[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 91 (Thursday, May 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39662-39663]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-10124]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 70-7033; NRC-2024-0061]
Global Laser Enrichment, LLC.; New Headquarters; Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice; issuance.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is
considering approval of a revision to the program cyber security plan
(PCSP) held by Global Laser Enrichment, LLC (GLE) to extend the
classified network to a new headquarters building. The NRC staff is
issuing an environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant
impact (FONSI) associated with the proposed revisions.
DATES: The EA and FONSI referenced in this document are available on
May 9, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2024-0061 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-2024-0061. 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, at 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. Individuals
seeking access to Official Use Only information should contact Matthew
Bartlett, using the contact information below.
NRC's PDR: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies
of publicly available documents, is open by appointment. 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Bartlett, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone: 301-415-7154; email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC staff is considering the approval of an update to a PCSP
held by GLE for operations at a new headquarters, located in
Wilmington, NC, approximately 6.2 miles from GLE's existing test loop
facility. Therefore, 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 staff has prepared an EA that analyzes the
environmental effects of the proposed action. Based on the results of
the EA and in accordance with 10 CFR 51.31(a), the NRC staff is issuing
a FONSI for the proposed update to the PCSP.
Approval of the updated PCSP would allow for the incorporation of
classified systems at the new headquarters building into the existing
GLE authorization to operate a classified network. The request for
approval of an updated PCSP was submitted September 21, 2023, and
updated November 13, 2023. The NRC staff is also considering the
approval of a separate but related request for issuance of a facility
clearance under 10 CFR part 95 for GLE's new headquarters building,
published in the Federal Register on April 29, 2024 (89 FR 33404).
II. Environmental Assessment
Description of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would allow GLE to extend the classified
computer network to a new headquarters location approximately 6.2 miles
from the test loop. As proposed, GLE would continue to possess, use,
and store classified matter at its test loop facility and would also
possess, use, and store classified matter at the new headquarters
location under the revised PCSP. GLE operates a test loop for
industrialization of the uranium enrichment process that uses
separation of isotopes by laser excitation. Although GLE has an NRC-
issued facility security clearance for the test loop facility under 10
CFR part 95 for protection of classified matter, the facility's
operations, safety, and safeguards programs are authorized under the
Global Nuclear Fuel--America license SNM-1097.
Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action would allow GLE to extend the classified
computer network to a new headquarters location to facilitate further
research and development potentially leading to the industrialization
of the laser enrichment process. The proposed NRC staff approval of the
updated PCSP would add approval for the possession and use of
classified matter at the new headquarters location.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC staff has assessed the potential environmental impacts from
GLE's updated PCSP. The classified systems at the headquarters building
will include appropriate controls for the protection of classified
matter. These headquarter systems will facilitate the exchange of
classified matter with the test loop facility but will have no
operational or environmental impacts on the test loop. The NRC staff
evaluated the potential for impacts at the GLE headquarters facility
from the proposed action, which involves only changes to information
systems. The NRC staff concluded that the proposed action will cause no
significant change in the types of or significant increase in the
amounts of any effluents that may be released offsite, that there will
be no significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational
radiation exposure, that there will be no significant construction
impact, and that there will be no significant increase in the potential
for or consequences from radiological accidents. 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, minerals, and soils; water resources; ecological
resources; socioeconomics; noise; traffic and transportation; public
and occupational health and safety; and waste management and concluded
that the proposed action would have no significant environmental
impacts on these resource areas. The NRC staff
[[Page 39663]]
determined that there are no cumulative impacts associated with the
proposed action.
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 this alternative, GLE would not be granted approval of the
updated cyber security plan. Denial of the proposed action would result
in GLE being unable to conduct operations related to classified matter
at its headquarters location. GLE would continue its current operations
at the test loop facility. The NRC staff concluded that environmental
impacts from the no-action alternative would not be significant.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) was enacted to prevent further
decline of endangered and threatened species and restore those species
and their critical habitat. Section 7 of the ESA requires Federal
agencies to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the
National Marine Fisheries Service, as appropriate, regarding actions
that may affect listed species or designated critical habitats. The NRC
staff has determined that the proposed action would have no effect on
threatened or endangered species or critical habitat. Therefore,
consultation under section 7 of the ESA is not required.
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)
requires Federal agencies to consider the effects of their undertakings
on historic properties. As stated in the NHPA, historic properties are
any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or
object included in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register
of Historic Places. The NRC staff has determined that the undertaking
is a type of activity that does not have the potential to cause effects
on any historic properties that may be present. Therefore, in
accordance with 36 CFR 800.3(a)(1), the NRC has no further obligations
under section 106 of the NHPA.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
GLE has requested approval of its updated PCSP. The NRC staff has
prepared an EA as part of its review of the proposed action. The
proposed action would have no significant radiological or non-
radiological impacts to environmental resources. This FONSI
incorporates by reference the EA in Section II of this notice. On the
basis of this EA, the NRC staff 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 environmental
impact statement.
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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ADAMS Accession
Document description No.
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Approval of Updates to the Global Laser Enrichment ML24037A127
LLC Standard Practice, Procedure Plan and
Transportation Plan, to Support the New, Off-Site
Headquarters Building, dated May 1, 2024............
Submission of Global Laser Enrichment, LLC Cyber ML23283A247
Security Plan Incorporating Coverage for the new GLE
Headquarters, dated September 21, 2023..............
Submission of Global Laser Enrichment Program Cyber ML23335A135
Security Plan Incorporating Coverage for the new GLE
Headquarters updated PCSP, dated November 13, 2023..
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Dated: May 5, 2024.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Samantha Lav,
Chief, Fuel Facilities Licensing Branch, Division of Fuel Management,
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 2024-10124 Filed 5-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P