[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 188 (Tuesday, September 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51966-51967]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-25997]


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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, 
KY

    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: May 29, 1998.
    Brief description of amendment: The amendment proposes to revise 
the Technical Safety Requirement (TSR) for the Feed Facility Autoclave 
Manual Isolation System. USEC proposes to add a specific condition and 
required action to TSR 2.2.4.13 that specifies the actions to be taken 
if the actuation device located in the Area Control Room (ACR) is 
inoperable. The autoclave manual isolation system provides a mechanism 
to remotely isolate all the autoclaves in the feed facility in the 
event of a uranium hexafluoride release from piping outside the 
autoclave.

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

[[Page 51967]]

any effluents that may be released offsite.
    The proposed change to add a condition and required action for the 
autoclave manual isolation system will have no effect on the generation 
or disposition of effluents. Therefore, the proposed TSR modification 
will not result in a change to the types or amount of effluents that 
may be released offsite.
    2. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant increase 
in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
    The proposed TSR revision will not change or increase maintenance, 
testing or operational requirements for the affected equipment; 
implementation of the revised TSR will not increase exposure. The 
change does not relate to controls used to minimize occupational 
radiation exposures. Therefore, the changes will not result in a 
significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation 
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 additional condition and required action provide specific 
required actions in the event of ACR actuation device inoperability. 
The change provides additional assurance that the autoclave manual 
isolation system will be available to perform its mitigation function. 
The system is not involved in any precursor to an evaluated accident. 
Therefore, this change will not increase the probability of occurrence 
or consequence of any postulated accident currently identified in the 
safety analysis report.
    5. The proposed amendment will not result in the possibility of a 
new or different kind of accident.
    The proposed TSR modification will add a new condition and required 
action to the TSR that covers inoperability of the ACR actuation 
device. The other two (local) actuation devices are already covered by 
the TSR. The proposed change will not create the possibility of a new 
or different type of equipment malfunction or a new or different type 
of accident.
    6. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant 
reduction in any margin of safety.
    The autoclave manual isolation system enhances the ability to 
isolate the feed autoclave in the event of a leak. The addition of the 
ACR actuation device to the TSR provides additional assurance that the 
autoclave manual isolation system will be available to perform its 
mitigation function. Therefore, the change does 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 change does 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 TSR 
2.2.4.13 to add a condition and required action covering the 
inoperability of the ACR actuation device of the autoclave manual 
isolation system.
    Local Public Document Room location: Paducah Public Library, 555 
Washington Street, Paducah, Kentucky 42003.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 4th day of September 1998.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carl J. Paperiello,
Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 98-25997 Filed 9-28-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P