[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 174 (Monday, September 8, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 52072]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-20699]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-243]


Oregon State University Triga 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-106, to be held by the 
Oregon State University (OSU or the licensee), which would authorize 
continued operation of the Oregon State University TRIGA Reactor 
(OSTR), located in Corvallis, Benton County, Oregon. 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-106 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 October 5, 2004, as 
supplemented on August 8, 2005, May 24, 2006, November 10, 2006, 
November 21, 2006, July 10, 2007, July 27, 2007, July 31, 2007, August 
6, 2007, April 14, 2008, August 6, 2008 and August 11, 2008.
    The OSTR is located in the OSU Radiation Center complex on the west 
end of the Oregon State University campus and west of downtown 
Corvallis, OR. Corvallis and OSU lie in Benton County in the Willamette 
Valley. The OSTR site comprises the area bounded by the Reactor 
Building fence on the north, Jefferson Way on the south, 35th Street on 
the west, and the east edge of the OSU Radiation Center complex parking 
lot on the east. The nearest permanent residence is located 876 feet 
(267 m) north of the OSTR. There are no nearby industrial, 
transportation, or military facilities that pose a threat to the OSTR.
    The OSTR is a tank-type, light water moderated and cooled research 
reactor licensed to operate at a steady-state power level of 1.1 
megawatts thermal power (MW(t)). The reactor is licensed to operate in 
a pulse mode, with a maximum reactivity insertion of $2.55. A detailed 
description of the reactor can be found in the OSTR Safety Analysis 
Report (SAR). The major modifications to the Facility License were a 
power uprate to 1.0 MW(t) in June, 1971, and a power uprate to 1.1 
MW(t) in December, 1989.
    The licensee has not requested any changes to the facility design 
or operating conditions as part of this renewal request. The proposed 
action will not increase the probability or consequences of accidents. 
No changes are being made in the types of effluents that may be 
released off site. There should be no 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 OSTR 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.
    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. For further details with respect to the proposed action, 
see the licensee's letter dated October 5, 2004, (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML043270077 and No. ML071430452), as supplemented by letters dated 
August 8, 2005 (ADAMS Accession No. ML052290051); May 24, 2006 (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML061510355); November 10, 2006 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML063210182); November 21, 2006 (ADAMS Accession No. ML063320500); July 
10, 2007 (ADAMS Accession No. ML072150361 and ML072150362); July 27, 
2007 (ADAMS Accession No. ML072150363); July 31, 2007 (ADAMS Accession 
No. ML 072190043); August 6, 2007 (ADAMS Accession No. ML072340580); 
April 14, 2008 (ADAMS Accession No. ML081150194); August 6, 2008 (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML082261409); and August 11, 2008 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML082270383). 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. The EA can be 
found in ADAMS under Accession Number ML061650197. 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 2nd day of September, 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. E8-20699 Filed 9-5-08; 8:45 am]
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