[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 24 (Monday, February 6, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7763-7765]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-02363]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 30-39264; NRC-2023-0032]


Qal-Tek Associates LLC; Mayfield, Idaho Waste Handling and 
Temporary Storage Facility

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 issuing a 
finding of no significant impact (FONSI) and accompanying environmental 
assessment (EA) for an application from Qal-Tek Associates LLC (QTA) to 
operate a waste handling and temporary storage facility near Mayfield, 
Idaho. Based on the analysis in the EA, the NRC staff has concluded 
that there would be no significant impacts to environmental resources 
from QTA's proposed activities at the proposed facility and, therefore, 
a FONSI is appropriate.

DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document are available on 
February 6, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2023-0032 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-2023-0032. 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]. 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, 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 
a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern time (ET), Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.

[[Page 7764]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Park, Office of Nuclear Material 
Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, 
DC 20555-0001, telephone: 301-415-6954, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The NRC is considering a license application from QTA, for 
operation of a waste handling and temporary storage facility, to be 
located near Mayfield, Idaho. By this application, QTA is seeking NRC 
authorization to receive, process, verify, package, temporarily store, 
and then ship low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) offsite for final 
disposal and also sealed sources and devices for offsite recycling or 
disposal as LLRW. As required by section 51.21 of title 10 of the Code 
of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ``Criteria for and identification of 
licensing and regulatory actions requiring environmental assessments,'' 
the NRC prepared an EA that documents the NRC staff's independent 
evaluation of the potential environmental impacts of QTA's proposed 
activities at the Mayfield facility. Based on the analysis in the EA, 
the NRC staff has concluded that there would be no significant impacts 
to environmental resources from QTA's proposed activities and, 
therefore, a FONSI is appropriate.

II. Summary of Environmental Assessment

Description of the Proposed Action

    QTA proposes to operate a waste processing and temporary storage 
facility near Mayfield, Idaho, where LLRW sent from NRC or Agreement 
State licensees, either by road or rail, would be received, verified, 
processed, and potentially stored for up to 180 days prior to being 
shipped offsite for final dispositioning. QTA anticipates that most of 
its handling operations would be performed with the waste materials in 
their original transportation packaging. However, in some situations, 
QTA expects to process and repackage waste when certain individual bulk 
waste packages do not meet the intended disposal facility's waste 
acceptance criteria or when it is advantageous to combine wastes, when 
allowed, into a larger package prior to shipment for offsite disposal. 
QTA also anticipates receiving packages containing Class A through 
Class C [as defined in 10 CFR 61.55(a)(2)(i) through (iii)] low-
activity sealed sources and devices for consolidation and appropriate 
offsite disposition (i.e., either recycling or disposal).
    The buildings that QTA would use for its proposed activities are 
enclosed with security fencing to restrict unauthorized access. A rail 
right-of-way passes through one side of one building at the site and a 
vehicle right-of-way runs down the adjacent side of a connected 
building. Access to both right-of-way passages would be controlled by 
motorized, lockable roll-up doors. QTA intends to replace the existing 
trailer offices at the site with new trailer units that would provide 
administrative offices and access to the buildings. QTA would also 
replace fencing as needed at the site, add 121.9 meters (m) [400 feet 
(ft)] of fencing to enclose the controlled storage areas, pour a 15.2 m 
by 15.2 m (50 ft by 50 ft) concrete storage pad west of the site 
buildings, and conduct limiting trenching for upgraded utilities. Six 
to eight employees would work full-time at the site, and three 
employees would work there part-time.
    QTA anticipates receiving Class A through Class C sealed sources 
and devices and Class A soil, debris, and water wastes from U.S. 
nuclear power plants, research and accelerator facilities, and other 
commercial licensees as well as cleanup and decommissioning wastes from 
Federal cleanup projects. QTA estimates that it would receive an 
average of 19,272 cubic meters (25,207 cubic yards) of waste materials 
annually over the five-year period from 2022 to 2026, with most waste 
shipments coming in bulk containers (e.g., gondola railcars, intermodal 
containers, and large soft-sided bags). Other wastes would likely be 
received in 208.1-liter (55-gallon) drums. QTA estimates that the site 
would receive, on a monthly basis, approximately 50 waste shipments by 
truck and approximately 12 shipments by rail.
    After QTA's verification and processing of the incoming bulk LLRW 
shipments and short-term onsite storage, when applicable, the wastes 
would be transported offsite for final disposal. Possible final 
disposal sites for commercially-generated LLRW are: (1) the U.S. 
Ecology LLRW disposal site in Richland, Washington; (2) the 
EnergySolutions LLRW disposal site in Clive, Utah; and (3) the Waste 
Control Specialists (WCS) LLRW disposal site in Andrews County, Texas 
(TX). Disposal at a non-LLRW disposal site (e.g., the U.S. Ecology-
Idaho (USEI) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Subtitle C landfill 
in Grand View, Idaho, would require prior NRC approval on a case-by-
case basis for each disposal action in accordance with the NRC's 
alternate disposal request review process. Wastes received from the 
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) would be disposed only at locations 
authorized to receive DOE wastes for final disposal (e.g., the WCS site 
in Andrews County, TX). Prior to shipment, QTA would ensure that the 
wastes transported offsite for final disposal meet the waste acceptance 
criteria for the disposal site. QTA estimates that approximately 85 
truck shipments per month would transport LLRW to disposal sites over a 
5-year period of 2022 to 2026.
    For sealed sources and devices arriving at QTA's facility in 
packages or containers, QTA would either approve these for offsite 
disposal or accept them for sorting and dispositioning. QTA would store 
sealed sources and devices in a dedicated onsite Controlled Storage 
Area. Sealed sources and devices would be transferred either to USEI 
for final disposal, if the devices are exempt under 10 CFR parts 30 or 
40, or to an NRC- or Agreement State-licensed LLRW disposal site or 
recycler if they are classified as Class A through Class C LLRW.

Need for the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would allow QTA to use the proposed Mayfield 
facility as a LLRW verification and temporary storage facility prior to 
the dispositioning of these wastes at sites authorized to accept these 
types of materials. Additionally, QTA expects that its proposed 
facility would serve as a waste characterization facility for licensees 
that want to outsource waste characterization services and the 
dispositioning of their sealed sources.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC staff has assessed the potential environmental impacts from 
QTA's proposed waste handling and temporary storage activities at the 
Mayfield site. The NRC staff assessed the impacts of the proposed 
action on land use; historical and cultural resources; visual and 
scenic resources; climatology, meteorology, and air quality; geology 
and soils; water resources; ecological resources; socioeconomics; 
noise; traffic and transportation; public and occupational health and 
safety; and waste management. The NRC staff determined that impacts to 
these environmental resource areas would be minimal. With respect to 
ecological resources, the NRC staff determined that the proposed action 
would have no effect on listed endangered or threatened species or 
their critical habitat. The NRC staff also determined that no 
historical properties would be affected by the undertaking (i.e., QTA's 
proposed action).

[[Page 7765]]

Additionally, the NRC staff concluded the environmental consequences 
from a postulated terrorist attack at the proposed Mayfield facility 
would not result in a significant impact to the environment.

Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered 
denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). 
Under the no-action alternative, the NRC would not grant the requested 
license to QTA and the current operations at the Mayfield site would 
continue. USEI currently uses the site for the occasional offloading of 
rail tankers containing bulk liquids that arrive at the Mayfield 
facility. U.S. Ecology receives tanker loads of both hazardous and non-
hazardous liquids for treatment and ultimate disposal at its USEI Grand 
View, Idaho facility. Rail tankers containing bulk liquids are pumped 
into awaiting tanker trucks for transportation to the landfill.
    Additionally, under the no-action alternative, NRC and NRC 
Agreement State licensees would continue to use their existing 
procedures and processes for dispositioning LLRW. These procedures and 
processes would include the temporary onsite storage of such wastes and 
the testing and verification of these wastes prior to their shipment 
offsite for final disposal.
    The NRC staff does not expect a change in environmental impacts 
under the no-action alternative given that disposal of LLRW in 
accordance with the Federal and State regulations and requirements 
ensure the protection of public health and safety and the environment. 
The NRC concluded that environmental impacts from the no-action 
alternative would be not significant.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    On November 17, 2022, the staff provided a copy of the draft EA to 
the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality for its review and 
comment. In its December 16, 2022, response letter, the State noted 
that it had no comments on the draft document.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    Based on its review of the proposed action, in accordance with 10 
CFR part 51, the NRC staff has determined that issuance of a materials 
license to QTA, authorizing LLRW and sealed sources and devices 
receipt, verification, processing and temporary storage activities at 
the facility site near Mayfield, Idaho, would not significantly affect 
the quality of the human environment. Approval of the proposed action 
would result in minimal ground-disturbing activities at the site, and 
waste receipt, handling, and processing activities would be conducted 
to keep occupational and radiological doses below the applicable limits 
in 10 CFR part 20. On the basis of the EA, the NRC finds that there are 
no significant environmental impacts from the proposed action, and that 
preparation of an environmental impact statement is not warranted. 
Accordingly, the NRC has determined that a FONSI is appropriate. In 
accordance with 10 CFR 51.32(a)(4), this FONSI incorporates the EA set 
forth in this notice by reference.

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                        ADAMS accession No.
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QTA's License Application, dated February 11,     ML23030B799.
 2021.
QTA's responses to NRC Request for Additional     ML22004A136 (Package).
 Information (RAI), dated July 23, 2021.
QTA's RAI response, dated February 18, 2022.....  ML22133A005.
QTA's Response to NRC's request for RAI           ML22123A201 and
 clarifications, dated March 8, 2022.              ML22123A209.
NRC Staff ``Guidance for the Reviews of Proposed  ML18296A068.
 Disposal Procedures and Transfers of
 Radioactive Material Under 10 CFR 20.2002 and
 10 CFR 40.13(a)''.
NRC's request for review and comment on Draft     ML23011A268.
 EA, dated November 17, 2022.
State of Idaho Department of Environmental        ML23011A261.
 Quality's Letter providing comments on the
 Draft EA, dated December 16, 2022.
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    Dated: January 31, 2023.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Robert Sun,
Acting Chief, Environmental Review Materials Branch, Division of 
Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial Support, Office of Nuclear 
Material Safety, and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2023-02363 Filed 2-3-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P