Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 215 / Thursday, November 6, 1997 / Notices 60111

earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes,

tornado missiles, and floods. To prevent

water moderation, there is a drain at the

low point of the vault to remove water

in the vault to prevent accumulation of

water within the NFV and no fuel is

placed in the vault if there is water in

the vault. The licensee also has

procedures to prevent the introduction

of an optimum moderation inside the

vault (e.g., using pressurized water fire

extinguishers instead of foam for

combating fires around fuel) which

could decrease the subcriticality margin

to a value greater than the design value

of 0.05. Although the Technical

Specifications for Grand Gulf do not

specifically limit the enrichment of the

fuel onsite including the NFV, the keffective for spent fuel or new fuel in

the fuel racks and submerged in water

is limited to 0.95 by the Technical

Specifications and the enrichment of the

fuel onsite is limited because the keffective for the NFV is not allowed to

be greater than 0.95. The fuel

enrichment is a contributor to the value

of k-effective. Therefore, the design of

the NFV will preclude inadvertent

criticality of the new fuel in the vault.

Therefore, based on the licensee’s

letters and the staff’s evaluation, the

Commission concludes that good cause

exists for granting an exemption to the

criticality monitoring requirements of

10 CFR 70.24(a) in storage areas for (1)

in-core instrumentation detectors which

are not in use and (2) unirradiated fuel

stored in the NFV. Based on the

information provided by the licensee,

there is reasonable assurance that the

nuclear instrumentation and

unirradiated fuel will remain subcritical

during handling and storage in areas

where critically accident monitors

required by 10 CFR 70.24(a) are not

present. Additionally, all fuel storage

and handling areas will continue to be

monitored to detect conditions that may

result in excessive radiation levels as

required by General Design Criterion 63.

IV

For the foregoing reasons, pursuant to

10 CFR 70.24(d), the NRC staff has

determined that good cause has been

shown for granting an exemption to the

criticality monitoring requirements of

10 CFR 70.24(a).

Accordingly, the Commission has

determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR

70.14, an exemption is authorized by

law, will not endanger life or property

or common defense and security, and is

otherwise in the public interest.

Therefore, with the total amount of

SNM contained in the in-core nuclear

instruments less than a critical mass, as

defined by Section 1.1 of Regulatory

Guide 10.3 (Revision 1, dated April

1977), with the unirradiated fuel

assemblies only removed from the NRCapproved metal containers in areas

where criticality monitors are present,

and with administrative controls to

prevent optimum moderation of the

unirradiated fuel in the NFV, the

Commission hereby grants Entergy

Operations, Inc. an exemption from the

criticality monitoring requirements of

10 CFR 70.24(a) for the storage of notin-use in-core nuclear instrumentation

and of unirradiated fuel in the NFV.

Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the

Commission has determined that the

granting of this exemption will have no

significant impact on the quality of the

human environment (62 FR 55837). This

exemption is effective upon issuance.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 31st day

of October 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Samuel J. Collins,

Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

[FR Doc. 97–29343 Filed 11–5–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Correction to Biweekly Notice;

Applications and Amendments to

Operating Licenses Involving No

Significant Hazards Consideration

On October 22, 1997, the Federal

Register published a Biweekly Notice of

Applications and Amendments to

Operating Licenses Involving No

Significant Hazards Consideration. On

page 54881, under Baltimore Gas and

Electric Company, information from

another notice was electronically

merged with this notice causing an

inaccurate publication. A copy of the

notice, in its entirety, as it should have

appeared follows:

Baltimore Gas and Electric Company,

Docket Nos. 50–317 and 50–318, Calvert

Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos.

1 and 2, Calvert County, Maryland.

Date of application for amendments:

March 28, 1996, as supplemented

November 20, 1996, and July 31, 1997.

Brief description of amendments: The

amendments reduce the moderator

temperature coefficient limit shown on

Technical Specification Figure 3.1.1–1.

This proposed change is necessary to

support changes in the safety analyses

made to accommodate a larger number

of plugged steam generator tubes for

future operating cycles.

Date of issuance: October 2, 1997.

Effective date: As of the date of

issuance to be implemented within 30

days.

Amendment Nos.: 222 and 198.

Facility Operating License Nos. DPR–

53 and DPR–69: Amendments revised

the Technical Specifications.

Date of initial notice in Federal

Register: May 8, 1996 (61 FR 20843).

The November 20, 1996, and July 31,

1997, letters provided clarifying

information that did not change the

initial proposed no significant hazards

consideration determination.

The Commission’s related evaluation

of these amendments is contained in a

Safety Evaluation dated October 2, 1997.

No significant hazards consideration

comments received: No.

Local Public Document Room

location: Calvert County Library, Prince

Frederick, Maryland 20678.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 31st day

of October 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Elinor G. Adensam,

Acting Director, Division of Reactor Projects

III/V, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 97–29345 Filed 11–5–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Consolidated Guidance About

Materials Licenses: Applications for

Sealed Sealed Source and Device

Evaluation and Registration,

Availability of Draft NUREG

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory

Commission.

ACTION: Notice of availability and

request for comments.

SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory

Commission is announcing the

availability of and requesting comment

on draft NUREG–1556, Vol. 3,

‘‘Consolidated Guidance about Materials

Licenses: Applications for Sealed Sealed

Source and Device Evaluation and

Registration,’’ dated September 1997.

NRC is consolidating and updating

numerous guidance documents into a

series of program specific guidance

documents to be published in a NUREG

format. All NUREGs in the series will

carry the number and title: NUREG

1556, Volume X, ‘‘Consolidated

Guidance About Materials Licenses.’’

Each specific guidance document will

have an identifying volume number,

and the title of the specific guidance

will appear as the sub-title of the

NUREG. This draft NUREG is the third

guidance document to be published in
60112 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 215 / Thursday, November 6, 1997 / Notices

this series; therefore it is listed as

Volume 3.

The guidance NUREG is intended for

use by applicants, licensees, registration

certificate holders, NRC license

reviewers, and other NRC personnel. It

combines and updates the guidance for

applicants and licensees previously

found in draft Regulatory Guides 10.10,

‘‘Guide for the Preparation of

Applications for Radiation Safety

Evaluation and Registration of Devices

Containing Byproduct Material,’’ and

Regulatory Guide 10.11, ‘‘Guide for the

Preparation of Applications for

Radiation Safety Evaluation and

Registration of Sealed Sources

Containing Byproduct Material,’’ and

guidance for persons reviewing such

applications found in NUREG–1550,

‘‘Standard Review Plan for Applications

for Sealed Source and Device

Evaluations and Registrations.’’ In

addition, this draft report also contains

information found in pertinent Policy

and Guidance Directives, Technical

Assistance Requests, and Information

Notices.

This draft NUREG report has been

distributed for comment to encourage

public participation in its development.

It represents the current position of the

NRC staff, which is subject to change

after the review of public comments.

Comments received will be considered

in developing the final NUREG report

that represents the official NRC staff

position. Once the final NUREG report

is published, NRC staff will use it in its

review of applications for registrations.

DATES: The comment period ends

December 17, 1997. Comments received

after that time will be considered if

practicable.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments

to: Chief, Rules and Directives Branch,

Division of Administrative Services,

Office of Administration, U. S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission, Washington,

DC 20555–0001. Hand deliver

comments to 11545 Rockville Pike,

Rockville, Maryland, between 7:15 a.m.

and 4:30 p.m. on Federal workdays.

Comments may also be submitted

through the Internet by addressing

electronic mail to DLM1@NRC.GOV.

Those considering public comment

may request a free single copy of draft

NUREG–1556, Volume 3, by writing to

the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, ATTN: John W. Lubinski,

Mail Stop TWFN 8–F5, Washington, DC

20555–0001. Alternatively, submit

requests through the Internet by

addressing electronic mail to

JWL@NRC.GOV. A copy of draft

NUREG–1556, Volume 3, is also

available for inspection and/or copying

for a fee in the NRC Public Document

Room, 2120 L Street, NW. (Lower

Level), Washington, DC 20555–0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John

W. Lubinski, Mail Stop TWFN 8-F5,

Division of Industrial and Medical

Nuclear Safety, Office of Nuclear

Materials Safety and Safeguards, U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

Washington, DC 20555, telephone (301)

415–7868; electronic mail address:

JWL@NRC.GOV.

Electronic Access

Draft NUREG–1556, Vol. 3 is also

available electronically by visiting

NRC’s Home Page (http://www.nrc.gov/

NRC/NUREGS/SR1556/V3/index.html).

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day

of October, 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Frederick C. Combs,

Acting Director, Division of Industrial and

Medical Nuclear Safety, Office of Nuclear

Material Safety and Safeguards.

[FR Doc. 97–29344 Filed 11–5–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR WASTE TECHNICAL

REVIEW BOARD

Field trip: December 3–4, 1997—

Amargosa Valley, Nevada, GroundWater Discharge, Yucca Mountain Area

Geology, Volcanism, and Tour of

Yucca Mountain

Pursuant to its authority under

section 5051 of Public Law 100–203, the

Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act

of 1987, the Nuclear Waste Technical

Review Board (Board) will conduct two

field trips, December 3 and 4, 1997,

beginning at 8:30 a.m. both days. The

field trips, which are open to the public,

will focus on ground-water discharge,

geology, and volcanism in the vicinity

of Yucca Mountain on December 3 and

the Yucca Mountain site on December 4.

During the morning of December 3,

participants on the first field trip will

stop at and hear presentations on

Franklin Lake Playa (alkali flats where

water beneath Yucca Mountain is likely

to discharge), Ash Meadows (an oasis

formed by discharging groundwater),

and Devil’s Hole (a site where much

climate data has been gathered).

Participants will return to the Longstreet

Inn for lunch. In the afternoon,

participants will stop and hear

presentations at Steves Pass (with a

view of Crater Flat and other geologic

surroundings of Yucca Mountain), the

Lathrop Wells volcanic cone (a possible

site of evidence for predicting the

likelihood of future volcanic activity),

Lathrop Wells diatomite (a past

discharge area near Yucca Mountain),

an Amargosa Valley farming area (the

likely basis for defining the future

Yucca Mountain biosphere), Travetine

Point (another past discharge area), and,

time permitting, Death Valley.

Participants on the second field trip

(December 4) will visit the Yucca

Mountain site. Visits and presentations

will include the crest of Yucca

Mountain and the view of surrounding

volcanic cones, geologic features, and

the exploratory studies facility portals.

Other stops will include well pad UZ

7a, which offers a view of the Ghost

Dance Fault, and the large block test

facility. Following a break for lunch, the

field trip will split. One portion will go

undergound to tour the exploratory

studies facility, including the thermal

response test alcove. Due to health and

safety requirements at the site, the

number participating in this portion of

the tour will be extremely limited. The

other portion will visit the C-well

complex, the sample-management

facility, or other sites at Yucca

Mountain.

The Board will provide bus

transportation for both field trips, which

will begin and end at the Longstreet Inn

& Casino, HCR 70, Box 559, Amargosa

Valley, Nevada 89020; telephone (702)

372–1777; fax (702) 372–1280. Rooms

are available. You must mention that

you are attending the Nuclear Waste

Technical Review Board’s field trip to

receive the preferred rate.

You may register for either field trip

by telephoning Davonya Barnes or

Frank Randall at (703) 235–4473. You

will be required to provide your full

name, social security number, date of

birth, place of birth, current address,

and telephone number. To prevent

potential reservation errors, FAX and

EMAIL requests will not be honored. As

seating is limited, spaces will be filled

on a first-come/first-served basis. If

there are more requests than space

available, a waiting list will be

maintained in case there are

cancellations.

Itineraries for both field trips will be

available on or about November 19 at

the Board’s website, www.nwtrb.gov or

by fax or first class mail upon request.

For further information, contact Frank

Randall, External Affairs, 2300

Clarendon Blvd., Suite 1300, Arlington,

Virginia 22201–3367; (Tel) 703–235–

4473; (Fax) 703–235–4495; (E-mail)

info@nwtrb.gov.

The Nuclear Waste Technical Review

Board was created by Congress in the

Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act

of 1987 to evaluate the technical and

scientific validity of activities