[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 21, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 6662]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-3819]



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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-271]


Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation and Vermont Yankee 
Nuclear Power Station; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is 
considering approval of a procedure for on site disposal of silt 
containing low levels of radioactivity at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear 
Power Station (VYNPS), pursuant to 10 CFR 20.2002, as requested by the 
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation, (the licensee). VYNPS is 
located in Windham County, Vermont.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would authorize the on site relocation of silt 
containing low levels of radioactivity which was or will be removed 
from the cooling tower basins at VYNPS.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated August 30, 1995.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action will eliminate the need to hold the material 
for future disposal in a 10 CFR Part 61 licensed facility and will save 
space at licensed facilities for waste materials containing higher 
levels of activity. It will also save substantial cost.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes that the proposed action will minimize the risk of 
unexpected exposure. The licensee's proposal was evaluated against the 
staff's guidelines for on site disposal and found to be acceptable. The 
potential exposure to members of the general public from the 
radionuclides in the silt was determined to be less than 1 mrem/year. 
The potential exposure to an inadvertent intruder following licensee 
release of the disposal site was determined to be less than 5 mrem/
year. 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 offsite, and there is no significant 
increase in the allowable individual or cumulative occupational 
radiation exposure. Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there 
are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with 
the proposed action.
    With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
action does involve features located entirely within the restricted 
area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20. It does not affect nonradiological 
plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. Accordingly, the 
Commission concludes that there are no significant nonradiological 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    Since the Commission has concluded there is no significant 
environmental impact associated with the proposed action, any 
alternatives with equal or greater environmental impact need not be 
evaluated. As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff 
considered denial of the proposed action. Denial of the application 
would result in no change in current environmental impacts. The 
environmental impacts of the proposed action and the alternative action 
are similar.

Alternative Use of Resources

    This action does not involve the use of any resources not 
previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for the 
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station, dated July 1972.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on December 21, 1995, the 
staff consulted with the Vermont State official, Mr. William Sherman of 
the Vermont Department of Public Service, regarding the environmental 
impact of the proposed action. The State official questioned the impact 
of the proposed action on decommissioning of VYNPS. At the time of 
decommissioning, the licensee will be required to demonstrate that the 
activity levels on the site are sufficiently low to permit releasing 
the site for general use.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    Based upon 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.
    For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the 
licensee's letter dated August 30, 1995, which is available for public 
inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, The Gelman 
Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC, and at the local public 
document room located at the Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main Street, 
Brattleboro, VT.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 13th day of February 1996.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ledyard B. Marsh,
Director Project Directorate I-1, Division of Reactor Projects--I/II, 
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 96-3819 Filed 2-20-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P