[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 38 (Tuesday, February 26, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10308-10309]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3598]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-188]


Kansas State University Triga Mark II Nuclear Reactor; Notice of 
Issuance of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant 
Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of a renewed Facility License No. R-88, to be held by Kansas 
State University (the licensee), which would authorize continued 
operation of the Kansas State University TRIGA Mark II nuclear reactor 
(KSU TRIGA), located in Manhattan, Riley County, Kansas. Therefore, 
pursuant to 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC is issuing this Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact.

Description of Proposed Action

    The proposed action would renew Facility License No. R-88 for a 
period of twenty years from the date of issuance of the renewed 
license, and would increase the licensed maximum steady-state power 
level to 1.25 megawatts thermal power (MW(t)) and the maximum pulse 
reactivity insertion. The proposed action is in accordance with the 
licensee's application dated September 12, 2002, as supplemented on 
November 11, and November 13, 2002; December 21, 2004; July 6, and 
September 27, 2005; March 20, March 30, June 28, and September 28, 
2006; May 17, June 4, September 12, and October 11, 2007; and February 
6, 2008. In accordance with 10 CFR 2.109, the license remains in effect 
until the NRC takes final action on the renewal application.
    The KSU TRIGA is located in the north wing of Ward Hall in the 
northwest sector of the University campus near the center of the city 
of Manhattan, Kansas. The reactor is housed in the reactor bay, a 
reinforced concrete and structural steel building which serves as a 
confinement. The KSU TRIGA site comprises the entire building and the 
fenced areas immediately surrounding the building. There are no nearby 
industrial, transportation, or military facilities that could pose a 
threat to the KSU TRIGA.
    The KSU TRIGA is a pool-type, light water moderated and cooled 
research reactor currently licensed to operate at a steady-state power 
level of 250 kilowatts thermal power (kW(t)). The reactor is licensed 
to operate in a pulse mode, with a maximum pulse thermal power of 250 
MW(t). A detailed description of the reactor can be found in the KSU 
TRIGA Safety Analysis Report (SAR).
    As part of the proposed action the licensee has requested an 
increase in the licensed maximum steady-state power level, an increase 
in the maximum reactivity insertion and authorization to install an 
additional control rod to support operation at the increased power 
level. The proposed action will not significantly increase the 
probability of accidents. The proposed action may increase the 
consequences of accidents, but will not result in doses in excess of 
the limits specified by 10 CFR Part 20. No changes are being made in 
the types of effluents that may be released off site. There should be 
no significant increase in routine occupational or public radiation 
exposure. Therefore, the proposed action should not significantly 
change the environmental impact of facility operation.

Summary of the Environmental Assessment

    The NRC staff reviewed the licensee's application which included an

[[Page 10309]]

Environmental Report. To document its review, the NRC staff has 
prepared an environmental assessment (EA) which discusses the KSU TRIGA 
site and facility; radiological impacts of gaseous, liquid, and solid 
effluents; environmental and personnel radiation monitoring; radiation 
dose estimates for the maximum hypothetical accident (MHA); impacts of 
the ``no action'' alternative to the proposed action; alternative use 
of resources; considerations related to the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA); and presents the radiological and non-radiological 
environmental impacts of the proposed action.

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 September 12, 2002 (ML022620007, ML022620011, 
ML022620643, ML022630012, ML022630054, ML022630077), as supplemented on 
November 11, 2002 (ML023190241); November 13, 2002 (ML023190219); 
December 21, 2004 (ML052580517); July 6, 2005 (ML051960517, 
ML051960520, ML051960521, ML051960522, ML052580519, ML052590053); 
September 27, 2005 (ML052760292); March 20, 2006 (ML061640472); March 
30, 2006 (ML061010264); June 28, 2006 (ML070660601); September 28, 2006 
(ML063070520); May 17, 2007 (ML071430200); June 4, 2007 (ML071630328); 
September 12, 2007 (ML072680471); October 11, 2007 (ML072970624) and 
February 6, 2008 (ML080500366). Documents may be examined, and/or 
copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located at 
One White Flint North, 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 NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. The EA can be found in ADAMS under Accession 
Number ML063190172. 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 at 1-800-397-4209, or 301-415-4737, 
or send an e-mail to [email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of February, 2008.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Daniel S. Collins,
Chief, Research and Test Reactors Branch A, Division of Policy and 
Rulemaking, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
 [FR Doc. E8-3598 Filed 2-25-08; 8:45 am]
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