55434 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 1997 / Notices

responsible individuals for determining

the cause of the alarm, and to place

radiation survey instruments in

accessible locations for use in such an

emergency.

The proposed action is in accordance

with the licensee’s application for

exemption dated July 2, 1997.

The Need for the Proposed Action

The purpose of 10 CFR 70.24(a) is to

ensure that if a criticality were to occur

during the handling of special nuclear

material, personnel would be alerted to

that fact and would take appropriate

action. At a commercial nuclear power

plant the inadvertent criticality with

which 10 CFR 70.24(a) is concerned

could occur during fuel handling

operations. The special nuclear material

that could be assembled into a critical

mass at a commercial nuclear power

plant is in the form of nuclear fuel; the

quantity of other forms of special

nuclear material that is stored on site in

any given location is small enough to

preclude achieving a critical mass.

Because the fuel is not enriched beyond

5.0 weight percent Uranium-235 and

because commercial nuclear plant

licensees have procedures and design

features that prevent inadvertent

criticality, the staff has determined that

it is unlikely that an inadvertent

criticality could occur due to the

handling of special nuclear material at

a commercial power reactor. The

requirements of 10 CFR 70.24(a),

therefore, are not necessary to ensure

the safety of personnel during the

handling of special nuclear materials at

commercial power reactors.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed

Action

The Commission has completed its

evaluation of the proposed action and

concludes that there is no significant

environmental impact if the exemption

is granted. Inadvertent or accidental

criticality will be precluded through

compliance with the Palisades

Technical Specifications (TS), the

design of the fuel storage racks

providing geometric spacing of fuel

assemblies in their storage locations,

and administrative controls imposed on

fuel handling procedures. TS

requirements specify reactivity limits

for the fuel storage racks and minimum

spacing between the fuel assemblies in

the storage racks.

Appendix A of 10 CFR Part 50,

‘‘General Design Criteria for Nuclear

Power Plants,’’ Criterion 62, requires

that criticality in the fuel storage and

handling system shall be prevented by

physical systems or processes,

preferably by use of geometrically safe

configurations. This is met at Palisades,

as identified in the TS and the Final

Safety Analysis Report (FSAR).

Palisades TS section 5.4.1, ‘‘New Fuel

Storage,’’ states that the center-to-center

spacing in the new fuel storage array is

sufficient so that Keff will not exceed

0.95 where fuel rods of the maximum

allowable enrichment are in place and

optimum moderation is assumed.

The proposed exemption would not

result in any significant radiological

impacts. The proposed exemption

would not affect radiological plant

effluents nor cause any significant

occupational exposures since the TS,

design controls (including geometric

spacing of fuel assembly storage spaces),

and administrative controls preclude

inadvertent criticality. The amount of

radioactive waste would not be changed

by the proposed exemption.

The proposed exemption does not

result in any significant nonradiological

environmental impacts. The proposed

exemption involves features located

entirely within the restricted area as

defined in 10 CFR Part 20. It does not

affect nonradiological plant effluents

and has no other environmental impact.

Accordingly, the Commission concludes

that there are no significant

nonradiological environmental impacts

associated with the proposed action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

Since the Commission has concluded

that there is no measurable

environmental impact associated with

the proposed action, any alternatives

with equal or greater environmental

impact need not be evaluated. As an

alternative to the proposed action, the

staff considered denial of the requested

exemption. Denial of the request would

result in no change in current

environmental impacts. The

environmental impacts of the proposed

action and the alternative action are

similar.

Alternative Use of Resources

This action does not involve the use

of any resources not previously

considered in the ‘‘Final Environmental

Statement Related to the Operation of

Palisades Nuclear Generating Plant’’

dated June 1972.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

In accordance with its stated policy,

on September 18, 1997, the staff

consulted with the Michigan State

official, Dennis Hahn, of the Michigan

Department of Environmental Quality,

Drinking Water and Radiological

Protection Division, regarding the

environmental impact of the proposed

action. The State official had no

comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

Based upon the environmental

assessment, the Commission concludes

that the proposed action will not have

a significant effect on the quality of the

human environment. Accordingly, the

Commission has determined not to

prepare an environmental impact

statement for the proposed action.

For further details with respect to the

proposed action, see the licensee’s letter

dated July 2, 1997, which is 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 located at the

Van Wylen Library, Hope College,

Holland, Michigan 49423.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this day of

October 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Robert G. Schaaf,

Project Manager, Project Directorate III–1,

Division of Reactor Projects—III/IV, Office of

Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 97–28263 Filed 10–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Integrated Review of the NRC

Assessment Processes for Operating

Commercial Nuclear Reactors; Meeting

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory

Commission.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory

Commission staff is holding a meeting

to provide brief overviews of their

planned Integrated Review of the NRC

Assessment Process for Operating

Commercial Nuclear Reactors, planned

improvements to the current Senior

Management Meeting (SMM) process,

and to provide members of the public,

including Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)

and Union of Concerned Scientists

(UCS) representatives, an opportunity to

provide early input and comments on

these efforts. The meeting is open to the

public and all interested parties may

attend and provide comments.

DATES: November 6, 1997, from 9:30

a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, One White Flint North,

Room 6–B11, 11555 Rockville Pike,

Rockville, MD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

David Louis Gamberoni, Mail Stop O–

12–E4, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 206 / Friday, October 24, 1997 / Notices 55435

Commission, Washington, DC 20555–

0001. Telephone: (301) 415–1144;

Internet: DLG2@NRC.GOV.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NRC

has initiated a comprehensive review of

its processes for assessing the safety

performance of operating commercial

nuclear power plants. These processes

include plant performance reviews,

Systematic Assessments of Licensee

Performance (SALP), and Senior

Management Meetings. The review is

described in SECY–97–122, ‘‘Integrated

Review of the NRC Assessment Process

for Operating Commercial Nuclear

Reactors.’’ In addition, the NRC has

initiated improvement actions for the

current Senior Management Meeting

process. A meeting is being held with

members of the public (including NEI

and UCS) to seek comments on these

efforts. A preliminary agenda for the

meeting is as follows:

1. Integrated Review of Assessment

Process, presented by NRC

2. SMM Improvements Actions,

presented by NRC

3. Comment period

Attendees are requested to notify

David Louis Gamberoni at (301) 415–

1144 of their planned attendance if

special services are necessary.

The NRC is accessible to the White

Flint Metro Station. Visitor parking near

the NRC buildings is limited.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day

of October, 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Richard W. Borchardt,

Chief, Inspection Program Branch, Division

of Inspection and Support Programs, Office

of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 97–28261 Filed 10–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Advisory Committee on Reactor

Safeguards Meeting of the ACRS

Subcommittee on Reliability and

Probabilistic Risk Assessment

The ACRS Subcommittee on

Reliability and Probabilistic Risk

Assessment will hold a meeting on

November 13–14, 1997, Room T–2B3,

11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville,

Maryland.

The entire meeting will be open to

public attendance.

The agenda for the subject meeting

shall be as follows:

Thursday, November 13, 1997—8:30

a.m. until the conclusion of business

Friday, November 14, 1997—8:30 a.m.

until the conclusion of business

The Subcommittee will continue its

review of the proposed final Standard

Review Plan (SRP) sections and

associated Regulatory Guides for riskinformed, performance-based

regulation. If needed, the Subcommittee

may also continue its review of the

matter included in the Staff

Requirements Memorandum dated May

27, 1997, regarding the use of

uncertainty versus point values in the

PRA-related regulatory decisionmaking

process. The purpose of this meeting is

to gather information, analyze relevant

issues and facts, and to formulate

proposed positions and actions, as

appropriate, for deliberation by the full

Committee.

Oral statements may be presented by

members of the public with the

concurrence of the Subcommittee

Chairman; written statements will be

accepted and made available to the

Committee. Electronic recordings will

be permitted only during those portions

of the meeting that are open to the

public, and questions may be asked only

by members of the Subcommittee, its

consultants, and staff. Persons desiring

to make oral statements should notify

the cognizant ACRS staff engineer

named below five days prior to the

meeting, if possible, so that appropriate

arrangements can be made.

During the initial portion of the

meeting, the Subcommittee, along with

any of its consultants who may be

present, may exchange preliminary

views regarding matters to be

considered during the balance of the

meeting.

The Subcommittee will then hear

presentations by and hold discussions

with representatives of the NRC staff, its

consultants, and other interested

persons regarding this review.

Further information regarding topics

to be discussed, whether the meeting

has been cancelled or rescheduled, the

Chairman’s ruling on requests for the

opportunity to present oral statements

and the time allotted therefor can be

obtained by contacting the cognizant

ACRS staff engineer, Mr. Michael T.

Markley (telephone 301/415–6885)

between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. (EDT).

Persons planning to attend this meeting

are urged to contact the above named

individual one or two working days

prior to the meeting to be advised of any

potential changes to the agenda, etc.,

that may have occurred.

Dated: October 20, 1997.

Sam Duraiswamy,

Chief Nuclear Reactors Branch.

[FR Doc. 97–28265 Filed 10–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket No. 50–155]

Consumers Energy Company, Big

Rock Point Nuclear Plant; Notice of

Public Meeting

The NRC will conduct a public

meeting in the Charlevoix Township

Hall (Stroud Hall), 12491 Waller Road,

Charlevoix, Michigan, on November 13,

1997, to discuss Consumers Energy

plans to immediately dismantle and

decontaminate the Big Rock Point (BRP)

nuclear plant, Charlevoix, Michigan.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m and

be chaired by Mr. Philip Johnson,

Chairman, Charlevoix County Board of

Commissioners. This meeting will

include a short presentation by the NRC

staff on the decommissioning process,

and a presentation by Consumers

Energy on changes to their planned

decommissioning activities. There will

be an opportunity for members of the

public to make comments and question

the NRC staff and/or Consumers Energy

representatives. This public meeting

will be transcribed.

On September 19, 1997, Consumers

Energy provided revision 1 to their PostShutdown Decommissioning Activities

Report (PSDAR) to the NRC staff. This

revision (NUDOCS microfiche accession

number 9709240373) describes the

licensee’s plans to forego the 27-year

long-term storage (SAFSTOR)

decommissioning option (as described

in BRP decommissioning Plan/PSDAR,

NUDOCS microfiche accession number

9506210181) in lieu of plans to

immediately dismantle and

decontaminate (DECON) BRP. The

previous public meetings, held on May

11, 1995, and March 4, 1997, discussed

Consumer Energy plans to place the

power plant in SAFSTOR following

permanent plant shutdown and

described, in brief, the possibility that

they may elect DECON, if a low-level

radioactive waste depository were

available. However, the NRC staff

believes that neither meeting provided

specific information or opportunity for

the public to ask questions or make

comments on the Consumers Energy

decision to immediately dismantle and

decontaminate the BRP plant.

The BRP PSDAR is available for

public inspection at the BRP local

public document room (LPDR), located

at the North Central Michigan College,

1515 Howard Street, Petosky, Michigan

49770, and at the Commission’s Public

Document Room located at the Gelman

Building, 2120 L Street, NW.,

Washington, DC, 20037.