[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 216 (Wednesday, November 8, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 56379]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-27623]



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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 40-8838]


Jefferson Proving Ground, Madison, IN; Consideration of an 
Amendment Request

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of Consideration of an Amendment Request for Release of 
the Remediated Portion of Jefferson Proving Ground (JPG), Madison, IN, 
for Unrestricted Use and Amendment of the U.S. Army Source Material 
License Number SUB-1435, and Opportunity for Hearing.

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    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering two license 
amendment requests for Source Material License SUB-1435, issued to the 
U.S. Army, Jefferson Proving Ground (JPG), Madison, IN. The first 
amendment would release, for unrestricted use, a portion of JPG. The 
second amendment would transfer the license from the U.S. Army at JPG 
to the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (TECOM), Aberdeen, MD.
    The first amendment request involves that portion of JPG which has 
been remediated to levels in compliance with the current NRC 
decommissioning criteria for unrestricted release (i.e., ``Guidelines 
for Decontamination of Facilities and Equipment Prior to Release for 
Unrestricted Use or Termination of Licenses for Byproduct, Source, or 
Special Nuclear Material,'' August 1987). This portion of the JPG site 
is located south of the firing line. In a letter dated September 14, 
1995, the licensee requested amendment of its license to release the 
area south of the firing line for unrestricted use. In support of this 
request, the licensee remediated the area south of the firing line and 
submitted a final survey report. In addition, the Army has submitted a 
certificate of disposition which indicated that the depleted uranium 
(DU) material, that resulted from the remediation activities, was 
disposed of at a licensed burial site. Subsequently, the NRC conducted 
a confirmatory radiological survey of that area and submitted the 
results of that survey to the Army on September 27, 1995 (Report No. 
040-08838/95001/R-III). The radiological survey data in these two 
reports (final and confirmatory survey reports) did not identify any 
radioactive material in excess of the current NRC decommissioning 
criteria for unrestricted use. Therefore, in accordance with NRC 
regulations in 10 CFR 40.41, and NRC's Action Plan to Ensure Timely 
Cleanup of Site Decommissioning Management Plan Sites (57 FR 13389, 
April 16, 1992), that portion of JPG site would be released for 
unrestricted use.
    The second amendment request involves the transfer of the license. 
The U.S. Army has ceased its function as a test center for DU 
projectiles and has closed JPG effective September 30, 1995. The Army 
has transferred certain DU material to other Army locations under 
different licenses. Therefore, the Army currently possesses only the DU 
material remaining onsite (estimated 80,000 kilograms), in the DU 
impact area north of the firing line, and will not conduct any further 
DU test activities at JPG. As a result of these changes, the Army has 
requested (in a letter dated September 14, 1995) an amendment to 
transfer the license to the U.S. Army TECOM Headquarters in Aberdeen, 
MD. Consequently, NRC is considering the Army's request to amend the 
license to conform with the current conditions and status at JPG. In 
addition, NRC is proceeding with the development of an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) which will examine alternatives for the 
decommissioning of the remaining radiologically contaminated portion of 
JPG (i.e., the DU impact area north of the firing line). A notice of 
intent to develop an EIS was published in the Federal Register on April 
10, 1995 (60 FR 18155).
    The NRC hereby provides notice that this is a proceeding on an 
application for a license amendment falling within the scope of Subpart 
L, Informal Hearing Procedures for Adjudication in Materials Licensing 
Proceedings, of NRC's rules and practices for domestic licensing 
proceedings in 10 CFR Part 2. Pursuant to Sec. 2.1205(a), any person 
whose interest may be affected by this proceeding may file a request 
for a hearing in accordance with Sec. 2.1205(c). A request for hearing 
must be filed within (30) days of the date of publication of this 
Federal Register notice.
    The request for a hearing must be filed with the Office of the 
Secretary either:
    1. By delivery to the Docketing and Service Branch of the Office of 
the Secretary at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, 
Rockville, MD 20852-2738; or
    2. By mail or telegram addressed to the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. Attention: Docketing and 
Service Branch.
    In accordance with 10 CFR Sec. 2.1205(e), each request for a 
hearing must also be served, by delivering it personally or by mail, 
to:
    1. The applicant, U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command, Aberdeen 
Proving Ground, Maryland 21005-5055, ATTN: Ms. Tanya Palmateer 
Oxenberg, and
    2. The NRC staff, by delivery to the Executive Director for 
Operations, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 
20852, or by mail, addressed to the Executive Director for Operations, 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555.
    In addition to meeting other applicable requirements of 10 CFR Part 
2 of the NRC's regulations, a request for a hearing filed by a person 
other than an applicant must describe in detail:
    1. The interest of the requestor in the proceeding;
    2. How that interest may be affected by the results of the 
proceeding, including the reasons why the requestor should be permitted 
a hearing, with particular reference to the factors set out in 
Sec. 2.1205(g);
    3. The requestor's areas of concern about the licensing activity 
that is the subject matter of the proceeding; and
    4. The circumstances establishing that the request for a hearing is 
timely in accordance with Sec. 2.1205(c).
    For further details with respect to this action, the application 
for the license amendment is available for inspection at the 
Commission's Public Document Room, 2120 L Street NW., Washington, DC 
20555. If you have any questions or comments about the requests, please 
contact NRC's project manager for the site, Dr. Boby Eid, at telephone 
number (301) 415-5811 or at Mail Stop T7F27, U.S. NRC, Washington, DC 
20555.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 31st day of October 1995.

    For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Michael F. Weber,
Chief, Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning Projects Branch, Division of 
Waste Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 95-27623 Filed 11-7-95; 8:45 am]
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