[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 241 (Monday, December 17, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71461-71463]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-24403]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-151]


Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of 
No Significant Impact for the University of Illinois Nuclear Research 
Laboratory Triga Research Reactor Champaign-Urbana in the City of 
Urbana, IL

AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas McLaughlin, Project Manager, 
Materials Decommissioning Branch, Division of Waste Management and 
Environmental Protection, Office of Federal and State Materials and 
Environmental Management Programs, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC., 20555. Telephone: (301) 415-5869; fax number: (301) 
415-5369; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) proposes to 
issue a license amendment to Facility Operating License R-115 that 
would allow decommissioning of the University of Illinois' 
(University's or licensee's) Nuclear Research Laboratory (NRL) Advanced 
Teaching Research Isotope General Atomic (TRIGA) Mark II nuclear 
research reactor located on the campus of the University of Illinois at 
Champaign-Urbana in the city of Urbana, Illinois.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    By letters dated March 28, 2006 (See ADAMS ML060900623), and August 
20, 2007 (See ADAMS ML072550089), the licensee submitted a 
Decommissioning Plan (DP) in accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(b)(1), in 
order to dismantle the TRIGA Reactor, to dispose of its component parts 
and radioactive material, and to decontaminate the facilities in 
accordance with the proposed DP to meet the Commission's unrestricted 
release criteria. After the Commission verifies that the release 
criteria have been met, Facility Operating License No. R-115 will be 
terminated. The licensee submitted an Environmental Report dated 
December 2005, that addresses the estimated environmental impacts 
resulting from decommissioning the TRIGA Reactor. The University of 
Illinois ceased operations of the NRL TRIGA reactor on August 6, 1998, 
and it was placed in a Safe Storage (SAFSTOR) condition. On August 18, 
2004, the reactor fuel was removed and shipped to the U.S. Department 
of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory.
    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 Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Nuclear Reactor Laboratory'' 
was published in the Federal Register on August 1, 2006 (71 FR 43528), 
and in the Champaign County, Illinois daily newspaper, The News-
Gazette, on August 3, 2006. No comments were received.

Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action is necessary because of the University of 
Illinois' decision to permanently cease operations at the NRL TRIGA 
Reactor. As specified in 10 CFR 50.82, any licensee may permanently 
cease operation and apply to the NRC for license termination and 
authorization to decommission the affected facility. Further, 10 CFR 
51.53(d) provides 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. The University of Illinois is 
planning unrestricted use for the area that would be released.

Environmental Impact of the Proposed Action

    The decommissioning plan states that all decontamination will be 
performed by trained personnel in accordance with the requirements of 
the radiation protection program, and will be overseen by a radiation 
safety officer with multiple years of experience in decommissioning 
health physics practices. All reactor and pool components will be 
removed from the facility as low-level radioactive waste and managed in 
accordance with NRC requirements. The licensee estimates the total 
occupational radiation exposure for the decommissioning process to be 
about 8.5 person-rem. The licensee proposes controls, as mentioned 
above and in the DP, to minimize the occupational exposure to 
individual workers, thereby ensuring that the exposures are within the 
10 CFR Part 20 limits. In addition, by keeping the public at a safe 
distance, using access control, and by using the approved DP and 
Illinois's radiation protection program to control effluent releases, 
the licensee expects the radiation exposure to the general public to be 
negligible. The licensees' conclusion is consistent with the estimate 
given for the ``reference research reactor'' in NUREG-0586, ``Final 
Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Decommissioning of the 
Nuclear Facilities, August 1988.''
    Occupational and public exposure may result from offsite disposal 
of the low-level residual radioactive material from the NRL, which 
includes the TRIGA Reactor. In the DP, the licensee stated that the 
handling, storage, and shipment of this radioactive material will meet 
the requirements of 10 CFR 20.2006, ``Transfer for Disposal and 
Manifest,'' and 49 CFR Parts 100-177, ``Transportation of Hazardous 
Materials.'' The waste that needs to be processed prior to disposal 
will be shipped by the licensee to a licensed waste processor. The DP 
states that waste for disposal will be shipped to an acceptable waste 
disposal site in accordance with applicable NRC and

[[Page 71462]]

Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations regarding waste 
packaging, labeling, and placarding. These shipments will be mixed 
waste containing activated and/or contaminated lead. It is expected 
that EnergySolutions of Clive, Utah, will receive the Class A waste. 
Based on the site characterization, Class B and C low-level radioactive 
waste are not expected at the NRL facility.
    NRC regulations at 10 CFR 20.1402, provide radiological criteria 
for release of a site for unrestricted use. Release criteria for 
unrestricted use is a maximum Total Effective Dose Equivalent (TEDE) of 
25 mrem per year from residual radioactivity above background and doses 
must be as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA). The results of the 
final status survey will be used to demonstrate that the predicted dose 
to a member of the public from any residual radioactivity does not 
exceed the 25 mrem per year dose limit. The NRC will perform 
inspections and if necessary a confirmatory survey to verify that the 
decommissioning activities and the final status survey results are 
acceptable.
    The DP states that liquid waste that is generated during the 
decommissioning activities will be filtered and disposed of in 
accordance with the regulations in 10 CFR Part 20, Subpart K, ``Waste 
Disposal.'' Containment measures will be taken as necessary to minimize 
the spread of contamination. Engineered features such as enclosures and 
temporary barriers with high-efficiency particulate air filters will be 
used to control the spread of airborne radioactive material. Airborne 
releases of radioactive materials are not expected.
    The licensee analyzed accidents applicable to decommissioning 
activities. The dose consequence from transportation accidents has the 
potential for a moderate dose of between 1 and 25 mrem for the public, 
which is within the dose limits for members of the public in 10 CFR 
Part 20, Subpart D, ``Radiation Dose Limits for Individual Members of 
the Public.''
    Based on the review of the specific proposed activities associated 
with the dismantling and decontamination of the NRL, which includes the 
TRIGA Reactor, the staff has determined that the proposed action will 
not increase the probability or consequences of accidents. No changes 
are being made in the types of any effluents that may be released off 
site, and there will be no significant increase in occupational or 
public radiation exposure above those during the operation of the 
facility. 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. The predominant hazardous 
material in the NRL site is elemental lead and proper precautions will 
be taken to reduce the exposure to lead dust. Asbestos is also present 
in NRL construction materials (e.g. floor tiles, roofing materials) and 
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 sensitive or endangered species on the NRL site and 
will ensure that all construction activities or any related disturbance 
will not result in the impairment of local waterways. Therefore, the 
staff concludes that there are no significant non-radiological 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. Accordingly, 
NRC concludes that there are no significant environmental impacts 
associated with the proposed action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    The three alternatives for disposition of the NRL, which includes 
the TRIGA Reactor are: Decontamination (DECON), SAFSTOR, and no action. 
The University of Illinois has proposed the DECON option. DECON is the 
alternative in which the equipment, structures, and portions of the 
facilities containing radioactive contaminants are removed or 
decontaminated to a level that permits the property to be released for 
unrestricted use.
    SAFSTOR is the alternative in which the nuclear facilities are 
placed and maintained in a condition that allows the nuclear facilities 
to be safely stored and subsequently decontaminated (deferred 
decontamination) to levels that permit release for unrestricted use. 
The no-action alternative would leave the facilities in their present 
configuration without any decommissioning activities required or 
implemented. The SAFSTOR and no-action alternatives would entail 
continued surveillance as well as 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 
facilities. The radiological impacts of SAFSTOR and no-action would be 
less than the DECON option because of radioactive decay prior to the 
start of decommissioning activities. However, these options involve the 
continued use of resources during the SAFSTOR or no-action period. The 
University of Illinois has determined that the proposed action (DECON) 
is the most efficient use of NRL, including the TRIGA Reactor, since it 
proposes to use the space that will become available for unrestricted 
uses. These alternatives would have no significant environmental 
impact. In addition, the regulations in 10 CFR 50.82(b)(4)(i) allow an 
alternative which provides for delayed completion of decommissioning 
only when the delay is necessary to protect the public health and 
safety. The staff finds that delay is not justified since the 
environmental impacts of the proposed action and the alternatives are 
similar and insignificant.

Alternative Use of Resources

    This action does not involve the use of any resources not 
previously considered in the Environmental Report dated December 2005, 
for the University of Illinois NRL TRIGA Reactor.

Agencies and Persons Contacted

    On September 18, 2007, the staff sent a copy of a draft 
Environmental Assessment (EA) to the Acting Bureau Chief, Bureau of 
Environmental Safety, Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), 
Division of Nuclear Safety, regarding the environmental impact of the 
proposed action.
    This State official's comments were received on October 12, 2007, 
and incorporated into this EA.

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 human health or the 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 letters dated March 28, 2006 (See ADAMS ML060900623), and 
August 20, 2007 (See ADAMS ML072550089), which are 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, 20852. 
The NRC maintains an Agency-wide 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

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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 11th day of December, 2007.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Lydia W. Chang,
Acting Deputy Director, Decommissioning and Uranium Recovery Licensing 
Directorate, Division of Waste Management and Environmental Protection, 
Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management 
Programs.
 [FR Doc. E7-24403 Filed 12-14-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P