[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 49 (Thursday, March 13, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 11936]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-6347]



[[Page 11936]]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-72]


Enviromental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact 
Regarding Issuance of a Specific Exemption to the Requirements of 10 
CFR 50.82(b)(6)(ii) University of Utah AGN-201 Research Reactor

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
granting, upon its own initiative, a specific exemption in accordance 
with 10 CFR 50.12 to the part of the requirements of 10 CFR 
50.82(b)(6)(ii) that requires a terminal radiation survey and 
associated documentation to demonstrate that the site is suitable for 
release as a condition of license termination for Amended Facility 
Operating License No. R-25 for the University of Utah (the licensee) 
AGN-201 Research Reactor (AGN-201) located on the licensee's campus in 
Salt Lake City, Utah.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    By application dated July 17, 1990, as supplemented on July 18, 
1990, and June 12, 1991, the licensee requested authorization to 
dismantle the AGN-201, dispose of its component parts in accordance 
with the proposed decommissioning plan, and terminate Amended Facility 
Operating License No. R-25. Following an ``Order Authorizing 
Dismantling of Facility and Disposition of Component Parts,'' dated 
August 1, 1991, (56 FR 37733), the licensee completed the dismantlement 
and submitted a final survey report dated April 13, 1994, as 
supplemented on March 17 and 22, 1995, and February 6, 1996. 
Representatives of the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education 
(ORISE), under contract to NRC, conducted a survey of the reactor on 
April 9, 1996. The survey is documented in an ORISE report, 
``Radiological Survey of the University of Utah AGN-201M Research 
Reactor, Salt Lake City, Utah,'' dated June 1996. In a memorandum dated 
July 15, 1996, NRC Region IV found that the ORISE report findings 
support the data developed in the licensee's final survey report.
    Because the AGN-201 is in the same room as the TRIGA Research 
Reactor (Docket No. 50-407, Facility Operating License No. R-126) that 
the University continues to operate, the Reactor Room of the Merrill 
Engineering Building will continue to be subject to the terms of the 
TRIGA license. The Reactor Room will be considered for release by NRC 
as part of the request to terminate the TRIGA license at some time in 
the future. Because the site will continue to be used under a NRC 
license and will be surveyed in the future, and because application of 
the regulation is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of 
the rule, the NRC is considering granting, upon its own initiative, a 
specific exemption in accordance with 10 CFR 50.12 to the part of the 
requirements of 10 CFR 50.82(b)(6)(ii) that requires a terminal 
radiation survey and associated documentation to demonstrate that the 
site is suitable for release as a condition for license termination.

The Need for Proposed Action

    The exemption is needed for termination of Amended Facility 
Operating License No. R-25.

Environmental Impact of Granting of Exemption

    The licensee indicates that the residual contamination and dose 
exposures comply with the criteria of Regulatory Guide 1.86, Table 1, 
which establish acceptable residual surface contamination levels, and 
the exposure limit, established by the NRC staff, of less than 5 micro 
rem/hr above background at 1 meter. These measurements have been 
verified by the NRC staff. The NRC finds that since these criteria have 
been met, there is no significant impact on the environment and the 
reactor components can be released for unrestricted use and the license 
terminated. Because the site will continue to be used under an NRC 
license, granting the exemption will have no effect on the status of 
the site and, thus, no significant impact on the environment.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered 
denying the proposed action. Not granting the exemption would result in 
no change in current environmental impacts and would require 
continuance of the Amended Facility Operating License No. R-25. The 
environmental impacts of the proposed action and of the alternative 
action are similar. Since the contaminated and activated reactor and 
component parts already have been dismantled and disposed of in 
accordance with NRC regulations and guidelines, there is no alternative 
with less environmental impact than the granting of the exemption and 
termination of Amended Facility Operating License No. R-25.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    The staff consulted with personnel from ORISE (an NRC contractor), 
who conducted the confirmatory survey for the AGN-201. The staff also 
consulted with the Utah State official regarding the environmental 
impact of the proposed action. The State official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    The NRC has determined not to prepare an environmental impact 
statement for the proposed action. On the basis of the foregoing 
environmental assessment, the NRC has concluded that the granting of 
the exemption will have no significant effect on the quality of the 
human environment.
    For further details with respect to this proposed action, see the 
application for termination of Amended Facility Operating License No. 
R-25, dated July 17, 1990, as supplemented. These documents are 
available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document 
Room, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC. 20037.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day of March 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Seymour H. Weiss,
Director, Non-Power Reactors and Decommissioning Project Directorate 
Division of Reactor Program Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-6347 Filed 3-12-97; 8:45 am]
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