[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 227 (Wednesday, November 25, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65264-65265]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-31501]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket 70-7001]


Notice of Amendment to Certificate of Compliance GDP-1 for the 
U.S. Enrichment Corp., 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(c)(19). 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: September 11, 1998.
    Brief description of amendment: The amendment proposes to delete 
Technical Safety Requirements (TSRs) 2.3.2.1, ``Normetex Pump Discharge 
Pressure,'' and 2.3.3.1, ``Normetex Pump High Discharge Pressure 
System.'' The request also includes changes to related sections of the 
Safety Analysis Report (SAR) to support deletion of the TSR 
requirements.
    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 deletes TSR requirements for the Normetex 
Pump High Discharge Pressure System. The accident scenario that the 
system was designed to prevent did not change so uranium hexafluoride 
(UF6) remains the only effluent that may be released, and 
the amount remains bounded by the 250 lbs controlled by the Normetex 
UF6 Release Detection System. Therefore, there is no change 
in the 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 amendment does not propose any new or unanalyzed 
activity for the facility. Therefore, the amendment would 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 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 deletes TSR requirements for the Normetex 
Pump High Discharge Pressure System. The accident scenario that the 
system was designed to prevent did not change, and the potential source 
term for UF6 remains bounded by the 250 lbs controlled by 
the Normetex UF6 Release Detection System. The downgrading 
of the Normetex Pump High Discharge Pressure System from a quality (Q) 
safety system to a non-safety safety system is offset by the upgrading 
of the Normetex Pump discharge block valve interlock to a Q safety 
system. Both systems were designed to prevent an overpressure of the 
pump discharge line when the pump discharge block valve closes with the 
pump still running. Worker protection practices would limit any 
exposure to the worker from any potential smaller release. Therefore, 
the proposed change will not result in a significant increase in the 
potential for, or radiological or chemical

[[Page 65265]]

consequences from, previously analyzed accidents.
    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. The downgrading of the Normetex Pump High 
Discharge Pressure System from a quality (Q) safety system to a non-
safety safety system is offset by the upgrading of the Normetex Pump 
discharge block valve interlock to a Q safety system. Both systems were 
designed to prevent an overpressure of the pump discharge line when the 
pump discharge block valve closes with the pump still running. 
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 safety limit proposed for deletion did not change the bounding 
accident release of 250 lbs. The downgrading of the Normetex Pump High 
Discharge Pressure System from a quality (Q) safety system to a non-
safety safety system is offset by the upgrading of the Normetex Pump 
discharge block valve interlock to a Q safety system. Both systems were 
designed to prevent an overpressure of the pump discharge line when the 
pump discharge block valve closes with the pump still running. With no 
increase in the potential amount of hazardous material released and the 
switching of one Q safety system for another equivalent system, the 
accident remains unlikely. Therefore, there is no significant reduction 
in the 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 delete a safety limit that was 
determined not to be safety significant. The safety margin remains the 
same. While one safety system has been downgraded, an equivalent safety 
system has been upgraded. Therefore, the deletion of the TSRs and 
supporting SAR changes do not decrease the effectiveness of the plant's 
safety program. It also does not propose any change to or affect the 
safeguards and security programs. 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 Certificate of Compliance GDP-1 
becomes effective 5 days after being signed by the Director, Office of 
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
    Certificate of Compliance No. GDP-1: The amendment will delete the 
safety limit for the Normetex Pump discharge pressure (TSR 2.3.2.1) and 
TSR 2.3.3.1, ``Normetex Pump High Discharge Pressure System.''
    Local Public Document Room location: Paducah Public Library, 555 
Washington Street, Paducah, Kentucky 42003.

    Dated at Rockville, MD, this 18th day of November 1998.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Elizabeth Q. Ten Eyck,
Acting Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 98-31501 Filed 11-24-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P