[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 213 (Wednesday, November 4, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59582-59583]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29494]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Dockets 70-7001 and 70-7002]
Notice of Amendment to Certificates of Compliance GDP-1 and GDP-2
for the U.S. Enrichment Corporation (Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant
and Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Paducah, Kentucky and Piketon,
Ohio)
The Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, has
made a determination that the following administrative amendments are
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 amendments is shown below.
The NRC staff has concluded that the administrative amendments
provide 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 amendments to the Certificates of Compliance for the Paducah
Gaseous Diffusion Plant and the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The
staff has prepared a Compliance Evaluation Report which provides
details of the staff's evaluation.
The NRC staff has determined that these amendments satisfy the
criteria for a categorical exclusion in accordance with 10 CFR
51.22(c)(19). Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental
impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared for these
amendments.
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, 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 the Commission's
Compliance Evaluation Report.
Date of amendment request: There was no formal amendment request.
USEC, Inc. was formally privatized by the U.S. Treasury Department on
July 28, 1998. These amendments will impose the conditions of transfer
attached to the privatization action.
Brief description of amendment: The Commission conditionally
consented to the transfer of the certificates of compliance to the
privatized USEC. This transfer was subject to USEC consenting to three
proposed conditions that related to foreign ownership, control or
domination and the Russian High Enriched Uranium Agreement. On July 20,
1998, USEC consented to the conditions. USEC, Inc. was formally
privatized by the U.S. Treasury Department on July 28, 1998. These
amendments do not approve the transfer; they are administrative
amendments to add the conditions of transfer to the certificates of
compliance.
[[Page 59583]]
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.
Operations at the gaseous diffusion plants will remain unchanged.
The proposed action is to add three conditions of transfer to the
certificates of compliance. There will be no change to the types or
amount of effluents that may be released offsite.
2. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant increase
in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
The proposed amendments will not increase any exposure to
radiation. The action is solely an administrative action. Therefore,
the changes will not result in a significant increase in individual or
cumulative radiation exposure.
3. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant
construction impact.
The proposed amendment will not result in 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.
The proposed administrative amendments to add the conditions of
transfer to the certificates of compliance have no impact on the
potential for or occurrence of an accident or the resulting
consequences. Therefore, these changes will not increase the
probability of occurrence or consequence of any postulated accident
currently identified in the safety analysis reports.
5. The proposed amendment will not result in the possibility of a
new or different kind of accident.
The proposed amendments will not create the possibility of a new or
different type of equipment malfunction or a new or different type of
accident.
6. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant
reduction in any margin of safety.
The proposed amendments to add conditions to the certificates of
compliance will have no impact on the margin of safety. Therefore,
these changes do not decrease the margins 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.
Implementation of the proposed amendments does not change the
safety, safeguards, or security programs. Therefore, the effectiveness
of the safety, safeguards, and security programs is not decreased. In
approving the transfer, the Commission determined that the transfer
would not be inimical to the common defense and security of the United
States.
Effective date: The amendments to Certificates of Compliance GDP-1
and GDP-2 become effective immediately upon being signed by the
Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
Certificates of Compliance GDP-1 and GDP-2: Amendments will revise
the certificates of compliance to add three conditions of transfer
related to foreign ownership, control or domination and the Russian
High Enriched Uranium Agreement.
Local Public Document Room locations: Paducah Public Library, 555
Washington Street, Paducah, Kentucky 42003 and Portsmouth Public
Library, 1220 Gallia Street, Portsmouth, Ohio 45662.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 27th day of October, 1998.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carl J. Paperiello,
Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 98-29494 Filed 11-3-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P