[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 150 (Thursday, August 5, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42730-42732]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20124]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket Nos. 50-89 and 50-163]
General Atomics TRIGA Mark I and Mark F Research Reactors;
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering issuance of a license amendment to Amended Facility License
No. R-38 and Facility License No. R-67, issued to General Atomics (GA
or the licensee), for decommissioning of the GA TRIGA Mark I and TRIGA
Mark F Research Reactors, located at General Atomics in San Diego, San
Diego county, California.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of Proposed Action
The proposed action would approve the licensee's decommissioning
plan. GA submitted their decommissioning plan in accordance with 10 CFR
50.82(b) for the GA TRIGA Mark I and TRIGA Mark F Research Reactors
which occupy parts of the TRIGA Reactor Facility within GA's Torrey
Mesa site. The TRIGA Mark I license was amended on October 29, 1997,
and the TRIGA Mark F license was amended on March 22, 1995, to remove
authority to operate the reactors. Fuel from both reactors have been
placed in the TRIGA Mark F fuel storage canal which is in the same pool
as the TRIGA Mark F reactor. The proposed decommissioning plan would
authorize immediate dismantlement of the TRIGA Mark I Research Reactor.
To protect the stored fuel from potential damage due to decommissioning
activities, only limited dismantlement of the TRIGA Mark F Research
Reactor
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will occur with fuel in the TRIGA Mark F fuel storage canal. This would
be followed by a period of fuel storage. After fuel is removed from the
TRIGA Mark F fuel storage canal, dismantling will be completed on the
TRIGA Mark F Research Reactor. The soonest that the Department of
Energy can accept fuel from GA is 2003. Domestic spent nuclear fuel
receipts at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory
have been severely constrained because of a settlement agreement of a
lawsuit concerning spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste. The site will
be decontaminated to meet unrestricted release criteria. After the
Commission verifies that the release criteria have been met, the
reactor license will be terminated.
The licensee will continue with their health physics program, and
approved emergency and security plan during the decommissioning and
their operator requalification plan until fuel is removed from the
facility.
A ``Notice of Application for Decommissioning Amendment'' was
published in the Federal Register on December 11, 1997 (62 FR 65288),
in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR 50.82(b)(5).
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application for amendment dated April 18, 1997, as supplemented on
November 20, 1998, and January 28 and 29, February 3, April 22, May 3
and 12, and June 15, 16, and 22, 1999.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed because of GA's decision to cease
reactor operations permanently at the Torrey Mesa site. As specified in
10 CFR 50.82, any licensee may apply to the NRC for authority to
surrender a license voluntarily and to decommission the affected
facility. Once the licensee permanently ceases operation, 10 CFR
50.82(b)(1) requires the licensee to make application for license
termination within two years following permanent cessation of
operations, and in no case later than one year prior to expiration of
the operating license. GA is planning to use the area that would be
released for unrestricted use for other purposes.
Environmental Impact of the Proposed Action
The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action
and concludes that the radiological effects of decommissioning the
TRIGA Mark I and Mark F Research Reactors will be minimal. The licensee
will continue with their health physics program, and approved emergency
and security plans. Until fuel is removed from the site, the licensee
will also continue to meet the requirements of their operator
requalification plan.
All proposed operations in connection with decommissioning and
decontaminating of the GA reactors will be carefully planned and
controlled, all contaminated components will be removed, packaged, and
shipped offsite in accordance with the regulations, and radiological
control procedures will be in place and implemented to ensure that
releases of radioactive wastes from the facility are within the limits
of 10 CFR Part 20 and are as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA).
All decontamination will be performed by trained personnel in
accordance with previously reviewed procedures and will be overseen by
experienced health physics staff. No new postulated accidents have been
identified during decommissioning activities or storage of the reactor
fuel that would have greater radiological impact than previously
evaluated accidents. The GA staff has calculated that the total dose to
workers for the decommissioning project will be about 20 person-rem
over the period 1999 to 2004 (assuming fuel is removed from the
facility in 2003). The GA staff estimates that the dose to members of
the public from decommissioning activities will be negligible. These
doses are consistent with those given in NUREG-0586, ``Final Generic
Environmental Impact Statement on Decommissioning of Nuclear
Facilities,'' for the reference research reactor.
While on site, fuel will be stored in approved storage locations
under the restrictions of the facility license. The license will
continue to maintain systems necessary for safe storage of the fuel.
The proposed action will not increase the probability or
consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of
any effluents that may be released off site, and there is no
significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure.
Therefore, there are no significant radiological environmental impacts
associated with the proposed action.
With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed
action does not involve any historic sites. Hazardous materials such as
lead and asbestos will be handled and disposed of in accordance with
all applicable regulations and, therefore, will not result in any
significant release of non-radiological plant effluents and has no
other environmental impact. Therefore, there are no significant non-
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
The alternatives to the proposed action for the GA TRIGA research
reactors are SAFSTOR, ENTOMB and no action. ENTOMB is the alternative
in which radioactive contaminates are encased in a structurally long-
lived material, such as concrete, the entombed structure is
appropriately maintained and continued surveillance is carried out
until the radioactivity decays to a level permitting release of the
property for unrestricted use. SAFSTOR is the alternative in which the
facility is placed and maintained in a condition that allows the
facility to be safely stored and subsequently decontaminated to levels
that permit release for unrestricted use.
The ENTOMB alterative could not be put into place until the fuel
was removed from the facility and would require the facility to remain
on site for an extended period of time. Likewise, the SAFSTOR
alternative would require continued surveillance for an extended period
of time. However, GA wants to use the space that will become available
for other purposes and wants to enter into the decommissioning
activities as soon as possible. The alternative of not decommissioning
reactors was rejected in NUREG-0586. The no action alternative would
leave the facility in its present configuration. Denial of the
application would result in no significant change in current
environmental impacts.
The environmental impacts of the proposed action and the
alternative actions are similar.
Alternative Use of Resources
The action does not involve the use of resources different from
previously committed for construction and operation of the GA TRIGA
reactors.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on July 20, 1999, the staff
consulted with the State of California official, R. Lupo of the
Radiologic Health Branch of the California Department of Health
Services regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The
state official had no comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the environmental assessment, the Commission
concludes that the proposed action will not have
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a significant effect on the quality of the human environment.
Accordingly, the Commission has determined not to prepare an
environmental impact statement for the proposed action.
For further details with respect to this proposed action, see the
licensee's letter dated April 18, 1997, as supplemented by letter dated
November 20, 1998, and January 28 and 29, February 3, April 22, May 3
and 12, and June 15, 16, and 22, 1999. These documents are available
for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, the
Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, D.C. 20003-1527.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 29th day of July 1999.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ledyard B. Marsh,
Chief, Events Assessment, Generic Communications and Non-Power Reactors
Branch, Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 99-20124 Filed 8-4-99; 8:45 am]
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