[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 19, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20405-20406]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-7845]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-407]
University of Utah; University of Utah TRIGA Nuclear Reactor
Facility; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
issuance of an exemption from certain requirements of Title 10 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), subsection 2.109(a), for Facility
Operating License No. R-126, which authorizes operation of the
University of
[[Page 20406]]
Utah TRIGA Nuclear Reactor Facility, a 100 kW (thermal) research
reactor facility, located in Salt Lake County, Utah. Therefore, as
required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC is issuing this environmental
assessment and finding of no significant impact.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
Subsection 109(a) of 10 CFR Part 2 states, ``Except for the renewal
of an operating license for a nuclear power plant under 10 CFR 50.21(b)
or 50.22, if, at least 30 days prior to the expiration of an existing
license authorizing any activity of a continuing nature, the licensee
files an application for a renewal or for a new license for the
activity so authorized, the existing license will not be deemed to have
expired until the application has been finally determined.''
The University of Utah has requested an exemption from the timing
requirements of 10 CFR 2.109(a), for submittal of the University of
Utah TRIGA Nuclear Reactor Facility license renewal application. The
exemption would allow the submittal of the renewal application with
less than 30 days remaining prior to expiration of the operating
license while maintaining the protection of the timely renewal
provision in 10 CFR 2.109(a).
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
application for exemption dated April 13, 2005.
The Need for the Proposed Action
Because the licensee has submitted their application for license
renewal less than 30 days before the expiration date of the existing
license (midnight April 17, 2005), the proposed action is needed to
allow continued operation of the facility while the NRC staff makes a
final determination regarding license renewal.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and
concludes that pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12(a), the proposed exemption is
authorized by law, will not endanger life or property or common defense
and security, and is, otherwise, in the public interest. In addition,
special circumstances exist to justify the proposed exemption. The
details of the staff's evaluation will be provided in the exemption
that will be issued as part of the letter to the licensee approving the
exemption to the regulation.
Because the proposed action would allow continued operation of the
reactor facility under the current license conditions and technical
specifications and will not authorize any changes to the facility or
its operation, the proposed action will not significantly increase the
probability or consequences of accidents. No changes are being made in
the types of effluents that may be released offsite. There is no
significant increase in the amount of any effluent release offsite.
There is no significant increase in occupational or public radiation
exposure. Therefore, there are no significant radiological
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed
action does not have a potential to affect any historic sites. It does
not affect non-radiological plant effluents and has no other
environmental impact. Therefore, there are no significant non-
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Accordingly, the NRC staff concludes that there are no significant
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC staff considered
denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative).
Denial of the application for exemption would result in a period of
time where the licensee would not operate the reactor while the NRC
staff reviewed the licensee's application for license renewal. There
would be a small decrease in environmental impact during the period of
time the reactor would be shut down and the benefits of education and
research would be lost. The environmental impacts of the proposed
action and the alternative action are similar.
Alternative Use of Resources
This proposed action does not involve the use of any resources not
previously considered in environmental impact appraisal for initial
facility license authorization dated September 30, 1975, and the
environmental assessment for operating license renewal dated March 27,
1985.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its policy, on April 13, 2005, the NRC staff
consulted with the Utah State official, Mr. Dane Finerfrock, Director,
Division of Radiation Control, Department of Environmental Quality,
regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The State
official had no comments regarding the environmental aspects of the
exemption.
Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC concludes
that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the
quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has determined
not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed
action.
For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the
licensee's letter dated April 13, 2005. Documents may be examined, and/
or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located
at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1F21, 11555 Rockville Pike
(first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be
accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents Access and
Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the
Internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in
accessing the documents located in 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 at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day of April, 2005.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Patrick M. Madden,
Section Chief, Research and Test Reactors Section, New, Research and
Test Reactors Program, Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 05-7845 Filed 4-18-05; 8:45 am]
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