02-20433. Notice of Issuance of Amendment to Materials License No. SNM-2503; Duke Energy Corporation; Oconee Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) has issued Amendment 7 to Materials License SNM-2503 held by Duke Energy Corporation (Duke) for the receipt, possession, transfer, and storage of spent fuel at the Oconee Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), located in Oconee County, South Carolina. The amendment is effective as of the date of issuance.

By application dated October 31, 2001, Duke requested an amendment to Materials License SNM-2503 for the Oconee Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) to change the technical specifications for environmental reporting to the NRC. The request involved changing the frequency for submitting an environmental report of radioactive effluent releases from semi-annually to annually, in accordance with current NRC environmental reporting requirements in 10 CFR 72.44(d).

This amendment complies with the requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's rules and regulations. The Commission has made appropriate findings as required by the Act and the Commission's rules and regulations in 10 CFR chapter I, which are set forth in the license amendment.

In accordance with 10 CFR 72.46(b)(2), a determination has been made that the amendment does not present a genuine issue as to whether public health and safety will be significantly affected. Therefore, the publication of a notice of proposed action and an opportunity for hearing or a notice of hearing is not warranted. Notice is hereby given of the right of interested persons to request a hearing on whether the action should be rescinded or modified.

The Commission has determined that the issuance of the amendment meets the criteria for a categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(10) of the regulations. Therefore, an environmental assessment need not be prepared in connection with issuance of the amendment.

The request for amendment was docketed under 10 CFR part 72, Docket 72-4. For further details with respect to this action, see the amendment request dated October 31, 2001. The NRC maintains an Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), which provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. These documents may be accessed through the NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at http://www.nrc.gov/​reading-rm/​adams.html. If you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC Public Document Room (PDR) Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737 or by e-mail to [e-mail].

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 31st day of July, 2002.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

E. William Brach,

Director, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.