Notice of Amendment to Certificate of Compliance GDP-1 for The U.S. Enrichment Corporation Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Piketon, Ohio

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 235 (Tuesday, December 8, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67715-67717]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-32503]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket 70-7002]


Notice of Amendment to Certificate of Compliance GDP-1 for The 
U.S. Enrichment Corporation Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, 
Piketon, Ohio

    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,

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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 shown 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(c)(19). 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: August 24, 1998.
    Brief description of amendment: The amendment corrects two improper 
unit conversions from pounds to kilograms in Technical Safety 
Requirement (TSR) 2.1.3.15, ``Receiving Cylinder Fill Weights'' and 
ensures that the approved shipping weight for 5-inch UF6 
cylinders is consistent with ANSI N14.1-1995, ``Uranium Hexafluoride 
Packaging for Transport.'' Notably, the proposed amendment changes the 
UF6 cylinder fill limits for 8A (8-inch diameter) cylinders 
from 255 pounds (lbs) (155.665 kilograms (kg)) to 255 lbs (115.665 kg), 
for 10-inch cylinders from 370 lbs (158.756 kg) to 350 lbs (158.756 
kg), and for 5A and 5B (5-inch diameter) cylinders from 55.67 lbs 
(25,250 grams (g)) to 54.9 lbs (24,902 g).

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.
    The proposed revision to TSR 2.1.3.15 does not involve any process 
which would change or increase the amounts of any effluents that may be 
released offsite. Therefore, the proposed revision will not result in 
an increase in the amounts of effluents that may be released offsite or 
result in any impact to the environment.
    2. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant increase 
in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
    The proposed revision to correct the improper conversions from lbs 
to kg and to ensure that the approved shipping weight for 5-inch 
cylinders is consistent with ANSI N14.1-1995 is an administrative 
change and does not involve any process or equipment which would affect 
radiation exposure; therefore, it will not increase individual or 
cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
    3. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant 
construction impact.
    The proposed change will not result in any construction, nor will 
this change effect any planned or existing construction project, 
therefore, there will be no construction impact.
    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 revision to correct the improper conversions from lbs 
to kg and to ensure that the approved shipping weight for 5-inch 
cylinders is consistent with ANSI N14.1-1995 is an administrative 
change and will not result in a significant increase in 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.
    The proposed change is an administrative change; therefore, this 
change will not result in the possibility of a new or different kind of 
accident.
    6. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant 
reduction in any margin of safety.
    The proposed revision to TSR 2.1.3.15 to correct the improper 
conversions from lbs to kg and to ensure that the approved shipping 
weight for 5-inch cylinders is consistent with ANSI N14.1-1995 is an 
administrative change. Therefore, the proposed change does not 
represent a reduction in any 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.
    The staff has not identified any safety, safeguards or security 
related implications from the proposed correction to TSR 2.1.3.15. 
Therefore, the correction will not result in undue risk to the public 
health and safety, common defense and security, or the environment.
    Effective date: The amendment to GDP-2 will become effective 60 
days after issuance by NRC.
    Certificate of Compliance No. GDP-2: This amendment will revise TSR 
2.1.3.15.
    Local Public Document Room location: Portsmouth Public Library,

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1220 Gallia Street, Portsmouth, Ohio 45662.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day of November 1998.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carl J. Paperiello,
Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 98-32503 Filed 12-7-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P