[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 193 (Wednesday, October 6, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59971-59972]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-22403]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[DOCKET NO. 050-213]


Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of 
No Significant Impact For Exemption From Certain Control and Tracking 
Requirements in 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix G, Section III.E for 
Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company, East Hampton, CT

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Theodore B. Smith, Project Manager, 
Decommissioning Directorate, Division of Waste Management and 
Environmental Protection, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and 
Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Rockville, Maryland, 
20852. Telephone: (301) 415-6721; fax number: (301) 415-5397; e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering the issuance 
of an exemption from certain requirements in 10 CFR Part 20 for 
Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company to relax certain control 
tracking requirements related to transportation of low-level 
radioactive waste from the Haddam Neck Plant (HNP) in East Hampton, 
Connecticut. The HNP site consists of one permanently shutdown nuclear 
reactor facility located near East Hampton, Connecticut. Inherent to 
the decommissioning process, large volumes of slightly contaminated 
rubble and debris are generated and require disposal. On June 1, 2004, 
Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company (CYAPCO, the licensee) 
requested an exemption from the requirements in 10 CFR Part 20, 
Appendix G Section III.E to investigate and file a report to the NRC if 
shipments of low-level radioactive waste are not acknowledged by the 
intended recipient within 20 days after transfer to the shipper. This 
exemption would extend the time period that can elapse during shipments 
of low-level radioactive waste before the licensee is required to 
investigate and file a report to the NRC from 20 days to 35 days. The 
exemption request is based on a statistical analysis of the historical 
data of low-level radioactive waste shipment times from the licensee's 
site to the disposal site using truck or combination truck/rail 
shipping methods. NRC has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) in 
support of this amendment in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR 
Part 51. Based on the EA, the NRC has concluded that a Finding of No 
Significant Impact (FONSI) is appropriate. The exemption will be issued 
following the publication of this Notice.

II. EA Summary

    The purpose of the proposed action is to authorize an exemption to 
extend the 20-day investigation and reporting requirements for 
shipments of low-level radioactive waste to 35 days from the licensee's 
East Hampton, Connecticut facility. Specifically, since 2003, the 
licensee has made over 40 shipments of low-level radioactive waste as 
part of the decommissioning efforts at the facility. MHF Logistical 
Solutions (MHF) is the carrier company used by the licensee to perform 
these shipments. MHF has a tracking system that monitors the progress 
of the shipments from their originating point at HNP until they arrive 
at their final destination at Envirocare in Clive, Utah. The shipments 
are made by either truck or combination truck/rail. According to the 
licensee, the transportation time alone by either truck or combination 
truck/rail took over 21 days on average, with one shipment taking 25 
days to arrive at Envirocare.
    In addition to this time, administrative procedures at Envirocare 
and mail delivery could add up to 4 additional days. Based on 
historical data and estimates of the remaining waste at HNP, the 
licensee could have to perform over 400 investigations and reports to 
the NRC during the next three years, if the 20-day shipping criteria is 
maintained. The licensee affirms that the low-level radioactive waste 
shipments are tracked throughout transportation until they arrive at 
their intended destination. The licensee believes that the need to 
investigate, trace, and report to the NRC on the shipment of low-level 
radioactive waste packages not reaching their destination within 20 
days does not serve the underlying purpose of the rule and it is not 
necessary. As a result, the licensee states that granting this 
exemption will not result in an undue hazard to life or property.
    The staff has prepared the EA in support of the proposed license 
amendment. The NRC has examined the licensee's proposed exemption 
request and concluded that it is procedural and administrative in 
nature. There are no significant radiological environmental impacts 
associated with this exemption, and it will not result in significant 
nonradiological environmental impacts.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    On the basis of the EA, NRC has concluded that there are no 
significant environmental impacts from the proposed amendment and has 
determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement.

IV. Further Information

    Documents related to this action, including the application for 
exemption and supporting documentation, are available electronically at 
the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. From this site, you can access the NRC's Agencywide 
Document Access and Management System (ADAMS), which provides text and 
image files of NRC's public documents. The ADAMS accession numbers for 
the documents related to this notice are: (1) The licensee's exemption 
request letter dated June 1, 2004, is ML041680573, and (2) the EA is 
ML042370633. If you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are 
problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC's 
Public Document Room (PDR) Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-
4737, or by e-mail to [email protected].
    These documents may also be viewed electronically on the public 
computers located at the NRC's PDR, O 1 F21, One White Flint North, 
11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. The PDR

[[Page 59972]]

reproduction contractor will copy documents for a fee.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 30th day of September 2004.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Daniel M. Gillen,
Deputy Director , Decommissioning Directorate, Division of Waste 
Management and Environmental Protection, Office of Nuclear Material 
Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 04-22403 Filed 10-5-04; 8:45 am]
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