[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 19 (Monday, January 29, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4079-4080]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-01522]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 40-9091; NRC-2011-0148]


Strata Energy, Inc.; Ross Uranium In Situ Recovery Facility; 
Source and Byproduct Materials License

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Final environmental assessment and finding of no significant 
impact; issuance.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering an 
amendment of Source and Byproduct Materials License SUA-1601 to modify 
a License Condition for the Strata Energy, Inc. (Strata) Ross In Situ 
Recovery (ISR) Project. Specifically, Strata is requesting that NRC 
approve a modification to License Condition 11.3(C) for Mine Units Nos. 
1 and 2 (MU1 and MU2) that would reduce the number of monitoring wells 
placed in the underlying aquifer. The NRC has prepared a final 
environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact 
(FONSI) for this licensing action.

[[Page 4080]]


DATES: The final EA and FONSI referenced in this document were 
available on January 17, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2011-0148 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 website: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2011-0148. 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 via email to [email protected]. The 
ADAMS accession number for each document referenced (if it is available 
in ADAMS) is provided the first time that it is mentioned in this 
document.
     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: Jessie Muir Quintero, Office of 
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-7476; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction

    The NRC is considering amending License Condition 11.3(C) of 
License SUA-1601 issued to Strata. As required by part 51 of title 10 
of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), the NRC prepared a final 
EA (ADAMS Accession No. ML17360A222). Based on the results of the final 
EA, described as follows, the NRC has determined not to prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) for the amendment, and is issuing 
a FONSI.

II. Environmental Assessment

Description of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would amend License Condition 11.3(C) of 
Strata's Ross license. Strata's amendment request (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML17103A262) would reduce the number of monitoring wells in the 
designated underlying aquifer.

Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would reduce Strata's burden of routine 
monitoring of low-yielding wells.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC assessed the environmental impacts to ground water as a 
result of amending License Condition 11.3 (C) and determined that there 
would be no significant impact to ground-water quality. The NRC 
determined the proposed changes to the License Condition--reduction in 
the number of monitoring wells in the underlying aquifer within MU1 and 
MU2--would still maintain Strata's ability to identify vertical 
exclusions into the underlying aquifer at MU2 where the unit has the 
potential to transmit water.

Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC staff considered 
denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). 
The No-Action Alternative would mean that the NRC would not approve the 
requested change to License Condition 11.3 (C). The No-Action 
alternative would result in Strata operating the Ross project as 
currently licensed, thus the impacts would be the same as those already 
considered in the Ross Supplemental EIS and the EA prepared for License 
Amendment No. 7 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML14056A096 and ML17191A371, 
respectively).

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On December 01, 2017, the NRC staff sent a copy of the draft EA to 
the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for their review 
and comment (ADAMS Accession No. ML17335A567). The Wyoming DEQ 
responded on January 2, 2018, with no comments on the draft EA (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML18003A749).

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    Based on its review of the proposed action, and in accordance with 
the requirements in 10 CFR part 51, the NRC staff has determined that 
amending License Condition 11.3(C) for the Ross ISR project would not 
significantly affect ground-water quality. The NRC staff 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 FONSI is 
appropriate.
    On the basis of the final EA, the NRC concludes that the proposed 
action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human 
environment. Accordingly, the NRC has determined not to prepare an EIS 
for the proposed action.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 23rd day of January 2018.

    For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Craig G. Erlanger,
Director, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety, Safeguards and Environmental 
Review, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2018-01522 Filed 1-26-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7590-01-P