12254 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 50 / Friday, March 14, 1997 / Notices

3. Is there a way to enhance the

quality, utility, and clarity of the

information to be collected?

4. How can the burden of the

information collection be minimized,

including the use of automated

collection techniques or other forms of

information technology?

A copy of the draft supporting

statement may be viewed free of charge

at the NRC Public Document Room,

2120 L Street NW, (lower level),

Washington, DC. Members of the public

who are in the Washington, DC, area can

access this document via modem on the

Public Document Room Bulletin Board

(NRC’s Advanced Copy Document

Library), NRC subsystem at FedWorld,

703–321–3339. Members of the public

who are located outside of the

Washington, DC, area can dial

FedWorld, 1–800–303–9672, or use the

FedWorld Internet address:

fedworld.gov (Telnet). The document

will be available on the bulletin board

for 30 days after the signature date of

this notice. If assistance is needed in

accessing the document, please contact

the FedWorld help desk at 703–487–

4608. Additional assistance in locating

the document is available from the NRC

Public Document Room, nationally at 1–

800–397–4209, or within the

Washington, DC, area at 202–634–3273.

Comments and questions about the

information collection requirements

may be directed to the NRC Clearance

Officer, Brenda Jo. Shelton, U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission, T–6 F33,

Washington, DC 20555–0001, by

telephone at (301) 415–7233, or by

Internet electronic mail at

BJS1@NRC.GOV.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 10th day

of March 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Gerald F. Cranford,

Designated Senior Official for Information

Resources Management.

[FR Doc. 97–6478 Filed 3–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

[Docket No. 27–47]

Consideration of an Amendment to a

License for Disposal of Low-Level

Radioactive Waste Containing Special

Nuclear Material by Chem-Nuclear

systems, Incorporated and Transfer of

License to South Carolina, and an

Opportunity for a Hearing

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission is considering a request to

amend License No. 12–13536–01. This

license is issued to Chem-Nuclear

Systems, Incorporated (CNSI) for the

disposal of wastes containing special

nuclear material (SNM) in the low-level

radioactive waste (LLW) disposal

facility, located near Barnwell, South

Carolina. NRC licenses this facility

under 10 CFR Part 70. The amendment

would reduce the SNM possession limit

of the license, and NRC would

subsequently transfer the license to the

State of South Carolina. South Carolina

already regulates disposal of source and

byproduct material at the Barnwell

facility.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Timothy E. Harris, Low-Level Waste and

Decommissioning Projects Branch,

Division of Waste Management, U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

Washington, DC 20555–0001.

Telephone: (301) 415–6613. Fax.: (301)

415–5398.

BACKGROUND: The LLW disposal facility

located near Barnwell, South Carolina,

is licensed by NRC for possession,

storage, and disposal of SNM. The State

of South Carolina licenses disposal of

source and byproduct material at the

facility. In correspondence dated

December 20, 1996, CNSI requested

termination of its NRC SNM license. As

justification for the request, CNSI noted

a reduction in SNM-bearing waste

volumes and the diminished cost

effectiveness of the license. CNSI

requested that the South Carolina

Department of Environmental Control

(SCDHEC) amend its South Carolina

license to allow possession of up to 350

grams of SNM. Currently, the NRC

license permits possession, storage, and

disposal of greater than critical mass

quantities of SNM, and acknowledges

that the State-regulated source and

byproduct disposal activities constitute

the major site activities. Possession,

storage, and disposal of less than critical

mass quantities can be regulated by

Agreement States, in accordance with

10 CFR Part 150 (Exemptions and

Continued Regulatory Authority in

Agreement States and in Offshore

Waters Under Section 274). Specifically,

§ 150.11 defines less than critical mass

limits of SNM which can be regulated

by Agreement States.

To implement CNSI’s request, NRC

plans to amend the license to reduce the

SNM possession limit to those specified

in § 150.11 and subsequently transfer

the license to South Carolina. This

amendment will result in a change in

process operations. The reduction in

possession limit will not significantly

change the types or amounts of effluents

that may be released offsite, will not

increase individual or cumulative

occupational radiation exposure, will

not be a significant construction impact,

and will not significantly increase the

potential for or consequences from

radiological accidents. Accordingly, the

amendment is categorically exempt

from an environmental assessment

under 10 CFR 51.22(c)(11). Following

issuance of this amendment, NRC will

transfer the license to SCDHEC.

NRC provides notice that this is a

proceeding on an application for a

license amendment and transfer falling

within the scope of Subpart L, ‘‘Informal

Hearing Procedures for Adjudication in

Materials Licensing Proceedings,’’ of

NRC’s rules and practice for domestic

licensing proceedings in 10 CFR part 2.

Pursuant to § 2.1205(a), any person

whose interest may be affected by this

proceeding may file a request for a

hearing in accordance with § 2.1205(c).

A request for a hearing must be filed

within thirty (30) days of the date of

publication of this Federal Register

notice.

In addition to meeting other

applicable requirements of 10 CFR Part

2 of NRC’s regulations, a request for a

hearing filed by a person other than an

applicant must describe in detail:

1. The interest of the requester in the

proceeding;

2. How that interest may be affected

by the results of the proceeding,

including the reasons why the requester

should be permitted a hearing, with

particular reference to the factors set out

in § 2.1205(g);

3. The requester’s areas of concern

about the licensing activity that is the

subject matter of the proceeding; and

4. The circumstances establishing that

the request for a hearing is timely in

accordance with § 2.1205(c).

In accordance with 10 CFR

§ 2.1205(e), each request for a hearing

must also be served, by delivering it

personally or by mail, to:

1. The applicant, Chem-Nuclear

Systems, Inc., 140 Stoneridge Drive,

Columbia, South Carolina 29210,

Attention: Mr. William House, and;

2. NRC staff, by delivery to the

Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, Washington, D.C., 20555–

0001. Attention: Docketing and Service

Branch; or hand-deliver comments to:

11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD

between 7:45 a.m. and 4:15 p.m.,

Federal workdays.

For further details with respect to this

action, the application for amendment

request is available for inspection at

NRC’s Public Document Room, 2120 L

Street NW., Washington, DC 20555.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 10th day

of March 1997.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 50 / Friday, March 14, 1997 / Notices 12255

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

John W.N. Hickey,

Chief, Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning

Projects Branch, Division of Waste

Management Office of Nuclear Material

Safety and Safeguards.

[FR Doc. 97–6479 Filed 3–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

[Docket Nos. STN 50–528, STN 50–529, and

STN 50–530]

Arizona Public Service Company; Palo

Verde Nuclear Generating Station,

Units Nos. 1, 2, and 3 Environmental

Assessment and Finding of No

Significant Impact

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (the Commission) is

considering issuance of amendments to

Facility Operating License Nos. NPF–41,

NPF–51, and NPF–74, issued to Arizona

Public Service Company (the licensee),

for operation of the Palo Verde Nuclear

Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1, 2, and

3, located in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

The proposed action would modify

the licenses for Palo Verde Nuclear

Generating Station (PVNGS), Unit Nos.

1, 2, and 3, to authorize incorporation

in the Updated Final Safety Analysis

Report (UFSAR) a revised large-break

loss-of-coolant accident (LBLOCA)

analysis. The revised LBLOCA analysis

addresses a previously unanalyzed

release path through the steam

generators to the atmosphere.

The proposed action is in accordance

with the licensee’s application dated

May 2, 1995, as supplemented by letter

March 7, 1996.

The Need for the Proposed Action

The proposed action would permit

the UFSAR to be revised to address a

previously unanalyzed release path

through the steam generators to the

atmosphere for the LBLOCA. This

would incorporate this release path into

the licensing basis of the facility.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed

Action

The Commission has completed its

evaluation of the proposed action and

concludes that there are no significant

environmental considerations involved

with the proposed action. The

incorporation in the UFSAR for PVNGS

Unit Nos. 1, 2, and 3 of the previously

unanalyzed release path in the LBLOCA

does not affect the design or operation

of the plant, does not involve any

modifications to the plant or any

increase in the licensed power for the

plant, does not affect plant effluents,

does not increase the probability of any

postulated accident and will not create

a new accident, and does not create any

new or unreviewed environmental

impacts that were not considered in the

Final Environmental Statement (FES).

The FES did not consider in its

evaluation of a LBLOCA, the leakage of

containment atmosphere through the

steam generators and to the public.

Assessment of environmental impacts of

the LBLOCA accounted for radiological

releases from the containment and

emergency core cooling system into the

environment. For the revised analysis of

the LBLOCA, atmospheric releases

through the steam generators could be

considered part of the leakage of

containment atmosphere into the

environment, although the location of

release is different. The FES analyzed

radiological releases from the steam

generators to the environment in the

evaluation of the steam generator tube

rupture accident. Thus, the FES

evaluated releases to the environment

from steam generators, but this release

pathway was not included in the

LBLOCA analysis. The revised LBLOCA

analysis does not significantly increase

the environmental impacts of postulated

accidents which are discussed in

Section 5.9.2 of the FES, and is of no

measurable environmental impact.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

Since the Commission has concluded

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 proposed action. Denial of

the application 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

the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating

Station, Units 1, 2, and 3,’’ dated

February 1982.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

In accordance with its stated policy,

on March 7, 1997, the staff consulted

with the Arizona State official, Mr.

William Wright of the Arizona

Radiation Regulatory Agency, 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 May 2, 1995, as supplemented by

letter dated March 7, 1996, 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

Phoenix Public Library, 1221 N. Central

Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85004.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 10th day

of March 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

James W. Clifford,

Senior Project Manager, Project Directorate

IV–2, Division of Reactor Projects—III/IV,

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 97–6481 Filed 3–13–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

[Docket No. 50–271]

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power

Corporation; Vermont Yankee Nuclear

Power Station; Environmental

Assessment and Finding of No

Significant Impact

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (the Commission) is

considering issuance of an exemption

for Facility Operating License No. DPR–

28, issued to Vermont Yankee Nuclear

Power Corporation (the licensee), for

operation of the Vermont Yankee

Nuclear Power Station (the facility)

located in Windham County, Vermont.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Actions

The proposed exemption would grant

relief in certain outdoor areas of the

protected area of the facility to allow

use of security lighting for outdoor

access and egress and the performance

of one specified task in either of two

locations for compliance with Section

III.J of Appendix R to 10 CFR part 50.

The exemption would include outdoor

portions of the protected area for access

and egress and for supply of nitrogen

from either of two outdoor locations: (1)

the 15,000 gallon liquid nitrogen

containment inerting tank located

outdoors, east of the reactor building, or

(2) nitrogen storage bottles located on

the west wall of the reactor building

equipment air lock.