[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 205 (Monday, October 24, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65753-65755]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-27402]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 70-0036; NRC-2009-0278]


Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact 
Related to Exemption of Material for Proposed Disposal Procedures for 
the Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC, Hematite Decommissioning 
Project, License No. SNM-33, Festus, MO

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John J. Hayes, Senior Project Manager, 
Decommissioning and Uranium Recovery Licensing Directorate, 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: 301-415-5928; 
e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction

    By letter dated May 21, 2009, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission (NRC) received a license amendment application from 
Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (WEC or the licensee), pertaining to 
its planned disposal of NRC-licensed source, byproduct, and special 
nuclear materials. Regarding this material, WEC seeks approval, 
pursuant

[[Page 65754]]

to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 20.2002, of 
proposed disposal procedures which are not otherwise authorized by NRC 
regulations. WEC holds NRC License No. SNM-33, which authorizes the 
licensee to conduct decommissioning activities at its former fuel cycle 
facility located in Festus, Missouri. Since the fuel cycle facility 
operations have ceased, the Hematite site is undergoing preparation for 
decommissioning of the site. The facility is now referred to as the 
Hematite Decommissioning Project (HDP). The amendment request seeks 
authorization allowing WEC to transfer decommissioning waste to U.S. 
Ecology Idaho, Inc. (USEI), a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 
Subtitle C disposal facility located near Grand View, Idaho. This 
facility is regulated by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, 
and is not an NRC-licensed facility. Pursuant to 10 CFR 30.11 and 
70.17, WEC's application also requested exemptions from the licensing 
requirements of 10 CFR 30.3 and 70.3 for the byproduct and special 
nuclear material it seeks to transfer. These exemptions are necessary 
because the disposal of byproduct and special nuclear material must 
occur at a facility licensed to possess such material, and the USEI 
facility has no NRC license.
    On July 6, 2009, the NRC issued a Notice of Opportunity for Hearing 
(Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) No. 
ML091740733) on the May 21, 2009, WEC license amendment request (ADAMS 
No. ML091480071). The original notice of opportunity was extended to 
October 5, 2009, by Order dated September 4, 2009 (ADAMS No. 
ML092470425). On July 28, 2009, the NRC held a public meeting in the 
community of Grand View, Idaho, to inform the public and to provide an 
opportunity for the public to provide comments and ask questions of the 
NRC staff. On August 12, 2009, WEC submitted a Decommissioning Plan 
(DP) [ADAMS Nos. ML092330123, ML092330125, ML092330127, ML092330129, 
ML092330131, and ML092330132] and supporting documents. This DP 
superseded all previous DPs for the HDP. An Environmental Report (ADAMS 
Nos. ML092870403 and ML092870405) was included among the supporting 
documents for the DP. The NRC relied upon the information provided in 
the May 21, 2009, license amendment request, the July 28, 2009, public 
meeting, the July 2009 WEC Environmental Report, and other sources as 
noted in the EA's references section, in preparing the EA. For this 
action, a Notice of Availability containing a draft EA and draft 
Finding of No Significant Impact (ADAMS No. ML110870992) was prepared 
and published in the Federal Register on April 25, 2011. No comments 
were received.

II. EA Summary

    Under 10 CFR 20.2002, WEC proposes to dispose of about 23,000 m\3\ 
(30,000 yd\3\) of low level waste (LLW) from the HDP that contains 
byproduct and special nuclear material at the USEI hazardous waste 
disposal facility near Grand View, Idaho. The LLW will be generated as 
part of decommissioning activities, which will include exhumation of 
existing burial pits, as described in the Hematite DP. There are 40 
unlined pits, each of which is approximately 12 meters (40 feet) long, 
6 meters (20 feet) wide, and 3.6 meters (12 feet) deep. The pits were 
used to dispose of waste generated by the former owners of the facility 
from 1965 to 1971. In addition, there are an estimated 20-25 burials 
for which there are no records. These burials are believed to be in the 
area between the documented Burial Pits and the site buildings, under 
roadways in the eastern portion of the central tract area of the HDP 
site. Additionally impacted material may come from underneath the site 
buildings.
    In 2002, Westinghouse and the Missouri Department of Natural 
Resources (MDNR) entered into a Letter Agreement, which, among other 
things, provided for MDNR oversight of certain studies and response 
actions in accordance with the National Oil and Hazardous Substances 
Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) under the requirements of the 
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, 
42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq. Subsequently, Missouri and Westinghouse entered 
into a Consent Decree, and the Letter Agreement was terminated. The 
Consent Decree provides for MDNR oversight of those portions of the 
investigation and selection of the remedy for Operable Units at the 
site that are not preempted by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as 
amended.
    The no-action alternative was considered for the site. The no-
action alternative involves discontinuing ongoing decommissioning 
activities at the HDP and leaving decommissioning waste, including 
waste buried in over 40 documented onsite trenches, at the HDP site. 
This action would require an exemption from the requirement in 70.38(d) 
of 10 CFR part 70 that decommissioning of facilities specifically 
licensed for possession and use of special nuclear material (SNM) be 
completed and approved by the NRC after licensed activities cease. The 
no action alternative would cause WEC to continue environmental 
monitoring and surveillance, and to maintain administrative and 
engineered controls that are required to ensure facility safety and 
security. Environmental impacts of the no-action alternative would be 
bounded by impacts associated with normal operation of the facility 
prior to decommissioning.
    Another alternative considered to the proposed action for disposal 
of LLW generated by decommissioning activities at the HDP is disposal 
of LLW in facilities specifically licensed by NRC Agreement States for 
storage or disposal of LLW. For the EA, the NRC evaluated an 
alternative licensed facility available to HDP--the EnergySolutions, 
LLC (EnergySolutions) hazardous and radioactive waste disposal facility 
near Clive, Utah.
    The EnergySolutions LLW facility routinely manages amounts of LLW 
above ground that contain low concentrations of SNM, but in total 
quantities in excess of the critical mass limits in 10 CFR part 150. 
Part 150 provides that Agreement States may only license possession of 
quantities of SNM up to the critical mass limits (e.g., 350 g U-235, 
200 g Pu-239). Above these limits, persons need a license from the NRC, 
in addition to the Agreement State license. EnergySolutions has an NRC 
exemption from the requirements for an NRC license, provided certain 
conditions, as specified by an NRC Order, are met. At Clive, the NRC 
has specified SNM concentration limits, in lieu of mass limits, to 
ensure criticality safety. The NRC staff determined that there is no 
significant difference in the environmental impacts that result from 
WEC decision to utilize the USEI site for disposal of its waste as 
opposed to the EnergySolutions site.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    The NRC has concluded that the proposed action to grant a license 
amendment to WEC HDP, and an exemption to USEI from the requirements 
for a license under 10 CFR 30.3 and 70.3 with respect to HDP's disposal 
of approximately 23,000 m\3\ (30,000 yd\3\) of soil and debris 
containing low concentrations of byproduct material and SNM, is 
authorized by law and will not endanger life or property or the common 
defense and security and is otherwise in the public interest.

[[Page 65755]]

    On the basis of the EA, the NRC has concluded that there are no 
significant environmental impacts and the issuance of a license 
amendment does not warrant the preparation of an Environmental Impact 
Statement. Accordingly, it has been determined that a Finding of No 
Significant Impact is appropriate.

IV. Further Information

    Documents related to this action, including the letter requesting 
the amendment and supporting documentation, are available 
electronically at the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. The ADAMS accession numbers for the 
documents related to this notice are:
    (1) Hematite Decommissioning Project Environmental Report 
(ML092870403 and ML092870405);
    (2) Hematite Decommissioning Plan (ML092330123, ML092330125, 
ML092330127, ML092330129, ML092330131, and ML092330132);
    (3) Hematite Supplemental Characterization Report--Books 1 and 2 
(ML092870496 and ML092870506);
    (4) Environmental Assessment (ML110870992); and
    (5) Notice of Opportunity for Hearing (ML091740733).
    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].
    These documents may also be viewed electronically on the public 
computers located at the NRC's PDR, O-1 F21, One White Flint North, 
11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. The PDR reproduction 
contractor will copy documents for a fee.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 13th day of October, 2011.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Keith I. McConnell,
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. 2011-27402 Filed 10-21-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P