[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 24 (Monday, February 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6104-6105]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1571]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-02]
University of Michigan; University of Michigan Ford Nuclear
Reactor; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering the issuance of a license amendment to Facility Operating
License No. R-28, issued to the University of Michigan (UM or the
licensee), that would allow decommissioning of the UM Ford Nuclear
Reactor (FNR) located at the North Campus in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw
County, Michigan.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
By letter dated June 18, 2004, the licensee submitted a
decommissioning plan in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulation Part 50.82(b)(5) (10 CFR 50.82(b)(5)) in order to dismantle
the 2 megawatts thermal (MWt) FNR, to dispose of its component parts
and radioactive material, and to decontaminate the facility in
accordance with the proposed dismantling plan to meet the Commission's
unrestricted release criteria. After the Commission verifies that the
release criteria have been met, Facility Operating License No. R-28
would be terminated. The licensee submitted an Environmental Report on
June 18, 2004, that addressed the estimated environmental impacts
resulting from decommissioning the UM FNR.
A ``Notice and Solicitation of Comments Pursuant to 10 CFR 20.1405
and 10 CFR 50.82(b)(5) Concerning Proposed Action to Decommission the
University of Michigan Ford Nuclear Reactor (FNR)'' was published in
the Federal Register on September 8, 2004 (69 FR 54326). No comments
were received during the comment period.
Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is necessary to permanently cease operations of
UM FNR. The licensee needs this license change because it no longer
plans to conduct licensed activities at the UM FNR. As specified in 10
CFR 50.82, any licensee may apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
for authority to surrender a license voluntarily and to decommission
the affected facility. Additionally, 10 CFR 51.53(d) stipulates that
each applicant for a license amendment to authorize decommissioning of
a production or utilization facility shall submit with its application
an environmental report that reflects any new information or
significant environmental change associated with the proposed
decommissioning activities. Upon completion of the decommissioning
activities, UM is planning to use the area that would be released for
other academic purposes.
Environmental Impact of the Proposed Action
Residual radioactive contamination resulting from past reactor
operations is contained in the FNR facility. All decontamination will
be performed by trained personnel in accordance with previously
reviewed procedures, and will be overseen by experienced health physics
staff. Solid and liquid waste will be removed from the facility and
managed in accordance with NRC regulations. The operations are
calculated to result in a total occupational radiation exposure of
about 4.8 person-rem. Radiation exposure to the general public during
decommissioning is expected to be negligible. This will be accomplished
by keeping the public at a safe distance and by meeting NRC
requirements for effluent releases during decommissioning.
Occupational and public exposure may result from offsite disposal
of the low-level residual radioactive material from the FNR. The
handling, storage, and shipment of this radioactive material are to
meet the requirements of 10 CFR 20.2006, ``Transfer for Disposal and
Manifest,'' and 49 CFR Parts 100-177, ``Transportation of Hazardous
Materials.'' It is anticipated that about 112 ft3 of
irradiated hardware will be shipped during one truck shipment in Type B
shipping casks to a waste processor. A volume of 11,000 ft3
of other waste in strong tight containers will be shipped during 27
truck shipments to the Envirocare of Utah facility. Included in the
other waste shipment is mixed waste consisting primarily of activated
and/or contaminated lead with a volume of 43 ft3 and cadmium
with a volume of 1 ft3. Radiation exposure to the general
public during waste shipments is expected to be negligible. In
addition, Liquid waste that is generated during the decommissioning
activities will be released to the environment in accordance with the
regulations in 10 CFR Part 20, Subpart K, ``Waste Disposal,'' or will
be solidified and disposed of as solid waste in accordance with state
and Federal guidelines.
The licensee analyzed accidents applicable to decommissioning
activities. These accidents involve inhalation of hazardous or
radioactive materials, confined space issues, heavy equipment movement,
external radiation exposure, and dermal contact with radioactive and
hazardous materials. To minimize the risk from identified hazards,
procedures and conformance with FNR license and regulatory requirements
will be used.
Based on the review of the specific proposed activities associated
with the dismantling and decontamination of the UM FNR facility, the
staff has determined that the proposed action will not increase the
probability or consequences of accidents, change any effluents that may
be released off site,
[[Page 6105]]
and cause any significant increase in occupational or public radiation
exposure. Therefore, the staff concludes that there are no significant
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed
action does not involve any historic sites. In addition to the lead and
cadmium discussed above, asbestos is present at the UM FNR facility.
Asbestos will be removed by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor.
Decommissioning activities will not affect non-radiological facility
effluents and have no other environmental impact. The licensee states
that there are no significant plant communities and no wetlands within
the site.
There are three species listed as threatened or endangered under
the Federal ESA within Washtenaw County. These are Indiana bat (Myotis
sodalis), the Mitchell's satyr butterfly (Neonympha mitchellii
mitchellii), and the Eastern prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera
leucophaea). There are no records of any of these three species on the
UM FNR site. Therefore, the staff concludes that 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.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
The licensee has proposed to use the DECON alternative for the UM
FNR facility. The DECON alternative is where the equipment, structures,
and portions of the facility containing radioactive contaminants are
removed or decontaminated to a level that permits the property to be
released for unrestricted use. As a first alternative to the proposed
DECON method, SAFSTOR will be used. In SAFSTOR, the nuclear facility is
placed and maintained in a condition that allows the nuclear facility
to be safely stored and subsequently decontaminated (deferred
decontamination) to levels that permit release for unrestricted use. As
a second alternative, the ENTOMB alternative is where radioactive
contaminants are encased in a structurally long-lived material, such as
concrete; the entombed structure is appropriately maintained; and
continued surveillance is carried out until the radioactivity decays to
a level permitting release of the property for unrestricted use.
The SAFSTOR, ENTOMB, and no-action alternatives would entail
continued surveillance and physical security measures to be in place
and continued monitoring by licensee personnel. The SAFSTOR and no-
action alternatives would also require continued maintenance of the
facility. The radiological impacts of SAFSTOR would be less than the
DECON option because of radioactive decay prior to the start of
decommissioning activities. However, this option involves the continued
use of resources during the SAFSTOR period. The ENTOMB option would
also result in lower radiological exposure than the DECON option but
would involve the continued use of resources. UM FNR has determined
that the proposed action (DECON) is the most efficient use of the
existing facility, since it proposes to use the space that will become
available for other academic purposes. These alternatives would have no
significant environmental impact. In addition, the regulations in 10
CFR 50.82(b)(4)(i) only allow an alternative if it provides for
completion of decommissioning without significant delay.
Alternative Use of Resources
This action does not involve the use of any resources not
previously considered in the Environmental Report submitted on June 18,
2004, for the UM FNR facility.
Agencies and Persons Contacted
In accordance with the NRC staff's stated policy, on November 22,
2005, the NRC staff consulted with the Michigan State official, Chris
Antieau, Department of Environmental Quality, Land and Water Management
Division, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action on
the Coastal Zone Management Act. The state official stated that he
concurred with the environmental assessment and had no comments. In
addition, the staff contacted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action to threatened
or endangered species. The FWS provided the NRC staff with a list of
threatened and endangered species to assist the NRC staff to determine
if the UM FNR proposed action would cause any environmental impact in
reference to the Endangered Species Act. On December 2, 2005, the NRC
staff also consulted with the Michigan State Official, Robert D.
Skowronek, Department of Environmental Quality, Waste and Hazardous
Materials Division. Mr. Skowronek had no comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the environmental assessment, the Commission
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 June 18, 2004, which is available for public
inspection, and can be copied for a fee, at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint
North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. The NRC
maintains an Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS),
which provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. These
documents may be accessed through the NRC's Public Electronic Reading
Room on the internet at http://www.nrc.gov. Persons who do not have
access to ADAMS or who have problems in accessing the documents located
in ADAMS may contact the PDR reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-
415-4737 or by e-mail at [email protected].
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 25th day of January 2006.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Brian E. Thomas,
Branch Chief, Research and Test Reactors Branch, Division of Policy and
Rulemaking, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E6-1571 Filed 2-3-06; 8:45 am]
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