[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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