Termination of Operating License for the Buffalo Materials Research Center Reactor, 40355-40356 [2018-17456]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 157 / Tuesday, August 14, 2018 / Notices classification level. The changes also include formatting, clarification, and editorial modifications. Date of issuance: July 19, 2018. Effective date: As of the date of issuance and shall be implemented within 9 months from the date of issuance. Amendment Nos.: 214 (Unit 1) and 200 (Unit 2). A publicly-available version is in ADAMS under Accession No. ML18159A212; documents related to these amendments are listed in the Safety Evaluation enclosed with the amendments. Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. NPF–76 and NPF–80: The amendments revised the Site Emergency Plan. Date of initial notice in Federal Register: September 12, 2017 (82 FR 42855). The supplemental letter dated February 12, 2018, provided additional information that clarified the application, did not expand the scope of the application as originally noticed, and did not change the NRC 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 July 19, 2018. No significant hazards consideration comments received: No. amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1 Virginia Electric and Power Company, Docket Nos. 50–338 and 50–339, North Anna Power Station, Units Nos. 1 and 2, Louisa County, Virginia Date of amendment request: May 2, 2017, as supplemented by letters dated July 19, 2017, and January 31, 2018. Brief description of amendments: The amendments revised North Anna Power Station (NAPS) Technical Specification (TS) 3.7.18, ‘‘Spent Fuel Pool Storage,’’ and TS 4.3.1, ‘‘Criticality,’’ to allow the storage of fuel assemblies with a maximum enrichment of up to 5.0 weight percent uranium 235 in the NAPS spent fuel pool storage racks and the New Fuel Storage Area. The amendments further revised the allowable fuel assembly parameters and fuel storage patterns in the spent fuel pool. Date of issuance: July 27, 2018. Effective date: As of the date of issuance and shall be implemented within 180 days of issuance. Amendment Nos.: 279 (Unit 1) and 262 (Unit 2). A publicly-available version is in ADAMS under Accession No. ML18180A197; documents related to these amendments are listed in the Safety Evaluation enclosed with the amendments. VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:13 Aug 13, 2018 Jkt 244001 Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. NPF–4 and NPF–7: Amendments revised the Renewed Facility Operating Licenses and Technical Specifications. Date of initial notice in Federal Register: March 6, 2018 (83 FR 9553). The supplemental letters dated July 19, 2017, and January 31, 2018, provided additional information that clarified the application, did not expand the scope of the application as originally noticed, and did not change the NRC staff’s original proposed no significant hazards consideration determination as published in the Federal Register. The Commission’s related evaluation of the amendment is contained in a Safety Evaluation dated July 27, 2018. No significant hazards consideration comments received: No. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 7th day of August, 2018. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Kathryn M. Brock, Deputy Director, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. 2018–17132 Filed 8–13–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 50–57; NRC–2018–0166] Termination of Operating License for the Buffalo Materials Research Center Reactor Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: License termination; issuance. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is providing notice of the termination of Facility Operating License No. R–77 for the Buffalo Materials Research Center (BMRC). The NRC has terminated the license of the decommissioned BMRC at the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB or the licensee) facility in Buffalo, New York, and has released the site for unrestricted use. DATES: Notice of termination of Facility Operating License No. R–77 given on August 14, 2018. ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2018–0166 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You may obtain publicly-available information related to this document using any of the following methods: • Federal Rulemaking website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2018–0166. Address questions about NRC dockets to Jennifer SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00144 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 40355 Borges; telephone: 301–287–9127; email: Jennifer.Borges@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. • NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may obtain publiclyavailable documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ adams.html. To begin the search, select ‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.’’ For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC’s Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1–800–397–4209, 301– 415–4737, or by email to pdr.resource@ nrc.gov. The ADAMS accession number for each document referenced in this document (if that document is available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is referenced. • NRC’s PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Conway, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington D.C. 20555–0001; telephone: 301–415– 1335; email: Kimberly.Conway@nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BMRC reactor in Buffalo, New York, was located on the south campus of UB. The BMRC reactor began operation in 1961 and was shut down on June 23, 1994. On June 6, 1997, the license was amended to possession only. By letter dated February 17, 2012 (ADAMS Package No. ML120540187), as supplemented by letters dated June 20, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML121870132), September 21, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML122780454), and October 15, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML12297A237), the licensee submitted a request to the NRC to approve a license amendment and a revised decommissioning plan (DP) for the BMRC reactor. The NRC approved the UB revised DP by Amendment No. 27, dated November 5, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML12290A694). In the Safety Evaluation Report related to the DP approval (ADAMS Accession No. ML12286A352), the NRC staff determined that the revised Final Status Survey (FSS) Plan for the BMRC (ADAMS Accession No. ML12278A373) was consistent with the guidance and methodology in NUREG–1575, ‘‘MultiAgency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM),’’ and NUREG–1757, ‘‘Consolidated E:\FR\FM\14AUN1.SGM 14AUN1 amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1 40356 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 157 / Tuesday, August 14, 2018 / Notices Decommissioning Guidance.’’ The licensee’s decommissioning activities included decontamination, dismantlement, and demolition of various systems, structures, and components followed by MARSSIMbased FSS. By letter dated January 12, 2017, UB submitted the FSS Report for the BMRC and requested the termination of Facility Operating License No. R–77 (ADAMS Accession No. ML17039A897). The NRC staff reviewed the FSS Report, which states that the criteria for termination set forth in UB’s license, and as established in its DP and FSS Plan, have been satisfied. Supplemental information was provided in an email from the licensee dated February 13, 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18075A415), which addressed additional questions and items requiring clarification that were provided to the licensee. Throughout the decommissioning process, inspectors from the NRC’s Region I office conducted routine safety inspections at the BMRC, as documented in the following NRC Inspection Reports (IRs): IR 050–00057/ 2015–001 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16007A027), IR 050–00057/2014– 001 (ADAMS Accession No. ML15027A411), IR 050–00057/2013– 003 (ADAMS Accession No. ML14219A022), IR 050–00057/2013– 002 (ADAMS Accession No. ML13204A096), and IR 050–00057/ 2013–001 (ADAMS Accession No. ML13106A379). The inspections consisted of observations by the inspectors, interviews with BMRC and contractor personnel, confirmatory measurements, collection of soil samples, and a review of work plans and work instructions. The NRC inspections also verified that radioactive waste associated with the decommissioning project had been shipped offsite and that the decommissioning and final status survey activities were being conducted safely and in accordance with regulatory requirements, licensee commitments, and the NRC-approved DP. No health or safety concerns were identified during the NRC inspections. During the periods of January 26–29, February 3–6, and August 17–21, 2015, the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) performed confirmatory surveys in support of the BMRC excavation, which included surveys of surrounding soils, backfill material, and soil laydown areas. The survey activities included visual inspections, gamma radiation surface scans, gamma and beta radiation measurements, and soil sampling activities of six FSS units, VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:13 Aug 13, 2018 Jkt 244001 which were combined into two confirmatory survey units. At the time of confirmatory survey activities, structures associated with the BMRC had been demolished and removed from the site. The site consisted of exposed bedrock where the BMRC facility was located, and the impacted soils surrounding the excavation. The ORAU provided the results of the confirmatory surveys in a report dated January 6, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16006A200). The ORAU site data support the conclusion that the residual activity levels satisfy the DCGLs. Based on observations during NRC inspections, decommissioning activities have been carried out by UB in accordance with the approved BMRC DP. Additionally, the NRC staff evaluated the licensee’s FSS Report and the results of the independent confirmatory survey conducted by ORAU. Based on the NRC staff’s evaluation of the FSS Report sampling and scanning data, NRC staff inspections, ORAU confirmatory analysis, and comparison to the BMRC reactor DP and FSS Plan criteria, the NRC staff concludes that the BMRC reactor decommissioning has been performed and completed in accordance with the approved DP, and that the facility and site are suitable for unrestricted release in accordance with the radiological criteria for license termination in 10 CFR part 20, subpart E. Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.82(b)(6), Facility Operating License No. R–77 is terminated. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day of August, 2018. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Andrea L. Kock, Acting Director, Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery and Waste Programs, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. [FR Doc. 2018–17456 Filed 8–13–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC–2017–0209] Information Collection: General Domestic Licenses for Byproduct Material Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Notice of submission to the Office of Management and Budget; request for comment. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00145 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 submitted a request for renewal of an existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The information collection is entitled, ‘‘General Domestic Licenses for Byproduct Material.’’ DATES: Submit comments by September 13, 2018. ADDRESSES: Submit comments directly to the OMB reviewer at: OMB Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (3150–0016), Attn: Desk Officer for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20503; email: oira_submission@ omb.eop.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Cullison, NRC Clearance Officer, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555–0001; telephone: 301–415–2084; email: Infocollects.Resource@nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments A. Obtaining Information Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2017– 0209 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information for this action. You may obtain publiclyavailable information related to this action by any of the following methods: • Federal Rulemaking website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2017–0209. • NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may obtain publiclyavailable documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ adams.html. To begin the search, select ‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.’’ For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC’s Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1–800–397–4209, 301– 415–4737, or by email to pdr.resource@ nrc.gov. The supporting statement is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML18164A186. • NRC’s PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. • NRC’s Clearance Officer: A copy of the collection of information and related instructions may be obtained without charge by contacting the NRC’s Clearance Officer, David Cullison, Office of the Chief Information Officer, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555–0001; telephone: 301–415–2084; email: Infocollects.Resource@nrc.gov. E:\FR\FM\14AUN1.SGM 14AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 157 (Tuesday, August 14, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40355-40356]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-17456]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-57; NRC-2018-0166]


Termination of Operating License for the Buffalo Materials 
Research Center Reactor

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: License termination; issuance.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is providing 
notice of the termination of Facility Operating License No. R-77 for 
the Buffalo Materials Research Center (BMRC). The NRC has terminated 
the license of the decommissioned BMRC at the State University of New 
York at Buffalo (UB or the licensee) facility in Buffalo, New York, and 
has released the site for unrestricted use.

DATES: Notice of termination of Facility Operating License No. R-77 
given on August 14, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2018-0166 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may obtain publicly-available information related to this document 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2018-0166. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Jennifer Borges; telephone: 301-287-
9127; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact 
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 
this document.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly-available documents online in the 
ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS 
Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's Public 
Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or 
by email to [email protected]. The ADAMS accession number for each 
document referenced in this document (if that document is available in 
ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is referenced.
     NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public 
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Conway, Office of Nuclear Material 
Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington 
D.C. 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-1335; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    The BMRC reactor in Buffalo, New York, was located on the south 
campus of UB. The BMRC reactor began operation in 1961 and was shut 
down on June 23, 1994. On June 6, 1997, the license was amended to 
possession only.
    By letter dated February 17, 2012 (ADAMS Package No. ML120540187), 
as supplemented by letters dated June 20, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML121870132), September 21, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML122780454), and 
October 15, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML12297A237), the licensee 
submitted a request to the NRC to approve a license amendment and a 
revised decommissioning plan (DP) for the BMRC reactor. The NRC 
approved the UB revised DP by Amendment No. 27, dated November 5, 2012 
(ADAMS Accession No. ML12290A694).
    In the Safety Evaluation Report related to the DP approval (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML12286A352), the NRC staff determined that the revised 
Final Status Survey (FSS) Plan for the BMRC (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML12278A373) was consistent with the guidance and methodology in NUREG-
1575, ``Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual 
(MARSSIM),'' and NUREG-1757, ``Consolidated

[[Page 40356]]

Decommissioning Guidance.'' The licensee's decommissioning activities 
included decontamination, dismantlement, and demolition of various 
systems, structures, and components followed by MARSSIM-based FSS.
    By letter dated January 12, 2017, UB submitted the FSS Report for 
the BMRC and requested the termination of Facility Operating License 
No. R-77 (ADAMS Accession No. ML17039A897). The NRC staff reviewed the 
FSS Report, which states that the criteria for termination set forth in 
UB's license, and as established in its DP and FSS Plan, have been 
satisfied. Supplemental information was provided in an email from the 
licensee dated February 13, 2018 (ADAMS Accession No. ML18075A415), 
which addressed additional questions and items requiring clarification 
that were provided to the licensee.
    Throughout the decommissioning process, inspectors from the NRC's 
Region I office conducted routine safety inspections at the BMRC, as 
documented in the following NRC Inspection Reports (IRs): IR 050-00057/
2015-001 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16007A027), IR 050-00057/2014-001 
(ADAMS Accession No. ML15027A411), IR 050-00057/2013-003 (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML14219A022), IR 050-00057/2013-002 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML13204A096), and IR 050-00057/2013-001 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML13106A379). The inspections consisted of observations by the 
inspectors, interviews with BMRC and contractor personnel, confirmatory 
measurements, collection of soil samples, and a review of work plans 
and work instructions. The NRC inspections also verified that 
radioactive waste associated with the decommissioning project had been 
shipped offsite and that the decommissioning and final status survey 
activities were being conducted safely and in accordance with 
regulatory requirements, licensee commitments, and the NRC-approved DP. 
No health or safety concerns were identified during the NRC 
inspections.
    During the periods of January 26-29, February 3-6, and August 17-
21, 2015, the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) performed 
confirmatory surveys in support of the BMRC excavation, which included 
surveys of surrounding soils, backfill material, and soil laydown 
areas. The survey activities included visual inspections, gamma 
radiation surface scans, gamma and beta radiation measurements, and 
soil sampling activities of six FSS units, which were combined into two 
confirmatory survey units. At the time of confirmatory survey 
activities, structures associated with the BMRC had been demolished and 
removed from the site. The site consisted of exposed bedrock where the 
BMRC facility was located, and the impacted soils surrounding the 
excavation. The ORAU provided the results of the confirmatory surveys 
in a report dated January 6, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16006A200). 
The ORAU site data support the conclusion that the residual activity 
levels satisfy the DCGLs.
    Based on observations during NRC inspections, decommissioning 
activities have been carried out by UB in accordance with the approved 
BMRC DP. Additionally, the NRC staff evaluated the licensee's FSS 
Report and the results of the independent confirmatory survey conducted 
by ORAU. Based on the NRC staff's evaluation of the FSS Report sampling 
and scanning data, NRC staff inspections, ORAU confirmatory analysis, 
and comparison to the BMRC reactor DP and FSS Plan criteria, the NRC 
staff concludes that the BMRC reactor decommissioning has been 
performed and completed in accordance with the approved DP, and that 
the facility and site are suitable for unrestricted release in 
accordance with the radiological criteria for license termination in 10 
CFR part 20, subpart E.
    Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.82(b)(6), Facility Operating 
License No. R-77 is terminated.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day of August, 2018.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Andrea L. Kock,
Acting Director, Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery and 
Waste Programs, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2018-17456 Filed 8-13-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
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