[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 179 (Monday, September 16, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56944-56947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-22468]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 72-27; NRC-2011-0115]


Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Humboldt Bay Independent Spent 
Fuel Storage Installation

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an 
environmental assessment (EA) and a finding of no significant impact 
(FONSI) for an amendment request submitted by Pacific Gas and Electric 
Company (PG&E), on September 8, 2010, as supplemented, for the Humboldt 
Bay Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI).

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2011-0115 when contacting the

[[Page 56945]]

NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may access publicly-available information related to this document 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2011-0115. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-287-
3422; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact 
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 
this document.
     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 document (if that document is 
available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is 
referenced. In addition, for the convenience of the reader, the ADAMS 
accession numbers are provided in a table in the section of this 
document entitled, Availability of Documents.
     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: Kristina Banovac, Project Manager, 
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, telephone: 301-287-
0686, email: [email protected]; U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction

    The NRC is considering issuance of an amendment to Materials 
License No. SNM-2514 that would allow for the storage of greater than 
Class C (GTCC) process waste at the Humboldt Bay ISFSI. PG&E submitted 
its license amendment request by letter dated September 8, 2010 (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML102530291), as supplemented on January 28, 2011 (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML110400027), April 1, 2011 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML110940211), September 9, 2011 (ADAMS Accession No. ML112521432), June 
19, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML12171A306), June 25, 2012 (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML12178A273), October 4, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML12279A041), January 16, 2013 (ADAMS Accession No. ML13017A375), March 
7, 2013 (ADAMS Accession No. ML13071A073), and March 21, 2013 (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML13084A078). On April 14, 2011, the NRC staff found 
PG&E's application to be acceptable for a detailed review (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML111050245). The NRC published a notice of amendment and 
opportunity to request a hearing and to petition for leave to intervene 
in the Federal Register on May 27, 2011 (76 FR 30980).
    The NRC staff has prepared an EA (ADAMS Accession No. ML13241A289) 
in support of its review of PG&E's license amendment request, in 
accordance with the NRC regulations in part 51 of Title 10 of the Code 
of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ``Environmental Protection Regulations 
for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions,'' which 
implement the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 
U.S.C. Sec.  4321 et seq.). Based on the EA, the NRC staff has 
determined that the proposed amendment to License No. SNM-2514 to allow 
storage of GTCC process waste at the Humboldt Bay ISFSI will not 
significantly affect the quality of the human environment, and the NRC, 
thus, has concluded that a FONSI is appropriate. The NRC staff further 
finds that preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is 
not warranted.

II. Environmental Assessment Summary

Background

    The Humboldt Bay ISFSI is located on the Humboldt Bay Power Plant 
(HBPP) site, in Humboldt County, California, approximately 4.8 
kilometers (3 miles) southwest of the city of Eureka, California. PG&E 
is currently storing spent nuclear fuel and is authorized by NRC, under 
License No. SNM-2514, to also store GTCC activated metal waste at the 
Humboldt Bay ISFSI.

Proposed Action

    PG&E initiated the proposed federal action by submitting an 
application to amend NRC License No. SNM-2514 to allow approximately 
0.5 cubic feet of solid GTCC process waste to be stored at the Humboldt 
Bay ISFSI. The GTCC process waste consists of miscellaneous solid waste 
resulting from HBPP Unit 3 operations and from decommissioning, 
including debris from spent fuel pool cleanup. The license amendment, 
if approved, would allow PG&E to store the GTCC process waste at the 
Humboldt Bay ISFSI, in accordance with the requirements in 10 CFR part 
72.
    The proposed license amendment does not involve any construction 
activities, land disturbance, excavation, or physical changes to the 
HBPP facilities, site, or environment. The proposed action involves a 
change associated with ISFSI operations, by the addition of the GTCC 
process waste as a material that can be stored at the existing Humboldt 
Bay ISFSI. The GTCC process waste would be stored in the same GTCC 
storage cask as the GTCC activated metal waste that is already approved 
to be stored in the ISFSI. The proposed action involves a minor change 
in the design of the GTCC storage cask, in that a section of pipe is 
welded to the bottom of the inner canister to hold and provide 
stabilization for the process waste container that contains the process 
waste. The proposed action also involves a minor change in the loading 
operations in the HBPP Unit 3 spent fuel pool, in that the process 
waste container would need to be placed in the storage cask before the 
activated metal is placed in the cask.

Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action.

    The purpose and need for the proposed action is to provide an 
option that allows temporary dry storage of GTCC process waste 
resulting from operation and decommissioning of HBPP Unit 3. PG&E is in 
the process of decommissioning HBPP Unit 3. As decommissioning 
activities commenced, it became apparent to PG&E that License No. SNM-
2514 would need to be amended to allow storage of the GTCC process 
waste at the ISFSI. Removal of GTCC process waste from the HBPP Unit 3 
spent fuel pool to the existing ISFSI would permit the dismantling and 
decommissioning of the existing reactor structures (including the spent 
fuel pool) of the HBPP Unit 3 facility. This would allow earlier 
termination of the 10 CFR part 50 license for HBPP Unit 3 (License No. 
DPR-7) and release of most areas for unrestricted use.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC staff has determined that potential environmental impacts 
associated with storage of the GTCC process waste at the Humboldt Bay 
ISFSI are bounded by the environmental impacts associated with 
construction, operation, and decommissioning of the ISFSI. These 
environmental impacts were evaluated in the NRC staff's assessment, 
``Environmental

[[Page 56946]]

Assessment Related to the Construction and Operation of the Humboldt 
Bay Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation,'' dated October 2005, 
in which the NRC staff concluded that the construction, operation, and 
decommissioning of the Humboldt Bay ISFSI would not result in a 
significant impact to the environment (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML052430106).
    The NRC staff expects the radiological doses to workers and to the 
public associated with the proposed action to be bounded by previous 
analyses, and that radiological doses would be below the NRC's 
regulatory limits in 10 CFR Part 20 and Part 72. Additionally, the NRC 
staff expects that non-radiological environmental impacts from storage 
of the GTCC process waste at the ISFSI, would be bounded by those 
previously analyzed, because: (1) The proposed action would not involve 
any construction activities, land disturbance, excavation, physical 
changes to the HBPP facilities, or changes in land use; (2) operation 
of the ISFSI does not require usage of water resources; and (3) the 
ISFSI does not generate gaseous, liquid, or solid effluents or wastes 
during operation.
    The NRC staff evaluated the direct effects, indirect effects, and 
cumulative impacts that each resource area--land use, transportation, 
socioeconomics, air quality, geology and soils, water resources, 
ecology, including threatened and endangered species, noise, visual and 
scenic resources, public and occupational health, and waste 
management--may encounter from the proposed action. The NRC staff 
determined that the impacts in these areas would not be significant. 
The NRC staff also analyzed the impacts of the proposed action on 
historic and cultural resources and determined that the proposed action 
will have no effect on historic and cultural resources. The NRC staff 
also evaluated the impacts from a hypothetical terrorist attack on the 
GTCC process waste and concluded that a hypothetical terrorist attack 
would not result in a significant environmental impact.

Alternative to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC staff considered 
denial of the amendment request (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). 
Under the no-action alternative, PG&E would continue to store the GTCC 
process waste under its 10 CFR Part 50 license for HBPP Unit 3, either 
in the spent fuel pool or in another appropriately shielded 
configuration. PG&E would not be able to completely decommission the 
existing Unit 3 radioactive reactor structures and facility, including 
the spent fuel pool, and therefore would not be able to request 
termination of the 10 CFR part 50 license (License No. DPR-7) and 
release of most areas of the site for unrestricted use. PG&E would 
continue to maintain and monitor the spent fuel pool, the management of 
solid radioactive wastes, and the monitoring of effluents under the 
existing 10 CFR part 50 license. Denial of the amendment request would 
result in no change to the environmental impacts associated with 
storage of GTCC process waste at the spent fuel pool under the 10 CFR 
part 50 license.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    The NRC staff consulted with several other agencies and parties 
regarding the environmental impacts of the proposed action. These 
consultations were intended to afford the designated agency or party 
the opportunity to comment on the proposed action and to ensure that 
the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act, Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, and Section 305 of the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act are met with 
respect to the proposed action. With regard to the above laws, NRC 
staff requested input from the California Office of Historic 
Preservation, the California Native American Heritage Commission, 
Federally-recognized Indian Tribes (the Wiyot Tribe, the Bear River 
Band of Rohnerville Rancheria, and the Blue Lake Rancheria), the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration National Marine Fisheries Service. The NRC staff used 
the information provided during the consultations to inform its EA.
    The NRC staff provided a draft of its EA to the California Energy 
Commission for review. On July 12, 2013, the California Energy 
Commission responded by electronic mail and stated that it had no 
comments on the EA.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    The NRC staff has reviewed PG&E's license amendment request to 
allow storage of GTCC process waste at the Humboldt Bay ISFSI. Based on 
its review of the proposed action, in accordance with the requirements 
in 10 CFR part 51, the NRC staff has determined that approval of the 
proposed amendment to NRC License No. SNM-2514 to allow storage of GTCC 
process waste at the Humboldt Bay ISFSI will not significantly affect 
the quality of the human environment. For these reasons, NRC has 
determined that pursuant to 10 CFR 51.31, preparation of an EIS is not 
required for the proposed action, and pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, a 
Finding of No Significant Impact is appropriate.

IV. Availability of Documents

    The following documents, related to this Notice, can be found using 
any of the methods provided in the following table. Instructions for 
accessing ADAMS were provided under the ADDRESSES section of this 
Notice.

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                                                        ADAMS  Accession
                                                           No./Federal
             Date                      Document             Register
                                                            citation
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September 8, 2010.............  PG&E's application for       ML102530291
                                 license amendment.
January 28, 2011..............  Supplement to PG&E's         ML110400027
                                 application for
                                 license amendment.
April 1, 2011.................  Supplement to PG&E's         ML110940211
                                 application for
                                 license amendment.
September 9, 2011.............  Supplement to PG&E's         ML112521432
                                 application for
                                 license amendment.
June 19, 2012.................  Supplement to PG&E's         ML12171A306
                                 application for
                                 license amendment.
June 25, 2012.................  Supplement to PG&E's         ML12178A273
                                 application for
                                 license amendment.
October 4, 2012...............  Supplement to PG&E's         ML12279A041
                                 application for
                                 license amendment.
January 16, 2013..............  Supplement to PG&E's         ML13017A375
                                 application for
                                 license amendment.
March 7, 2013.................  Supplement to PG&E's         ML13071A073
                                 application for
                                 license amendment.
March 21, 2013................  Supplement to PG&E's         ML13084A078
                                 application for
                                 license amendment.
April 14, 2011................  NRC acceptance of            ML111050245
                                 PG&E's application
                                 for detailed review.
May 27, 2011..................  Notice of amendment          76 FR 30980
                                 and opportunity to
                                 request a hearing and
                                 to petition for leave
                                 to intervene.
September 9, 2013.............  NRC staff's EA for the       ML13241A289
                                 license amendment.

[[Page 56947]]

 
October 2005..................  NRC staff's original         ML052430106
                                 EA supporting
                                 issuance of license
                                 for Humboldt Bay
                                 ISFSI.
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    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 9th day of September 2013.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Kristina L. Banovac,
Project Manager, Licensing Branch, Division of Spent Fuel Storage and 
Transportation, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2013-22468 Filed 9-13-13; 8:45 am]
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