[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 62 (Friday, March 31, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16348-16349]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-4710]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 70-27]


Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of 
No Significant Impact for License Renewal for BWX Technologies, Inc., 
Lynchburg, VA

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Billy Gleaves, Project Manager, 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 T-8F42, Washington, DC, 20852. 
Telephone: (301) 415-5848; fax number: (310) 415-5955; e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering renewal of a 
license to BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT), Materials License SNM-42, 
that would authorize the licensee to possess nuclear materials, 
manufacture nuclear fuel components, fabricate research and university 
reactor components, fabricate compact reactor fuel elements, perform 
research on spent fuel performance, and handle the resultant waste 
streams, including recovery of scrap uranium. If granted, the renewed 
license would allow BWXT to continue operations as authorized in the 
current license. If approved, the renewed license term would be for 20 
years at BWXT's Mt. Athos Road facility in Lynchburg, Virginia. The NRC 
has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) in support of this action 
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 is 
appropriate. If approved, the renewed license would be issued following 
the publication of this Notice.

II. EA Summary

    The purpose of the proposed action is to authorize the renewal of 
BWXT's 10 CFR part 70 Special Nuclear Material

[[Page 16349]]

license, for a 20-year period, at the licensee's Lynchburg, Virginia 
facility. On June 30, 2004, BWXT requested that the NRC approve the 
renewal application. BWXT's request for the proposed change was 
previously noticed in the Federal Register on March 6, 2006 (71 FR 
11231), with a notice of license amendment request and opportunity to 
request a hearing.
    The staff has prepared the EA in support of the proposed action. 
The NRC staff concluded that the proposed renewal, for a 20-year 
period, of Materials License SNM-42 involving the continued operations 
at the BWXT site in Lynchburg will not result in a significant impact 
to the environment. The NRC staff concluded that the proposed action 
will not adversely affect federally listed species or federally 
designated critical habitat because no federally listed species are 
known to occur in the project area. The NRC staff found that no 
historic properties will be affected by the proposed action. The 
facility is already built, and no changes to the operations are 
associated with the action. The proposed action can be viewed as a 
continuation of impacts and can be evaluated based on the previous 
impacts from past operations.
    Airborne effluents released through stacks and liquid effluents 
released in the James River are below regulatory limits for 
nonradiological and radiological contaminants. The radiological dose 
associated with the exposure to these effluents, for the maximally 
exposed individual is less than 1 percent of the NRC's 1.0 mSv [100 
mrem] annual limit pursuant to 10 CFR 20.1301. Occupational doses are 
also well below regulatory limits.
    The environmental impacts of the proposed action have been 
evaluated in accordance with the requirements presented in 10 CFR part 
51. The NRC staff has determined that the renewal of license SNM-42, 
allowing continued operations at the BWXT facility for a 20-year period 
will not have a significant impact on the human environment. No 
environmental impact statement is required, and a finding of no 
significant impact is appropriate in accordance with 10 CFR 51.31.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

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

IV. Further Information

    Documents related to this action can be accessed on the NRC's 
Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS) that provides 
electronic copies of NRC's public documents. The ADAMS accession number 
for the Federal Register notice related to this action is: Notice of 
License Amendment Request of BWX Technologies, Inc., Lynchburg, VA, and 
Opportunity to Request a Hearing (ML053430248). 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 800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to 
[email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 24th day of March 2006.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Gary S. Janosko,
Chief, Fuel Cycle Facilities Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and 
Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
 [FR Doc. E6-4710 Filed 3-30-06; 8:45 am]
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