License Amendment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven R. Courtemanche, Health
Physicist, Commercial and Research and Development Branch, Division of
Nuclear Materials Safety, Region I, 475 Allendale Road, King of
Prussia, Pennsylvania; telephone (610) 337-5075; fax number (610) 337-
5269; or by e-mail: src@nrc.gov.
[[Page 79935]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering the
issuance of a license amendment to Byproduct Materials License No. 29-
30984-01. This license is held by Conopco, Incorporated (the Licensee),
for its facility located at 40 Merritt Boulevard in Trumbull,
Connecticut (the Facility). Issuance of the amendment would authorize
release of the Facility's radioactive waste storage trailer for
unrestricted use. The Licensee requested this action in a letter dated
April 16, 2008. 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 April 16, 2008,
license amendment request, resulting in release of the Facility's
radioactive waste storage trailer for unrestricted use. License No. 29-
30984-01 was issued on March 21, 2005, pursuant to 10 CFR Part 30. This
license authorized the Licensee to use unsealed byproduct material for
purpose of conducting research and development activities on laboratory
bench tops and in hoods and sealed sources for the purpose of sample
analysis in compatible gas chromatography devices.
The Facility is situated on approximately 4.4 acres of land and
consists of office space, laboratories, warehouse areas, and a
manufacturing area. The Facility is located in a commercial area.
Within the Facility, the area that the licensee is requesting to be
released for unrestricted use is a waste storage trailer of
approximately 225 square feet, one-third of which was used for the
storage of waste radioactive material.
On March 28, 2008, the Licensee ceased licensed activities in the
radioactive waste storage trailer and initiated a survey and
decontamination of the trailer. Based on the Licensee's historical
knowledge of the site and the conditions of the trailer, the Licensee
determined that only routine decontamination activities, in accordance
with their NRC-approved, operating radiation safety procedures, were
required. The Licensee was not required to submit a decommissioning
plan to the NRC because worker cleanup activities and procedures are
consistent with those approved for routine operations. The Licensee
conducted surveys of the radioactive waste storage trailer and provided
information to the NRC to demonstrate that it meets the criteria in
Subpart E of 10 CFR Part 20 for unrestricted release.
Need for the Proposed Action
The Licensee has ceased conducting licensed activities in the
radioactive waste storage trailer and seeks the unrestricted use of
this area.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The historical review of licensed activities conducted at the
radioactive waste storage trailer shows that such activities involved
use of the following radionuclides with half-lives greater than 120
days: Hydrogen-3 and carbon-14. Prior to performing the final status
survey, the Licensee conducted decontamination activities, as
necessary, in the areas of the radioactive waste storage trailer
affected by these radionuclides.
The Licensee conducted a final status survey of the radioactive
waste storage trailer on April 1, 2008. The final status survey report
was attached to the Licensee's amendment request dated April 16, 2008.
The Licensee elected to demonstrate compliance with the radiological
criteria for unrestricted release as specified in 10 CFR 20.1402 by
using the screening approach described in NUREG-1757, ``Consolidated
NMSS Decommissioning Guidance,'' Volume 2. The Licensee used the
radionuclide-specific derived concentration guideline levels (DCGLs),
developed there by the NRC, which comply with the dose criterion in 10
CFR 20.1402. These DCGLs define the maximum amount of residual
radioactivity on building surfaces, equipment, and materials, and in
soils, that will satisfy the NRC requirements in Subpart E of 10 CFR
Part 20 for unrestricted release. The Licensee's final status survey
results were below these DCGLs and are in compliance with the As Low As
Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) requirement of 10 CFR 20.1402. The NRC
thus finds that the Licensee's final status survey results are
acceptable.
Based on its review, the staff has determined that the affected
environment and any environmental impacts associated with the proposed
action are bounded by the impacts evaluated by the ``Generic
Environmental Impact Statement in Support of Rulemaking on Radiological
Criteria for License Termination of NRC-Licensed Nuclear Facilities''
(NUREG-1496) Volumes 1-3 (ML042310492, ML042320379, and ML042330385).
The staff finds there were no significant environmental impacts from
the use of radioactive material at the waste storage trailer. The NRC
staff reviewed the docket file records and the final status survey
report to identify any non-radiological hazards that may have impacted
the environment surrounding the radioactive waste storage trailer. No
such hazards or impacts to the environment were identified. The NRC has
identified no other radiological or non-radiological activities in the
area that could result in cumulative environmental impacts.
The NRC staff finds that the proposed release of the radioactive
waste storage trailer described above for unrestricted use is in
compliance with 10 CFR 20.1402. Although the Licensee will continue to
perform licensed activities at other parts of the Facility, the
Licensee must ensure that this decommissioned area does not become
recontaminated. Before the license can be terminated, the Licensee will
be required to show that the entire Facility, including previously-
released areas, complies with the radiological criteria in 10 CFR
20.1402. Based on its review, the staff considered the impact of the
residual radioactivity at the radioactive waste storage trailer and
concluded that the proposed action will not have a significant effect
on the quality of the human environment.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action
Due to the largely administrative nature of the proposed action,
its environmental impacts are small. Therefore, the only alternative
the staff considered is the no-action alternative, under which the
staff would leave things as they are by simply denying the amendment
request. This no-action alternative is not feasible because it
conflicts with 10 CFR 30.36(d), requiring that decommissioning of
byproduct material facilities be completed and approved by the NRC
after licensed activities cease. The NRC's analysis of the Licensee's
final status survey data confirmed that the radioactive waste storage
trailer 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
[[Page 79936]]
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 State
of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection's Division of
Radiation for review on September 16, 2008. On October 7, 2008, the
State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection's Division
of Radiation 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]. Licensee's letter dated April 16, 2008 (ML081150270);
[2]. Licensee's letter dated May 15, 2008 (ML081480490);
[3]. NUREG-1757, ``Consolidated NMSS Decommissioning Guidance;''
[4]. Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 20, Subpart E,
``Radiological Criteria for License Termination;''
[5]. Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 51,
``Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and
Related Regulatory Functions;'' and
[6]. NUREG-1496, ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement in
Support of Rulemaking on Radiological Criteria for License Termination
of NRC-Licensed Nuclear Facilities.''
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 NRC Region I at 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, PA
this 18th day of December.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
James P. Dwyer,
Chief, Commercial and R&D Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety,
Region I.
[FR Doc. E8-30944 Filed 12-29-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
