[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 225 (Friday, November 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62364-62365]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-30619]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket 70-7002]
Notice of Amendment To Certificate of Compliance GDP-2 for the
U.S. Enrichment Corporation Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant
Portsmouth, OH
The Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, has
made a determination that the following amendment request is not
significant in accordance with 10 CFR 76.45. In making that
determination, the staff concluded that: (1) there is no change in the
types or significant increase in the amounts of any effluents that may
be released offsite; (2) there is no significant increase in individual
or cumulative occupational radiation exposure; (3) there is no
significant construction impact; (4) there is no significant increase
in the potential for, or radiological or chemical consequences from,
previously analyzed accidents; (5) the proposed changes do not result
in the possibility of a new or different kind of accident; (6) there is
no significant reduction in any margin of safety; and (7) the proposed
changes will not result in an overall decrease in the effectiveness of
the plant's safety, safeguards, or security programs. The basis for
this determination for the amendment request is described below.
The NRC staff has reviewed the certificate amendment application
and concluded that it provides reasonable assurance of adequate safety,
safeguards, and security and compliance with NRC requirements.
Therefore, the Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and
Safeguards, is prepared to issue an amendment to the Certificate of
Compliance for the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS). The
staff has prepared a Compliance Evaluation Report which provides
details of the staff's evaluation.
The NRC staff has determined that this amendment satisfies the
criteria for a categorical exclusion in accordance with 10 CFR 51.22.
Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental impact
statement or environmental assessment need be prepared for this
amendment.
USEC or any person whose interest may be affected may file a
petition, not exceeding 30 pages, requesting review of the Director's
Decision. The petition must be filed with the Commission not later than
15 days after publication of this Federal Register Notice. A petition
for review of the Director's Decision shall set forth with
particularity the interest of the petitioner and how that interest may
be affected by the results of the decision. The petition should
specifically explain the reasons why review of the Decision should be
permitted with particular reference to the following factors: (1) the
interest of the petitioner; (2) how that interest may be affected by
the Decision, including the reasons why the petitioner should be
permitted a review of the Decision; and (3) the petitioner's areas of
concern about the activity that is the subject matter of the Decision.
Any person described in this paragraph (USEC or any person who filed a
petition) may file a response to any petition for review, not to exceed
30 pages, within 10 days after filing of the petition. If no petition
is received within the designated 15-day period, the Director will
issue the final amendment to the Certificate of Compliance without
further delay. If a petition for review is received, the decision on
the amendment application will become final in 60 days, unless the
Commission grants the petition for review or otherwise acts within 60
days after publication of this Federal Register Notice.
A petition for review must be filed with the Secretary of the
Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001, Attention: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff, or may be
delivered to the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman
Building, 2120 L Street, NW, Washington, DC, by the above date.
For Further Details with Respect to the Action see: (1) the
application for amendment and (2) the Commission's Compliance
Evaluation Report. These items are available for public inspection at
the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L
Street, NW, Washington, DC, and at the Local Public Document Room.
Date of Amendment Request: June 16, 1997.
Brief Description of Amendment: The proposed amendment, in
accordance with a commitment made in the USEC certificate application,
adds an additional criticality safety program element to the list of
elements committed to in Technical Safety Requirement (TSR) 3.11.1.
Section 3.9 of the PORTS Safety Analysis Report (SAR) Revision 4
dated July 26, 1996, summarizes the upgrades
[[Page 62365]]
required to bring the process facilities in compliance with the
descriptions provided in SAR Chapter 3. One of the upgrades involves
the identification of Structures, Systems and Components (SSCs) and
associated support systems required to meet the nuclear criticality
safety (NCS) double contingency principle. These SSCs are also referred
to as AQ-NCS SSCs. By March 3, 1997, USEC was required by Issue 23 of
the Compliance Plan (DOE/ORO-2027/R3) submitted as part of their
certificate application, to identify and delineate AQ-NCS SSCs and
their associated support systems. According to USEC, this action has
been completed. A commitment made in SAR Section 3.9.10 entitled
``Identification of Nuclear Criticality Safety SSCs,'' requires USEC to
follow-up by revising TSR 3.11.1, to reflect identification of AQ-NCS
SSCs and their associated support systems. As such, USEC has proposed
to add a new fourth bullet to TSR 3.11.1 to state that the NCS program
will address the identification of SSCs and support systems necessary
to meet the double contingency principle.
Basis for Finding of No Significance
1. The proposed amendment will not result in a change in the types
or significant increase in the amounts of any effluents that may be
released offsite.
This amendment adds an additional TSR commitment related to the
PORTS NCS program by requiring identification of SSCs and support
systems necessary to meet the double contingency principle. As such, it
will not result in a significant change in the types or significant
increase in the amounts of any effluents that may be released offsite.
2. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant increase
in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
This amendment adds an additional TSR commitment related to the
PORTS NCS program by requiring identification of SSCs and support
systems necessary to meet the double contingency principle. As such, it
will not result in a significant increase in individual or cumulative
occupational radiation exposures.
3. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant
construction impact.
The proposed amendment does not involve any construction,
therefore, there will be no construction impacts.
4. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant increase
in the potential for, or radiological or chemical consequences from,
previously analyzed accidents.
This amendment adds an additional TSR commitment related to the
PORTS NCS program by requiring identification of SSCs and support
systems necessary to meet the double contingency principle. As such, it
will not significantly increase the potential for, or radiological or
chemical consequences from, previously analyzed accidents.
5. The proposed amendment will not result in the possibility of a
new or different kind of accident.
This amendment adds an additional TSR commitment related to the
PORTS NCS program by requiring identification of SSCs and support
systems necessary to meet the double contingency principle. As such, it
will not result in new or different kinds of accidents.
6. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant
reduction in any margin of safety.
This amendment adds an additional TSR commitment related to the
PORTS NCS program by requiring identification of SSCs and support
systems necessary to meet the double contingency principle. As such,
there will not be a significant reduction of any margin of safety. On
the contrary, this amendment may constitute an increase in the NCS
margin of safety.
7. The proposed amendment will not result in an overall decrease in
the effectiveness of the plant's safety, safeguards, or security
programs.
This amendment adds an additional TSR commitment related to the
PORTS NCS program by requiring identification of SSCs and support
systems necessary to meet the double contingency principle. As such, it
will not result in an overall decrease in the effectiveness of the
plant's safety program. On the contrary, this amendment may increase
the effectiveness of the plant's NCS program.
The staff has not identified any safeguards or security related
implications from the proposed amendment. Therefore, the proposed
amendment will not result in an overall decrease in the effectiveness
of the plant's safeguards, or security programs.
Effective date: The amendment to GDP-2 will become effective
immediately after issuance by NRC.
Certificate of Compliance No. GDP-2: Amendment will revise the
Technical Safety Requirements.
Local Public Document Room location: Portsmouth Public Library,
1220 Gallia Street, Portsmouth, Ohio 45662.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 12th day of November 1997.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carl J. Paperiello,
Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 97-30619 Filed 11-20-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
