[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74109-74111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-28278]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[NRC-2021-0159]
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact of
Morris Operation 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
submitted by GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas, LLC, for the Morris
Operation Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation.
DATES: The final EA and FONSI referenced in this document are available
on December 29, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2021-0159 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You
may obtain publicly available
[[Page 74110]]
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-2021-0159. 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.
NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public
documents, by appointment, at the NRC's PDR, Room P1 B35, One White
Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. To make
an appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to
[email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between
8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (ET), Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristina L. Banovac, Office of
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-7116, email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC is considering the approval of the initial and updated
decommissioning funding plans (DFPs) submitted by GE-Hitachi Nuclear
Energy Americas, LLC, (GEH) for the Morris Operation Independent Spent
Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI). The NRC staff has prepared a final
Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) determination for the 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 implements
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 35512). 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 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 ADAMS accession numbers for
the final EA and FONSI determination for the Morris Operation ISFSI.
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 this action, 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-
0159. 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 Morris operation ISFSI
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Docket No......................... 72-01.
Licensee.......................... GEH.
Proposed Action................... The NRC's review and approval of
GEH's initial and updated DFPs
submitted in accordance with 10 CFR
72.30(b) and (c).
Environmental Impact of Proposed
Action The NRC staff has determined
that the proposed action, the
review and approval of GEH'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 Impact.. The proposed action does not require
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 GEH'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 Morris Operation 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). February 2009.
ADAMS Accession No. ML090500648.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ESA Section 7 No Effect
Determination for ISFSI DFP Reviews
(Note to File), dated May 15, 2017.
ADAMS Accession No. ML17135A062.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Review of the Draft Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact for the GE
Morris Independent Spent Fuel
Storage Installation
Decommissioning Funding Plan, dated
August 17, 2017. ADAMS Accession
No. ML17226A160.
[[Page 74111]]
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Request for Additional Information
Regarding GE-Hitachi's
Decommissioning Funding Plan Update
for Morris Independent Spent Fuel
Storage Installation, dated
February 28, 2018. ADAMS Package
Accession No. ML18060A330.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Conversation Record of April 6,
2021, call with GEH, dated April
12, 2021. ADAMS Accession No.
ML21103A429.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Review of the Draft EA and FONSI
for the Morris Operation DFPs,
dated April 27, 2021. ADAMS
Accession No. ML21110A164.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Request for Additional Information
on Morris Operation Decommissioning
Funding Plans, dated June 15, 2021.
ADAMS Accession No. ML21167A332.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Response to Illinois Emergency
Management Agency Comments on the
Draft EA and FONSI for the Morris
Operation DFPs, dated July 8, 2021.
ADAMS Accession No. ML21182A107.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Final EA and FONSI for the GE-
Hitachi Nuclear Energy Initial and
Updated DFPs Submitted in
Accordance with 10 CFR 72.30(b) and
(c) for the Morris Operation ISFSI,
dated December 21, 2021. ADAMS
Accession No. ML21216A274.
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. GNF-A
Fuel Fabrication Facility & GEH
Morris Operation DFPs, dated
December 14, 2012. ADAMS Package
Accession No. ML123520161.
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. Updated
GEH Morris Operation DFP, dated
December 11, 2015. ADAMS Package
Accession No. ML15345A190.
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. GEH
Response to NRC Request for
Additional Information--Morris
Operation DFP, dated March 26,
2018. ADAMS Accession No.
ML18085A656.
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. Updated
GEH Morris Operation DFP, dated
December 14, 2018. ADAMS Package
Accession No. ML18348A613.
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. Updated
GEH Morris Operation (MO) DFP,
dated March 6, 2020. ADAMS
Accession No. ML20066K270.
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. GEH
Response to Request for Additional
Information for Acceptance Review
of the Morris Operation SNM-2500
DFP, dated April 21, 2021. ADAMS
Package Accession No. ML21111A333.
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. Updated
GEH Morris Operation (MO) DFP,
dated June 17, 2021. ADAMS Package
Accession No. ML21168A257.
Illinois Emergency Management
Agency. Review of the Draft EA and
FONSI for the Morris Operation
DFPs, dated June 4, 2021. ADAMS
Accession No. ML21166A206.
Illinois Emergency Management
Agency. Response to the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission's
Review of the Illinois Emergency
Management Agency's Comments of the
Draft EA and FONSI for the Morris
Operation DFPs, dated July 25,
2021. ADAMS Accession No.
ML21214A073.
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Dated: December 22, 2021.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Yoira Diaz-Sanabria,
Chief, Storage and Transportation Licensing Branch, Division of Fuel
Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2021-28278 Filed 12-28-21; 8:45 am]
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