Exemption of Material for Proposed Disposal Procedures at the US Ecology Idaho Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Subtitle C Hazardous Disposal Facility Located Near Grand View, Idaho for Material from the Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Unit 3, License DPR-007, Eureka, CA, 71842-71844 [2012-29221]

Download as PDF 71842 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 233 / Tuesday, December 4, 2012 / Notices government-to-government relationship, the section 204(b) exception would not apply and all FACA requirements would need to be followed. 2. Reservation of Authorities. Nothing in this policy waives or diminishes the U.S. Government’s rights, authorities, immunities, or privileges, including the deliberative process privilege. Among other things, internal communications on the development of proposed legislation, enforcement policy, and other internal policy matters are part of the deliberative process by the Executive Branch and will remain confidential. Nothing in this policy waives or diminishes any tribal rights, authorities, immunities, or privileges including treaty rights and sovereign immunities, and this policy does not diminish any rights or protections afforded to individual AI/ANs under federal law. 3. Disclaimer. This document is intended to improve the Department’s management of its relations and cooperative activities with Indian tribes. DOL has no obligation to engage in any consultation activities under this policy unless they are practicable and permitted by law. Nothing in this policy requires any budgetary obligation or creates a right of action against the Department for failure to comply with this policy nor creates any right, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law by a party against the United States, its agencies, or any person. 4. Effective Date. The Tribal Consultation Policy is effective December 4, 2012 and shall apply to all prospective actions taken by the Department as described herein. 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 January 3, 2013. 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 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 a requiring special protection. The regulations establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic Specially Protected Areas. The applications received are as follows: Dated: November 29, 2012. Hilda L. Solis, Secretary of Labor. Activity for Which Permit Is Requested [FR Doc. 2012–29246 Filed 12–3–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510–23–P NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95–541) National Science Foundation. Notice of Permit Applications Received under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law 95–541. AGENCY: mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with ACTION: 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 SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:31 Dec 03, 2012 Jkt 229001 Permit Application: 2013–025 1. Applicant: Alison Cleary, University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography, South Ferry Road, Narragansett, RI 02882. Introduce non-indigenous species into Antarctica. The applicant will use 5 × 100 mls each of Ditylum brightwellii, Heterocapsa triguetra, and Tallassiosira rotula cultures, as well as 500 grams of Artemia salina cysts as food for krill. They plan to measure how fast DNA is digested by feeding a group of krill a single prey type, and then taking away the prey, and preserving krill at a series of later time points. By measuring how much of the prey DNA is left in the krill guts after various amounts of time since feeding, they can calculate how quickly the DNA was digested. Applying this calculation to measurements of prey DNA in the stomachs of wild krill, they can then determine how much of each tpe of prey the wild krill were eating. Location West Antarctic Peninsula, specifically Flanders, Andvord, Wilhelmina and PO 00000 Frm 00071 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Charlotte Bays, and in the adjacent areas of the Gerlache Strait. Dates March 1, 2013 to March 1, 2014 Nadene G. Kennedy, Permit Officer, Office of Polar Programs. [FR Doc. 2012–29226 Filed 12–3–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7555–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 50–133; NRC–2010–0291] Exemption of Material for Proposed Disposal Procedures at the US Ecology Idaho Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Subtitle C Hazardous Disposal Facility Located Near Grand View, Idaho for Material from the Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Unit 3, License DPR–007, Eureka, CA 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, Washington, DC 20555–00001; telephone 301–415– 3017, email john.hickman@nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: I. Introduction The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is considering a request dated May 2, 2012, (ML12135A295) as supplemented by email dated July 16, 2012, (ML123200007) by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E, the licensee) for alternate disposal of approximately 100,000 ft3 of hazardous waste, soil, and debris and 50,000 ft3 of water solidified with clay containing low-activity radioactive material, at the US Ecology Idaho (USEI) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle C hazardous disposal facility located near Grand View, Idaho. Additionally, PG&E requested exemptions on behalf of USEI pursuant to § 30.11 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) and 10 CFR 70.17 to allow USEI to receive and possess radioactive materials without an NRC license. These requests were made under the alternate disposal provision contained in 10 CFR 20.2002 and the exemption provisions in 10 CFR 30.11 and 10 CFR 70.17. E:\FR\FM\04DEN1.SGM 04DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 233 / Tuesday, December 4, 2012 / Notices This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been developed in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR 51.21. II. Environmental Assessment mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with Identification of Proposed Action On July 2, 1976, Humboldt Bay Power Plant (HBPP) Unit 3 was shut down for annual refueling and to conduct seismic modifications. In 1983, updated economic analyses indicated that restarting Unit 3 would probably not be cost-effective, and in June 1983, PG&E announced its intention to decommission the unit. On July 16, 1985, the NRC issued Amendment No. 19 to the HBPP Unit 3 Operating License to change the status to possessbut-not-operate. In December 2008, PG&E completed the transfer of spent fuel from the fuel storage pool to the dry-cask Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation and the decontamination and dismantlement phase of HBPP Unit 3 decommissioning commenced. PG&E requested NRC authorization for the disposal of waste from the decommissioning of HBPP Unit 3 at the USEI facility in accordance with 10 CFR 20.2002. This waste consists of approximately 100,000 ft3 of hazardous waste, soil, and debris and 50,000 ft3 of water solidified with clay containing low-activity radioactive material generated during the demolition of structures and remediation activities at Unit 3. The waste would be transported by truck from HBPP in Eureka, California to the USEI facility, Grand View, Idaho in the Owyhee Desert. The USEI facility is a RCRA Subtitle C hazardous waste disposal facility permitted by the State of Idaho. The USEI site has both natural and engineered features that limit the transport of radioactive material. The natural features include the low precipitation rate [i.e., 18.4 cm/year (7.4 in./year)] and the long vertical distance to groundwater (i.e., 61-meter (203-ft) thick on average unsaturated zone below the disposal zone). The engineered features include an engineered cover, liners, and leachate monitoring systems. Because the USEI facility is not licensed by the NRC, this proposed action would require the NRC to exempt USEI from Atomic Energy Act of 1954, (AEA) and NRC licensing requirements with respect to the lowcontaminated material authorized for disposal. Need for Proposed Action The subject waste material consists of hazardous waste, soil, and debris containing low-activity radioactive VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:31 Dec 03, 2012 Jkt 229001 debris generated during the demolition of structures and remediation activities at Unit 3. This proposed alternate disposal would conserve low-level radioactive waste disposal capacity at licensed low-level radioactive waste disposal sites. Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action The NRC staff has reviewed the evaluation performed by the licensee to demonstrate compliance with the 10 CFR 20.2002 alternate disposal criteria. Under these criteria, a licensee may seek NRC authorization to dispose of licensed material using procedures not otherwise authorized by the NRC’s regulations. A licensee’s supporting analysis must show that the radiological doses arising from the proposed 10 CFR 20.2002 disposal will be as low as reasonably achievable and within the 10 CFR Part 20 dose limits. PG&E performed a radiological assessment in consultation with USEI. Based on this assessment, PG&E concludes that potential doses to members of the public, including workers involved in the transportation and placement of this waste will be approximately one millirem total effective dose equivalent in one calendar year for this project, and well within the ‘‘few millirem’’ criteria that the NRC has established (see NUREG– 1757). The staff evaluated activities and potential doses associated with transportation, waste handling and disposal as part of the review of this 10 CFR 20.2002 application. The projected doses to individual transportation and USEI workers have been appropriately estimated and are demonstrated to meet the NRC’s alternate disposal requirement of not more than ‘‘a few millirem per year’’ to any member of the public. Independent review of the postclosure and intruder scenarios confirmed that the maximum projected dose over a period of 1,000 years is also within ‘‘a few millirem per year.’’ Additionally, the proposed action will not significantly increase the probability or consequences of accidents and there is no significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposures. With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed action does not have a potential to affect any historic sites. The proposed action does not affect non-radiological plant effluents, air quality, or noise. The proposed action and attendant exemption of the material from further AEA and NRC licensing requirements will not significantly increase the PO 00000 Frm 00072 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 71843 probability or consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of any effluents that may be released off site, and there is no significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Due to the very small amounts of radioactive material involved, the environmental impacts of the proposed action are not significant. Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action: Since the proposed action will cause no significant environmental impacts, the only alternative the staff considered is the no-action alternative, under which the staff would deny the disposal request. This denial of the request would only change the location of the disposal site to be used for the material. All other factors would remain the same or similar. Therefore, the environmental impacts of the proposed action and the no-action alternative are similar and the no-action alternative is accordingly not further considered. Conclusion The NRC staff has concluded that the proposed action will not significantly impact the quality of the human environment and that the proposed action is the preferred alternative. Agencies and Persons Consulted NRC provided a draft of this EA to the State of Idaho Department of Environmental Quality for review on August 28, 2012. The State had no comments. The NRC staff has determined that the proposed action is of a procedural nature and will not affect Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed species or their critical habitat. Therefore, no further consultation is required under Section 7 of the ESA. The NRC staff has also determined that the proposed action is not the type of activity that has the potential to affect 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 and E:\FR\FM\04DEN1.SGM 04DEN1 71844 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 233 / Tuesday, December 4, 2012 / Notices 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) Letter dated May 2, 2012, ‘‘Humboldt Bay Power Plant Unit 3 Request for 10 CFR 20.2002 Alternate Disposal Approval, and 10 CFR 30.11 and 10 CFR 70.17 Exemption of Humboldt Bay Power Plant Waste For Disposal at US Ecology, Inc’’ [ADAMS Accession Number ML121350326] (2) Email dated July 16, 2012, providing responses to a request for additional information. [ML12241A273] (3) NRC letter dated November 2, 2010, approving prior request from Humboldt Bay for 10 CFR 20.2002 alternate disposal and 10 CFR 30.11 exemption. [ML102870344] 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@nrc.gov. These documents may also be viewed 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 Rockville, Maryland, this 23 day of November, 2012. For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Andrew Persinko, 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. 2012–29221 Filed 12–3–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with Sunshine Act Meetings AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETINGS: Nuclear Regulatory Commission [NRC–2012– 0002]. DATE: Weeks of December 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; 2012, January 7, 2013. PLACE: Commissioners’ Conference Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. STATUS: Public and Closed. VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:31 Dec 03, 2012 Jkt 229001 Week of December 3, 2012 Thursday, December 6, 2012 9:25 a.m. Affirmation Session (Public Meeting) (Tentative) (a) Entergy Nuclear Generation Co. and Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station), Jones River Watershed Association and Pilgrim Watch Petition for Review of Memorandum and Order (Denying Petition for Intervention and Request to Reopen Proceeding and Admit New Contention) LBP–12–11, June 18, 2012 (July 3, 2012) (Tentative) (b) Final Rule: Revisions to Environmental Review for Renewal of Nuclear Power Plant Operating Licenses (10 CFR part 51; RIN 3150–AI42) (Tentative) This meeting will be webcast live at the Web address—www.nrc.gov. 9:30 a.m. Meeting with the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) (Public Meeting) (Contact: Ed Hackett, 301–415–7360) This meeting will be webcast live at the Web address—www.nrc.gov. Week of December 10, 2012—Tentative There are no meetings scheduled for the week of December 10, 2012. Week of December 17, 2012—Tentative There are no meetings scheduled for the week of December 17, 2012. Week of December 24, 2012—Tentative There are no meetings scheduled for the week of December 24, 2012. Week of December 31, 2012—Tentative There are no meetings scheduled for the week of December 31, 2012. Week of January 7, 2013—Tentative Tuesday, January 8, 2013 9:00 a.m. Briefing on Fort Calhoun (Public Meeting) (Contact: Michael Hay, 817–200–1527) This meeting will be webcast live at the Web address—www.nrc.gov. * * * * * * The schedule for Commission meetings is subject to change on short notice. To verify the status of meetings, call (recording)—301–415–1292. Contact person for more information: Rochelle Bavol, 301–415–1651. * * * * * Additional Information The Briefing on Fort Calhoun previously scheduled on October 30, 2012, has been rescheduled on January 8, 2013. * * * * * PO 00000 Frm 00073 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 The NRC Commission Meeting Schedule can be found on the Internet at: https://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/ public-meetings/schedule.html. * * * * * The NRC provides reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in these public meetings, or need this meeting notice or the transcript or other information from the public meetings in another format (e.g. braille, large print), please notify Bill Dosch, Chief, Work Life and Benefits Branch, at 301–415–6200, TDD: 301– 415–2100, or by email at william.dosch@nrc.gov. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a caseby-case basis. * * * * * This notice is distributed electronically to subscribers. If you no longer wish to receive it, or would like to be added to the distribution, please contact the Office of the Secretary, Washington, DC 20555 (301–415–1969), or send an email to darlene.wright@nrc.gov. Dated: November 29, 2012. Rochelle C. Bavol, Policy Coordinator, Office of the Secretary. [FR Doc. 2012–29373 Filed 11–30–12; 4:15 pm] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meetings Wednesday, December 12, 2012, at 11 a.m. PLACE: Commission Hearing Room, 901 New York Avenue NW., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20268–0001. STATUS: Part of this meeting will be open to the public. The rest of the meeting will be closed to the public. The open session will be audiocast. The audiocast may be accessed via the Commission’s Web site at https:// www.prc.gov. A period for public comment will be offered following consideration of the last numbered item in the open session. MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: The agenda for the Commission’s November 7, 2012 meeting includes the items identified below. PORTIONS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: 1. Report on legislative activities. 2. Report on communications with the public. 3. Report from the Office of General Counsel on the status of Commission dockets. TIME AND DATE: E:\FR\FM\04DEN1.SGM 04DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 233 (Tuesday, December 4, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71842-71844]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-29221]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-133; NRC-2010-0291]


Exemption of Material for Proposed Disposal Procedures at the US 
Ecology Idaho Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Subtitle C 
Hazardous Disposal Facility Located Near Grand View, Idaho for Material 
from the Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Unit 3, License DPR-007, Eureka, CA

AGENCY: 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, Washington, DC 20555-00001; telephone 301-415-
3017, email john.hickman@nrc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is considering a 
request dated May 2, 2012, (ML12135A295) as supplemented by email dated 
July 16, 2012, (ML123200007) by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E, 
the licensee) for alternate disposal of approximately 100,000 ft\3\ of 
hazardous waste, soil, and debris and 50,000 ft\3\ of water solidified 
with clay containing low-activity radioactive material, at the US 
Ecology Idaho (USEI) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 
Subtitle C hazardous disposal facility located near Grand View, Idaho. 
Additionally, PG&E requested exemptions on behalf of USEI pursuant to 
Sec.  30.11 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) and 
10 CFR 70.17 to allow USEI to receive and possess radioactive materials 
without an NRC license. These requests were made under the alternate 
disposal provision contained in 10 CFR 20.2002 and the exemption 
provisions in 10 CFR 30.11 and 10 CFR 70.17.

[[Page 71843]]

    This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been developed in accordance 
with the requirements of 10 CFR 51.21.

II. Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    On July 2, 1976, Humboldt Bay Power Plant (HBPP) Unit 3 was shut 
down for annual refueling and to conduct seismic modifications. In 
1983, updated economic analyses indicated that restarting Unit 3 would 
probably not be cost-effective, and in June 1983, PG&E announced its 
intention to decommission the unit. On July 16, 1985, the NRC issued 
Amendment No. 19 to the HBPP Unit 3 Operating License to change the 
status to possess-but-not-operate. In December 2008, PG&E completed the 
transfer of spent fuel from the fuel storage pool to the dry-cask 
Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation and the decontamination and 
dismantlement phase of HBPP Unit 3 decommissioning commenced.
    PG&E requested NRC authorization for the disposal of waste from the 
decommissioning of HBPP Unit 3 at the USEI facility in accordance with 
10 CFR 20.2002. This waste consists of approximately 100,000 ft\3\ of 
hazardous waste, soil, and debris and 50,000 ft\3\ of water solidified 
with clay containing low-activity radioactive material generated during 
the demolition of structures and remediation activities at Unit 3.
    The waste would be transported by truck from HBPP in Eureka, 
California to the USEI facility, Grand View, Idaho in the Owyhee 
Desert. The USEI facility is a RCRA Subtitle C hazardous waste disposal 
facility permitted by the State of Idaho. The USEI site has both 
natural and engineered features that limit the transport of radioactive 
material. The natural features include the low precipitation rate 
[i.e., 18.4 cm/year (7.4 in./year)] and the long vertical distance to 
groundwater (i.e., 61-meter (203-ft) thick on average unsaturated zone 
below the disposal zone). The engineered features include an engineered 
cover, liners, and leachate monitoring systems. Because the USEI 
facility is not licensed by the NRC, this proposed action would require 
the NRC to exempt USEI from Atomic Energy Act of 1954, (AEA) and NRC 
licensing requirements with respect to the low-contaminated material 
authorized for disposal.

Need for Proposed Action

    The subject waste material consists of hazardous waste, soil, and 
debris containing low-activity radioactive debris generated during the 
demolition of structures and remediation activities at Unit 3. This 
proposed alternate disposal would conserve low-level radioactive waste 
disposal capacity at licensed low-level radioactive waste disposal 
sites.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC staff has reviewed the evaluation performed by the licensee 
to demonstrate compliance with the 10 CFR 20.2002 alternate disposal 
criteria. Under these criteria, a licensee may seek NRC authorization 
to dispose of licensed material using procedures not otherwise 
authorized by the NRC's regulations. A licensee's supporting analysis 
must show that the radiological doses arising from the proposed 10 CFR 
20.2002 disposal will be as low as reasonably achievable and within the 
10 CFR Part 20 dose limits.
    PG&E performed a radiological assessment in consultation with USEI. 
Based on this assessment, PG&E concludes that potential doses to 
members of the public, including workers involved in the transportation 
and placement of this waste will be approximately one millirem total 
effective dose equivalent in one calendar year for this project, and 
well within the ``few millirem'' criteria that the NRC has established 
(see NUREG-1757).
    The staff evaluated activities and potential doses associated with 
transportation, waste handling and disposal as part of the review of 
this 10 CFR 20.2002 application. The projected doses to individual 
transportation and USEI workers have been appropriately estimated and 
are demonstrated to meet the NRC's alternate disposal requirement of 
not more than ``a few millirem per year'' to any member of the public. 
Independent review of the post-closure and intruder scenarios confirmed 
that the maximum projected dose over a period of 1,000 years is also 
within ``a few millirem per year.'' Additionally, the proposed action 
will not significantly increase the probability or consequences of 
accidents and there is no significant increase in occupational or 
public radiation exposures.
    With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed 
action does not have a potential to affect any historic sites. The 
proposed action does not affect non-radiological plant effluents, air 
quality, or noise.
    The proposed action and attendant exemption of the material from 
further AEA and NRC licensing requirements will not significantly 
increase the probability or consequences of accidents, no changes are 
being made in the types of any effluents that may be released off site, 
and there is no significant increase in occupational or public 
radiation exposure.
    Due to the very small amounts of radioactive material involved, the 
environmental impacts of the proposed action are not significant.
    Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action:
    Since the proposed action will cause no significant environmental 
impacts, the only alternative the staff considered is the no-action 
alternative, under which the staff would deny the disposal request. 
This denial of the request would only change the location of the 
disposal site to be used for the material. All other factors would 
remain the same or similar. Therefore, the environmental impacts of the 
proposed action and the no-action alternative are similar and the no-
action alternative is accordingly not further considered.

Conclusion

    The NRC staff has concluded that the proposed action will not 
significantly impact the quality of the human environment and that the 
proposed action is the preferred alternative.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    NRC provided a draft of this EA to the State of Idaho Department of 
Environmental Quality for review on August 28, 2012. The State had no 
comments.
    The NRC staff has determined that the proposed action is of a 
procedural nature and will not affect Endangered Species Act (ESA) 
listed species or their critical habitat. Therefore, no further 
consultation is required under Section 7 of the ESA. The NRC staff has 
also determined that the proposed action is not the type of activity 
that has the potential to affect 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 and

[[Page 71844]]

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) Letter dated May 2, 2012, ``Humboldt Bay Power Plant Unit 3 
Request for 10 CFR 20.2002 Alternate Disposal Approval, and 10 CFR 
30.11 and 10 CFR 70.17 Exemption of Humboldt Bay Power Plant Waste For 
Disposal at US Ecology, Inc'' [ADAMS Accession Number ML121350326]
    (2) Email dated July 16, 2012, providing responses to a request for 
additional information. [ML12241A273]
    (3) NRC letter dated November 2, 2010, approving prior request from 
Humboldt Bay for 10 CFR 20.2002 alternate disposal and 10 CFR 30.11 
exemption. [ML102870344]
    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@nrc.gov. These documents may also be viewed 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 Rockville, Maryland, this 23 day of November, 2012.

    For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Andrew Persinko,
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. 2012-29221 Filed 12-3-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
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