[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 47 (Thursday, March 11, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12184-12185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6061]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket 70-7002]


Amendment to Certificate of Compliance GDP-2 for the U.S. 
Enrichment Corporation, Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Piketon, 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 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

[[Page 12185]]

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(c)(19). Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental 
impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared for this 
amendment.
    The 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, 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: December 23, 1998.
    Brief description of amendment: The amendment involves deleting a 
commitment in the PORTS Compliance Plan Issue A.2, Action 3, regarding 
physical modifications to the existing UF6 cylinder sampling autoclaves 
and installation of new UF6 cylinder sampling autoclaves at PORTS. When 
Issue A.2 was developed, it was determined that to meet NRC sampling 
requirements for 2.5-ton enriched UF6 cylinders received from Russian 
plants, it would be necessary to install additional sampling autoclaves 
at PORTS. An alternative scheme was subsequently implemented as of 
April 1998, whereby a USEC-contractor would witness the filling of 
sample cylinders at the same time the material was also being placed 
into a product cylinder in Russia. This allows USEC to not have to draw 
liquid UF6 samples at PORTS from Russian receipts and thereby reduces 
the need for additional autoclave sampling capacity at PORTS.
    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, which involves deleting a commitment 
regarding physical modifications to UF6 sampling autoclaves at PORTS 
would not increase the amounts of any effluents that may be released 
offsite or result in any impact to the environment.
    2. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant increase 
in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
    The proposed amendment does not introduce operations that could 
significantly increase individual or cumulative occupational radiation 
exposure.
    3. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant 
construction impact.
    The proposed change will not result in any construction, therefore, 
there will be no construction impact.
    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 reduces the probability of a UF6 release by 
reducing the number of liquid UF6 operations at PORTS. Therefore, the 
proposed amendment will not result in a significant increase in 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.
    The proposed amendment involves deleting a commitment to install 
additional UF6 sampling capacity at PORTS. Therefore, this change will 
not result in 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 proposed amendment reduces the probability of a UF6 release by 
reducing the number of liquid UF6 operations at PORTS. Therefore, the 
proposed change does not represent a reduction in 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 only involves deleting a commitment to 
install additional UF6 sampling capacity at PORTS. USEC has committed 
to implementing an alternative witnessed UF6 cylinder sampling program. 
Therefore, the proposed amendment will not result in an overall 
decrease in the effectiveness of the plant's safety, safeguards or 
security programs.
    Effective date: The amendment to GDP-2 will become effective upon 
issuance by NRC.
    Certificate of Compliance No. GDP-2: This amendment will revise 
Issue A.2 of the PORTS Compliance Plan.
    Local Public Document Room location: Portsmouth Public Library, 
1220 Gallia Street, Portsmouth, Ohio 45662.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day of March 1999.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carl J. Paperiello,
Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 99-6061 Filed 3-10-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P