[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 213 (Wednesday, November 4, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59582-59583]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29494]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Dockets 70-7001 and 70-7002]


Notice of Amendment to Certificates of Compliance GDP-1 and GDP-2 
for the U.S. Enrichment Corporation (Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant 
and Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Paducah, Kentucky and Piketon, 
Ohio)

    The Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, has 
made a determination that the following administrative amendments are 
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 amendments is shown below.
    The NRC staff has concluded that the administrative amendments 
provide 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 amendments to the Certificates of Compliance for the Paducah 
Gaseous Diffusion Plant and 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 these amendments satisfy the 
criteria for a categorical exclusion in accordance with 10 CFR 
51.22(c)(19). Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental 
impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared for these 
amendments.
    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 the Commission's 
Compliance Evaluation Report.
    Date of amendment request: There was no formal amendment request. 
USEC, Inc. was formally privatized by the U.S. Treasury Department on 
July 28, 1998. These amendments will impose the conditions of transfer 
attached to the privatization action.
    Brief description of amendment: The Commission conditionally 
consented to the transfer of the certificates of compliance to the 
privatized USEC. This transfer was subject to USEC consenting to three 
proposed conditions that related to foreign ownership, control or 
domination and the Russian High Enriched Uranium Agreement. On July 20, 
1998, USEC consented to the conditions. USEC, Inc. was formally 
privatized by the U.S. Treasury Department on July 28, 1998. These 
amendments do not approve the transfer; they are administrative 
amendments to add the conditions of transfer to the certificates of 
compliance.

[[Page 59583]]

    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.
    Operations at the gaseous diffusion plants will remain unchanged. 
The proposed action is to add three conditions of transfer to the 
certificates of compliance. There will be no 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 amendments will not increase any exposure to 
radiation. The action is solely an administrative action. Therefore, 
the changes will not result in a significant increase in individual or 
cumulative radiation exposure.
    3. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant 
construction impact.
    The proposed amendment 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 administrative amendments to add the conditions of 
transfer to the certificates of compliance have no impact on the 
potential for or occurrence of an accident or the resulting 
consequences. Therefore, these changes will not increase the 
probability of occurrence or consequence of any postulated accident 
currently identified in the safety analysis reports.
    5. The proposed amendment will not result in the possibility of a 
new or different kind of accident.
    The proposed amendments 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 proposed amendments to add conditions to the certificates of 
compliance will have no impact on the margin of safety. Therefore, 
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 amendments does not change the 
safety, safeguards, or security programs. Therefore, the effectiveness 
of the safety, safeguards, and security programs is not decreased. In 
approving the transfer, the Commission determined that the transfer 
would not be inimical to the common defense and security of the United 
States.
    Effective date: The amendments to Certificates of Compliance GDP-1 
and GDP-2 become effective immediately upon being signed by the 
Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
    Certificates of Compliance GDP-1 and GDP-2: Amendments will revise 
the certificates of compliance to add three conditions of transfer 
related to foreign ownership, control or domination and the Russian 
High Enriched Uranium Agreement.
    Local Public Document Room locations: Paducah Public Library, 555 
Washington Street, Paducah, Kentucky 42003 and Portsmouth Public 
Library, 1220 Gallia Street, Portsmouth, Ohio 45662.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 27th day of October, 1998.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carl J. Paperiello,
Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 98-29494 Filed 11-3-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P