[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 136 (Wednesday, July 16, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 38129]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-18663]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-356]
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact;
Regarding Termination of Facility Operating License No. R-117;
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Low Power Reactor Assembly
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an Order terminating Facility Operating License No. R-117
for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (the licensee or
University) Low Power Reactor Assembly (LOPRA) located on the
licensee's campus in Urbana, Illinois, in accordance with the
application dated February 10, 1995, as supplemented on April 24, 1995;
October 2, 1996; and April 15, 1997.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of Proposed Action
By application dated February 10, 1995, as supplemented on April
24, 1995, and October 2, 1996, the licensee requested authorization to
decommission the LOPRA in accordance with the proposed decommissioning
plan. The application of February 10, 1995, also requested
authorization to terminate Facility Operating License No. R-117.
Amendment No. 6 to the facility operating license was issued on January
21, 1997, approving the decommissioning plan. The licensee informed the
NRC in a letter dated April 15, 1997, that the University had completed
decommissioning of the LOPRA in accordance with the amendment. The NRC
project manager for the LOPRA and a non-power reactor inspector visited
the site on May 7, 1997, to confirm that the licensee had
decommissioned the LOPRA in accordance with the license amendment and
had transferred the LOPRA components and fuel to the Advanced TRIGA
Research Reactor (TRIGA) license (Docket No. 50-151, Facility License
No. R-115). Some components containing byproduct material were
subsequently transferred to a University of Illinois byproduct
materials license (License IL-01271-01) issued by the State of Illinois
to allow the components to be stored at a facility away from the
Nuclear Reactor Laboratory. No licensed material remains on the LOPRA
license.
The University's Nuclear Reactor Laboratory houses the TRIGA (which
the University continues to operate) and housed the LOPRA, which was
located in the bulk shielding tank of the TRIGA. The Nuclear Reactor
Laboratory continues to be subject to the terms of the TRIGA license.
Because the LOPRA components and fuel have been transferred to other
licenses and because the TRIGA continues to operate, no facility or
site is being released for unrestricted use by this action. The
licensee will maintain the capability to construct and operate a
subcritical assembly in the TRIGA bulk shielding tank from the former
LOPRA components, as currently authorized by the TRIGA license. The
Nuclear Reactor Laboratory will be considered for release by NRC as
part of the request to terminate the TRIGA license at some time in the
future.
As requested by the licensee in its letter of April 15, 1997, the
NRC, in a separate action, is considering granting 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 facility and site are
suitable for release as a condition for license termination. Because
all licensed material has been transferred from the LOPRA license and
because the TRIGA and site will continue to be under an NRC license,
there is no facility or site to be released for unrestricted use as
part of the license termination, and a terminal radiation survey is not
needed to terminate the license.
The Need for Proposed Action
In order to end regulatory oversight of the LOPRA, Facility
Operating License No. R-117 must be terminated.
Environmental Impact of License Termination
No licensed material remains under the authority of the LOPRA
license. The NRC staff has verified that the LOPRA components and fuel
have been transferred to the TRIGA license and to the University of
Illinois byproduct materials license issued by the State of Illinois,
which are authorized to receive this material. Future use of these
components and fuel as a subcritical assembly is currently authorized
and will be governed by the TRIGA license. With the transfer of all
material to other licenses, the termination of the LOPRA license is
administrative in nature. Because the site will continue to be subject
to an NRC license, terminating Facility Operating License No. R-117
will have no effect on the status of the facility or 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 not change current environmental impacts and would
require continuance of the facility license. The staff also considered
taking no action on the licensee's request. This would have the same
outcome as denying the proposed action. The environmental impacts of
the proposed action and of the alternative actions are similar. Since
the LOPRA components and fuel have been transferred to the other
licenses that are authorized to receive this material, there is no
alternative with less environmental impact than the termination of
Facility Operating License No. R-117.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
The staff consulted with the Illinois 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 Facility Operating License No. R-117,
dated February 10, 1995, as supplemented. These documents are available
for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, 2120 L
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20037.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 9th day of July 1997.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Marvin M. Mendonca,
Acting Director, Non-Power Reactors and Decommissioning Project
Directorate, Division of Reactor Program Management, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-18663 Filed 7-15-97; 8:45 am]
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