[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 49 (Thursday, March 13, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 11935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-6341]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket NO. 50-72]


Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact 
Regarding Termination of Amended Facility Operating License No. R-25 
University of Utah AGN-201 Research Reactor

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an Order terminating Amended Facility Operating License No. 
R-25 for the University of Utah (the licensee) AGN-201 Research Reactor 
(AGN-201) located on the licensee's campus in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 
accordance with the application dated July 17, 1990, as supplemented on 
July 18, 1990, June 12, 1991, April 13, 1994, and March 17 and 22, 
1995, and February 6, 1996.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    By application dated July 17, 1990, as supplemented on July 18, 
1990, and June 12, 1991, the licensee requested authorization to 
dismantle the AGN-201 and dispose of its component parts in accordance 
with the proposed decommissioning plan. The application of July 17, 
1990, also requested authorization to terminate Amended Facility 
Operating License No. R-25. Following an ``Order Authorizing 
Dismantling of Facility and Disposition of Component Parts,'' dated 
August 1, 1991, (56 FR 37733), the licensee completed the dismantlement 
and submitted a final survey report dated April 13, 1994, as 
supplemented on March 17 and 22, 1995, and February 6, 1996. 
Representatives of the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education 
(ORISE), under contract to NRC, conducted a survey of the reactor on 
April 9, 1996. The survey is documented in an ORISE report, 
``Radiological Survey of the University of Utah AGN-201M Research 
Reactor, Salt Lake City, Utah,'' dated June 1996. In a memorandum dated 
July 15, 1996, NRC Region IV found that the ORISE report findings 
support the data developed in the licensee's final survey report.
    Because the AGN-201 is in the same room as the TRIGA Research 
Reactor (Docket No. 50-407, Facility Operating License No. R-126) that 
the University continues to operate, the Reactor Room of the Merrill 
Engineering Building will continue to be subject to the terms of the 
TRIGA license. There is no site being released for unrestricted use by 
this action. Only the remaining reactor component parts possessed under 
Amended Facility Operating License No. R-25 are being released for 
unrestricted use by this license termination. The Reactor Room will be 
considered for release by NRC as part of the request to terminate the 
TRIGA license at some time in the future. Because the site will 
continue to be used under a NRC license and will be surveyed in the 
future, and because application of the regulation is not necessary to 
achieve the underlying purpose of the rule, the NRC, in a separate 
action, is considering granting, upon its own initiative, a specific 
exemption in accordance with 10 CFR 50.12 to the part of the 
requirements of 10 CFR 50.82(b)(6)(ii) that requires a terminal 
radiation survey and associated documentation to demonstrate that the 
site is suitable for release as a condition for license termination.

The Need for Proposed Action

    In order to release the remaining reactor components for 
unrestricted use, Amended Facility Operating License No. R-25 must be 
terminated.

Environmental Impact of License Termination

    The licensee indicates that the residual contamination and dose 
exposures comply with the criteria of Regulatory Guide 1.86, Table 1, 
which establish acceptable residual surface contamination levels, and 
the exposure limit, established by the NRC staff, of less than 5 micro 
rem/hr above background at 1 meter. These measurements have been 
verified by the NRC staff. The NRC finds that since these criteria have 
been met, there is no significant impact on the environment and the 
reactor components can be released for unrestricted use and the license 
terminated. Because the site will continue to be subject to an NRC 
license, terminating Operating License No. R-25 will have no effect on 
the status of the site and thus, has no significant impact on the 
environment.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered 
denying the proposed action. Denying the application for license 
termination would result in no change in current environmental impacts 
and would deny release of the remaining reactor components for 
unrestricted use and require continuance of the facility license. The 
environmental impacts of the proposed action and of the alternative 
action are similar. Since the contaminated and activated reactor and 
component parts have been dismantled and disposed of in accordance with 
NRC regulations and guidelines, there is no alternative with less 
environmental impact than the termination of Amended Facility Operating 
License No. R-25.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    The staff consulted with personnel from ORISE (an NRC contractor), 
who conducted the confirmatory survey for the AGN-201. The staff also 
consulted with the Utah State official regarding the environmental 
impact of the proposed action. The State official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    The NRC has determined not to prepare an environmental impact 
statement for the proposed action. On the basis of the foregoing 
environmental assessment, the NRC has concluded that the issuance of 
the Order will have no significant effect on the quality of the human 
environment.
    For further details with respect to this proposed action, see the 
application for termination of Amended Facility Operating License No. 
R-25, dated July 17, 1990, as supplemented. These documents are 
available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document 
Room, 2120 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day of March 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Seymour H. Weiss,
Director, Non-Power Reactors and Decommissioning Project Directorate, 
Division of Reactor Program Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-6341 Filed 3-12-97; 8:45 am]
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