[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 241 (Tuesday, December 16, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65823-65824]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32761]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket 70-7001]


Notice of Amendment and Denial of Amendment Application to 
Certificate of Compliance GDP-1 for the U.S. Enrichment Corporation, 
Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Paducah, Kentucky

    The Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, 
made a determination that the following amendment request is 
significant in accordance with 10 CFR 76.45. Notice of Receipt of 
Amendment Request appeared in the Federal Register on July 31, 1997, 
allowing a 30-day public comment period on the application.
    The NRC staff has reviewed the certificate amendment application 
and concluded that, in part, 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 Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, 
approving portions of the amendment application. Other portions of the 
amendment application, as explained herein, are proposed to be denied. 
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. 
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 and who 
submitted written comments in response to the Federal Register Notice 
on the amendment application under Sec. 76.37, 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, 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: April 23, 1997, revised July 31, 1997.
    Brief description of amendment: The amendment is related to the 
planned modifications to upgrade the seismic capability of Buildings C-
331 and C-335 at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion plant. Specifically, the 
proposed amendment will move back the completion date for the seismic 
modifications required by Compliance Plan Issue 36, from December 31, 
1997, to June 30, 1999. Additionally, the amendment approves proposed 
resolutions of the following three issues: (1) The increased stiffness 
of the buildings following completion of the modifications may change 
the predicted type and number of seismically-induced equipment failures 
inside the buildings; (2) the process of installing the new structural 
steel will temporarily make the building and contained equipment more 
susceptible to seismically-induced failures as the existing structural 
frames are altered and/or replaced; and (3) the process of installing 
the new structural steel may temporally increase the probability of 
equipment failures due to load handling accidents during construction. 
The amendment will also partially deny the USEC request. USEC will be 
required to begin the planned 18-month construction effort when the 
amendment is effective, instead of delaying until after the NRC 
completes review of an updated seismic risk analysis, USEC's updated 
safety analysis report, and USEC's final design for the planned seismic 
modifications. The proposed amendment will also approve two editorial 
changes to the Justification for Continued Operation (JCO) in 
Compliance Plan Issue 36; one other proposed change to the JCO will be 
denied.
    Effective date: The amendment to Certificate of Compliance GDP-1 
becomes effective immediately upon being signed by the Director, Office 
of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
    Certificate of Compliance No. GDP-1: The amendment will revise 
Compliance Plan Issue 36 on the seismic modifications and will allow 
the planned modifications to proceed.
    Local Public Document Room location: Paducah Public Library, 555 
Washington Street, Paducah, Kentucky 42003.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day of December 1997.


[[Page 65824]]


    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carl J. Paperiello,
Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 97-32761 Filed 12-15-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P