Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for License Renewal for University of California, Irvine Nuclear Reactor Facility, 7610-7613 [2012-3298]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 29 / Monday, February 13, 2012 / Notices
NATIONAL CREDIT UNION
ADMINISTRATION
Sunshine Act; Notice of Agency
Meeting
10:00 a.m., Thursday,
February 16, 2012.
PLACE: Board Room, 7th Floor, Room
7047, 1775 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA
22314–3428.
STATUS: Closed.
MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:
1. Merger Request Pursuant to Part
708b of NCUA’s Rules and Regulations.
Closed pursuant to exemption (8).
2. Consideration of Supervisory
Activities (4). Closed pursuant to some
or all of the following: exemptions (8),
(9)(i)(B) and 9(ii).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mary Rupp, Secretary of the Board,
Telephone: 703–518–6304.
TIME AND DATE:
Mary Rupp,
Board Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012–3391 Filed 2–9–12; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 7535–01–P
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Notice of permit applications received
under the Antarctic Conservation Act
of 1978
National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice of Permit Applications
Received Under the Antarctic
Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law
95–541.
AGENCY:
The National Science
Foundation (NSF) is required to publish
a notice of permit applications received
to conduct activities regulated under the
Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978.
NSF has published regulations under
the Antarctic Conservation Act at Title
45 Part 670 of the Code of Federal
Regulations. This is the required notice
of permit applications received.
DATES: Interested parties are invited to
submit written data, comments, or
views with respect to this permit
application by March 14, 2012. This
application may be inspected by
interested parties at the Permit Office,
address below.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be
addressed to Permit Office, Room 755,
Office of Polar Programs, National
Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Polly A. Penhale at the above address or
(703) 292–7420.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
National Science Foundation, as
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SUMMARY:
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directed by the Antarctic Conservation
Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95–541), as
amended by the Antarctic Science,
Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996,
has developed regulations for the
establishment of a permit system for
various activities in Antarctica and
designation of certain animals and
certain geographic areas requiring
special protection. The regulations
establish such a permit system to
designate Antarctic Specially Protected
Areas.
The applications received are as
follows:
Permit Application: 2012–015
1. Applicant: Laurie Connell, School of
Marine Sciences, University of
Maine, 5735 Hitchner Hall, Orono,
ME 04469.
Activity for Which Permit Is Requested
Take and Import into the U.S.A. The
applicant plans to salvage feathers and
bones from dead seabird carcasses. The
samples will be decontaminated and
cleaned prior to shipment back to the
home institution. The samples are to be
used for K–12 educational outreach
activities. In general, the bird parts will
be an example of adaptation to be
shown in conjunction with local (North
American) bird parts.
Location
McMurdo Sound region, Antarctica.
Dates
October 1, 2012 to September 30,
2015.
Nadene G. Kennedy,
Permit Officer, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2012–3204 Filed 2–10–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50–326; NRC–2010–0217]
Notice of Availability of Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for License Renewal
for University of California, Irvine
Nuclear Reactor Facility
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
AGENCY:
A.
Jason Lising, Project Manager, Research
and Test Reactor Licensing Branch,
Division of Policy and Rulemaking,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation,
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Rockville, MD 20852. Telephone: 301–
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
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415–3841; fax number: 301–415–3031;
email: Jason.Lising@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of a renewed Facility License
No. R–116, to be held by the Regents of
the University of California (the
licensee), which would authorize
continued operation of the University of
California, Irvine Nuclear Reactor
Facility (UCINRF), located in Irvine,
Orange County, California. Therefore, as
required by Title 10 of the Code of
Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section
51.21, the NRC is issuing this
Environmental Assessment (EA) and
Finding of No Significant Impact. The
renewed license will be issued
following the publication of this Notice.
II. EA Summary
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would renew
Facility License No. R–116 for a period
of 20 years from the date of issuance of
the renewed license. The proposed
action is in accordance with the
licensee’s application dated October 18,
1999, as supplemented by letters dated
October 23, and October 31, 1999, April
24, 2000, January 27, May 17, July 14,
and October 20, 2010, June 7, June 24,
August 1, October 3, October 5, and
December 2, 2011 (2 letters). In
accordance with 10 CFR 2.109, the
existing license remains in effect until
the NRC takes final action on the
renewal application.
Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed to
allow the continued operation of the
UCINRF to routinely provide teaching
opportunities, research, and services to
numerous institutions for a period of 20
years.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed
Action
The NRC has completed its safety
evaluation of the proposed action to
issue a renewed Facility License No. R–
116 to allow continued operation of the
UCINRF for a period of 20 years and
concludes there is reasonable assurance
that the UCINRF will continue to
operate safely for the additional period
of time. The details of the NRC staff
safety evaluation will be provided with
the renewed license that will be issued
as part of the letter to the licensee
approving its license renewal
application. This document contains the
environmental assessment of the
proposed action.
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 29 / Monday, February 13, 2012 / Notices
The UCINRF is located on the main
campus of the University of California,
Irvine and is a part of Rowland Hall.
The reactor is housed in the basement
of the multipurpose building
constructed with a structural steel frame
and reinforced concrete floors acting as
diaphragms in distributing loads to
vertically resisting elements. The reactor
area is comprised of the reactor room,
the control room, and two laboratories
which total approximately 186 square
meters (2000 square feet) all located in
the basement of Rowland Hall.
Possession of both a door key and a key
card are needed to enter the facility.
Rowland Hall is one of many University
buildings located around a circular
field. The nearest permanent residences
are located approximately 280 meters
(310 yards) south east of Rowland Hall.
The nearest dormitories are located
approximately 180 meters (200 yards)
west of the reactor.
The UCINRF is a pool-type, light
water moderated and cooled research
reactor licensed to operate at a steadystate power level of 250 kilowatt
thermal power (kW). The reactor is also
licensed to operate in a pulse mode. The
fuel is located at the bottom of an
aluminum tank 3 meters wide by 4.6
meters long and 7.6 meters deep (10 feet
wide by 15 feet long and 25 feet deep)
with a volume of approximately 87,000
liters (23,000 gallons), supported by a
reinforced concrete foundation. The
reactor is fueled with standard lowenriched TRIGA (Training, Research,
Isotope production, General Atomics)
uranium fuel. A detailed description of
the reactor can be found in the UCINRF
Safety Analysis Report (SAR). Since the
operating license was issued on
November 24, 1969, facility
modifications have been minor as
outlined in SAR Section 1.4.
The licensee has not requested any
changes to the facility design or
operating conditions as part of the
application for license renewal. No
changes are being made in the types or
quantities of effluents that may be
released off site. The licensee has
systems in place for controlling the
release of radiological effluents and
implements a radiation protection
program to monitor personnel exposures
and releases of radioactive effluents. As
discussed in the NRC staff’s safety
evaluation, the systems and radiation
protection program are appropriate for
the types and quantities of effluents
expected to be generated by continued
operation of the reactor. Accordingly,
there would be no increase in routine
occupational or public radiation
exposure as a result of license renewal.
As discussed in the NRC staff safety
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evaluation, the proposed action will not
significantly increase the probability or
consequences of accidents.
Therefore, license renewal would not
change the environmental impact of
facility operation. The NRC staff
evaluated information contained in the
licensee’s application, as supplemented,
and data reported to the NRC by the
licensee for the last ten years of
operation to determine the projected
radiological impact of the facility on the
environment during the period of the
renewed license. The NRC staff found
that releases of radioactive material and
personnel exposures were all well
within applicable regulatory limits.
Based on this evaluation, the NRC staff
concludes that continued operation of
the reactor would not have a significant
environmental impact.
Radiological Impact
Environmental Effects of Reactor
Operations:
Gaseous radioactive effluents are
discharged by the facility exhaust
system at a volumetric flow rate of
approximately 2.0 cubic meters per
second (4300 cubic feet per minute) via
vents located on the roof of the reactor
building. Other release pathways do
exist. However they are normally
secured during reactor operation and
have insignificant volumetric flow rates
compared to the facility exhaust system.
The only significant nuclide found in
the gaseous effluent stream is Argon-41.
Licensee calculations, based on
operation, indicate that annual Argon41 releases result in a maximum
concentration of less than 1.7 E–10
microCuries per milliliter (ûCi/ml) in a
year over the last 10 years, which is
below the limit of 1.0E–8 ûCi/ml
specified in 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix
B for air effluent releases. The NRC staff
performed an independent calculation
and found the licensee’s calculation to
be reasonable. Gaseous radioactive
releases reported to the NRC in the
licensee’s annual reports were less than
two percent of the air effluent
concentration limits set by 10 CFR Part
20, Appendix B. The potential radiation
dose to a member of the general public
resulting from this concentration is less
than 0.01 milliSieverts (mSv) (1
millirem (mrem)) and this demonstrates
compliance with the dose limit of 1 mSv
(100 mrem) set by 10 CFR 20.1301.
Additionally, this potential radiation
dose demonstrates compliance with the
air emissions dose constraint of 0.1 mSv
(10 mrem) specified in 10 CFR
20.1101(d).
The licensee disposes of radioactive
liquid waste by transfer to the
University’s Environmental Health &
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Safety (EHS) department. Since 1992,
the facility has had no radiological
liquid effluent releases. Radioactive
materials have been transferred and
disposed of in accordance with the
requirements of the licensee’s byproduct
license. Currently, there are no plans to
change any operating or radiological
release practices or characteristics of the
reactor during the license renewal
period. During the past ten years, the
licensee has transferred 15 gallons of
liquid waste for a total of 3.2 milliCuries
for proper disposal.
The EHS department oversees the
handling of solid low-level radioactive
waste generated at UCINRF. The bulk of
the waste consists of sample waste.
Upon removal from the facility, the
waste enters the EHS Radioactive Waste
Handling Program. The EHS department
currently retains the waste for decay in
storage. According to the licensee, no
spent nuclear fuel has been shipped
from the site to date. To comply with
the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982,
the licensee has entered into a contract
with the U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) that provides that DOE retains
title to the fuel utilized at the UCINRF
and that DOE is obligated to take the
fuel from the site for final disposition.
As described in past ten years of
UCINRF annual reports, personnel
exposures are well within the limits set
by 10 CFR 20.1201, and are as low as
is reasonably achievable (ALARA).
Personnel exposures are usually less
than 0.5 mSv (50 mrem) per year with
the maximum individual receiving 1.67
mSv (167 mrem) of whole body
exposure in one year. No changes in
reactor operation that would lead to an
increase in occupational dose are
expected as a result of the proposed
action.
The licensee conducts an
environmental monitoring program to
record and track the radiological impact
of UCINRF operation on the
surrounding unrestricted area. The
program consists of quarterly exposure
measurements at ten locations around
the facility and at one control location
away from any direct influence from the
reactor. The locations have been chosen
to monitor the confines of the reactor
facility, more remote locations on
campus and an off campus location that
provides background radiation level
information. Over the past ten years, the
monitoring program has indicated that
radiation exposures at the remote
monitoring locations on campus were
not significantly higher than at the
offsite background monitoring locations.
Year-to-year trends in exposures are
consistent between monitoring
locations. Also, no correlation exists
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 29 / Monday, February 13, 2012 / Notices
between total annual reactor operation
and annual exposures measured at the
monitoring locations. Based on the NRC
staff’s review of the past ten years of
data, the NRC staff concludes that
operation of the UCINRF does not have
any significant radiological impact on
the surrounding environment. No
changes in reactor operation that would
affect off-site radiation levels are
expected as a result of the proposed
action.
Environmental Effects of Accidents
Accident scenarios are discussed in
Chapter 13 of the UCINRF SAR. The
maximum hypothetical accident (MHA)
is the uncontrolled release of the
gaseous fission products contained in
the gap between the fuel and the fuel
cladding in one fuel element to the
reactor area and into the environment.
The licensee conservatively calculated
doses to facility personnel and the
maximum potential dose to a member of
the public. The NRC staff performed
independent calculations to verify that
the doses represent conservative
estimates for the MHA. Occupational
doses resulting from this accident
would be well below 10 CFR Part 20
limit of 50 mSv (5000 mrem). Maximum
doses for members of the public
resulting from this accident would be
well below 10 CFR Part 20 limit of 1
mSv (100 mrem). The proposed action
will not increase the probability or
consequences of accidents.
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A. Non-Radiological Impacts
The UCINRF core is cooled by a light
water primary system consisting of the
reactor pool and a heat removal system
to remove heat from the reactor pool.
Core cooling occurs by natural
convection, with the heated coolant
rising out of the core and into the bulk
pool water. The large heat sink provided
by the volume of primary coolant allows
several hours of full-power operation
without any secondary cooling. The
heat removal system transfers heat to
the University chilled water system via
a 258 kW (880,000 BTU/hr) heat
exchanger. During operation, the chilled
water system is maintained at a higher
pressure than the primary system to
minimize the likelihood of primary
system contamination entering the
secondary system, and ultimately the
environment. The licensee conducts
tests which would detect leakage of the
heat exchanger. A minor amount of heat
removal from the pool occurs due to
evaporation of coolant from the pool’s
surface. The small amount of
replacement water is provided from the
portable water system of the UCINRF.
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Release of thermal effluents from the
UCINRF will not have a significant
effect on the environment. Given that
the proposed action does not involve
any change in the operation of the
reactor and the heat load dissipated to
the environment, the NRC staff
concludes that the proposed action will
not have a significant impact on the
environment or the local water supply.
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) Considerations
The NRC has responsibilities that are
derived from NEPA and from other
environmental laws, which include the
Endangered Species Act (ESA), Costal
Zone Management Act (CZMA),
National Historic Preservation Act
(NHPA), Fish and Wildlife Coordination
Act (FWCA), and Executive Order 12898
Environmental Justice. The following
presents a brief discussion of impacts
associated with these laws and other
requirements.
A. Endangered Species Act
Federally-protected or State-protected
listed species have not been found in
the vicinity of the UCINRF. Effluents
and emissions from the UCINRF have
not had an impact on critical habitat.
B. Costal Zone Management Act
The UCINRF is not located within any
managed coastal zones; nor would the
UCINRF effluents and emissions impact
any managed costal zones. The UCINRF
is located approximately 1.0 km (0.6)
miles away from the boundary of the
Costal Zone Management Area.
C. National Historic Preservation Act
The NHPA requires Federal agencies
to consider the effects of their
undertakings on historic properties. The
National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP) lists one historical site located
approximately 6.6 km (4 miles) north of
Rowland Hall, the Lighter than Airship
Hangers. Given the distance between the
facility and the Lighter than Airship
Hangers, continued operation of the
UCINRF will not impact any historical
sites. Based on this information, the
NRC staff finds that the potential
impacts of the proposed action would
have no adverse effect on historic and
archaeological resources.
D. Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act
The licensee is not planning any
water resource development projects,
including any of the modifications
relating to impounding a body of water,
damming, diverting a stream or river,
deepening a channel, irrigation, or
altering a body of water for navigation
or drainage.
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E. Executive Order 12898—
Environmental Justice
The environmental justice impact
analysis evaluates the potential for
disproportionately high and adverse
human health and environmental effects
on minority and low-income
populations that could result from the
relicensing and the continued operation
of the UCINRF. Such effects may
include biological, cultural, economic,
or social impacts. Minority and lowincome populations are subsets of the
general public residing around UCINRF,
and all are exposed to the same health
and environmental effects generated
from activities at the UCINRF.
Minority Populations in the Vicinity
of the UCINRF—According to 2000
census data, 63.8 percent of the
population (approximately 13,353,000
individuals) residing within a 50-mile
radius of the UCINRF identified
themselves as minority individuals. The
largest minority group was Hispanic or
Latino (approximately 5,524,000
persons or 41.4 percent), followed by
‘‘Some other race’’ (approximately
3,298,000 persons or about 24.7
percent). According to the U.S. Census
Bureau, about 48.7 percent of the
Orange County population identified
themselves as minorities, with persons
of Hispanic or Latino origin comprising
the largest minority group (30.8
percent). According to census data 3year average estimates for 2005–2007,
the minority population of Orange
County, as a percent of total population,
had increased to 52.9 percent.
Low-Income Populations in the
Vicinity of the UCINRF—According to
2000 census data, approximately
383,700 families and 2,102,000
individuals (approximately 12.5 and
15.7 percent, respectively) residing
within a 50-mile radius of the UCINRF
were identified as living below the
Federal poverty threshold in 1999. The
1999 Federal poverty threshold was
$17,029 for a family of four.
According to Census data in the
2005–2007 American Community
Survey 3-Year Estimates, the median
household income for the State of
California was $58,361, while 13.0
percent of the state population and 9.7
percent of families were determined to
be living below the Federal poverty
threshold. Orange County had a higher
median household income average
($71,601) and lower percentages (9.3
percent) of individuals and families (6.4
percent) living below the poverty level,
respectively.
Impact Analysis—Potential impacts to
minority and low-income populations
would mostly consist of radiological
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 29 / Monday, February 13, 2012 / Notices
effects, however radiation doses from
continued operations associated with
the license renewal are expected to
continue at current levels, and would be
well below regulatory limits.
Based on this information and the
analysis of human health and
environmental impacts presented in this
environmental assessment, the NRC
staff concludes that the proposed action
would not have disproportionately high
and adverse human health and
environmental effects on minority and
low-income populations residing in the
vicinity of the UCINRF.
Environmental Impacts of the
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to license renewal,
the NRC considered denying of the
proposed action. If the NRC denied the
request for license renewal, reactor
operations would cease and
decommissioning would be required.
The NRC staff notes that, even with a
renewed license, the UCINRF will
eventually require decommissioning, at
which time the environmental effects of
decommissioning will occur.
Decommissioning will be conducted in
accordance with an NRC-approved
decommissioning plan which would
require a separate environmental review
under 10 CFR 51.21. Cessation of
facility operations would reduce or
eliminate radioactive effluents and
emissions. However, as previously
discussed in this environmental
assessment, radioactive effluents and
emissions from reactor operations
constitute only a small fraction of the
applicable regulatory limits. Therefore,
the environmental impacts of license
renewal and the denial of the request for
license renewal would be similar. In
addition, denying the request for license
renewal would eliminate the benefits of
teaching, research, and services
provided by the UCINRF.
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Alternative Use of Resources
The proposed action does not involve
the use of any different resources or
significant quantities of resources
beyond those previously considered in
the issuance of the original Facility
License R–116 to the Regents of the
University of California for the UCINRF
on November 24, 1969.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
The NRC staff provided a draft of this
Environmental Assessment to the
California Energy Commission for
review on April 7, 2010. By telephone
call on May 13, 2010, the California
Energy Commission acknowledged
receiving this draft Environmental
Assessment and had no comments.
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The NRC staff also provided
information about the proposed activity
to the State Office of Historical
Preservation for review on April 7,
2010. By letter dated April 27, 2010, the
Office of Historical Preservation agreed
with the NRC regarding the conclusions
of the historical assessment, and
otherwise had no comments.
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 not to prepare an
environmental impact statement for the
proposed action.
III. Further Information
Documents related to this action,
including the application for
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
Documents Access and Management
System (ADAMS), which provides text
and image files of NRC’s public
documents. The ADAMS accession
numbers for the documents related to
this notice are: October 18, 1999,
ADAMS Accession No. ML083110112,
as supplemented by letters dated
October 23 and October 31, 1999
(ADAMS Accession Nos. ML083110488
and ML100332002, respectively), April
24, 2000 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML003708602), January 27, May 17, July
14, and October 20, 2010 (ADAMS
Accession Nos. ML100290365,
ML101400027, ML101970039, and
ML102980015, respectively), June 7,
June 24, August 1, October 3, October 5,
and December 2, 2011 (ADAMS
Accession Nos. ML111950380,
ML11188A083, ML11255A073,
ML120110012, ML11290A041,
ML113530010, and ML11348A104,
respectively). Also see the license’s
annual reports 1999–2000, (ADAMS
Accession No. ML003747460), 2000–
2001 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML012190047), 2001–2002 (ADAMS
Accession No. ML022550427), 2002–
2003 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML032180735), 2003–2004 (ADAMS
Accession No. ML042330395), 2004–
2005 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML052550050), 2005–2006 (ADAMS
Accession No. ML062410426), 2006–
2007 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML072130493), 2007–2008 (ADAMS
Accession No. ML082550403), 2008–
2009 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML092330118). If you do not have
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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 email to pdr.resource@nrc.gov.
These documents may also be viewed
electronically on the public computers
located at the NRC’s Public Document
Room (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 Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day
of February, 2012.
For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jessie F. Quichocho,
Branch Chief, Research and Test Reactors
Licensing Branch, Division of Policy and
Rulemaking, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2012–3298 Filed 2–10–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50–264; NRC–2012–0026]
Dow Chemical Company; Dow
Chemical TRIGA Research Reactor;
Facility Operating License No. R–108
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: License renewal application;
opportunity to provide comments,
request a hearing and to petition for
leave to intervene, order.
AGENCY:
Submit comments by March 14,
2012. Requests for a hearing or leave to
intervene must be filed by April 13,
2012. Any potential party as defined in
Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR), Section 2.4, who
believes access to Sensitive Unclassified
Non-Safeguards Information (SUNSI) is
necessary to respond to this notice must
request document access by February
23, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Please include Docket ID
NRC–2012–0026 in the subject line of
your comments. For additional
instructions on submitting comments
and instructions on accessing
documents related to this action, see
‘‘Submitting Comments and Accessing
Information’’ in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section of this document.
You may submit comments by any one
of the following methods:
• Federal Rulemaking Web Site: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov and search
for documents filed under Docket ID
NRC–2012–0026. Address questions
about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher,
DATES:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 29 (Monday, February 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7610-7613]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3298]
=======================================================================
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-326; NRC-2010-0217]
Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of
No Significant Impact for License Renewal for University of California,
Irvine Nuclear Reactor Facility
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A. Jason Lising, Project Manager,
Research and Test Reactor Licensing Branch, Division of Policy and
Rulemaking, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Rockville, MD 20852. Telephone: 301-415-3841;
fax number: 301-415-3031; email: Jason.Lising@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of a renewed Facility License No. R-116, to be held by the
Regents of the University of California (the licensee), which would
authorize continued operation of the University of California, Irvine
Nuclear Reactor Facility (UCINRF), located in Irvine, Orange County,
California. Therefore, as required by Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR) Section 51.21, the NRC is issuing this
Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact. The
renewed license will be issued following the publication of this
Notice.
II. EA Summary
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would renew Facility License No. R-116 for a
period of 20 years from the date of issuance of the renewed license.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's application
dated October 18, 1999, as supplemented by letters dated October 23,
and October 31, 1999, April 24, 2000, January 27, May 17, July 14, and
October 20, 2010, June 7, June 24, August 1, October 3, October 5, and
December 2, 2011 (2 letters). In accordance with 10 CFR 2.109, the
existing license remains in effect until the NRC takes final action on
the renewal application.
Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed to allow the continued operation of
the UCINRF to routinely provide teaching opportunities, research, and
services to numerous institutions for a period of 20 years.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its safety evaluation of the proposed action
to issue a renewed Facility License No. R-116 to allow continued
operation of the UCINRF for a period of 20 years and concludes there is
reasonable assurance that the UCINRF will continue to operate safely
for the additional period of time. The details of the NRC staff safety
evaluation will be provided with the renewed license that will be
issued as part of the letter to the licensee approving its license
renewal application. This document contains the environmental
assessment of the proposed action.
[[Page 7611]]
The UCINRF is located on the main campus of the University of
California, Irvine and is a part of Rowland Hall. The reactor is housed
in the basement of the multipurpose building constructed with a
structural steel frame and reinforced concrete floors acting as
diaphragms in distributing loads to vertically resisting elements. The
reactor area is comprised of the reactor room, the control room, and
two laboratories which total approximately 186 square meters (2000
square feet) all located in the basement of Rowland Hall. Possession of
both a door key and a key card are needed to enter the facility.
Rowland Hall is one of many University buildings located around a
circular field. The nearest permanent residences are located
approximately 280 meters (310 yards) south east of Rowland Hall. The
nearest dormitories are located approximately 180 meters (200 yards)
west of the reactor.
The UCINRF is a pool-type, light water moderated and cooled
research reactor licensed to operate at a steady-state power level of
250 kilowatt thermal power (kW). The reactor is also licensed to
operate in a pulse mode. The fuel is located at the bottom of an
aluminum tank 3 meters wide by 4.6 meters long and 7.6 meters deep (10
feet wide by 15 feet long and 25 feet deep) with a volume of
approximately 87,000 liters (23,000 gallons), supported by a reinforced
concrete foundation. The reactor is fueled with standard low-enriched
TRIGA (Training, Research, Isotope production, General Atomics) uranium
fuel. A detailed description of the reactor can be found in the UCINRF
Safety Analysis Report (SAR). Since the operating license was issued on
November 24, 1969, facility modifications have been minor as outlined
in SAR Section 1.4.
The licensee has not requested any changes to the facility design
or operating conditions as part of the application for license renewal.
No changes are being made in the types or quantities of effluents that
may be released off site. The licensee has systems in place for
controlling the release of radiological effluents and implements a
radiation protection program to monitor personnel exposures and
releases of radioactive effluents. As discussed in the NRC staff's
safety evaluation, the systems and radiation protection program are
appropriate for the types and quantities of effluents expected to be
generated by continued operation of the reactor. Accordingly, there
would be no increase in routine occupational or public radiation
exposure as a result of license renewal. As discussed in the NRC staff
safety evaluation, the proposed action will not significantly increase
the probability or consequences of accidents.
Therefore, license renewal would not change the environmental
impact of facility operation. The NRC staff evaluated information
contained in the licensee's application, as supplemented, and data
reported to the NRC by the licensee for the last ten years of operation
to determine the projected radiological impact of the facility on the
environment during the period of the renewed license. The NRC staff
found that releases of radioactive material and personnel exposures
were all well within applicable regulatory limits. Based on this
evaluation, the NRC staff concludes that continued operation of the
reactor would not have a significant environmental impact.
Radiological Impact
Environmental Effects of Reactor Operations:
Gaseous radioactive effluents are discharged by the facility
exhaust system at a volumetric flow rate of approximately 2.0 cubic
meters per second (4300 cubic feet per minute) via vents located on the
roof of the reactor building. Other release pathways do exist. However
they are normally secured during reactor operation and have
insignificant volumetric flow rates compared to the facility exhaust
system. The only significant nuclide found in the gaseous effluent
stream is Argon-41. Licensee calculations, based on operation, indicate
that annual Argon-41 releases result in a maximum concentration of less
than 1.7 E-10 microCuries per milliliter ([mnplus]Ci/ml) in a year over
the last 10 years, which is below the limit of 1.0E-8 [mnplus]Ci/ml
specified in 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B for air effluent releases. The
NRC staff performed an independent calculation and found the licensee's
calculation to be reasonable. Gaseous radioactive releases reported to
the NRC in the licensee's annual reports were less than two percent of
the air effluent concentration limits set by 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix
B. The potential radiation dose to a member of the general public
resulting from this concentration is less than 0.01 milliSieverts (mSv)
(1 millirem (mrem)) and this demonstrates compliance with the dose
limit of 1 mSv (100 mrem) set by 10 CFR 20.1301. Additionally, this
potential radiation dose demonstrates compliance with the air emissions
dose constraint of 0.1 mSv (10 mrem) specified in 10 CFR 20.1101(d).
The licensee disposes of radioactive liquid waste by transfer to
the University's Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) department. Since
1992, the facility has had no radiological liquid effluent releases.
Radioactive materials have been transferred and disposed of in
accordance with the requirements of the licensee's byproduct license.
Currently, there are no plans to change any operating or radiological
release practices or characteristics of the reactor during the license
renewal period. During the past ten years, the licensee has transferred
15 gallons of liquid waste for a total of 3.2 milliCuries for proper
disposal.
The EHS department oversees the handling of solid low-level
radioactive waste generated at UCINRF. The bulk of the waste consists
of sample waste. Upon removal from the facility, the waste enters the
EHS Radioactive Waste Handling Program. The EHS department currently
retains the waste for decay in storage. According to the licensee, no
spent nuclear fuel has been shipped from the site to date. To comply
with the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, the licensee has entered
into a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that provides
that DOE retains title to the fuel utilized at the UCINRF and that DOE
is obligated to take the fuel from the site for final disposition.
As described in past ten years of UCINRF annual reports, personnel
exposures are well within the limits set by 10 CFR 20.1201, and are as
low as is reasonably achievable (ALARA). Personnel exposures are
usually less than 0.5 mSv (50 mrem) per year with the maximum
individual receiving 1.67 mSv (167 mrem) of whole body exposure in one
year. No changes in reactor operation that would lead to an increase in
occupational dose are expected as a result of the proposed action.
The licensee conducts an environmental monitoring program to record
and track the radiological impact of UCINRF operation on the
surrounding unrestricted area. The program consists of quarterly
exposure measurements at ten locations around the facility and at one
control location away from any direct influence from the reactor. The
locations have been chosen to monitor the confines of the reactor
facility, more remote locations on campus and an off campus location
that provides background radiation level information. Over the past ten
years, the monitoring program has indicated that radiation exposures at
the remote monitoring locations on campus were not significantly higher
than at the offsite background monitoring locations. Year-to-year
trends in exposures are consistent between monitoring locations. Also,
no correlation exists
[[Page 7612]]
between total annual reactor operation and annual exposures measured at
the monitoring locations. Based on the NRC staff's review of the past
ten years of data, the NRC staff concludes that operation of the UCINRF
does not have any significant radiological impact on the surrounding
environment. No changes in reactor operation that would affect off-site
radiation levels are expected as a result of the proposed action.
Environmental Effects of Accidents
Accident scenarios are discussed in Chapter 13 of the UCINRF SAR.
The maximum hypothetical accident (MHA) is the uncontrolled release of
the gaseous fission products contained in the gap between the fuel and
the fuel cladding in one fuel element to the reactor area and into the
environment. The licensee conservatively calculated doses to facility
personnel and the maximum potential dose to a member of the public. The
NRC staff performed independent calculations to verify that the doses
represent conservative estimates for the MHA. Occupational doses
resulting from this accident would be well below 10 CFR Part 20 limit
of 50 mSv (5000 mrem). Maximum doses for members of the public
resulting from this accident would be well below 10 CFR Part 20 limit
of 1 mSv (100 mrem). The proposed action will not increase the
probability or consequences of accidents.
A. Non-Radiological Impacts
The UCINRF core is cooled by a light water primary system
consisting of the reactor pool and a heat removal system to remove heat
from the reactor pool. Core cooling occurs by natural convection, with
the heated coolant rising out of the core and into the bulk pool water.
The large heat sink provided by the volume of primary coolant allows
several hours of full-power operation without any secondary cooling.
The heat removal system transfers heat to the University chilled water
system via a 258 kW (880,000 BTU/hr) heat exchanger. During operation,
the chilled water system is maintained at a higher pressure than the
primary system to minimize the likelihood of primary system
contamination entering the secondary system, and ultimately the
environment. The licensee conducts tests which would detect leakage of
the heat exchanger. A minor amount of heat removal from the pool occurs
due to evaporation of coolant from the pool's surface. The small amount
of replacement water is provided from the portable water system of the
UCINRF.
Release of thermal effluents from the UCINRF will not have a
significant effect on the environment. Given that the proposed action
does not involve any change in the operation of the reactor and the
heat load dissipated to the environment, the NRC staff concludes that
the proposed action will not have a significant impact on the
environment or the local water supply.
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Considerations
The NRC has responsibilities that are derived from NEPA and from
other environmental laws, which include the Endangered Species Act
(ESA), Costal Zone Management Act (CZMA), National Historic
Preservation Act (NHPA), Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (FWCA), and
Executive Order 12898 Environmental Justice. The following presents a
brief discussion of impacts associated with these laws and other
requirements.
A. Endangered Species Act
Federally-protected or State-protected listed species have not been
found in the vicinity of the UCINRF. Effluents and emissions from the
UCINRF have not had an impact on critical habitat.
B. Costal Zone Management Act
The UCINRF is not located within any managed coastal zones; nor
would the UCINRF effluents and emissions impact any managed costal
zones. The UCINRF is located approximately 1.0 km (0.6) miles away from
the boundary of the Costal Zone Management Area.
C. National Historic Preservation Act
The NHPA requires Federal agencies to consider the effects of their
undertakings on historic properties. The National Register of Historic
Places (NRHP) lists one historical site located approximately 6.6 km (4
miles) north of Rowland Hall, the Lighter than Airship Hangers. Given
the distance between the facility and the Lighter than Airship Hangers,
continued operation of the UCINRF will not impact any historical sites.
Based on this information, the NRC staff finds that the potential
impacts of the proposed action would have no adverse effect on historic
and archaeological resources.
D. Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act
The licensee is not planning any water resource development
projects, including any of the modifications relating to impounding a
body of water, damming, diverting a stream or river, deepening a
channel, irrigation, or altering a body of water for navigation or
drainage.
E. Executive Order 12898--Environmental Justice
The environmental justice impact analysis evaluates the potential
for disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental
effects on minority and low-income populations that could result from
the relicensing and the continued operation of the UCINRF. Such effects
may include biological, cultural, economic, or social impacts. Minority
and low-income populations are subsets of the general public residing
around UCINRF, and all are exposed to the same health and environmental
effects generated from activities at the UCINRF.
Minority Populations in the Vicinity of the UCINRF--According to
2000 census data, 63.8 percent of the population (approximately
13,353,000 individuals) residing within a 50-mile radius of the UCINRF
identified themselves as minority individuals. The largest minority
group was Hispanic or Latino (approximately 5,524,000 persons or 41.4
percent), followed by ``Some other race'' (approximately 3,298,000
persons or about 24.7 percent). According to the U.S. Census Bureau,
about 48.7 percent of the Orange County population identified
themselves as minorities, with persons of Hispanic or Latino origin
comprising the largest minority group (30.8 percent). According to
census data 3-year average estimates for 2005-2007, the minority
population of Orange County, as a percent of total population, had
increased to 52.9 percent.
Low-Income Populations in the Vicinity of the UCINRF--According to
2000 census data, approximately 383,700 families and 2,102,000
individuals (approximately 12.5 and 15.7 percent, respectively)
residing within a 50-mile radius of the UCINRF were identified as
living below the Federal poverty threshold in 1999. The 1999 Federal
poverty threshold was $17,029 for a family of four.
According to Census data in the 2005-2007 American Community Survey
3-Year Estimates, the median household income for the State of
California was $58,361, while 13.0 percent of the state population and
9.7 percent of families were determined to be living below the Federal
poverty threshold. Orange County had a higher median household income
average ($71,601) and lower percentages (9.3 percent) of individuals
and families (6.4 percent) living below the poverty level,
respectively.
Impact Analysis--Potential impacts to minority and low-income
populations would mostly consist of radiological
[[Page 7613]]
effects, however radiation doses from continued operations associated
with the license renewal are expected to continue at current levels,
and would be well below regulatory limits.
Based on this information and the analysis of human health and
environmental impacts presented in this environmental assessment, the
NRC staff concludes that the proposed action would not have
disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental
effects on minority and low-income populations residing in the vicinity
of the UCINRF.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to license renewal, the NRC considered denying of
the proposed action. If the NRC denied the request for license renewal,
reactor operations would cease and decommissioning would be required.
The NRC staff notes that, even with a renewed license, the UCINRF will
eventually require decommissioning, at which time the environmental
effects of decommissioning will occur. Decommissioning will be
conducted in accordance with an NRC-approved decommissioning plan which
would require a separate environmental review under 10 CFR 51.21.
Cessation of facility operations would reduce or eliminate radioactive
effluents and emissions. However, as previously discussed in this
environmental assessment, radioactive effluents and emissions from
reactor operations constitute only a small fraction of the applicable
regulatory limits. Therefore, the environmental impacts of license
renewal and the denial of the request for license renewal would be
similar. In addition, denying the request for license renewal would
eliminate the benefits of teaching, research, and services provided by
the UCINRF.
Alternative Use of Resources
The proposed action does not involve the use of any different
resources or significant quantities of resources beyond those
previously considered in the issuance of the original Facility License
R-116 to the Regents of the University of California for the UCINRF on
November 24, 1969.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
The NRC staff provided a draft of this Environmental Assessment to
the California Energy Commission for review on April 7, 2010. By
telephone call on May 13, 2010, the California Energy Commission
acknowledged receiving this draft Environmental Assessment and had no
comments.
The NRC staff also provided information about the proposed activity
to the State Office of Historical Preservation for review on April 7,
2010. By letter dated April 27, 2010, the Office of Historical
Preservation agreed with the NRC regarding the conclusions of the
historical assessment, and otherwise had no comments.
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
not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed
action.
III. Further Information
Documents related to this action, including the application for
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
Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), which provides text and
image files of NRC's public documents. The ADAMS accession numbers for
the documents related to this notice are: October 18, 1999, ADAMS
Accession No. ML083110112, as supplemented by letters dated October 23
and October 31, 1999 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML083110488 and ML100332002,
respectively), April 24, 2000 (ADAMS Accession No. ML003708602),
January 27, May 17, July 14, and October 20, 2010 (ADAMS Accession Nos.
ML100290365, ML101400027, ML101970039, and ML102980015, respectively),
June 7, June 24, August 1, October 3, October 5, and December 2, 2011
(ADAMS Accession Nos. ML111950380, ML11188A083, ML11255A073,
ML120110012, ML11290A041, ML113530010, and ML11348A104, respectively).
Also see the license's annual reports 1999-2000, (ADAMS Accession No.
ML003747460), 2000-2001 (ADAMS Accession No. ML012190047), 2001-2002
(ADAMS Accession No. ML022550427), 2002-2003 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML032180735), 2003-2004 (ADAMS Accession No. ML042330395), 2004-2005
(ADAMS Accession No. ML052550050), 2005-2006 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML062410426), 2006-2007 (ADAMS Accession No. ML072130493), 2007-2008
(ADAMS Accession No. ML082550403), 2008-2009 (ADAMS Accession No.
ML092330118). 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 email to pdr.resource@nrc.gov.
These documents may also be viewed electronically on the public
computers located at the NRC's Public Document Room (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 Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of February, 2012.
For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jessie F. Quichocho,
Branch Chief, Research and Test Reactors Licensing Branch, Division of
Policy and Rulemaking, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2012-3298 Filed 2-10-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
