[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 142 (Thursday, July 24, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39881-39882]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-19490]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket 70-7001]


Notice of Amendment to Certificate of Compliance GDP-1 for the 
U.S. Enrichment Corporation, Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Paducah, 
Kentucky

    The Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, has 
made a determination that the following amendment request is not 
significant in accordance with 10 CFR 76.45. In making that 
determination, the staff concluded that: (1) There is no change in the 
types or significant increase in the amounts of any effluents that may 
be released offsite; (2) there is no significant increase in individual 
or cumulative occupational radiation exposure; (3) there is no 
significant construction impact; (4) there is no significant increase 
in the potential for, or radiological or chemical consequences from, 
previously analyzed accidents; (5) the proposed changes do not result 
in the possibility of a new or different kind of accident; (6) there is 
no significant reduction in any margin of safety; and (7) the proposed 
changes will not result in an overall decrease in the effectiveness of 
the plant's safety, safeguards or security programs. The basis for this 
determination for the amendment request is shown below.
    The NRC staff has reviewed the certificate amendment application 
and concluded that it provides reasonable assurance of adequate safety, 
safeguards, and security, and compliance with NRC requirements. 
Therefore, the Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and 
Safeguards, is prepared to issue an amendment to the Certificate of 
Compliance for the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The staff has 
prepared a Compliance Evaluation Report which provides details of the 
staff's evaluation.
    The NRC staff has determined that this amendment satisfies the 
criteria for a categorical exclusion in accordance with 10 CFR 51.22. 
Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental impact 
statement or environmental assessment need be prepared for this 
amendment.
    USEC or any person whose interest may be affected may file a 
petition, not exceeding 30 pages, requesting review of the Director's 
Decision. The petition must be filed with the Commission not later than 
15 days after publication of this Federal Register Notice. A petition 
for review of the Director's Decision shall set forth with 
particularity the interest of the petitioner and how that interest may 
be affected by the results of the decision. The petition should 
specifically explain the reasons why review of the Decision should be 
permitted with particular reference to the following factors: (1) The 
interest of the petitioner; (2) how that interest may be affected by 
the Decision, including the reasons why the petitioner should be 
permitted a review of the Decision; and (3) the petitioner's areas of 
concern about the activity that is the subject matter of the Decision. 
Any person described in this paragraph (USEC or any person who filed a 
petition) may file a response to any petition for review, not to exceed 
30 pages, within 10 days after filing of the petition. If no petition 
is received within the designated 15-day period, the Director will 
issue the final amendment to the Certificate of Compliance without 
further delay. If a petition for review is received, the decision on 
the amendment application will become final in 60 days, unless the 
Commission grants the petition for review or otherwise acts within 60 
days after publication of this Federal Register Notice.
    A petition for review must be filed with the Secretary, U.S. 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: 
Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff, or may be delivered to the 
Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, 
NW., Washington, DC, by the above date.
    For further details with respect to the action see (1) the 
application for amendment and (2) the Commission's Compliance 
Evaluation Report. These items are 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.
    Date of amendment request: March 17, 1997, as revised June 19, 
1997.
    Brief description of amendment: The amendment proposes to revise 
the Technical Safety Requirements (TSRs) for the Nuclear Material 
Control and Accountability (NMC&A) scales used for uranium hexafluoride 
cylinder weight to allow the pre-heat cylinder weight to be determined 
on any operable accountability scale that has been calibrated to an 
adequate range and tolerance for the item being weighed. Similar 
changes are proposed for the Safety Analysis Report (SAR).
    Basis for finding of no significance:
    1. The proposed amendment will not result in a change in the types 
or significant increase in the amounts of any effluents that may be 
released offsite.

[[Page 39882]]

    The proposed change involves revision of the NMC&A scale usage TSRs 
to permit weighing on any operable scale instead of specified scales. 
Because there is no effluent release associated with this change, the 
proposed changes will not affect the effluent.
    2. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant increase 
in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
    The proposed changes do not relate to controls used to minimize 
occupational radiation exposures, therefore, the changes will not 
increase exposure.
    3. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant 
construction impact.
    The proposed changes will not result in any construction, 
therefore, there will be no construction impacts.
    4. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant increase 
in the potential for, or radiological or chemical consequences from, 
previously analyzed accidents.
    The proposed changes will allow any operable scale, instead of 
specified scales, to be used for weight verification. The proposed 
changes do no affect the potential for or radiological or chemical 
consequences from previously evaluated accidents.
    5. The proposed amendment will not result in the possibility of a 
new or different kind of accident.
    Changing the TSR requirements for the NMC&A scales allows any 
operable scale to be used for weight verification prior to heating the 
uranium hexafluoride cylinder. The accident scenario of heating an 
overfilled cylinder has already been analyzed. The proposed changes 
would not create new operating conditions or new plant configuration 
that could lead to a new or different type of accident.
    6. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant 
reduction in any margin of safety.
    The margin of safety defined for heating cylinders is the percent 
ullage or void space required to heat a cylinder. The ullage is not 
affected by this change. The proposed TSR will still require the use of 
operable scales, therefore, the ability to verify that the proper 
amount of ullage will be maintained during heating is not affected. The 
change to allow any operable scale instead of a specified scale is to 
provide operational flexibility in case a scale is inoperable. These 
changes do not decrease the margins of safety.
    7. The proposed amendment will not result in an overall decrease in 
the effectiveness of the plant's safety, safeguards or security 
programs.
    Implementation of the proposed changes do not change the safety, 
safeguards, or security programs. Therefore, the effectiveness of the 
safety, safeguards, and security programs is not decreased.
    Effective date: The amendment to Certificate of Compliance GDP-1 
becomes effective 30 days after being signed by the Director, Office of 
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
    Certificate of Compliance No. GDP-1: Amendment will revise 
Technical Safety Requirements for the NMC&A scale usage and the SAR 
discussion on scale usage.
    Local Public Document Room location: Paducah Public Library, 555 
Washington Street, Paducah, Kentucky 42003.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day of July 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carl J. Paperiello,
Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 97-19490 Filed 7-23-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P