[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]
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