[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 203 (Monday, October 21, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64668-64669]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-26553]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 70-7001]
Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, United States Enrichment Corp.;
Notice of Approval of Request for Temporary Exemption
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of approval of request for temporary exemption.
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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Commission) is approving,
upon publication of this notice, a request for a temporary exemption
from the requirement to perform an emergency preparedness (EP) exercise
every 2 years for the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant operated by the
United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC). The temporary exemption is
needed because USEC needs to concentrate available resources on prompt
implementation of requirements in the Commission's Security Order
issued June 17, 2002, and postponement of the EP exercise until after
implementation of the Security Order requirements will provide a better
indication of preparedness under the new requirements. USEC requested
authorization to conduct the EP exercise on September 10, 2003, a delay
of approximately 10 months from the currently scheduled exercise date
of November 13, 2002. However, the Commission is requiring USEC to
conduct the exercise no earlier than July 15, 2003, and no later than
August 15, 2003. USEC will then return to the normal biennial schedule
with the next exercise being conducted in September 2004. The NRC has
prepared an environmental assessment with a Finding Of No Significant
Impact (FONSI) on the request.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan E. Martin, Project Manager, Fuel
Cycle Facilities Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards,
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, telephone: (301) 415-7254,
e-mail [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission is approving a temporary
exemption from the requirement to perform an emergency preparedness
exercise every 2 years, pursuant to 10 CFR part 76, for the Paducah
Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP), operated by USEC. The facility is
authorized to use Special Nuclear Material (SNM) in the enrichment of
natural uranium to prepare low-enriched uranium to be used by others in
the fabrication of nuclear fuel pellets and fuel assemblies and
operates near Paducah, Kentucky.
The PGDP facility was scheduled to conduct an EP exercise on
November 13, 2002. USEC has requested an exemption to allow
postponement of the exercise until September 10, 2003, a delay of about
10 months. The delay is requested in order to allow USEC to concentrate
available resources on implementation of requirements in the Security
Order issued by the Commission on June 17, 2002. The Security Order
compels a variety of actions to increase security in light of the
terrorist attacks on the United States that occurred on September 11,
2001, and is not subject to public disclosure. USEC also wishes to
postpone the exercise until after the Security Order requirements are
implemented because the exercise will then provide a better indication
of preparedness under the new requirements. The Commission is requiring
USEC to conduct the exercise no earlier than July 15, 2003, and no
later than August 15, 2003.
The last biennial EP exercise conducted at the PGDP facility was
conducted on September 21, 2000. USEC's Emergency Plan, in accordance
with 10 CFR 76.91(l), requires that plant personnel plan and conduct
biennial EP exercises. Because USEC needs to schedule the next exercise
beyond the end of calendar year 2002, USEC has requested a temporary
exemption from the requirement to conduct biennial EP exercises. USEC
requested authorization to conduct the EP exercise on September 10,
2003. However, the Commission is requiring USEC to conduct the exercise
no earlier than July 15, 2003, and no later than August 15, 2003. The
Commission is also requiring USEC to offer and conduct training for
off-site responders, before the exercise is conducted, to familiarize
them with the new security requirements. USEC will then return to the
normal biennial schedule with the next exercise being conducted in
September 2004. The NRC staff has prepared an environmental assessment
of the proposed action and reached a finding of no significant impact.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would grant temporary schedular relief from the
requirement of 10 CFR 76.91(l) to perform a biennial EP exercise during
calendar year 2002. The proposed action would require USEC to conduct
the PGDP 2002 biennial exercise no earlier than July 15, 2003, and no
later than August 15, 2003, and would require USEC to offer and conduct
training for off-site responders to familiarize them with the new
security requirements before the exercise is conducted. The proposed
action is otherwise in accordance with USEC's request dated August 28,
2002.
Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is necessary to support a request by USEC that
the EP exercise scheduled for November 13, 2002, be postponed beyond
calendar year 2002, to the summer of 2003. The delay is needed to allow
USEC to concentrate available resources on implementation of
requirements in the Security Order issued by the Commission on June 17,
2002, until completion. The Security Order compels a variety of actions
to increase security in light of the terrorist attacks on the United
States that occurred on September 11, 2001, and is not subject to
public disclosure. Among the actions that USEC is required to take are
substantial plant modifications, training
[[Page 64669]]
programs, and development and implementation of new procedures. USEC
also wishes to postpone the exercise until after the Security Order
requirements are implemented because the exercise will then provide a
better indication of preparedness under the new requirements.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would not materially affect the emergency
response capabilities of the PGDP facility. The last EP exercise was
conducted on September 21, 2000, and there were no issues identified
which required immediate corrective action. One weakness identified
concerned the failure of staff critiques to identify all areas of
exercise weaknesses. This weakness has been addressed by USEC by
communicating this finding to exercise participants and monitoring
subsequent critiques for adequacy. NRC reviews and inspections since
the 2000 exercise have not identified a decline in the effectiveness of
USEC's emergency response capability. The postponement should have no
impact on the effectiveness of USEC's emergency response capability. To
assure Commission staff receive practice needed to assure Commission
readiness to cope with an emergency at the GDPs or other fuel cycle
facilities, the Commission is requiring USEC to conduct the exercise no
earlier than July 15, 2003, and no later than August 15, 2003. To
assure that off-site responders are prepared, the Commission is
requiring USEC to offer and conduct training for off-site responders to
familiarize them with the new security requirements before the exercise
is conducted.
Because temperatures in July and August can be very high, and the
temperatures in the cascade buildings and in other plant facilities can
be extraordinarily high in those months, there is risk of significant
heat stress to exercise participants required to wear substantial
protective gear for anti-contamination, fire protection, or security
purposes. To avoid significant risk of heat stress during the exercise,
the Commission will allow USEC to not require that response personnel
involved in the exercise wear the full complement of protective gear
where heat stress would be a likely result.
The proposed action will not increase the probability or
consequences of plant accidents, no changes are being made in the
amounts or types of any effluents that could be released off-site, and
there is no increase in individual or cumulative radiation exposure.
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant
radiological impacts associated with the proposed action.
With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed
action does not affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no other
environmental impact. Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there
are no significant nonradiological impacts associated with the proposed
action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered
denial of the proposed action. Denial of the proposed action would
result in no change in environmental impacts and would result in
hardship to USEC and others by potentially delaying the implementation
of the requirements in the Commission's Security Order issued June 17,
2002. The environmental impacts of the proposed action and the
alternative action are otherwise similar.
Alternative Use of Resources
The proposed action does not involve the use of any resources
beyond those already necessary to conduct the EP exercise during 2002,
and would merely delay the exercise.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, the NRC staff consulted with:
(1) State of Illinois official Thomas Ortciger, Director, Illinois
Department of Nuclear Safety; (2) State of Kentucky official Janice H.
Jasper, Radiation Health and Toxic Agents Branch, Cabinet for Health
Services; and (3) U.S. Department of Energy official Randall M.
DeVault, Group Leader, Transition and Technology Group, Office of
Nuclear Fuel Security and Uranium Technology, regarding the
environmental impact of the proposed action. No objections were
received.
Consultations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State
Historic Preservation Officer were not performed because of the lack of
any conceivable impact to fish and wildlife or historic assets.
Finding of No Significant Impact
Based on the environmental assessment, the Commission concludes
that the proposed action will not have 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.
List of Preparers
This document was prepared by Dan E. Martin, Project Manager, Fuel
Cycle Facilities Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards,
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. Mr. Martin is the
Project Manager for the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the
USEC letter request dated August 28, 2002, available for public
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room at One White Flint
North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, MD, and
accessible electronically through the ADAMS Public Electronic Reading
Room link at the NRC Web site http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 10th day of October, 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. 02-26553 Filed 10-18-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P