[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 23, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65152-65154]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-26987]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. (as shown in Attachment 1) EA-02-104]


Order Modifying Licenses (Effective Immediately)

    In the matter of: all 10 CFR part 72 licensees who currently 
store or have near term plans to store spent fuel in an ISFSI under 
the specific license provisions of 10 CFR part 72.

I

    The licensees identified in Attachment 1 to this Order have been 
issued a specific license by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
(NRC or the Commission) authorizing storage of spent fuel in an 
independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) in accordance with 
the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, and 10 CFR part 72. This Order is being 
issued to all licensees who currently store spent fuel or have 
identified near term plans to store spent fuel in an ISFSI under the 
specific license provisions of 10 CFR part 72. Commission regulations 
at 10 CFR 72.184(b) require these licensees to maintain safeguards 
contingency plan procedures in accordance with 10 CFR part 73, Appendix 
C. Specific safeguards requirements are contained in 10 CFR 73.51 or 
73.55, as applicable.

II

    On September 11, 2001, terrorists simultaneously attacked targets 
in New York, NY, and Washington, DC, utilizing large commercial 
aircraft as weapons. In response to the attacks and intelligence 
information subsequently obtained, the Commission issued a number of 
Safeguards and Threat Advisories to its licensees in order to 
strengthen licensees' capabilities and readiness to respond to a 
potential attack on a nuclear facility. The Commission has also 
communicated with other Federal, State, and local government agencies 
and industry representatives to discuss and evaluate the current threat 
environment in order to assess the adequacy of security measures at 
licensed facilities. In addition, the Commission has been conducting a 
comprehensive review of its safeguards and security programs and 
requirements.
    As a result of its consideration of current safeguards and security 
plan requirements, as well as a review of information provided by the 
intelligence community, the Commission has determined that certain 
compensatory measures are required to be implemented by licensees as 
prudent,

[[Page 65153]]

interim measures, to address the current threat environment in a 
consistent manner throughout the nuclear ISFSI community. Therefore, 
the Commission is imposing requirements, as set forth in Attachment 2 
\1\ of this Order, on all licensees who currently store spent fuel or 
have identified near term plans to store spent fuel in an ISFSI under 
the specific license provisions of 10 CFR part 72. These interim 
requirements, which supplement existing regulatory requirements, will 
provide the Commission with reasonable assurance that the public health 
and safety and common defense and security continue to be adequately 
protected in the current threat environment. These requirements will 
remain in effect pending notification from the Commission that a 
significant change in the threat environment has occurred, or the 
Commission determines that other changes are needed.
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    \1\ Attachment 2 contains SAFEGUARDS information and will not be 
released to the public.
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    The Commission recognizes that licensees may have already initiated 
many of the measures set forth in Attachment 2 to this Order in 
response to previously issued advisories or on their own. It is also 
recognized that some measures may not be possible or necessary at some 
sites, or may need to be tailored to accommodate the specific 
circumstances existing at the licensee's facility to achieve the 
intended objectives and avoid any unforeseen effect on the safe storage 
of spent fuel.
    Although the additional security measures implemented by the 
licensees in response to the Safeguards and Threat Advisories have been 
adequate to provide reasonable assurance of adequate protection of 
public health and safety, the Commission concludes that the security 
measures must be embodied in an Order, consistent with the established 
regulatory framework. In order to provide assurance that licensees are 
implementing prudent measures to achieve a consistent level of 
protection to address the current threat environment, all specific 
licenses issued pursuant to 10 CFR 72.40 to the licensees identified in 
Attachment 1 to this Order shall be modified to include the 
requirements identified in Attachment 2 to this Order. In addition, 
pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202, I find that in the circumstances described 
above, the public health, safety and interest require that this Order 
be effective immediately.

III

    Accordingly, pursuant to sections 53, 161b, 161i, 161o, 182 and 186 
of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and the Commission's 
regulations in 10 CFR 2.202 and 10 CFR parts 72 and 73, it is hereby 
ordered, effective immediately, that all specific licenses identified 
in Attachment 1 to this Order are modified as follows:
    A. All licensees shall, notwithstanding the provisions of any 
Commission regulation or license to the contrary, comply with the 
requirements described in Attachment 2 to this Order except to the 
extent that a more stringent requirement is set forth in the licensee's 
security plan. The licensees shall immediately start implementation of 
the requirements in Attachment 2 to the Order and shall complete 
implementation by April 16, 2003, or the first day that spent fuel is 
initially placed in the ISFSI, whichever is later.
    B.1. All licensees shall, within 20 days of the date of this Order, 
notify the Commission, (1) if they are unable to comply with any of the 
requirements described in Attachment 2, (2) if compliance with any of 
the requirements is unnecessary in their specific circumstances, or (3) 
if implementation of any of the requirements would cause the licensee 
to be in violation of the provisions of any Commission regulation or 
the facility license. The notification shall provide the licensees' 
justification for seeking relief from or variation of any specific 
requirement.
    2. Any licensee that considers that implementation of any of the 
requirements described in Attachment 2 to this Order would adversely 
impact the safe storage of spent fuel must notify the Commission, 
within 20 days of this Order, of the adverse safety impact, the basis 
for its determination that the requirement has an adverse safety 
impact, and either a proposal for achieving the same objectives 
specified in the Attachment 2 requirement in question, or a schedule 
for modifying the facility to address the adverse safety condition. If 
neither approach is appropriate, the licensee must supplement its 
response to Condition B.1 of this Order to identify the condition as a 
requirement with which it cannot comply, with attendant justifications 
as required in Condition B.1.
    C.1. All licensees shall, within 20 days of the date of this Order, 
submit to the Commission, a schedule for achieving compliance with each 
requirement described in Attachment 2.
    2. All licensees shall report to the Commission when they have 
achieved full compliance with the requirements described in Attachment 
2.
    D. Notwithstanding the provisions of 10 CFR 72.186, all measures 
implemented or actions taken in response to this Order shall be 
maintained pending notification from the Commission that a significant 
change in the threat environment has occurred, or the Commission 
determines that other changes are needed.
    Licensee responses to Conditions B.1, B.2, C.1, and C.2, above 
shall be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 72.4. In addition, 
licensee submittals that contain Safeguards Information shall be 
properly marked and handled in accordance with 10 CFR 73.21.
    The Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards may, 
in writing, relax or rescind any of the above conditions upon 
demonstration by the licensee of good cause.

IV

    In accordance with 10 CFR 2.202, the licensee must, and any other 
person adversely affected by this Order may, submit an answer to this 
Order, and may request a hearing on this Order, within 20 days of the 
date of this Order. Where good cause is shown, consideration will be 
given to extending the time to request a hearing. A request for 
extension of time in which to submit an answer or request a hearing 
must be made in writing to the Director, Office of Nuclear Material 
Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, 
DC 20555, and include a statement of good cause for the extension. The 
answer may consent to this Order. Unless the answer consents to this 
Order, the answer shall, in writing and under oath or affirmation, 
specifically set forth the matters of fact and law on which the 
licensee or other person adversely affected relies and the reasons as 
to why the Order should not have been issued. Any answer or request for 
a hearing shall be submitted to the Secretary, Office of the Secretary 
of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: 
Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff, Washington, DC 20555. Copies also 
shall be sent to the Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and 
Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, 
to the Assistant General Counsel for Materials Litigation and 
Enforcement at the same address; to the Regional Administrator for NRC 
Region I, II, III, or IV, as appropriate for the specific facility; and 
to the licensee if the answer or hearing request is by a person other 
than the licensee. Because of potential disruptions in delivery of mail 
to United States Government offices, it is requested that answers and 
requests for hearing be transmitted to the Secretary of the Commission 
either

[[Page 65154]]

by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-1101 or by e-mail to 
[email protected] and also to the Office of the General Counsel 
either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-3725 or by e-mail 
to [email protected]. If a person other than the licensee requests 
a hearing, that person shall set forth with particularity the manner in 
which his interest is adversely affected by this Order and shall 
address the criteria set forth in 10 CFR 2.714(d).\2\
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    \2\ The most recent version of Title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations, published January 1, 2002, inadvertently omitted the 
last sentence of 10 CFR 2.714(d) and paragraphs (d)(1) and (d)(2) 
regarding petitions to intervene and contentions. For the complete, 
corrected text of 10 CFR 2.714(d), please see 67 FR 20884; April 29, 
2002.
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    If a hearing is requested by the licensee or a person whose 
interest is adversely affected, the Commission will issue an Order 
designating the time and place of any hearing. If a hearing is held, 
the issue to be considered at such hearing shall be whether this Order 
should be sustained.
    Pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202(c)(2)(i), the licensee may, in addition to 
demanding a hearing, at the time the answer is filed or sooner, move 
the presiding officer to set aside the immediate effectiveness of the 
Order on the ground that the Order, including the need for immediate 
effectiveness, is not based on adequate evidence but on mere suspicion, 
unfounded allegations, or error.
    In the absence of any request for hearing, or written approval of 
an extension of time in which to request a hearing, the provisions 
specified in Section III above shall be final 20 days from the date of 
this Order without further order or proceedings. If an extension of 
time for requesting a hearing has been approved, the provisions 
specified in Section III shall be final when the extension expires if a 
hearing request has not been received. An answer or a request for 
hearing shall not stay the immediate effectiveness of this Order.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

    Dated this 16th day of October, 2002.
Margaret V. Federline,
Deputy Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.

Attachment 1--Address List

Steve Redeker, Manager, Plant Closure & Decommissioning, Rancho Seco, 
Docket No. 72-11, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, 14440 Twin 
Cities Road, Herald, CA 95638
Stephen M. Quennoz, Vice President Power Supply/Generation, Trojan 
Nuclear Plant, Docket No. 72-17, Portland General Electric Company, 121 
South West Salmon Street, Portland, OR 97204
Mr. Warren Bergholz, Acting Manager, Idaho Operations Office, Docket 
Nos. 72-9 and 72-20, U.S. Department of Energy, 850 Energy Drive, Idaho 
Falls, ID 83401
Michael B. Sellman, President and CEO, Prairie Island Nuclear 
Generating Plant, Docket No. 72-10, Nuclear Management Company, LLC, 
700 First Street, Hudson, WI 54016
Charles Cruse, Vice President--Nuclear Energy, Calvert Cliffs Nuclear 
Power Plant, Docket No. 72-8, Constellation Energy Group, Inc., 1650 
Calvert Cliffs Pkwy, Office 2-OTF, Lusby, MD 20657
David Christian, Sr. Vice President Nuclear and Chief Nuclear Officer, 
North Anna Power Station, Docket No. 72-16, Virginia Electric & Power 
Company, 5000 Dominion Blvd., Glen Allen, VA 23060-6711
David Christian, Sr. Vice President Nuclear and, Chief Nuclear Officer, 
Surry Power Station, Docket No. 72-2, Virginia Electric & Power 
Company, 5000 Dominion Blvd., Glen Allen, VA 23060-7611
C.S. (Scotty) Hinnant, Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer, 
H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Docket No. 72-3, Progress Energy, 
Inc., 410 South Wilmington St., Raleigh, NC 27601
Michael S. Tuckman, Executive Vice President Nuclear Generation, Oconee 
Nuclear Station, Docket No. 72-4, Duke Energy Corporation, 526 South 
Church St, Mail Code EC 07 H, Charlotte, NC 28242

[FR Doc. 02-26987 Filed 10-22-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P