[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 197 (Tuesday, October 13, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61502-61503]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25858]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[NRC-2012-0271]
Expanded River Reconnaissance Paleoliquefaction Study Area
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) has prepared an
Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate the potential environmental
impacts that may arise as a result of additional geologic field work
for a paleoliquefaction research project. The NRC has determined that
there will be no adverse effects to any historic or cultural resources
that may be located in the paleoliquefaction study's area of potential
effects. The NRC has also concluded that a Finding of No Significant
Impact (FONSI) is appropriate.
DATES: October 13, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2012-0271 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You
may obtain 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-2012-0271. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; 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 obtain publicly-available documents online in the
ADAMS Public Documents collection 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 (if it available in
ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is referenced. The EA
and the associated FONSI is publicly available in ADAMS under Accession
No. ML15275A424.
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: Thomas Weaver, Office of Nuclear
Regulatory Research, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-2383; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
On November 2, 2012, the NRC issued a FONSI for field work to
support paleoliquifaction studies along certain river segments located
in Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Virginia.
The NRC provided notice of the FONSI and the supporting EA upon which
the FONSI was based, in a Federal Register notice dated November 7,
2012 (77 FR 66874). The NRC has identified additional river segments in
Missouri, Arkansas, and Mississippi where the NRC will conduct
additional field work of the same nature described in its 2012 EA. This
field work will study geologic features such as sand blows and sand
dikes that formed during historic and pre-historic earthquakes as a
result of soil liquefaction, which is the process of water pressure
increasing in the soil due to cyclic shaking with an associated
significant decrease in soil strength. The results from this research
will be used to update models implemented in probabilistic seismic
hazard analyses, which are used in evaluating sites for new nuclear
power reactors to characterize ground motions in accordance with
section 100.23(d)(1) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal
[[Page 61503]]
Regulations (10 CFR). These results may also be used for future seismic
hazard evaluations for existing nuclear power reactors.
The NRC has prepared an EA to evaluate the potential environmental
impacts that may arise as a result of this research project in
accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR part 51, the NRC's
regulations that implement Section 102(2) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as amended. Based on the EA, and in accordance with
10 CFR 51.31(a), the NRC has concluded that a FONSI is appropriate.
Field work for this project will commence following publication of this
Notice.
II. EA Summary
The NRC has prepared the EA to evaluate the potential environmental
impacts of the field work to be performed along select river segments
for this project. In accordance with Section 7 of the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the NRC staff
requested informal consultation with the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service. No concerns were identified for Federally listed
species or designated critical habitat. This project is temporary,
minimally invasive, and will occur outside the critical nesting times
for migratory birds. Further, researchers will avoid mussel beds and
active nests, and will minimize disturbance to vegetation.
Similarly, the NRC determined that there will be no adverse effects
to any historic or cultural resources that may be located in the
paleoliquefaction study's area of potential effects within the states
of Arkansas, Missouri and Mississippi. The Arkansas, Mississippi, and
Missouri State Historic Preservation Officers have concurred with this
finding.
Finally, the NRC has determined that there will be no significant
impacts to any other resource areas (e.g., surface water, groundwater,
air quality) as a result of the proposed field work.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the EA and as further described in the FONSI, the
NRC has concluded that there are no significant environmental impacts
from the proposed field work and has determined not to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day of October 2015.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John P. Burke,
Chief, Structural, Geotechnical, and Seismic Engineering Branch,
Division of Engineering, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 2015-25858 Filed 10-9-15; 8:45 am]
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