[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 120 (Monday, June 23, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37178-37179]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-15733]


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

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 030-04783]


Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of 
No Significant Impact for a License Amendment for the Dow Chemical 
Company Facility in Midland, MI

I. Introduction

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering amending The 
Dow Chemical Company (Dow Chemical) Byproduct Material License Number 
21-00265-06 to authorize the use a new incinerator for the disposal of 
radioactive waste at its facility in Midland, Michigan and has prepared 
an Environmental Assessment (EA) in support of this action in 
accordance

[[Page 37179]]

with the requirements in 10 CFR part 51. Based on the EA, the NRC has 
concluded that a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is 
appropriate.

II. EA Summary

    An EA has been prepared to evaluate the environmental impacts of 
the proposed amendment to Dow Chemical Byproduct Material License to 
authorize the licensee to use a new incinerator for the disposal of 
radioactive waste at its facility in Midland, Michigan. The amendment 
would reflect that radioactive waste will be disposed of using a new 33 
Incinerator instead of either the 703 or 830 Incinerators. Pursuant to 
10 CFR 20.1302 and 10 CFR 20.2002, the license has been authorized 
since 1966 to dispose of licensed material by incineration, provided 
the gaseous effluents from incineration did not exceed ten percent of 
the limits specified in Appendix B, Table II, 10 CFR Part 20.
    On October 28, 2002, Dow Chemical notified the NRC that, to meet 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements, it was in the 
process of upgrading its Incineration Complex from two existing rotary 
kilns (703 Incinerator and 830 Incinerator) which are currently used to 
incinerate waste, to a single story rotary kiln. The new kiln is close 
to completion, and is expected to begin operation by October 1, 2003. 
Although both existing kilns are licensed to incinerate radioactive 
waste, only the 703 Incinerator has been used for that purpose. The 830 
Incinerator had been licensed to burn radioactive waste in 1998 in 
anticipation of it being upgraded to meet the new EPA requirements, but 
Dow Chemical subsequently decided to build a new incinerator in place 
of upgrading the 830 Incinerator.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    The NRC staff has evaluated Dow Chemical's request in an EA 
(summarized above). On the basis of the EA, NRC has concluded that 
there will not be a significant effect on the quality of the human 
environment resulting from the incineration of radioactive waste in the 
32 Incinerator at its facility in Midland, Michigan. Accordingly, NRC 
has concluded that a FONSI is appropriate and has determined not to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed action.

IV. Further Information

    The Environmental Assessment and other 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. ADAMS Accession No. ML031470394 and ML031540803 for the 
licensee's letter requesting the amendment and ML031540819 for other 
documents related to this action). These documents are also available 
for inspection and copying for a fee at the Region III Office, 801 
Warrenville Road, Lisle, Illinois 60532-4351. Any questions with 
respect to this action should be referred to William Snell, Health 
Physics Manager, Decommissioning Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials 
Safety (DNMS), Region III, 801 Warrenville Road, Lisle, Illinois 60532-
4351; telephone (630) 829-9871 or by email at [email protected].

    Dated at Lisle, Illinois, this 10th day of June, 2003.
Christopher G. Miller,
Chief, Decommissioning Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, 
RIII.
[FR Doc. 03-15733 Filed 6-20-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M