[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 181 (Friday, September 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49932-49933]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-25064]



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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, Ohio

    The Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards 
(NMSS), 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 Nuclear Regulatory Commission (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, NMSS, is 
prepared to issue an amendment to the Certificate of Compliance for the 
Portsmouth 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.
    United States Enrichment Corporation (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, 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 16, 1998.
    Brief description of amendment: On March 16, 1998, USEC submitted a 
certification amendment request to revise the Technical Safety 
Requirement (TSR) surveillances for the two freon degraders in TSR 
2.7.3.9, Freon Degrader Fluorine Flow. The new (Cell Floor) Freon 
Degrader surveillance for calibration of the capillary tubes 
controlling fluorine flow was changed to reflect the as-built 
configuration of the freon degrader. Initial design had four tubes 
calibrated at a fluorine flow rate of 100 standard cubic feet per day 
(scfd) for each tube for a total of 400 scfd. The final design and as-
built had four tubes, one for 25 scfd, one for 50 scfd, one for 100 
scfd, and one for 200 scfd for a combined flow rate of 375 scfd. The 
surveillance was also amended to have the fluorine fore pressure set at 
5 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) from the previous 9.5 psig. The 
other surveillance change for the new (Cell Floor) Freon Degrader was 
lowering the setpoint for the high high pressure fluorine trip from 20 
psig to 5 psig. Two surveillances were added for the old (Operating 
Floor) Freon Degrader for calibrating and testing the high fluorine 
pressure trip.

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.
    The proposed amendment does not propose any new or unanalyzed 
activity for the facility. The amendment would lower the fluorine flow 
rate possible in the new (Cell Floor) Freon Degrader and lower the 
safety system trip point. The lowering of the flow rate and trip point 
decreases the possibility of an accident which could result in toxic 
releases of any effluents offsite.
    2. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant increase 
in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
    For the reasons provided in number 1 above, the proposed amendment 
will not result in a significant increase in individual or cumulative 
occupational radiation exposure. In fact, the proposed amendment will 
likely decrease the risk of releases thereby decreasing the risk of 
individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
    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.
    The proposed amendment does not propose any new or unanalyzed 
activity for the facility. The amendment would lower the fluorine flow 
rate possible in the new (Cell Floor) Freon Degrader and lower the 
safety system trip point. The lowering of the flow rate and trip point 
decreases the possibility of an accident. Therefore, the amendment 
would not result in a significant increase in the potential for, or 
radiological or chemical consequences from previously analyzed 
accidents.

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    5. The proposed amendment will not result in the possibility of a 
new or different kind of accident.
    The proposed amendment does not propose any new or unanalyzed 
activity for the facility. Therefore, the amendment does not raise the 
possibility of a new or different kind of accident.
    6. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant 
reduction in any margin of safety.
    The amendment would lower the fluorine flow rate possible in the 
new (Cell Floor) Freon Degrader and lower the safety system trip point. 
The lowering of the flow rate and trip point decreases the possibility 
of an accident and would increase any 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.
    The proposed amendment would lower the fluorine flow rate possible 
in the new (Cell Floor) Freon Degrader and lower the safety system trip 
point and does not change the frequency of surveillances. Therefore, it 
does not decrease the effectiveness of the plant's safety 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 60 
days after issuance by NRC.
    Certificate of Compliance No. GDP-2: Amendment will revise TSR 
2.7.3.9.
    Local Public Document Room location: Portsmouth Public Library, 
1220 Gallia Street, Portsmouth, Ohio 45662.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 9th day of September 1998.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carl J. Paperiello,
Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 98-25064 Filed 9-17-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P