[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 72 (Monday, April 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20072-20073]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-7848]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-150]


Ohio State University Research 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-75, to be held by Ohio 
State University (OSU or the licensee), which would authorize continued 
operation of the Ohio State University Research Reactor (OSURR), 
located in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio. Therefore, pursuant to 10 
CFR 51.21, the NRC is issuing an Environmental Assessment and Finding 
of No Significant Impact.

Description of Proposed Action

    The proposed action is approval of the licensee's application for 
renewal of Facility License No. R-75 for a period of 20 years from the 
date of issuance of the renewed license. The proposed action is in 
accordance with the licensee's application dated December 15, 1999, as 
supplemented on August 21, 2002, August 18, 2005, July 26, 2006, May 
22, 2007, May 31, 2007, September 4, and September 28, 2007; and 
February 29, 2008.
    The OSURR is located approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of the 
main campus on land owned by OSU and is a part of the Ohio State 
University Research Center. The site comprises the reactor building and 
a small area immediately surrounding it, bounded by a chain-link fence. 
The nearest permanent residences are located approximately 0.3 miles 
(0.5 km) to the west and approximately 0.3 miles (0.5 km) to the south. 
There are no nearby industrial, transportation, or military facilities 
that could pose a threat to the OSURR.
    The OSURR is a pool-type, light water moderated and cooled research 
reactor licensed to operate at a steady-state power level of 500 
kilowatts thermal power (kW(t)). A detailed description of the reactor 
can be found in the OSURR Safety Analysis Report (SAR). The major 
modifications to the Facility License were conversion from high 
enriched fuel to low enriched fuel in 1988 and a licensed power 
increase from 10 kW(t) to 500 kW(t) in November 1990.
    The licensee has not requested any changes to the facility design 
or operating conditions as part of the renewal request. 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 off site. There is no significant increase in 
occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, license renewal 
should not change the environmental impact of facility operation.

Summary of the Environmental Assessment

    The NRC staff reviewed the licensee's application which included an 
Environmental Report. To document its review, the NRC staff has 
prepared an environmental assessment (EA) which discusses the OSURR 
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 December 15, 1999 (ML993610185), as 
supplemented by letters dated August 21, 2002 (ML022380431), August 18, 
2005 (ML052350564); July 26, 2006 (ML062090072); May 22, 2007 
(ML071430417); May 31, 2007(ML071550098); September 4, 2007 
(ML072490367); September 28, 2007 (ML072750038); and February 29, 2008 
(ML080650352). 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

[[Page 20073]]

Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. The EA can be found 
in ADAMS under Accession Number ML070230004. 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 7th day of April, 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. E8-7848 Filed 4-11-08; 8:45 am]
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