[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 92 (Friday, May 14, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26556-26558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-10241]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[NRC-2021-0110]


Environmental Assessment and Findings of No Significant Impact of 
Independent Spent Fuel Storage Facilities Decommissioning Funding Plans

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) is publishing 
this notice regarding the issuance of a final Environmental Assessment 
(EA) and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for its review and 
approval of the initial and updated decommissioning funding plans 
(DFPs) submitted by Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) for 
the Rancho Seco independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI).

DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document are available on 
May 14, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2021-0110 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 https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2021-0110. Address 
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; 
telephone: 301-415-0624; 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 https://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]. 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.
     Attention: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies 
of public documents, is currently closed. You may submit your request 
to the PDR via email at [email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or 
301-415-4737, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (EST), Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Allen, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-6877, email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The NRC is considering the approval of the initial and updated DFPs 
submitted by SMUD for the Rancho Seco ISFSI. The NRC staff has prepared 
a final EA and FONSI determination for SMUDS's initial and updated DFPs 
in accordance with the NRC regulations in Part 51 of title 10 of the 
Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ``Environmental Protection 
Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions,'' 
which implement the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
    The NRC requires its licensees to plan for the eventual 
decommissioning of their licensed facilities prior to license 
termination. On June 17, 2011, the NRC published a final rule in the 
Federal Register amending its decommissioning planning regulations (76 
FR 35511). The final rule amended the NRC regulation, 10 CFR 72.30, 
which concerns financial assurance and decommissioning for ISFSIs. This 
regulation requires each holder of, or applicant for, a license under 
10 CFR part 72 to submit a DFP for the NRC's review and approval. The 
DFP is to demonstrate the licensee's

[[Page 26557]]

financial assurance, i.e., that funds will be available to decommission 
the ISFSI. The NRC staff will later publish its financial analyses of 
the DFP submittals which will be available for public inspection in 
ADAMS.

II. Discussion

    The table in this notice includes the facility name, docket number, 
licensee, and ADAMS Accession Number for the final EA and FONSI 
determination for each of the individual ISFSIs. The table also 
includes the ADAMS Accession Numbers for other relevant documents, 
including the initial and updated DFP submittals. For further details 
with respect to these actions, see the NRC staff's final EA and FONSI 
determinations which are available for public inspection in ADAMS and 
at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket ID NRC-2021-0110. For 
additional direction on accessing information related to this document, 
see the ADDRESSES section of this document.

                    Finding of No Significant Impact
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           Facility                        Rancho Seco ISFSI
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Docket No....................  72-11.
Licensee.....................  Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
Proposed Action..............  The NRC's review and approval of SMUD's
                                initial and updated DFPs submitted in
                                accordance with 10 CFR 72.30(b) and (c).
Environmental Impact of        The NRC staff has determined that the
 Proposed Action.               proposed action, the review and approval
                                of SMUD's initial and updated DFPs,
                                submitted in accordance with 10 CFR
                                72.30(b) and (c), will not authorize
                                changes to licensed operations or
                                maintenance activities, or result in
                                changes in the types, characteristics,
                                or quantities of radiological or non-
                                radiological effluents released into the
                                environment from the ISFSI, or result in
                                the creation of solid waste. Moreover,
                                the approval of the initial and updated
                                DFPs will not authorize any construction
                                activity, facility modification, or
                                other land-disturbing activity. The NRC
                                staff has concluded that the proposed
                                action is a procedural and
                                administrative action that will not have
                                a significant impact on the environment.
Finding of No Significant      The proposed action does not require
 Impact.                        changes to the ISFSI's licensed routine
                                operations, maintenance activities, or
                                monitoring programs, nor does it require
                                new construction or land-disturbing
                                activities. The scope of the proposed
                                action concerns only the NRC's review
                                and approval of SMUD's initial and
                                updated DFPs. The scope of the proposed
                                action does not include, and will not
                                result in, the review and approval of
                                decontamination or decommissioning
                                activities or license termination for
                                the ISFSI. Therefore, the NRC staff
                                determined that approval of the initial
                                and updated DFPs for the Rancho Seco
                                ISFSI will not significantly affect the
                                quality of the human environment, and
                                accordingly, the staff has concluded
                                that a FONSI is appropriate. The NRC
                                staff further finds that preparation of
                                an environmental impact statement is not
                                required.
Available Documents..........  U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
                                ``Environmental Assessment re: Final
                                Rule: Decommissioning Planning'' (10 CFR
                                Parts 20, 30, 40, 50, 70, and 72; RIN
                                3150-AI55). Washington, DC. February
                                2009. ADAMS Accession No. ML090500648.
                               Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
                                ISFSI DFPs, dated March 14, 2013. ADAMS
                                Accession No. ML13098A100.
                               Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
                                ISFSI DFPs, dated March 23, 2015. ADAMS
                                Accession No. ML15093A058.
                               Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
                                ISFSI DFPs, dated March 14, 2016. ADAMS
                                Accession No. ML16102A097.
                               Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
                                ISFSI DFPs dated April 7, 2016. ADAMS
                                Accession No. ML16106A109.
                               U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ESA
                                Section 7 No Effect Determination for
                                ISFSI DFP Reviews (Note to File). May
                                2017. ADAMS Accession No. ML17135A062.
                               U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
                                Request for Additional Information
                                Regarding Sacramento Municipal Utility
                                District's DFP Update for Rancho Seco
                                ISFSI, dated April 3, 2018. ADAMS
                                Accession No. ML18094A261.
                               Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
                                Response to Request for Additional
                                Information Regarding DFPs for ISFSIs,
                                dated April 16, 2018. ADAMS Accession
                                No. ML18113A051.
                               U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
                                Review of the Draft EA and FONSI for the
                                Rancho Seco ISFSI DFP, dated May 20,
                                2016. ADAMS Accession No. ML16147A028.
                               U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Final
                                EA/FONSI for the SMUD Initial and
                                Updated DFPs Submitted in Accordance
                                with 10 CFR 72.30(B) and (C) for Rancho
                                Seco Nuclear Generating Station's ISFSI,
                                dated May 7, 2021. ADAMS Accession No.
                                ML21049A305.
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[[Page 26558]]

    Dated: May 11, 2021.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John B. McKirgan,
Chief, Storage and Transportation Licensing Branch, Division of Fuel 
Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2021-10241 Filed 5-13-21; 8:45 am]
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