[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 183 (Wednesday, September 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51341-51343]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-24668]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-151]
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Advanced Triga Research Reactor
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering issuance of a license amendment to Facility License No. R-
115, issued to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC or
the licensee), for decommissioning of the UIUC Advanced TRIGA Research
Reactor, located on the UIUC campus in Urbana, Champaign County,
Illinois.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of Proposed Action
The proposed action is approval of the licensee's SAFSTOR
decommissioning plan. UIUC submitted their decommissioning plan in
accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(b) for the UIUC Advanced TRIGA Research
Reactor located in the Nuclear Reactor Laboratory (NRL). The reactor
(1.5 MW thermal power) was permanently shut down on August 9, 1998. The
licensee applied for a possession-only license amendment on October 5,
1998. By License Amendment No. 10 issued on April 12, 1999, the NRC
removed the authority to operate the reactor and authorized possession
of the residual radioactive materials.
The proposed decommissioning plan would place the NRL and reactor
into safe storage until at least 2009 because this date is the soonest
the Department of Energy can accept fuel from the UIUC. Domestic spent
nuclear fuel receipts at the Idaho National Engineering and
Environmental Laboratory have been severely constrained because of a
settlement agreement of a lawsuit concerning spent nuclear fuel and
nuclear waste. The only fuel storage option the licensee has is to
maintain fuel in storage at the NRL. Decontamination and dismantlement
activities cannot begin until fuel is removed from the NRL. The
licensee has chosen the SAFSTOR option of decommissioning. SAFSTOR is
the alternative in which the facility is placed and maintained in a
condition that allows the facility to be safely stored and subsequently
decontaminated to levels that permit release for unrestricted use.
SAFSTOR consists of a short period of preparation for safe storage, a
variable safe storage
[[Page 51342]]
period of continuing care consisting of security, surveillance, and
maintenance, and ends with a period of deferred decontamination. The
regulations in 10 CFR 50.82(b)(4)(i) allow the NRC staff to give
consideration to an alternative which provides for delayed completion
of decommissioning only when necessary to protect the public health and
safety. The regulations give factors to be considered in evaluating an
alternative which provides for delayed completion of decommissioning.
One of these factors is the unavailability of waste disposal capacity.
The inability of the licensee to dispose of the spent reactor fuel
falls under this factor. The licensee will submit an updated
decommissioning plan for NRC review and approval after fuel has been
removed from the NRL.
The decommissioning plan describes maintaining the facility in a
safe storage condition. Fuel will be stored in approved storage racks
in the Bulk Shielding Facility, which is a tank of water that is part
of the reactor biological shield but is separate from the reactor tank.
The licensee plans to maintain a regular surveillance schedule at the
facility during the SAFSTOR period. The licensee will continue with
their current health physics program and the approved emergency plan,
security plan and operator requalification plan during the SAFSTOR
period.
A ``Notice and Solicitation of Comments Pursuant to 10 CFR 20.1405
and 10 CFR 50.82(b)(5) Concerning Proposed Action to Decommission
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois
Advanced TRIGA Research Reactor'' was published in the Federal Register
on June 14, 1999 (64 FR 31882), and in the Champaign News-Gazette on
June 13, 1999. There were no comments received on the proposed action.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application for amendment dated November 13, 1998, as supplemented by
letters dated May 11 and August 3, 1999.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is necessary because of the UIUC's decision to
cease operations permanently. As specified in 10 CFR 50.82, any
licensee may apply to the NRC for authority to surrender a license
voluntarily and to decommission the affected facility. Once the
licensee permanently ceases operation, 10 CFR 50.82(b)(1) requires the
licensee to make application for license termination within two years
following permanent cessation of operations, and in no case later than
one year prior to expiration of the operating license. UIUC is planning
to place the facility into safe storage until such time that the
Department of Energy can accept the fuel from the facility. After the
fuel is removed, the licensee will continue with decommissioning
activities. UCIC is planning to use the area that would be released for
unrestricted use for other academic purposes.
Environmental Impact of the Proposed Action
The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action
and concludes that the radiological effects of maintaining the facility
in a condition of safe storage will be minimal because fuel will be
stored in approved storage locations under the restrictions of the
facility license. In accordance with the conditions of the technical
specifications, the licensee will conduct weekly physical surveillance
of the facility to confirm that the fuel and facility are in a
condition of safe storage and to ensure proper system performance. The
licensee will continue surveillance of primary water quality, radiation
monitoring systems, the ventilation system and fuel inspection.
Likewise, the licensee will continue with their current health physics
program, approved emergency plan, security plan and operator
requalification plan. Any solid or liquid wastes generated during the
storage period will be disposed of in accordance with the regulations.
With the termination of reactor operations, effluents released from the
site will probably decrease. No new postulated accidents have been
identified during the safe storage period that would have greater
radiological impact than previously evaluated accidents. The UIUC
estimates that the typical dose commitment to a member of the public at
the site boundary will continue to be less than 2 mrem per year as has
been reported in annual reports from the licensee. The UIUC estimates
that the typical occupational dose commitment to members of the staff
will continue to be less than 50 mrem per year per person during the
SAFSTOR period.
The proposed action will not 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.
Therefore, there are no significant radiological environmental impacts
associated with the proposed action.
With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed
action does not involve any historic sites. It does not affect non-
radiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact.
Therefore, there are no significant non-radiological environmental
impacts associated with the proposed action.
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
The only two alternatives to the proposed action for the UCIC
Advanced TRIGA reactor are ENTOMB and no action. ENTOMB is the
alternative in which radioactive contaminates are encased in a
structurally long-lived material, such as concrete, the entombed
structure is appropriately maintained and continued surveillance is
carried out until the radioactivity decays to a level permitting
release of the property for unrestricted use.
The ENTOMB alterative could not be put into place until the fuel
has been removed from the facility. However, the UIUC wants to use the
space that will become available for other academic purposes and would
enter into the decommissioning activities soon after fuel is removed
from the facility. The alternative of not decommissioning reactors was
rejected in the ``Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement on
Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities,'' NUREG-0586. The no action
alternative would leave the facility in its present configuration.
Denial of the application would result in no change in current
environmental impacts.
The environmental impacts of the proposed action and the
alternative actions are similar.
Alternative Use of Resources
The action does not involve the use of resources different from
those previously committed for construction and operation of the UIUC
Advanced TRIGA reactor.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on August 20, 1999, the staff
consulted with the State of Illinois official, F. Niziolek of the
Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety (IDNS), regarding the
environmental impact of the proposed action. The state official stated
that the IDNS chooses not to provide any comments on the proposed
action.
Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the environmental assessment, the Commission
concludes that the proposed action will not have
[[Page 51343]]
a significant effect on the quality of the human environment.
Accordingly, the Commission has determined not to prepare an
environmental impact statement for the proposed action.
For further details with respect to this proposed action, see the
licensee's letter dated November 13, 1998, as supplemented by letters
dated May 11 and August 3, 1999. These documents are available for
public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman
Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, D.C. 20003-1527.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 16th day of September 1999.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Thomas Koshy,
Acting Chief, Events Assessment, Generic Communications and Non-Power
Reactors Branch, Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs, Office of
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 99-24668 Filed 9-21-99; 8:45 am]
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