[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 225 (Friday, November 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62364-62365]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-30619]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket 70-7002]


Notice of Amendment To Certificate of Compliance GDP-2 for the 
U.S. Enrichment Corporation Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant 
Portsmouth, OH

    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 described 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 Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS). 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 of the 
Commission, 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: June 16, 1997.
    Brief Description of Amendment: The proposed amendment, in 
accordance with a commitment made in the USEC certificate application, 
adds an additional criticality safety program element to the list of 
elements committed to in Technical Safety Requirement (TSR) 3.11.1.
    Section 3.9 of the PORTS Safety Analysis Report (SAR) Revision 4 
dated July 26, 1996, summarizes the upgrades

[[Page 62365]]

required to bring the process facilities in compliance with the 
descriptions provided in SAR Chapter 3. One of the upgrades involves 
the identification of Structures, Systems and Components (SSCs) and 
associated support systems required to meet the nuclear criticality 
safety (NCS) double contingency principle. These SSCs are also referred 
to as AQ-NCS SSCs. By March 3, 1997, USEC was required by Issue 23 of 
the Compliance Plan (DOE/ORO-2027/R3) submitted as part of their 
certificate application, to identify and delineate AQ-NCS SSCs and 
their associated support systems. According to USEC, this action has 
been completed. A commitment made in SAR Section 3.9.10 entitled 
``Identification of Nuclear Criticality Safety SSCs,'' requires USEC to 
follow-up by revising TSR 3.11.1, to reflect identification of AQ-NCS 
SSCs and their associated support systems. As such, USEC has proposed 
to add a new fourth bullet to TSR 3.11.1 to state that the NCS program 
will address the identification of SSCs and support systems necessary 
to meet the double contingency principle.

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.
    This amendment adds an additional TSR commitment related to the 
PORTS NCS program by requiring identification of SSCs and support 
systems necessary to meet the double contingency principle. As such, it 
will not result in a significant change in the types or significant 
increase in the amounts of any effluents that may be released offsite.
    2. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant increase 
in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
    This amendment adds an additional TSR commitment related to the 
PORTS NCS program by requiring identification of SSCs and support 
systems necessary to meet the double contingency principle. As such, it 
will not result in a significant increase in individual or cumulative 
occupational radiation exposures.
    3. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant 
construction impact.
    The proposed amendment does not involve 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.
    This amendment adds an additional TSR commitment related to the 
PORTS NCS program by requiring identification of SSCs and support 
systems necessary to meet the double contingency principle. As such, it 
will not significantly increase the potential for, or radiological or 
chemical consequences from, previously analyzed accidents.
    5. The proposed amendment will not result in the possibility of a 
new or different kind of accident.
    This amendment adds an additional TSR commitment related to the 
PORTS NCS program by requiring identification of SSCs and support 
systems necessary to meet the double contingency principle. As such, it 
will not result in new or different kinds of accidents.
    6. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant 
reduction in any margin of safety.
    This amendment adds an additional TSR commitment related to the 
PORTS NCS program by requiring identification of SSCs and support 
systems necessary to meet the double contingency principle. As such, 
there will not be a significant reduction of any margin of safety. On 
the contrary, this amendment may constitute an increase in the NCS 
margin 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.
    This amendment adds an additional TSR commitment related to the 
PORTS NCS program by requiring identification of SSCs and support 
systems necessary to meet the double contingency principle. As such, it 
will not result in an overall decrease in the effectiveness of the 
plant's safety program. On the contrary, this amendment may increase 
the effectiveness of the plant's NCS program.
    The staff has not identified any safeguards or security related 
implications from the proposed amendment. Therefore, the proposed 
amendment will not result in an overall decrease in the effectiveness 
of the plant's safeguards, or security programs.
    Effective date: The amendment to GDP-2 will become effective 
immediately after issuance by NRC.
    Certificate of Compliance No. GDP-2: Amendment will revise the 
Technical Safety Requirements.
    Local Public Document Room location: Portsmouth Public Library, 
1220 Gallia Street, Portsmouth, Ohio 45662.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 12th day of November 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carl J. Paperiello,
Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 97-30619 Filed 11-20-97; 8:45 am]
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