[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 236 (Friday, December 7, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63567-63568]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-30344]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-155]


Consumers Energy Company; Big Rock Point Plant; Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
approval of a request to dispose of demolition debris in accordance 
with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) section 
20.2002 for Facility Operating License No. DPR-6, issued to Consumers 
Energy Company, (the licensee), for the possession of the Big Rock 
Point (BRP) Plant, located in Charlevoix County, Michigan. Therefore, 
as required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC is issuing this environmental 
assessment and finding of no significant impact.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would approve the disposal of BRP Plant 
demolition debris that could contain trace quantities of licensed 
materials in a State of Michigan landfill. The debris would consist of 
flooring materials, concrete, rebar, roofing materials, structural 
steel, soils associated with digging up foundations, and concrete and/
or asphalt pavement or other similar solid materials originating from 
decommissioning activities. A radiological survey process would be used 
to determine if the debris is acceptable for landfill disposal. The 
request for approval is submitted pursuant to 10 CFR 20.2002 due to the 
potential presence of licensed material in the debris.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application requesting approval dated March 14, 2001, as supplemented 
by letters dated May 18 and June 20, 2001.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is needed to dispose of demolition debris that 
may contain trace quantities of licensed material in a State of 
Michigan landfill prior to license termination as opposed to (1) 
terminating the license with the material remaining onsite (either with 
structures intact or demolished) in accordance with 10 CFR 20, subpart 
E, or (2) handling the debris as low level radioactive waste and 
shipping it to a low level waste facility. As stated in the proposal, 
the licensee does not intend to make this submittal for intentional 
disposal of radioactive waste, but recognizes that a potential exists 
for trace quantities of licensed material to be present at levels below 
instrument detection capabilities. Disposal of the demolition debris in 
the manner proposed is protective of public health and safety, is 
consistent with as low as reasonably achievable, and is the most cost-
effective alternative.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed

    The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and 
concludes that the environmental impacts of processing the total waste 
projected for BRP (635,100 cubic feet), which includes the 563,000 
cubic feet of demolition debris proposed to be sent to a State of 
Michigan landfill, are bounded by the NUREG-0586, ``Final Generic 
Environmental Impact Statement on Decommissioning of Nuclear 
Facilities,'' (GEIS) evaluation of 18,975 cubic meters (670,096 cubic 
feet) of waste disposal for a generic boiling water reactor. Adherence 
to the radiological survey process would ensure that the potential 
radiological dose posed by the demolition debris to a transport worker, 
a landfill worker, or a member of the public is conservatively 
estimated at a maximum of 1.0 millirem/year.
    The proposed action will not significantly 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 nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
action does not involve any historic sites. It does not affect 
nonradiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. 
Therefore, there are no significant nonradiological environmental 
impacts associated with the proposed action.
    Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered 
denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). 
Denial of the application would result in (1) terminating the license 
for unrestricted use in accordance with 10 CFR part 20, subpart E, with 
the demolition debris remaining onsite (either with structures intact 
or demolished), or (2) handling the debris as low level radioactive 
waste and shipping it to a low level waste facility. The environmental 
impacts of the proposed action and the alternative action are similar.

Alternative Use of Resources

    This action does not involve the use of any resources not 
previously considered in BRP's Environmental Report for 
Decommissioning, dated February 27, 1995, or in the GEIS.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On May 22, 2001, the staff consulted with the Michigan State 
official, Mr. David W. Minnaar of the Michigan Department of 
Environmental Quality, Drinking Water and Radiological Protection 
Division, 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 NRC 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 March 14, 2001, as supplemented by letters 
dated May 18 and June 20, 2001. Documents may be examined, and/or 
copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located at 
One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, 
Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically 
from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System's (ADAMS) 
Public

[[Page 63568]]

Library component on the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov (the Public 
Electronic Reading Room). Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or 
who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS 
should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-
4209, or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at [email protected].

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day of December, 2001.
David J. Wrona,
Project Manager, Section 1, Project Directorate IV, Division of 
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-30344 Filed 12-6-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P