[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 2, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61929-61931]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-25084]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 70-27]
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact of
License Amendment for BWX Technologies, Inc.
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Amendment of BWX Technologies, Inc., Materials License SNM-42
To authorize elimination of LTC stack continuous monitoring.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering the amendment
of Special Nuclear Material License SNM-42 to authorize elimination of
Lynchburg Technology Center (LTC) stack continuous monitoring and
revise other air monitoring stack action levels at the BWX
Technologies, Inc., facility located in Lynchburg, VA, and has prepared
an Environmental Assessment in support of this action.
Environmental Assessment
Docket: 70-27.
Licensee: BWX Technologies (BWXT), Inc., Navy Nuclear Fuel
Division, Lynchburg, Virginia.
Subject: Environmental Assessment for license amendment request
dated July 16, 2002.
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has received a
license request, dated July 16, 2002, to amend Special Nuclear Material
License SNM-42 to eliminate the need for continuous air monitoring at
the LTC on the BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT) site in Lynchburg,
Virginia. The purpose of this document is to assess the environmental
consequences of the proposed license amendment.
[[Page 61930]]
The BWXT facility in Lynchburg, VA is authorized under SNM-42 to
possess nuclear materials for the fabrication and assembly of nuclear
fuel components. The facility supports the U.S. naval reactor program,
fabricates research and university reactor components, and manufactures
compact reactor fuel elements. The facility also performs recovery of
scrap uranium. The LTC specifically conducts research and development
activities related to the fabrication of nuclear fuel components.
1.2 Review Scope
This environmental assessment (EA) serves to present information
and analysis for determining whether to issue a Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI) or to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS). Should the NRC issue a FONSI, no EIS would be prepared
and the license amendment would be granted.
This document serves to evaluate and document the impacts of the
proposed action. Other activities on the site have previously been
evaluated and documented in the 1991 Environmental Assessment (EA) for
the renewal of the NRC license for BWXT. The 1991 document is
referenced when no significant changes have occurred. Besides the
proposed licensing action, operations will continue to remain limited
to those authorized by the license.
1.3 Proposed Action
The proposed action is to amend NRC Materials License SNM-42 to
eliminate the need for continuous air monitoring at the LTC. The
duration of the proposed activity is for as long as the facility holds
a license with the NRC, or until BWXT requests and the NRC approves a
license amendment.
Activities, utilizing licensed material, are conducted at the LTC
in support of operating divisions of Babcock and Wilcox and for other
companies and government organizations. Some of these activities
include: failure analysis, fatigue and fracture analysis, hot cell
work, hot machine shop work, environmental chemistry analysis, and
radiochemistry analysis. The hot cell is vented through the 50-meter
stack, located on the roof of the facility. The hot cell facility
consists of four independent beta-gamma type hot cells. Work in the hot
cells consists of examinations to investigate extended burn-up
commercial light water reactor fuel rods, examination of advanced
spacer grid designs, failed in-core instrument detectors, and failed
fuel rods. Because cutting and puncturing of irradiated fuel releases
noble gases and other radioactive gases and particulates, the stack
monitoring system for the hot cells needs to be capable of detecting
noble gases and alpha and beta radiation. The hot cells are the only
areas vented through the 50 meter stack which can release noble gases
and other radioactive gases and particulates.
The current license requires BWXT to continuously monitor the 50-
meter stack by a system capable of measuring alpha and beta
particulates and noble gases. The licensee is proposing to perform
continuous monitoring only when working with Post Accident Samples
(PAS) or uncut or unpunctured irradiated fuel with significant volatile
radioisotope inventories. During periods when this type of work is not
being performed, and significant volatile radioisotope sources are
absent, the licensee will monitor the stack daily for alpha and beta
particulates. Daily monitoring of the LTC stack will not include any
change in the type or form of special nuclear material (SNM) or any new
or different operations from those currently authorized under BWXT's
license.
This daily sampling of the 50-meter stack will be similar to the
sampling protocol for other existing stacks at the site. The sampler
will include a calibrated flow meter and a collection filter. The
filter will be collected and analyzed on a daily basis for alpha and
beta particulates.
1.4 Purpose and Need for Proposed Action
BWXT indicates that maintaining the continuous alpha and beta
particulate and noble gas monitoring is costly and not justified when
work with PAS or unpunctured irradiated fuel is performed only
sporadically. BWXT stated that the current inventory of irradiated fuel
at the LTC has been cut and placed in storage and that limited future
work with unpunctured irradiated fuel is anticipated.
1.5 Alternatives
The alternatives available to the NRC are:
1. Approve the license amendment request as submitted;
2. Approve the license amendment with restrictions; or
3. Deny the amendment request.
2.0 Affected Environment
The affected environment for Alternatives 1 and 2 is the BWXT site.
A full description of the site and its characteristics is given in the
1991 Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Renewal of the NRC license
for BWXT. The BWXT facility is located on a 525 acre (2 km\2\) site in
the northeastern corner of Campbell County, approximately 5 miles (8km)
east of Lynchburg, Virginia. This site is located in a generally rural
area, consisting primarily of rolling hills with gentle slopes, farm
land, and woodlands.
3.0 Effluent Releases and Monitoring
A full description of the effluent monitoring program at the site
is provided in the 1991 Environmental Assessment for the Renewal of the
NRC license for BWXT. Monitoring programs at the BWXT facility comprise
effluent monitoring of air and water and environmental monitoring of
various media (air, soil, vegetation, and groundwater). This program
provides a basis for evaluation of public health and safety impacts,
for establishing compliance with environmental regulations, and for
development of mitigation measures if necessary. The monitoring program
is not expected to change as a result of the proposed action. The NRC
has reviewed the location of the environmental monitoring program
sampling points, the frequency of sample collection, and the trends of
the sampling program results in conjunction with the environmental
pathway and exposure analysis and concluded that the monitoring program
provides adequate protection of public health and safety.
The proposed activity will change the sampling of the 50-meter
stack, which exhausts effluents from the hot cells, from continuous to
daily, except when work with PAS or uncut or unpunctured irradiated
fuel is being performed. During those times, the licensee will monitor
the stack continuously. The hot cells are provided with two stages of
HEPA filtration, before the effluents are released through the stack.
Continuous air samples are collected at the site boundaries by
samplers which are nominally located at the four compass points. Other
samples may be collected to ensure the plant operations are not
adversely affecting the environment. The boundary air samples are
compared to actions levels and if exceeded, appropriate investigative
and corrective actions are taken.
4.0 Environmental Impacts of Proposed Action and Alternatives
4.1 Radiological Health Impacts
Daily monitoring of the LTC stack will not include any change in
the type or form of special nuclear material (SNM) or any new or
different operations from those currently authorized under BWXT's
license. The impacts of normal operation of the site were evaluated in
[[Page 61931]]
the 1991 Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Renewal of the NRC
license for BWXT, and accident scenarios were evaluated in the BWXT
Emergency Plan. The total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) for members
of the public from the normal operations at the BWXT site was
calculated to be 0.024 mrem per year.
Since the proposed amendment will not result in changes in the
types or increases in the amounts of any effluents released, the dose
to the worker and the public will remain the same if the amendment is
approved.
4.2 Water Resources and Biota
Monitoring the LTC air effluents daily, as opposed to continuously,
will have no impact on water resources or biota. Effluent amounts will
not be increased and there will be no change in the composition of
material released.
4.3 Geology and Seismology
Monitoring the LTC air effluents daily will have no impact on
geology or seismology.
4.4 Soils
Soils will not be impacted as a result of monitoring the LTC air
effluents daily. There will be no new construction, no physical
disturbance of soils, and there will not be any releases of process
materials to soils as a result of this amendment application.
4.5 Air Quality
The NRC staff has determined that the proposed amendment will have
minimal impact on air quality. As discussed above, daily monitoring
will be used to maintain radiological airborne releases within NRC
limits.
4.6 Demography, Cultural and Historic Resources
The NRC staff has determined that the proposed amendment will not
impact demography, or cultural or historic resources. A full
description of these parameters is given in the 1991 Environmental
Assessment for Renewal.
4.7 Impacts Due to Accident Conditions
In accordance with 10 CFR 70.61, BWXT is required to limit the risk
of each credible high or intermediate consequence event through the
application of engineered and/or administrative controls. Also nuclear
criticality events must be limited through assurance that all processes
are maintained at subcritical levels.
The impacts due to the worst-case accident conditions were
evaluated for the hot cells. The worst-case scenario is described in
Chapter 5 of the BWXT Emergency Plan. The scenario involves the
ignition of zircaloy grindings, resulting in a release of plutonium
through the stack. This accident would result in a possible exposure to
the public of less than one millionth of a maximum allowable lung
burden for plutonium. Thus, off-site exposure due to the worst-case
accident in the hot cells is negligible.
4.8 Cumulative Impacts
The NRC has found no other activities in the areas that could
result in cumulative impacts.
4.9 Alternatives
The action that the NRC is considering is approval of an amendment
request to Materials License SNM-42 issued pursuant to 10 CFR Part 70.
The alternatives available to the NRC are:
1. Approve the license amendment request as submitted;
2. Approve the license amendment request with restrictions; or
3. Deny the amendment request.
Based on its review, the NRC staff has concluded that the
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action are
insignificant. Thus, the staff considers that Alternative 1 is the
appropriate alternative for selection.
5.0 Agencies and Persons Contacted
The NRC contacted the Director of Radiological Health at the
Virginia Department of Health (VDH) August, 2002 concerning this
request. There were no comments, concerns or objections from the state.
Because the proposed action is entirely within existing facilities,
and does not involve new or increased effluents or accident scenarios,
the NRC has concluded that there is no potential to affect endangered
species or historic resources, and therefore consultation with the
State Historic Preservation Society and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service was not performed.
6.0 References
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), August 1991,
``Environmental Assessment for Renewal of Special Nuclear Material
License SNM-42.''
BWX Technologies, July 16, 2002, Letter from Carl Yates to Director
of Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards, Amendment of
License SNM-42.
BWX Technologies, November 28, 2001, ``Mt. Athos Site Emergency
Plan'.
7.0 Conclusions
Based on an evaluation of the environmental impacts of the
amendment request, the NRC has determined that the proper action is to
issue a FONSI in the Federal Register. The NRC staff considered the
environmental consequences of amending NRC Special Nuclear Materials
License SNM-42 to change the frequency of monitoring the stack from
continuously to daily and have determined that the approval of the
request will have no significant effect on public health and safety or
the environment.
8.0 Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of this EA, the NRC has concluded that the
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action would not be
significant and do not warrant the preparation of an Environmental
Impact Statement. Accordingly, the NRC is making a Finding of No
Significant Impact.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's ``Rules of Practice,''
the Environmental Assessment and the documents related to this proposed
action will be available electronically for public inspection from the
Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of NRC's document system
(ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).
The NRC contact for this licensing action is Edwin Flack, who may
be contacted at (301) 415-8115 or by e-mail at [email protected] for more
information about the licensing action.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 25th day of September, 2002.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Daniel M. Gillen,
Chief, Fuel Cycle Facilities Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and
Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 02-25084 Filed 10-1-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P