[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 147 (Monday, August 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50569-50570]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-18142]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50-131; NRC-2016-0154]


U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Alan J. Blotcky Reactor 
Facility

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: License termination; issuance.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is providing 
notice of the termination of Facility Operating License No. R-57 for 
the Alan J. Blotcky Reactor Facility (AJBRF). The NRC has terminated 
the license of the decommissioned AJBRF at the U.S. Department of 
Veterans Affairs (VA or the licensee) facility in Omaha, Nebraska, and 
has released the site for unrestricted use.

DATES: Notice of termination of Facility Operating License No. R-57 
given on August 1, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2016-0154 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-2016-0154. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463;

[[Page 50570]]

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 in this document 
(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: Kim Conway, Office of Nuclear Material 
Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington 
DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-1335; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The AJBRF in Omaha, Nebraska, was operated 
by the Omaha Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) to support 
nuclear medicine and research programs conducted at the Omaha VAMC. 
Between 1959 and 1965, the facility was funded as a national laboratory 
and employed approximately 30 people. The AJBRF was primarily used for 
neutron activation of biological samples, but was also used for 
training Fort Calhoun Station nuclear power reactor operators.
    By letters dated September 21, 2004, August 15, 2011, March 8, 
2012, May 21, 2014, and November 12, 2014, (ADAMS Accession Nos. 
ML042740512, ML11255A334, ML12075A202, ML14150A404 (Package), 
ML14335A597, respectively), the licensee submitted to the NRC an 
application for amendment of Facility Operating License No. R-57 for 
AJBRF. The application requested NRC approval of the AJBRF 
decommissioning plan (DP). The NRC approved the revised VA DP by 
Amendment No. 12 to License R-57, dated January 8, 2015 (ADAMS Package 
Accession No. ML14318A624).
    As required by the approved DP, the VA submitted a Final Status 
Survey (FSS) Plan, dated October 15, 2015 (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML15299A385), as a supplement to the DP. By letter dated November 4, 
2015 (ADAMS Accession No. ML15302A508), the NRC reviewed the FSS Plan 
and determined that it was consistent with the guidance in NUREG-1757, 
``Consolidated Decommissioning Guidance'' (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML063000243); and NUREG-1575, ``Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site 
Investigation Manual'' (ADAMS Accession No. ML082470583).
    On February 29, 2016, the VA submitted its FSS Report (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML16068A254) and requested termination of the AJBRF 
license. The report demonstrates that the criteria for termination, set 
forth in its DP and FSS Plan, have been satisfied. The FSS Report 
indicates that all individual radiological measurement determinations 
made throughout the facility for surface contamination (both total and 
removable) were found to be less than the criteria established in the 
DP. Similarly, all sample results were found to be less than the 
volumetric radionuclide concentration criteria established in the DP. 
Additionally, all the radioactive wastes have been removed from the 
facility, and documentation regarding its removal disposition is 
provided in the FSS Report. As such, the NRC staff determined that the 
survey results in the report comply with the criteria in the NRC-
approved DP and the release criteria in subpart E of part 20 of title 
10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR).
    On September 21-23, 2015 (ADAMS Accession No. ML15316A495), Region 
IV of the NRC conducted a routine safety inspection at the AJBRF. The 
inspection was an examination of the VA's licensed activities as they 
relate to radiation safety and to compliance with the Commission's 
regulations and the license conditions, including the DP and FSS Plan. 
The inspection consisted of observations by the inspectors, interviews 
with personnel, and a review of procedures and records. No health and 
safety concerns were identified during these inspections.
    On December 8-9, 2015, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) 
performed confirmatory surveys. The survey activities performed 
included cursory gamma scans, 100 percent of the facility floor, 
judgment scans of surfaces (based on unusual appearance, location 
relative to known contaminated areas, and high potential for residual 
radioactivity), direct measurements, and smear collection (wet and 
dry). The ORAU provided the results of the confirmatory surveys in a 
report dated February 24, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16173A165). The 
ORAU report showed that results of all samples were less than the 
volumetric radionuclide concentration criteria established in the DP.
    Based on observations during NRC inspections, decommissioning 
activities have been carried out by the VA in accordance with the 
approved AJBRF DP. Additionally, NRC staff evaluated the VA's FSS 
Report and the results of the independent confirmatory survey conducted 
by ORAU. All FSS Report measurements were found to be less than the DP 
and FSS Plan criteria, and ORAU's analytical results from independent 
confirmatory surveys were consistent with the VA's FSS Report results. 
Therefore, the NRC staff has concluded that the VA AJBRF has completed 
decommissioning in accordance with the approved DP. The NRC staff 
evaluated the VA AJBRF FSS Report, DP, and associated documentation and 
determined that the facilities and site are suitable for unrestricted 
release in accordance with the criteria for license termination in 10 
CFR part 20, subpart E. By letter dated July 22, 2016 (ADAMS Accession 
No. ML16173A093), the licensee was informed of the license termination.
    Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.82(b)(6), Facility Operating 
License No. R-57 is terminated.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 22nd day of July 2016.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John R. Tappert,
Director, Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery, and Waste 
Programs, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2016-18142 Filed 7-29-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P