[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 185 (Friday, September 23, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65683-65684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-22987]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[NRC-2012-0271]
Geologic Trench Excavations for Paleoliquefaction Study at Dyer
County, Tennessee Site
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 excavating trenches to observe
geologic features for a paleoliquefaction research project at a site
located in Dyer County, Tennessee. The NRC has concluded that a finding
of no significant impact (FONSI) is appropriate.
DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document are available
September 23, 2016.
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 are publicly available in ADAMS under
Accession No. ML16257A012.
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: Sarah Tabatabai, Office of Nuclear
Regulatory Research, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-2382; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC is performing a paleoliquefaction research project at a
site in Dyer County, which is located in northwestern Tennessee, to
characterize past earthquakes in the central and eastern United States.
Paleoliquefaction is a term describing specific geologic features
attributed to seismic events that occurred before ground-motion
measurements were taken or before detailed records were kept.
Paleoliquefaction studies facilitate preparing and planning for future
earthquakes by determining when past earthquakes occurred, along with
their frequency and size. Liquefaction is the transformation of
saturated granular material from a solid to a liquefied state as a
result of increased pore-water pressure; thus, it leaves evidence
behind in the geologic record. Typically the liquefied soil manifests
as sand in the form of sand dikes (when the liquefied sand intrudes
existing cracks or fissures) or sand blows (when the liquefied sand
erupts and spills over). The results from this research will be used to
update models implemented in probabilistic seismic hazard analyses to
characterize ground motion at new nuclear power plant sites in
accordance with section 100.23(d)(1) of title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR). The results of this research may also implemented
to re-evaluate seismic hazards at existing nuclear power plant sites.
The research project will entail the excavation of four trenches by
a backhoe at the project site. Each trench will measure about 3 feet
wide (i.e., the width of a backhoe bucket), 5 feet deep, and range in
length from 33 to 82 feet long. The proposed trenches are intentionally
sited to enable the study of earthquake-induced liquefaction features.
The excavation of the four trenches will be conducted by an NRC
contractor. The estimated study time during which the trenches will
remain in existence is approximately 2 weeks. The trenches will be
backfilled at the conclusion of this study.
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, of 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.
Geologic trenching this project will commence following publication of
this Notice.
[[Page 65684]]
II. EA Summary
The NRC has prepared the EA to evaluate the potential environmental
impacts of the excavation of four trenches at the project site. 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.
The NRC determined that there will be no adverse effects to any
historic or cultural resources that may be located at the Pritchett
site.
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 trench excavations, followed by
the backfilling of these trenches at the conclusion of the study.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the EA, the NRC has concluded that there are no
significant environmental impacts from the proposed work and has
determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement. The EA and
the associated FONSI are publicly available in ADAMS under Accession
No. ML16257A012.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 15 day of September, 2016.
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. 2016-22987 Filed 9-22-16; 8:45 am]
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