[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 58 (Monday, March 26, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 16503]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-7351]


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

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-213]


Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company, Haddam Neck Plant; 
Issuance of Director's Decision Under 10 CFR 2.206

    Notice is hereby given that the Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation, has taken action with regard to a Petition for action under 
10 CFR 2.206 received from Rosemary Bassilakis and Deborah Katz 
(Petitioners) of the Citizens Awareness Network, dated September 26, 
2000, with regard to the operation of the Connecticut Yankee Atomic 
Power Company's (CYAPCO's or the licensee's) Haddam Neck Plant (Haddam 
Neck). The Petition was supplemented by the Petition Review Board's 
(PRB) October 10, 2000, transcript.
    The Petition requested that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC 
or the Commission) (1) Conduct a full investigation of CYAPCO's garment 
laundering practices and specifically of the September 20, 2000, 
incident at a public laundry facility in which the Petitioners contend 
that the licensee may have laundered radioactively contaminated 
clothing; (2) revoke CYAPCO's license, or suspend it until an 
investigation is completed and any contamination found as a result of 
that investigation is remediated; (3) report any violation of 
regulations to the Department of Justice; and (4) conduct an informal 
public hearing.
    As the basis for the September 26, 2000, request, the Petitioners 
raised concerns stemming from a September 20, 2000, incident in which 
CYAPCO laundered bright yellow coveralls, rubber boots, and gloves at a 
public laundromat in East Hampton, Connecticut. The Petition contends 
that, although it is not clear whether or not the garments were 
radioactively contaminated, ``Laundering the Haddam Neck reactor's 
protective garments at a public facility constitutes a serious loss of 
radiological control, and blatant disregard for public and worker 
health and safety, the environment, and NRC rules and regulations.''
    The Petitioners addressed the Petition Review Board (PRB) on 
October 10, 2000, in a telephone conference call to clarify the basis 
for the Petition. The transcript of this discussion may be examined, 
and/or copied for a fee at the NRC Public Document Room, located at One 
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, 
Maryland. The transcript (ADAMS Accession No.: ML003768237) is also 
available at the ADAMS Public Library component of the NRC's Web site, 
http://www.nrc.gov (the Public Electronic Reading Room).
    The NRC sent a copy of the proposed Director's Decision to the 
Petitioners and to the licensee for comment by letter dated December 
19, 2000. The Petitioners responded with comments on January 4, 2001, 
and the licensee responded on January 5, 2001. These comments and the 
NRC staff's response to them are Enclosures to the Director's Decision.
    Of the four actions requested by the Petitioner, the Director of 
the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation has granted one action (an 
investigation of the licensee's laundering practices and this 
incident), granted in principle one action (an informal public 
hearing), denied one action (suspend or revoke the operating license), 
and one action (report any violations of regulations to the Department 
of Justice) became moot because no violations were identified. The 
reasons for this decision are explained in the Director's Decision 
pursuant to 10 CFR 2.206 (DD-01-02), the complete text of which is 
available in ADAMS for inspection at the Commission's Public Document 
Room, located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first 
floor), Rockville, Maryland, and from the ADAMS Public Library 
component on the NRC's Web site, http://www.nrc.gov (the Public 
Electronic Reading Room).
    The issues raised in the September 26, 2000, Petition have been 
resolved. Inspection efforts conducted by NRC in response to the 
Petition determined that protective clothing at the licensee's training 
facility was free from radioactive contamination. Furthermore, the NRC 
inspection report concluded that effective controls were in place to 
assure that training garments had not and would not become 
contaminated.
    A copy of the Director's Decision will be filed with the Secretary 
of the Commission for the Commission's review in accordance with 10 CFR 
2.206 of the Commission's regulations. As provided for by this 
regulation, the Director's Decision will constitute the final action of 
the Commission 25 days after the date of issuance, unless the 
Commission, on its own motion, institutes a review of the Director's 
Decision in that time.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of March, 20, 2001.

    For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Samuel J. Collins,
Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-7351 Filed 3-23-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P