[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]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

[[Page 42731]]

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

[[Page 42732]]

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]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P