[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