[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 98 (Tuesday, May 21, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23083-23085]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-10488]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-409; NRC-2019-0120]
LaCrosse Solutions, LLC; La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor, Vernon
County, Wisconsin
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Final environmental assessment and finding of no significant
impact; issuance.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering an
amendment to Possession Only License DPR-45 to add a license condition
that reflects the NRC's approval of the license termination plan (LTP)
for the La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor (LACBWR) and provides criteria
for when prior NRC approval is needed to make changes to the LTP. The
NRC has prepared a final environmental assessment (EA) and finding of
no significant impact (FONSI) for this licensing action.
DATES: The final EA referenced in this document was available on May 6,
2019.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2019-0120 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-2019-0120. Address
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Jennifer Borges;
telephone: 301-287-9127; 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 ``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]. For the convenience of the reader,
instructions about obtaining materials referenced in this document are
provided in the ``Availability of Documents'' section.
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: Marlayna Vaaler, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards, telephone: 301-415-3178, email:
[email protected]; U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
In June 2016, LaCrosseSolutions, LLC (LS, the licensee) submitted a
license amendment request, which included the LTP for LACBWR. The LTP
was updated by LS in December 2016, May 2018, and November 2018. The
NRC is considering amending Possession Only License DPR-45 to add a
license condition that reflects the NRC's approval of the LTP and
provides criteria for when prior NRC approval is needed to make changes
to the LTP. As required by of title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR) part 51, ``Environmental Protection Regulations
for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions,'' the NRC
prepared a final EA. Based on the results of the final EA, as described
in the following sections, the NRC has determined not to prepare an
environmental impact statement (EIS) for the LACBWR LTP amendment, and
is issuing a FONSI.
II. Environmental Assessment
Description of the Proposed Action
The proposed action is NRC review and approval of the LACBWR LTP.
In its license amendment request, LS requested to add a license
condition: (1) Reflecting the NRC staff's approval of the LTP and (2)
providing criteria for when prior NRC approval is needed to make
changes to the LTP. If the NRC approves the LTP, the approval will be
issued in the form of an amendment to the LACBWR license to add the
requested license condition.
The LACBWR LTP provides the details of the plan for characterizing,
identifying, and remediating the remaining residual radioactivity at
the LACBWR site to a level that will allow the site to be released for
unrestricted use. The LACBWR LTP also describes
[[Page 23084]]
how the licensee will confirm the extent and success of remediation
through radiological surveys, provide financial assurance to complete
decommissioning, and ensure the environmental impacts of the
decommissioning activities are within the scope originally envisioned
in the associated environmental documents. The LTP outlines the
remaining decommissioning and dismantling activities; decommissioning
activities at the LACBWR site are scheduled to be complete in 2019,
with license termination occurring before the end of 2020.
Need for the Proposed Action
The purpose of and need for the proposed action is to allow for
completion of decommissioning of the LACBWR site by the licensee, the
termination of the LACBWR license by the NRC, and the subsequent
release of the LACBWR site for unrestricted use. The NRC will terminate
the license if it determines that the site meets the performance-based
criteria for unrestricted site release, in accordance with 10 CFR
20.1402, ``Radiological Criteria for Unrestricted Use,'' and that the
facility has been dismantled in accordance with the LTP.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC assessed the environmental impacts of the license
termination activities and remaining decommissioning activities and
determined there would be no significant impact to the quality of the
human environment.
During its review of the LACBWR LTP, the NRC concluded the impacts
for most resource areas--land use, air quality, ecology,
socioeconomics, historic and cultural resources, aesthetics, noise, and
transportation--were still bounded by the previously issued
Decommissioning Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS).
Therefore, the NRC does not expect impacts beyond those discussed in
the GEIS, which concluded that the impact level for these issues was
SMALL.
In the EA associated with the LACBWR LTP, the NRC evaluated the
potential site-specific environmental impacts of the remaining
decommissioning and license termination activities on climate change,
water resources, environmental justice, and waste management and did
not identify any significant impacts. For protected species, the NRC
determined that the proposed action may affect but not likely to
adversely affect the Higgins eye pearlymussel (Lampsilis higginsii),
the sheepnose mussel (Plethobasus cyphyus), and the northern long-eared
bat (Myotis septentrionalis).
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).
Under the no-action alternative, the NRC would not approve the LACBWR
LTP or the license amendment request because regulatory requirements
have not been met. Consequently, the LACBWR license would not be
terminated, decommissioning and other onsite maintenance and
operational activities involving the storage of spent nuclear fuel
would continue, and the remainder of the LACBWR site would not be
released for unrestricted use. If the NRC was unable to approve the
LACBWR LTP because the regulatory requirements were not met, then the
licensee would have to take the necessary actions to ensure the
regulations are met.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
On December 19, 2018, the NRC staff sent a copy of the draft EA
associated with the LACBWR LTP to the Wisconsin Department of Health
(WDHS) for review and comment. The WDHS responded on January 29, 2019,
with no comment.
The NRC consulted with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) on
listed protected species at the LACBWR site. On December 20, 2018, the
NRC requested FWS review and concurrence with the NRC's determination
that the proposed action may affect, but is not likely to adversely
affect three federally listed species. FWS concurred with the NRC's
determination on January 30, 2019.
The NRC also made a determination that no historic properties would
be affected, and on December 20, 2018, requested the Wisconsin State
Historical Society's concurrence on the finding. The State Historical
Society concurred with the NRC's finding on February 4, 2019.
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
pursuant to 10 CFR 51.31, ``Determinations based on environmental
assessment,'' preparation of an EIS is not required for the proposed
action and, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, ``Finding of no significant
impact,'' 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.
IV. Availability of Documents
The documents identified in the following table are available to
interested persons through one or more of the following methods, as
indicated.
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Document and date ADAMS Accession Nos./weblink
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License Amendment Request June 27, 2016 ML16200A095.
Supplemented LTP December 1, 2016...... ML16347A026.
LTP Revision 1 May 31, 2018............ ML18169A271 ML18169A235.
LTP Final Consolidated November 15, ML18331A023.
2018.
Final EA............................... ML19031B926.
NUREG-0586, Supplement 1 https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/
Decommissioning GEIS. doc-collections/nuregs/staff/
sr0586/.
Transmittal of Draft EA to WDHS ML18354B000.
December 19, 2018.
WDHS Comments on Draft EA January 29, ML19031B159.
2019.
Transmittal of Draft EA to FWS December ML18351A258.
19, 2018.
FWS Response January 30, 2019.......... ML19031B157.
Transmittal of Draft EA to WSHS ML18351A219.
December 19, 2018.
WHS Response February 9, 2019.......... ML19043A773.
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[[Page 23085]]
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, on May 15, 2019.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Andrew J. Pretzello,
Deputy Director, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety, Safeguards, and
Environmental Review, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2019-10488 Filed 5-20-19; 8:45 am]
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