[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 235 (Thursday, December 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63418-63419]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-30239]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-62]


University of Virginia, University of Virginia Research Reactor; 
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is 
considering the issuance of a license amendment to Facility Operating 
License No. R-66, issued to the University of Virginia (UVA or the 
licensee), that would allow decommissioning of the UVA Research Reactor 
located in the north portion of the UVA grounds near Charlottesville, 
Virginia.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    By application dated February 9, 2000, as supplemented on April 26, 
June 6, and December 19, 2000, and May 4 and 11, 2001, the licensee 
submitted a decommissioning plan in accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(b), in 
order to dismantle the 2000-kilowatt (thermal) UVA Research Reactor, to 
dispose of its component parts and radioactive material, and to 
decontaminate the facility in accordance with the proposed dismantling 
plan to meet the Commission's unrestricted release criteria. After the 
Commission verifies that the release criteria have been met, Facility 
Operating License No. R-66 would be terminated. The licensee submitted 
an Environmental Report on February 9, 2000, dated February 2000, that 
was supplemented on December 19, 2000, that addresses the estimated 
environmental impacts resulting from decommissioning the UVA Research 
Reactor.
    UVA ceased operating the reactor in July 1998. All the reactor fuel 
has been removed from the facility.
    A ``Notice and Solicitation of Comments Pursuant to 10 CFR 20.1405 
and 10 CFR 50.82(b)(5) Concerning Proposed Action to Decommission the 
University of Virginia, University of Virginia Reactor'' was published 
in the Federal Register on April 4, 2000 (65 FR 17684), and in the 
Charlottesville, Virginia daily newspaper, The Daily Progress, on April 
23, 2000. One comment was received from the Director, Radiological 
Health, Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Health, Radiological 
Health Program that ``the proposed decommissioning plan appears to 
adequately ensure the return of the facility to unrestricted use 
without adversely affecting the public health and safety.''

Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is necessary because of UVA's decision to cease 
operations permanently. As specified in 10 CFR 50.82, any licensee may 
apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for authority to surrender a 
license voluntarily and to decommission the affected facility. Further, 
10 CFR 51.53(d) stipulates that each applicant for a license amendment 
to authorize decommissioning of a production or utilization facility 
shall submit with its application an environmental report that reflects 
any new information or significant environmental change associated with 
the proposed decommissioning activities. UVA is planning to use the 
area that would be released for other academic purposes.

Environmental Impact of the Proposed Action

    All decontamination will be performed by trained personnel in 
accordance with previously reviewed procedures, and will be overseen by 
experienced health physics staff. Solid and liquid waste will be 
removed from the facility and managed in accordance with NRC 
requirements. The operations are calculated to result in a total 
occupational radiation exposure of about 4 person-rem. Radiation 
exposure to the general public during decommissioning is expected to be 
negligible. This will be accomplished by keeping the public at a safe 
distance and by controlling effluent releases during decommissioning.
    Occupational and public exposure may result from offsite disposal 
of the low-level residual radioactive material from the UVA Research 
Reactor. The handling, storage, and shipment of this radioactive 
material are to meet the requirements of 10 CFR 20.2006, ``Transfer for 
Disposal and Manifest,'' and 49 CFR parts 100-177, ``Transportation of 
Hazardous Materials.'' It is anticipated that about 220 ft\3\ (7 m\3\) 
of irradiated hardware will be shipped during two truck shipments in 
Type B shipping casks to a waste processor. About 2700 ft\3\ (76 m\3\) 
of other waste in strong tight containers will be shipped during four 
truck shipments to a waste processor. Approximately 9700 ft\3\ (275 
m\3\) of waste will be shipped in strong tight containers to the 
Envirocare of Utah facility in nine truck shipments. Included in these 
shipments will be mixed waste consisting primarily of activated and/or 
contaminated lead (43 ft\3\ or 1.2 m\3\) and cadmium (1 ft\3\ or 0.03 
m\3\). Radiation exposure to the general public during waste shipments 
is expected to be negligible.
    The NRC Final Rule on License Termination, 10 CFR 20.1402, provides 
radiological criteria for release of a site for unrestricted use. 
Release criteria for unrestricted use is a maximum Total Effective Dose 
Equivalent (TEDE) of 25 mrem per year from residual radioactivity above 
background. Application of the As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) 
principle is also a requirement. The results of the final survey will 
be used to demonstrate that the predicted dose to a member of the 
public from any residual activity does not exceed the 25 mrem per year 
dose limit.
    Liquid waste that is generated during the decommissioning 
activities will be released to the environment in accordance with the 
regulations in 10 CFR part 20, subpart K, ``Waste Disposal,'' or will 
be solidified and disposed of as solid waste in accordance with state 
and Federal guidelines. Containment measures will be taken as necessary 
to minimize the spread of contamination. Engineered features such as 
enclosures and temporary barriers with high-efficiency particulate air 
filters will be used to control the spread of airborne radioactive 
material. Airborne releases of radioactive materials are not expected.
    The licensee analyzed accidents applicable to decommissioning 
activities. The accident with the greatest potential impact on members 
of the public is the dropping of a waste shipping liner containing 
radioactive material. The maximum TEDE to a member of the public at the 
site boundary for this accident is about 43 mrem which is within the 
dose limits for members of the public given in 10 CFR part 20, subpart 
D, ``Radiation Dose

[[Page 63419]]

Limits for Individual Members of the Public.''
    Based on the review of the specific proposed activities associated 
with the dismantling and decontamination of the UVA facility, the staff 
has determined that 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, the staff concludes that 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. In addition to the lead and 
cadmium discussed above, asbestos is present at the UVA Research 
Reactor. Asbestos will be removed by a licensed asbestos abatement 
contractor. Decommissioning activities will not affect non-radiological 
facility effluents and have no other environmental impact. The licensee 
states that there are no sensitive or endangered species on the UVA 
Research Reactor site. Therefore, the staff concludes that there are no 
significant non-radiological environmental impacts associated with the 
proposed action.
    Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    The four alternatives for disposition of the UVA Research Reactor 
are: DECON, SAFSTOR, ENTOMB, and no action. UVA has proposed the DECON 
option.
    DECON is the alternative in which the equipment, structures, and 
portions of the facility containing radioactive contaminants are 
removed or decontaminated to a level that permits the property to be 
released for unrestricted use. SAFSTOR is the alternative in which the 
nuclear facility is placed and maintained in a condition that allows 
the nuclear facility to be safely stored and subsequently 
decontaminated (deferred decontamination) to levels that permit release 
for unrestricted use. ENTOMB is the alternative in which radioactive 
contaminants 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. The 
no-action alternative would leave the facility in its present 
configuration.
    The SAFSTOR, ENTOMB, and no-action alternatives would entail 
continued surveillance and physical security measures to be in place 
and continued monitoring by licensee personnel. The SAFSTOR and no-
action alternatives would also require continued maintenance of the 
facility. The radiological impacts of SAFSTOR would be less than the 
DECON option because of radioactive decay prior to the start of 
decommissioning activities. However, this option involves the continued 
use of resources during the SAFSTOR period. The ENTOMB option would 
also result in lower radiological exposure than the DECON option but 
would involve the continued use of resources. UVA has determined that 
the proposed action (DECON) is the most efficient use of the existing 
facility, since it proposes to use the space that will become available 
for other academic purposes. These alternatives would have no 
significant environmental impact. In addition, the regulations in 10 
CFR 50.82(b)(4)(i) only allow an alternative if it provides for 
completion of decommissioning without significant delay. The 
environmental impacts of the proposed action and the alternatives are 
similar.

Alternative Use of Resources

    This action does not involve the use of any resources not 
previously considered in the Environmental Report submitted on February 
9, 2000, dated February 2000, as supplemented on December 19, 2000, for 
the UVA Research Reactor.

Agencies and Persons Contacted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on November 6, 2001, the 
staff consulted with the Virginia State official, Leslie P. Foldesi, 
Director, Radiological Health, Commonwealth of Virginia Department of 
Health, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The 
state official stated that he concurred with the environmental 
assessment and 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 a significant effect 
on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has 
determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the 
proposed action.
    For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the 
licensee's letter dated February 9, 2000, as supplemented on April 26, 
June 6, and December 19, 2000, and May 4 and 11, 2001, which are 
available for public inspection, and can be copied for a fee, at the 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Public Document Room (PDR), 
located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), 
Rockville, Maryland. The NRC maintains an Agencywide Documents Access 
and Management System (ADAMS), which provides text and image files of 
NRC's public documents. These documents may be accessed through the 
NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room on the internet at http://www.nrc.gov. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who have 
problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS may contact the 
PDR reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737 or by email at 
[email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 27th day of November 2001.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Alexander Adams, Jr.,
Senior Project Manager, Operational Experience and Non-Power Reactors 
Branch, Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs, Office of Nuclear 
Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-30239 Filed 12-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P