[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 70 (Friday, April 11, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 17841]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8899]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 030-12908]


Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact and Availability of 
Environmental Assessment for License Amendment of Byproduct Material 
License No. 31-17528-01, Radiac Research Corporation, Brooklyn, NY

I. Introduction

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering the 
issuance of a license amendment to Radiac Research Corporation's 
(Licensee or Radiac) for Byproduct Material License No. 31-17528-01, to 
authorize an increase in possession limits of byproduct and source 
material for its facility in Brooklyn, New York. The NRC staff has 
prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) in support of this action in 
accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR part 51. The conclusion of 
the EA is a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the proposed 
licensing action.

II. EA Summary

    The purpose of the proposed action is to renew Radiac's Byproduct 
Materials License No. 31-17528-01 and authorize the increased 
possession limits the Licensee has requested. The Licensee currently 
transports prepackaged radioactive waste from its clients' facilities 
to various disposal sites, and wants to include transport of properly 
packaged devices containing licensed material, such as irradiators, 
`EXIT' signs, etc., back to vendors of the devices, other licensees or 
to disposal sites as an additional service. Such devices may contain up 
to several thousand curies of licensed material in sealed form. The 
Licensee needs these increased possession limits in order to supply a 
competitive service to clients. The Licensee will not store packages 
containing such devices at its facilities in Brooklyn, New York, 
because the contents of the packages may exceed the possession limits 
authorized by its State of New York license. Instead, the Licensee will 
transfer such packages from the client's facility directly to another 
licensee or a disposal site.
    Radiac's NRC License currently authorizes it to transport 
radioactive waste that may contain as much as 50 curies of byproduct 
and source material and as much as 700 grams of special nuclear 
material. The Licensee initially requested to renew its license based 
on the procedures and statements contained in its license application 
dated November 21, 1989. Since there have been changes in regulatory 
requirements and NRC policy since that date, on May 20, 2002, the NRC 
requested that the Licensee submit a new application in accordance with 
current NRC policy and incorporating current regulatory requirements. 
The Licensee submitted a revised application dated July 31, 2002. That 
application included a request for an increase in authorized possession 
limit for byproduct and source material from 50 curies to 1500 curies, 
and authorization to possess an additional 5000 curies of hydrogen 3 
(tritium) and to transport prepacked licensed material from one 
licensee to another.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    NRC has prepared the EA (summarized above) in support of the 
Licensee's application for renewal of its NRC License and the change in 
possession limits and authorized activities. The increase in risk to 
the public and workers, and environment from the renewal and increase 
in possession limits is small and expected doses from routine 
operations, as well as potential accidents, are well below regulatory 
limits. Additionally, the increase in the number of shipments will be 
small. Therefore, NRC has concluded that the environmental impacts from 
the proposed amendment and renewal are expected to be insignificant and 
has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the 
proposed action.

IV. Further Information

    The EA and the documents related to this proposed action, including 
the application for the license amendment and supporting documentation, 
are available for inspection at NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room at 
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. The ADAMS Accession Number of 
the EA is ML030940154; the specific documents used in reviewing the 
action are described in the EA. Questions regarding this action should 
be directed to Dr. Sattar Lodhi, Nuclear Materials Safety Branch 2, 
Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, Region I, 475 Allendale Road, 
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 19406, telephone (610) 337-5364, fax 
(610) 337-5269.

    Dated at King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, this 4th day of April, 
2003.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John D. Kinneman,
Chief, Nuclear Materials Safety Branch 2, Division of Nuclear Materials 
Safety, Region I.
[FR Doc. 03-8899 Filed 4-10-03; 8:45 am]
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