[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 150 (Thursday, August 5, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42729-42730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20125]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket 70-7001]


Notice of Amendment to Certificate of Compliance GDP-1 for the 
U.S. Enrichment Corporation, 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 to 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

[[Page 42730]]

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: March 1, 1999.
    Brief description of amendment: The amendment proposes to revise 
the Technical Safety Requirements (TSRs) related to the audibility 
requirements for the criticality accident alarm system (CAAS) at PGDP. 
It is related to the CAAS audibility upgrade modifications. The 
revision is necessary to ensure adequate TSR coverage during the 
modification and system changeover. This amendment also revises related 
sections in the Safety Analysis Report (SAR).
    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 change to the TSRs improves the performance and 
reliability of the CAAS at PGDP, and it does not involve any process 
which would change or increase the amounts of any effluents that may be 
released offsite. Therefore, the proposed change will not result in an 
increase in the amounts of 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 CAAS system does not prevent criticality, thus the possibility 
of a criticality occurring is not increased. The proposed change to the 
TSRs improves the performance and reliability of the CAAS which 
minimizes the consequences of a criticality accident. Therefore, the 
proposed change does not increase individual or cumulative occupational 
radiation exposure.
    3. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant 
construction impact.
    The proposed change to the TSRs reflects modifications associated 
with the CAAS upgrade, which has been planned as a part of Compliance 
Plan Issues 46 and 50. The proposed change does not change the scope or 
expand the planned construction. Therefore, it does not result in a 
significant 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 change to the TSRs improves the performance and 
reliability of the CAAS which minimizes the consequences of a 
criticality accident. The CAAS does not change any previously analyzed 
accidents and does not affect the possibility of occurrence of a 
criticality accident. Therefore, the proposed change does 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 CAAS is an alarm system to warn people of criticality events. 
It does not initiate or contribute to an accident, and it is intended 
to mitigate the consequences of a criticality accident. The proposed 
change to the TSRs improves the performance and reliability of the 
CAAS. Therefore, this change will not result in the possibility of 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 change to the TSRs improves the performance and 
reliability of the CAAS which minimizes the consequences of a 
criticality accident. 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 change to the TSRs improves the performance and 
reliability of the CAAS which minimizes the consequences of a 
criticality accident. Therefore, the overall effectiveness of the 
safety, safeguards, and security programs is not decreased.
    Effective date: The amendment to Certificate of Compliance GDP-1 
will become effective no later than 30 days after being signed by the 
Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
    Certificate of Compliance No. GDP-1: This amendment will revise the 
TSRs related to the audibility requirements for the criticality 
accident alarm system at PGDP and related sections in the SAR.
    Local Public Document Room location: Paducah Public Library, 555 
Washington Street, Paducah, Kentucky 42003.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of July 1999.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carl J. Paperiello,
Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 99-20125 Filed 8-4-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P