[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 89 (Friday, May 7, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25616-25617]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-1035]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 40-6940]


Finding of No Significant Impact and Notice of Availability of 
the Environmental Assessment Addressing License Renewal, Cabot 
Corporation, Boyertown, PA

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding 
of No Significant Impact.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elaine Brummett, Fuel Cycle Facilities 
Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Mail Stop T8-A33, Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone (301) 415-6606 
and e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering the 
issuance of an amendment for the renewal of Source Material License 
SMB-920 for the Cabot Corporation (through its subsidiary, Cabot 
Supermetals (CSM)) for continued operations. The facility uses ore 
containing source material (uranium and thorium) to produce tanalium 
and niobium at the Boyertown, Pennsylvania site. All the processes in 
the plant and most of the radiological procedures have remained 
unchanged, except for the detailed procedures for monitoring and 
analyzing radiological conditions. Also, Cabot has modified the 
radiation safety programs in order to strengthen and improve the levels 
of management and the employee involvement. The licensee's revised 
application for license renewal was received electronically on March 
24, 2004, and the CSM transmittal letter was dated March 29, 2004. The 
original application was previously noticed in the Federal Register on 
June 5, 2002 (67 FR 38679), with an opportunity to provide written 
comments or to request a hearing.

II. Summary of the Environmental Assessment

    The EA was prepared to evaluate the environmental impacts 
associated with continued operation of the Boyertown facility. In the 
conduct of its evaluation, the NRC considered the following: (1) The 
CSM revised application; (2) information contained in prior

[[Page 25617]]

environmental evaluations of the facility; (3) information in the Cabot 
environmental monitoring reports; (4) information derived from the NRC 
site visits and inspections of the site; and (5) from communications 
with CSM, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the 
State Historic Preservation Office, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service. In preparing the EA, the NRC evaluated the potential impacts 
to cultural resources, threatened and endangered species, ambient air 
quality, surface waters, and groundwater at the Boyertown site. 
Additionally, the NRC evaluated the potential impacts to members of the 
public from the plant activities, including the potential radiological 
impacts. The results of the staff's evaluation are documented in an EA 
which is available electronically for public inspection or from the 
Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of NRC's document system 
(ADAMS). The safety aspects of the Boyertown operations are discussed 
separately in a Safety Evaluation Report that will accompany the 
agency's final licensing action on CSM's request to renew Source 
Materials License SMB-920.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    Pursuant to 10 CFR part 51, the NRC has prepared the EA, summarized 
above. The NRC staff has concluded that current operation and the 
proposed licensing action of continued operation of the Cabot facility 
will not have a significant impact on the environment. The proposed NRC 
approval of the action, when combined with known effects on resource 
areas at the site, is not anticipated to result in any cumulative 
impacts. Therefore, the NRC staff has concluded that there will be no 
significant environmental impacts on the quality of the human 
environment and, accordingly, the staff has determined that preparation 
of an Environmental Impact Statement is not warranted.

IV. Further Information

    The EA for this proposed action, as well as the licensee's request, 
as revised, are available electronically for public inspection in the 
NRC's Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records 
(PARS) component of NRC's document system (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible 
from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. The 
ADAMS Accession Numbers for the licensee's revised application is: 
ML040860628 and ML040860633, March 23, 2004 (Form 313 dated February 6, 
2004), and ML040930203, March 29, 2004. The ADAMS Accession Number for 
the EA is: ML041030379, April 12, 2004. Most of the documents 
referenced in the EA are also available through ADAMS. Documents can 
also be viewed electronically on the public computers located at the 
NRC's Public Document Room, O1 F21, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852.
    The PDR reproduction contractor will copy documents for a fee. 
Persons who do not have access to ADAMS, should contact the NRC PDR 
Reference staff by telephone at 1 (800) 397-4209, or (301) 415-4737, or 
by e-mail to [email protected].

    Dated in Rockville, Maryland, this 29th day of April, 2004.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Elaine Brummett,
Project Manager, Fuel Cycle Facilities Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle 
Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and 
Safeguards.
[FR Doc. E4-1035 Filed 5-6-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P