[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 25, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59021-59022]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-23558]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 03032042; NRC-2012-0219]
License Amendment Request for the U.S. Department of the Army,
National Ground Intelligence Center, Charlottesville, VA
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant Impact;
issuance.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission)
is considering the issuance of a license renewal and amendment to
Byproduct Materials License No. 45-25134-01. This license is held by
the U.S. Department of the Army, National Ground Intelligence Center
(the licensee), for activities conducted at the facilities located in
Charlottesville, Virginia; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; and
temporary jobsites anywhere in the United States.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2012-0219 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You
may access information related to this document, which the NRC
possesses and are publicly-available, using any of the following
methods:
Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2012-0219. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-492-
3668; email: [email protected].
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
(ADAMS): You may access publicly-available documents online in the NRC
Library at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the
search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and then select ``Begin Web-
based ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC's
Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-
4737, or by email to [email protected]. The ADAMS accession number
for each document referenced in this notice (if that document is
available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is
referenced.
NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis Lawyer, Health Physicist,
Commercial and R&D Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, Region
I, 2100 Renaissance Blvd., Suite 100, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
19406. Telephone: 610-337-5366; fax number: 610-337-5269; email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
As part of its license renewal, the licensee has requested an
exemption from the requirement in 10 CFR 30.32(g) to list sealed
sources by their manufacturer and model number as registered under the
provisions of section 10 CFR 32.210 of Title 10, Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR). The licensee requested this exemption in a letter
dated October 19, 2011. The NRC has prepared an Environmental
Assessment (EA) in support of this proposed action in accordance with
the requirements in 10 CFR part 51. Based on the EA, the NRC has
concluded that a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is
appropriate with respect to the proposed action. The license renewal
and amendment, addressing the approval of the exemption request, will
be issued to the licensee following the publication of this FONSI and
EA in the Federal Register.
II. Environmental Assessment
Identification of Proposed Action
The proposed action would renew License No. 45-25134-01 and grant a
license amendment, approving of the licensee's request for exemption
dated, October 19, 2011. License No. 45-25134-01 was issued on February
25, 1991, pursuant to 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, and 70, and has been amended
periodically since that time. This license authorizes the licensee to
receive, store, use and transfer specified radioactive materials
incident to research and development as defined in 10 CFR 30.4. On June
20, 2011, the licensee submitted its renewal application for License
No. 45-25134-01. In a letter dated October 19, 2011, submitted in
response to an inquiry from the NRC, the licensee requested an
exemption from the requirement in 10 CFR 30.32(g) to list sealed
sources by their manufacturer and model number as registered under the
provisions of 10 CFR 32.210. In requesting this exemption, the licensee
states that the purpose of possessing the sealed sources is to ``remove
and store devices of foreign manufacture for further testing and
evaluation.'' The licensee receives material in the form of painted
disks, sealed tubes, sealed calibration sources, plated foils, and
other previously manufactured military and civilian
[[Page 59022]]
commodities primarily of foreign origin. Typically, the licensee
receives two or less sources per year. These sources normally consist
of less than one curie of tritium and less than one millicurie of
radium 226 per year. The material is disposed unless it is integral to
the functioning of the obtained system. The research and development
performed involves testing for functional and operational
characteristics. No fabrication using loose or unsealed materials is
conducted. No willful destructive testing of items containing
radioactive materials will be conducted under this license. If
destructive testing is requested it will be conducted by other agencies
under separate NRC license. The licensee does not know in advance what
sources or devices may be received at its facility and that, in the
interest of national security and the U.S. Department of Defense
policy, the sources or origin of foreign equipment should not be
revealed. The licensee's policy requires immediate survey of all
foreign items for radioactive material and coordination with disposal
organizations if radioactive contamination is found.
Need for the Proposed Action
The licensee receives and takes possession of sealed sources and
devices which have not been registered with the NRC under 10 CFR 32.210
or with an Agreement State. As these sources and devices are from
foreign manufacturers, are not obtained for commercial purposes, and
will not be subject to registration, the licensee would not be able to
possess these sources as sealed sources without this exemption.
Technical Analysis of the Proposed Action
Paragraph 10 CFR 30.11(a) states that the Commission may grant such
exemptions from the requirements of the regulations as it determines
are authorized by law, will not endanger life or property or the common
defense and security, and are otherwise in the public interest. The NRC
staff has analyzed the licensee's request to be authorized to receive
and take possession of sealed sources and devices which have not been
registered with the NRC under 10 CFR 32.210 or with an Agreement State.
The NRC staff has determined that the licensee has established and
implemented training requirements for issuance of a Type A specific
license of broad scope as specified in 10 CFR Part 33. This licensee
has sufficient training to handle these sources and devices.
Furthermore, NRC inspections have evaluated the licensee's performance
and determined that the licensee has safely handled these unregistered
sources for many years. Prior to this renewal, the license did not
require the licensee to specify registered manufacturers and models.
Accordingly, the NRC staff has concluded that granting this exemption
is authorized by law, will not endanger life or property or the common
defense and security, and is in the public interest.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The proposed action is largely administrative in nature. Approving
this exemption will have a small environmental impact. Typically, the
licensee receives two or less sources per year. These sources normally
consist of less than one curie of tritium and less than one millicurie
of radium 226 per year. This amount would ultimately be disposed at the
same rate.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternative to the Proposed Action
Due to the largely administrative nature of the proposed action,
its environmental impacts are small. Additionally, denying the
exemption request would result in no change in current environmental
impacts. If the exemption request was denied and the amendment was not
granted the licensee would need to request an amendment to authorize
possession of the material in ``any'' form. This would authorize the
licensee to possess radioactive materials regardless of its form. The
environmental impacts of the proposed action and the no-action
alternative are therefore similar, and the no-action alternative is
accordingly not further considered.
Conclusion
The NRC staff has concluded that the proposed action will not
significantly impact the quality of the human environment. The NRC
staff concludes that the proposed action is the preferred alternative.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
The NRC staff has determined that the proposed action is of a
procedural nature, and will not affect listed species or critical
habitat. Therefore, no further consultation is required under Section 7
of the Endangered Species Act. The NRC staff has also determined that
the proposed action is not the type of activity that has the potential
to cause effects on historic properties. Therefore, no further
consultation is required under Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
The NRC staff has prepared this EA in support of the proposed
action. On the basis of this EA, the NRC finds that there are no
significant environmental impacts from the proposed action, and that
preparation of an environmental impact statement is not warranted.
Accordingly, the NRC has determined that a Finding of No Significant
Impact is appropriate.
IV. Further Information
Documents related to this action, including the application for
license renewal and supporting documentation, are available
electronically at the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. From this site, you can access the
NRC's Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS), which
provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. The documents
related to this action are listed below, along with their ADAMS
accession numbers.
Application for License Renewal dated, June 20, 2011 [ML12090A516]
Request for Exemption, letter dated, October 19, 2011 [ML112940589]
If you do not have access to ADAMS, or if there are problems in
accessing the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC Public
Document Room (PDR) Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or
by email to [email protected].
These documents may also be viewed electronically on the public
computers located at the NRC's PDR, O1F21, One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. The PDR reproduction contractor
will copy documents for a fee.
Dated at Region I, 2100 Renaissance Blvd., Suite 100, King of
Prussia, PA, this September 10th, 2012.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Judith Joustra,
Chief, Commercial and R&D Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety,
Region I.
[FR Doc. 2012-23558 Filed 9-24-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P