82 FR 16239 - Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station Vernon, Vermont and US Ecology Idaho Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Subtitle C Hazardous and Low-Activity Radioactive Waste Treatment and Disposal Facility
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 62 (April 3, 2017)
Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 62 (April 3, 2017)
| Page Range | 16239-16241 | |
| FR Document | 2017-06495 |
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 62 (Monday, April 3, 2017)] [Notices] [Pages 16239-16241] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2017-06495] [[Page 16239]] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 50-271; NRC-2017-0085] Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station Vernon, Vermont and US Ecology Idaho Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Subtitle C Hazardous and Low-Activity Radioactive Waste Treatment and Disposal Facility AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact; issuance. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuing an approval to Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (ENO, or the licensee) for alternate disposal of low-activity radioactive waste water containing byproduct material from the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VY). Additionally, the NRC is considering the related action of approving an exemption to US Ecology Idaho (USEI) from the licensing requirements of section 30.3 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), to allow USEI to receive and possess the byproduct radioactive materials from VY without an NRC license. The NRC staff is issuing an environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) associated with the proposed approvals. DATES: The EA is available on April 3, 2017. ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2017-0085 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 Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2017-0085. Address questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415- 3463; 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 http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and then 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, 301-415-4737, or by email to [email protected]. For the convenience of the reader, the ADAMS Accession numbers are provided in a table in the Availability of Documents section of this document. NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jack D. Parrott, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-00001; telephone: 301-415-6634, email: [email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction The NRC is considering a request dated January 14, 2016, ADAMS Accession No. ML16029A071, as supplemented by letter dated June 28, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16182A035), and email dated August 11, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16231A028) by ENO for alternate disposal of approximately 757,082 l (200,000 gal) of low-activity radioactive waste water containing byproduct material from VY to the USEI Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle C hazardous and low- activity radioactive waste treatment and disposal facility located near Grand View, Idaho. Additionally, USEI requested, by letter dated January 14, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. ML16021A173), an exemption from the licensing requirements of 10 CFR 30.3 to allow USEI to receive and possess the byproduct radioactive materials from VY without an NRC license. These requests were made under the alternate disposal provision contained in 10 CFR 20.2002 and the exemption provisions in 10 CFR 30.11. This EA has been developed in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR 51.30. II. Environmental Assessment Description of Proposed Action The proposed action consists of NRC approval of ENO's alternate disposal request under 10 CFR 20.2002 and USEI's exemption request under 10 CFR 30.11. The proposed action arises from the licensee's shutdown of its VY power reactor facility on December 29, 2014. By January 12, 2015, ENO certified that VY had permanently ceased power operations and that all fuel had been permanently removed from the reactor vessel and placed in the spent fuel pool, thus beginning the decommissioning phase for VY (ADAMS Accession No. ML15013A426). In its January 14, 2016 letter, ENO requested approval for the alternative waste disposal of certain low-activity radioactive waste water containing byproduct material (waste water) resulting from activities associated with preparing for long-term dormancy of VY as part of the decommissioning process. The ENO's January 14, 2016 letter transmitted its application for alternative waste disposal, which was submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 20.2002. The ENO's application described the transport and the disposal of the waste water at the USEI facility. In its January 14, 2016 letter, USEI also requested an exemption from the licensing requirements of 10 CFR 30.3, pursuant to 10 CFR 30.11, for the USEI facility in Grand View, Idaho, to allow for the disposal of the ENO waste water. Because the USEI facility is not licensed by the NRC, this proposed action would require the NRC to exempt USEI from the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (AEA) and NRC licensing requirements in 10 CFR part 30 with respect to the low- activity material authorized for disposal. The USEI facility is a RCRA Subtitle C hazardous waste disposal facility permitted by the State of Idaho. The USEI site has both natural and engineered features that limit the release of any stored radioactive material into the environment. The natural features include a low annual precipitation rate of 18.4 cm (7.4 in)/year, and a long average vertical distance to groundwater below the disposal zone of 61 m (203 ft). The [engineered features include the cover, the liners, and the leachate monitoring systems. The waste water would be transported by truck from the VY facility in Vernon, Vermont to the USEI facility in 40 shipments of 18,927 liters (5,000 gal) each. The subject waste consists of approximately 757,082 liters (200,000 gal) of water associated with the decommissioning of VY and preparing the VY facility for long-term dormancy. Since the cessation of plant operations, plant process water has been drained from systems creating a surplus of water. The waste water to be disposed of is currently stored in the former VY suppression chamber (Torus). The Torus has a capacity of 41,639,953 liters (1,100,000 gal) and, as of January 14, 2016, was filled to approximately 96% of capacity. The water in the Torus is continuously circulated and filtered/demineralized to minimize suspended solids. For disposal, the waste water will be pumped from the Torus, from an upper elevation in the Torus that [[Page 16240]] minimizes entrainment of bottom sediment, through the former high pressure coolant injection suction strainers located inside the Torus. The waste water being considered under this request will include fission and activation products resulting from VY operations. The radionuclide concentrations, which are described in ENO's January 14, 2016 submittal and its June 28, 2016 supplemental information, are expected to be low and to remain low through the shipment campaign. Need for Proposed Action The need for the proposed action is to authorize an appropriate method of disposal for surplus waste water containing radioactive material currently stored at the shutdown VY power reactor in Vernon, VT. The waste water was generated as a result of the subsequent draining of plant process water from the various plant systems following cessation of plant operations. The VY waste water storage system, the Torus, is at approximately 96% of its capacity. The USEI facility in Grand View, Idaho has the capability to receive and process the waste water. Upon receipt at USEI, the waste water will be solidified with clay and disposed as a soil-like waste. Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action The NRC staff has reviewed the evaluation performed by the licensee to demonstrate compliance with the 10 CFR 20.2002 alternate disposal criteria. Under these criteria, a licensee may seek NRC authorization to dispose of licensed material using procedures not otherwise authorized by NRC regulations. The licensee's application must include a description of the waste containing licensed material, including the physical and chemical properties important to risk evaluation, and the proposed manner and conditions of waste disposal. The application must also include an analysis and evaluation of pertinent environmental information and the nature and location of any other potentially affected licensed and unlicensed facilities. Finally, the licensee's supporting analysis must show that the radiological doses arising from the proposed 10 CFR 20.2002 disposal will be as low as reasonably achievable and within the 10 CFR part 20 dose limits. The licensee performed a radiological assessment. Based on this assessment, ENO concludes that the dose equivalent for the Maximally Exposed Individual, which includes workers involved in the transportation and placement of this waste, will not exceed ``a few mrem per year.'' The standard of a ``few [millirem per year] mrem/yr'' to a member of the public is set forth in NRC Regulatory Issues Summary 2004-08, ``Results of the License Termination Rule Analysis'' (ADAMS Accession No. ML041460385). The transportation workers and USEI workers are treated as members of the public because the USEI site, while permitted by the State of Idaho under RCRA to accept certain radioactive materials, is not licensed by the NRC. The NRC staff evaluated activities and potential doses associated with transportation, waste handling and disposal as part of the review of this 10 CFR 20.2002 application. This evaluation is documented in a Safety Evaluation Report (ADAMS Accession No. ML16320A442). The projected doses to individual transportation and USEI workers have been appropriately estimated and are demonstrated to meet the NRC's alternate disposal requirement of not more than ``a few mrem/yr'' to any member of the public. The licensee also performed a radiological assessment of the potential dose to the general public from the USEI RCRA facility after its closure. They evaluated a post-closure dose to a member of the public, the intruder construction scenario, the intruder well drilling scenario, and the intruder driller occupancy scenario. All of the results were not more than ``a few mrem/yr'' for approval of an alternate disposal authorization at an operating site. The NRC staff's independent review of the post-closure and intruder scenarios confirmed that the maximum projected dose over a period of 1,000 years is also within ``a few mrem/yr.'' Additionally, the proposed action would not significantly increase occupational or public radiation exposures. With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the NRC staff concludes that the proposed action would not have significant impacts upon any environmental resources. Activities associated with the proposed action occurring at the VY facility are bounded by prior environmental analyses, including the NRC's ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities,'' NUREG- 0586, Supplement 1 (2002). The transportation of the waste water is also similarly bounded by the transportation analyses in NUREG-0586, Supplement 1.\1\ This environmental assessment incorporates by reference and tiers off of NUREG-0586, Supplement 1. Additionally, the NRC staff determined that the proposed action (i.e., undertaking) is not the type of activity that would have the potential to cause effects on historic properties, and that the proposed action would have no effect on endangered or threatened species or their critical habitat. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ NUREG-0586, Supplement 1, is available on the NRC's public Web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr0586/s1/v1. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC staff considered the no-action alternative, under which the staff would deny the disposal request. The denial of the request would result in the waste water being transported to another out-of-state waste disposal facility that is authorized to take this waste water (the current practice). All other factors would remain the same or similar. Therefore, the environmental impacts of the proposed action and the no-action alternative are similar and the no-action alternative is accordingly was not further considered. Agencies and Persons Consulted The NRC provided a draft of this EA and draft of the NRC Safety Evaluation Report (SER) for this proposed action to the State of Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the State of Vermont Department of Public Service for review on December 12, 2016 (ADAMS Accession Nos. ML17013A250, ML17013A257, and ML17013A303) for a 30-day review. No comments were received from the State of Idaho. Comments were received from the State of Vermont by letter dated January 11, 2017 (ADAMS Accession No. ML17012A240). The State of Vermont commented on the potential for changes to the radionuclide concentrations in the water to be disposed and how that would affect dose, how particulate contamination in the water to be disposed would be avoided, how the concentration of radionuclides in the water to be disposed would be verified and how those concentrations would be controlled relative to dose, and on the calculated dose rate to the drivers of the tanker trucks. These comments were all comments on the NRC's SER, and were addressed by revising or supplementing the final SER (ADAMS Accession No. ML17055C780). An additional comment came from the State of Vermont on the potential for non-radioactive hazardous contamination in the water to be [[Page 16241]] shipped. Non-radiological impacts from this disposal have been addressed in this EA as having been bounded by previous environmental analysis. Further State of Vermont concerns about non-radiological constituents in the water to be shipped should be addressed to ENO under the State's authority for regulation of hazardous wastes. III. Finding of No Significant Impact The proposed action consists of the NRC approval of ENO's alternate disposal request under 10 CFR 20.2002 and USEI's exemption request under 10 CFR 30.11. The NRC staff has prepared this EA in support of the proposed action. On the basis of this EA and NUREG-0586, Supplement 1, which are incorporated by reference, the NRC finds that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment, and therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement is not warranted. Accordingly, the NRC has determined that a Finding of No Significant Impact is appropriate. IV. Availability of Documents Documents related to the proposed action, including the application and supporting documentation, are available electronically at the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. From this site, you can access the NRC's ADAMS, which provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. The documents related to this action are listed below, along with their ADAMS accession numbers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Document Date ADAMS accession No. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ENO letter to NRC, Vermont Yankee--Submittal of 10 CFR 01/14/2016 ML16029A071 20.2002 Request for Alternate Waste Disposal at US Ecology. USEI letter to NRC, US Ecology Idaho, Inc.--Request for 01/14/2016 ML16021A173 Exemptions under 10 CFR 30.11 for Alternate Disposal of Wastes from Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant Under 10 CFR 20.2002. NRC letter to ENO, Request for Additional Information 03/22/2016 ML16077A345 Related to 10 CFR 20.2002 Alternate Waste Disposal Request for Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station. ENO letter to NRC, Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station-- 06/28/2016 ML16182A035 Response to Request for Additional Information Related to 10 CFR 20.2002, Alternate Waste Disposal Request. NRC email to ENO, Follow-up Questions Related to Entergy 07/28/2016 ML16231A219 Request for 20.2002 Disposal of Contaminated Water. ENO email to NRC, Response to NRC Questions Related to 08/11/2016 ML16231A028 Request for 20.2002 Disposal of Contaminated Water. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 email at [email protected]. These documents may also be viewed on the public computers located at the NRC's PDR, O 1 F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The PDR reproduction contractor will copy documents for a fee. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of March 2017. For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Bruce A. Watson, Chief, Reactor Decommissioning Branch, Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Recovery, and Waste Programs, Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards. [FR Doc. 2017-06495 Filed 3-31-17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY please contact the NRC’s Public phase for VY (ADAMS Accession No.
COMMISSION Document Room (PDR) reference staff at ML15013A426).
1–800–397–4209, 301–415–4737, or by In its January 14, 2016 letter, ENO
[Docket No. 50–271; NRC–2017–0085] requested approval for the alternative
email to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. For the
convenience of the reader, the ADAMS waste disposal of certain low-activity
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power
Accession numbers are provided in a radioactive waste water containing
Station Vernon, Vermont and US
table in the Availability of Documents byproduct material (waste water)
Ecology Idaho Resource Conservation
section of this document. resulting from activities associated with
and Recovery Act Subtitle C
• NRC’s PDR: You may examine and preparing for long-term dormancy of VY
Hazardous and Low-Activity
purchase copies of public documents at as part of the decommissioning process.
Radioactive Waste Treatment and
the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One The ENO’s January 14, 2016 letter
Disposal Facility
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville transmitted its application for
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. alternative waste disposal, which was
Commission. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jack submitted in accordance with 10 CFR
ACTION: Environmental assessment and D. Parrott, Office of Nuclear Material 20.2002. The ENO’s application
finding of no significant impact; Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear described the transport and the disposal
issuance. Regulatory Commission, Washington, of the waste water at the USEI facility.
DC 20555–00001; telephone: 301–415– In its January 14, 2016 letter, USEI
SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 6634, email: Jack.Parrott@nrc.gov. also requested an exemption from the
Commission (NRC) is considering licensing requirements of 10 CFR 30.3,
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
issuing an approval to Entergy Nuclear pursuant to 10 CFR 30.11, for the USEI
Operations, Inc. (ENO, or the licensee) I. Introduction facility in Grand View, Idaho, to allow
for alternate disposal of low-activity The NRC is considering a request for the disposal of the ENO waste water.
radioactive waste water containing dated January 14, 2016, ADAMS Because the USEI facility is not licensed
byproduct material from the Vermont Accession No. ML16029A071, as by the NRC, this proposed action would
Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VY). supplemented by letter dated June 28, require the NRC to exempt USEI from
Additionally, the NRC is considering 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as
the related action of approving an ML16182A035), and email dated August amended (AEA) and NRC licensing
exemption to US Ecology Idaho (USEI) 11, 2016 (ADAMS Accession No. requirements in 10 CFR part 30 with
from the licensing requirements of ML16231A028) by ENO for alternate respect to the low-activity material
section 30.3 of title 10 of the Code of disposal of approximately 757,082 l authorized for disposal.
Federal Regulations (10 CFR), to allow (200,000 gal) of low-activity radioactive The USEI facility is a RCRA Subtitle
USEI to receive and possess the C hazardous waste disposal facility
waste water containing byproduct
byproduct radioactive materials from permitted by the State of Idaho. The
material from VY to the USEI Resource
VY without an NRC license. The NRC USEI site has both natural and
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
staff is issuing an environmental engineered features that limit the release
Subtitle C hazardous and low-activity
assessment (EA) and finding of no of any stored radioactive material into
radioactive waste treatment and
significant impact (FONSI) associated the environment. The natural features
disposal facility located near Grand
with the proposed approvals. include a low annual precipitation rate
View, Idaho. Additionally, USEI
of 18.4 cm (7.4 in)/year, and a long
DATES: The EA is available on April 3, requested, by letter dated January 14,
average vertical distance to groundwater
2017. 2016 (ADAMS Accession No.
below the disposal zone of 61 m (203 ft).
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID ML16021A173), an exemption from the The [engineered features include the
NRC–2017–0085 when contacting the licensing requirements of 10 CFR 30.3 to cover, the liners, and the leachate
NRC about the availability of allow USEI to receive and possess the monitoring systems. The waste water
information regarding this document. byproduct radioactive materials from would be transported by truck from the
You may obtain publicly-available VY without an NRC license. These VY facility in Vernon, Vermont to the
information related to this document requests were made under the alternate USEI facility in 40 shipments of 18,927
using any of the following methods: disposal provision contained in 10 CFR liters (5,000 gal) each.
• Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to 20.2002 and the exemption provisions The subject waste consists of
http://www.regulations.gov and search in 10 CFR 30.11. This EA has been approximately 757,082 liters (200,000
for Docket ID NRC–2017–0085. Address developed in accordance with the gal) of water associated with the
questions about NRC dockets to Carol requirements of 10 CFR 51.30. decommissioning of VY and preparing
Gallagher; telephone: 301–415–3463; II. Environmental Assessment the VY facility for long-term dormancy.
email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For Since the cessation of plant operations,
technical questions, contact the Description of Proposed Action plant process water has been drained
individual listed in the FOR FURTHER The proposed action consists of NRC from systems creating a surplus of
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this approval of ENO’s alternate disposal water. The waste water to be disposed
document. request under 10 CFR 20.2002 and of is currently stored in the former VY
• NRC’s Agencywide Documents USEI’s exemption request under 10 CFR suppression chamber (Torus). The Torus
Access and Management System 30.11. The proposed action arises from has a capacity of 41,639,953 liters
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly- the licensee’s shutdown of its VY power (1,100,000 gal) and, as of January 14,
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
available documents online in the reactor facility on December 29, 2014. 2016, was filled to approximately 96%
ADAMS Public Documents collection at By January 12, 2015, ENO certified that of capacity. The water in the Torus is
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ VY had permanently ceased power continuously circulated and filtered/
adams.html. To begin the search, select operations and that all fuel had been demineralized to minimize suspended
‘‘ADAMS Public Documents’’ and then permanently removed from the reactor solids. For disposal, the waste water
select ‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS vessel and placed in the spent fuel pool, will be pumped from the Torus, from an
Search.’’ For problems with ADAMS, thus beginning the decommissioning upper elevation in the Torus that
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minimizes entrainment of bottom waste, will not exceed ‘‘a few mrem per environmental assessment incorporates
sediment, through the former high year.’’ The standard of a ‘‘few [millirem by reference and tiers off of NUREG–
pressure coolant injection suction per year] mrem/yr’’ to a member of the 0586, Supplement 1. Additionally, the
strainers located inside the Torus. The public is set forth in NRC Regulatory NRC staff determined that the proposed
waste water being considered under this Issues Summary 2004–08, ‘‘Results of action (i.e., undertaking) is not the type
request will include fission and the License Termination Rule Analysis’’ of activity that would have the potential
activation products resulting from VY (ADAMS Accession No. ML041460385). to cause effects on historic properties,
operations. The radionuclide The transportation workers and USEI and that the proposed action would
concentrations, which are described in workers are treated as members of the have no effect on endangered or
ENO’s January 14, 2016 submittal and public because the USEI site, while threatened species or their critical
its June 28, 2016 supplemental permitted by the State of Idaho under habitat.
information, are expected to be low and RCRA to accept certain radioactive Environmental Impacts of the
to remain low through the shipment materials, is not licensed by the NRC. Alternatives to the Proposed Action
campaign. The NRC staff evaluated activities and
potential doses associated with As an alternative to the proposed
Need for Proposed Action action, the NRC staff considered the no-
transportation, waste handling and
The need for the proposed action is to action alternative, under which the staff
disposal as part of the review of this 10
authorize an appropriate method of would deny the disposal request. The
CFR 20.2002 application. This
disposal for surplus waste water denial of the request would result in the
evaluation is documented in a Safety
containing radioactive material waste water being transported to
Evaluation Report (ADAMS Accession
currently stored at the shutdown VY another out-of-state waste disposal
No. ML16320A442). The projected
power reactor in Vernon, VT. The waste facility that is authorized to take this
doses to individual transportation and
water was generated as a result of the waste water (the current practice). All
USEI workers have been appropriately
subsequent draining of plant process other factors would remain the same or
estimated and are demonstrated to meet
water from the various plant systems similar. Therefore, the environmental
the NRC’s alternate disposal
following cessation of plant operations. impacts of the proposed action and the
The VY waste water storage system, the requirement of not more than ‘‘a few
no-action alternative are similar and the
Torus, is at approximately 96% of its mrem/yr’’ to any member of the public.
no-action alternative is accordingly was
capacity. The USEI facility in Grand The licensee also performed a not further considered.
View, Idaho has the capability to receive radiological assessment of the potential
and process the waste water. Upon dose to the general public from the USEI Agencies and Persons Consulted
receipt at USEI, the waste water will be RCRA facility after its closure. They The NRC provided a draft of this EA
solidified with clay and disposed as a evaluated a post-closure dose to a and draft of the NRC Safety Evaluation
soil-like waste. member of the public, the intruder Report (SER) for this proposed action to
construction scenario, the intruder well the State of Idaho Department of
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed drilling scenario, and the intruder Environmental Quality and the State of
Action driller occupancy scenario. All of the Vermont Department of Public Service
The NRC staff has reviewed the results were not more than ‘‘a few for review on December 12, 2016
evaluation performed by the licensee to mrem/yr’’ for approval of an alternate (ADAMS Accession Nos.
demonstrate compliance with the 10 disposal authorization at an operating ML17013A250, ML17013A257, and
CFR 20.2002 alternate disposal criteria. site. ML17013A303) for a 30-day review. No
Under these criteria, a licensee may seek The NRC staff’s independent review comments were received from the State
NRC authorization to dispose of of the post-closure and intruder of Idaho. Comments were received from
licensed material using procedures not scenarios confirmed that the maximum the State of Vermont by letter dated
otherwise authorized by NRC projected dose over a period of 1,000 January 11, 2017 (ADAMS Accession
regulations. The licensee’s application years is also within ‘‘a few mrem/yr.’’ No. ML17012A240). The State of
must include a description of the waste Additionally, the proposed action Vermont commented on the potential
containing licensed material, including would not significantly increase for changes to the radionuclide
the physical and chemical properties occupational or public radiation concentrations in the water to be
important to risk evaluation, and the exposures. disposed and how that would affect
proposed manner and conditions of With regard to potential non- dose, how particulate contamination in
waste disposal. The application must radiological impacts, the NRC staff the water to be disposed would be
also include an analysis and evaluation concludes that the proposed action avoided, how the concentration of
of pertinent environmental information would not have significant impacts radionuclides in the water to be
and the nature and location of any other upon any environmental resources. disposed would be verified and how
potentially affected licensed and Activities associated with the proposed those concentrations would be
unlicensed facilities. Finally, the action occurring at the VY facility are controlled relative to dose, and on the
licensee’s supporting analysis must bounded by prior environmental calculated dose rate to the drivers of the
show that the radiological doses arising analyses, including the NRC’s ‘‘Generic tanker trucks. These comments were all
from the proposed 10 CFR 20.2002 Environmental Impact Statement on comments on the NRC’s SER, and were
disposal will be as low as reasonably Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities,’’ addressed by revising or supplementing
achievable and within the 10 CFR part
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
NUREG–0586, Supplement 1 (2002). the final SER (ADAMS Accession No.
20 dose limits. The transportation of the waste water is ML17055C780). An additional comment
The licensee performed a radiological also similarly bounded by the came from the State of Vermont on the
assessment. Based on this assessment, transportation analyses in NUREG– potential for non-radioactive hazardous
ENO concludes that the dose equivalent 0586, Supplement 1.1 This contamination in the water to be
for the Maximally Exposed Individual,
which includes workers involved in the 1 NUREG–0586, Supplement 1, is available on the reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr0586/s1/
transportation and placement of this NRC’s public Web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/ v1.
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shipped. Non-radiological impacts from and USEI’s exemption request under 10 IV. Availability of Documents
this disposal have been addressed in CFR 30.11. The NRC staff has prepared
this EA as having been bounded by this EA in support of the proposed Documents related to the proposed
previous environmental analysis. action. On the basis of this EA and action, including the application and
Further State of Vermont concerns about NUREG–0586, Supplement 1, which are supporting documentation, are available
non-radiological constituents in the incorporated by reference, the NRC electronically at the NRC’s Electronic
water to be shipped should be finds that the proposed action will not Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/
addressed to ENO under the State’s have a significant effect on the quality reading-rm/adams.html. From this site,
authority for regulation of hazardous of the human environment, and you can access the NRC’s ADAMS,
wastes. therefore, the preparation of an which provides text and image files of
III. Finding of No Significant Impact environmental impact statement is not NRC’s public documents. The
warranted. Accordingly, the NRC has documents related to this action are
The proposed action consists of the listed below, along with their ADAMS
NRC approval of ENO’s alternate determined that a Finding of No
Significant Impact is appropriate. accession numbers.
disposal request under 10 CFR 20.2002
ADAMS
Document Date accession No.
ENO letter to NRC, Vermont Yankee—Submittal of 10 CFR 20.2002 Request for Alternate Waste Disposal 01/14/2016 ML16029A071
at US Ecology.
USEI letter to NRC, US Ecology Idaho, Inc.—Request for Exemptions under 10 CFR 30.11 for Alternate Dis- 01/14/2016 ML16021A173
posal of Wastes from Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant Under 10 CFR 20.2002.
NRC letter to ENO, Request for Additional Information Related to 10 CFR 20.2002 Alternate Waste Disposal 03/22/2016 ML16077A345
Request for Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station.
ENO letter to NRC, Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station—Response to Request for Additional Informa- 06/28/2016 ML16182A035
tion Related to 10 CFR 20.2002, Alternate Waste Disposal Request.
NRC email to ENO, Follow-up Questions Related to Entergy Request for 20.2002 Disposal of Contaminated 07/28/2016 ML16231A219
Water.
ENO email to NRC, Response to NRC Questions Related to Request for 20.2002 Disposal of Contaminated 08/11/2016 ML16231A028
Water.
If you do not have access to ADAMS, NUCLEAR REGULATORY The City Hall is located at 100 Civic
or if there are problems in accessing the COMMISSION Court, Homestead, Florida 33033. If the
documents located in ADAMS, contact evidentiary hearing lasts longer than
[Docket Nos. 52–040–COL and 52–041–
the NRC Public Document Room (PDR) COL; ASLBP No. 10–903–02–COL–BD01]
one day, we will adjourn on Tuesday
Reference staff at 1–800–397–4209, 301– afternoon and will reconvene and
415–4737, or by email at pdr@nrc.gov. Atomic Safety and Licensing Board; continue at 9:30 a.m. EDT on
These documents may also be viewed Notice of Hearing Wednesday, May 3, 2017. We anticipate
on the public computers located at the that the evidentiary hearing will not
March 28, 2017. take more than two days.
NRC’s PDR, O 1 F21, One White Flint
North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Before Administrative Judges: E. Roy The evidentiary hearing will be held
Maryland 20852. The PDR reproduction Hawkens, Chairman, Dr. Michael F. under the authority of the Atomic
contractor will copy documents for a Kennedy, Dr. William C. Burnett. Energy Act, 42 U.S.C. 2231, 2239, and
In the Matter of FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT 2241. It will be conducted pursuant to
fee.
COMPANY (Turkey Point Units 6 and 7) the NRC hearing procedures set forth in
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day 10 CFR part 2, subpart L, 10 CFR
Pursuant to 10 CFR 2.312, this Atomic
of March 2017. 2.1200–2.1213.
Safety and Licensing Board gives notice
For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory that it will convene an evidentiary Members of the public and media are
Commission. hearing with regard to a challenge by welcome to attend and observe the
Bruce A. Watson, Mark Oncavage, Dan Kipnis, Southern evidentiary hearing.2 Actual
Chief, Reactor Decommissioning Branch, Alliance for Clean Energy, and National participation in the hearing will be
Division of Decommissioning, Uranium Parks Conservation Association (Joint limited to the parties, interested local
Recovery, and Waste Programs, Office of Intervenors) to an application by Florida governmental bodies, and their lawyers
Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards. Power & Light Company (FPL) to and witnesses.3 Please be aware that
[FR Doc. 2017–06495 Filed 3–31–17; 8:45 am] construct and operate two new nuclear security measures may be employed at
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P power reactors, Units 6 and 7, at the the entrance to the facility, including
FPL Turkey Point facility near searches of hand-carried items such as
Homestead, Florida.1 briefcases or backpacks. No signs will be
permitted in the Council Chambers.
A. Date, Time, and Location of
Evidentiary Hearing
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
2 The Council Chambers of the Homestead City
The Board will convene the Hall can accommodate approximately 100 attendees
evidentiary hearing on Tuesday, May 2, in the audience.
3 The parties consist of (1) Joint Intervenors; (2)
2017 at 9:30 a.m. EDT, in the Council
FPL; and (3) the NRC Staff. The interested local
Chambers of the Homestead City Hall. governmental bodies in this proceeding are (1) the
Village of Pinecrest, Florida; and (2) the City of
1 See LBP–16–03, 83 NRC 169, 186 (2016); LBP– Miami, Florida. See LBP–15–19, 81 NRC 815, 828
11–06, 73 NRC 149, 251 (2011). (2015); LBP–11–06, 73 NRC at 251.
VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:32 Mar 31, 2017 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00086 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\03APN1.SGM 03APN1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/82_FR_16301/page/3.svg)
Document Created: 2017-04-01 09:36:25
Document Modified: 2017-04-01 09:36:25
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact; issuance. | |
| Dates | The EA is available on April 3, 2017. | |
| Contact | Jack D. Parrott, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-00001; telephone: 301-415-6634, email: [email protected] | |
| FR Citation | 82 FR 16239 |
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