Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 92 /Wednesday, May 13, 1998 / Notices 26655

begin promptly and fabrication must

begin in the summer of 1998. The TN–

68 COC application, dated January 23,

1998, is under consideration by the

Commission. It is anticipated, if

approved, the TN–68 COC may be

issued in 2000.

The proposed fabrication exemption

will not authorize use of the casks to

store spent fuel. That will occur only

when, and if, a COC is issued. NRC

approval of the fabrication exemption

request may not be construed as an NRC

commitment to favorably consider TN’s

application for a COC. TN will bear the

risk of all activities conducted under the

exemption, including the risk that the

nine casks TN plans to construct may

not be usable because they may not

meet specifications or conditions placed

in a COC that NRC may ultimately

approve.

Environmental Impacts of the

Proposed Action: The Environmental

Assessment for the final rule, ‘‘Storage

of Spent Nuclear Fuel in NRC-Approved

Storage Casks at Nuclear Power Reactor

Sites’ (55 FR 29181 (1990) ), considered

the potential environmental impacts of

casks which are used to store spent fuel

under a COC and concluded that there

would be no significant environmental

impacts. The proposed action now

under consideration would not permit

use of the casks, but only fabrication.

There are no radiological environmental

impacts from fabrication since cask

fabrication does not involve radiological

or radioactive materials. The major nonradiological environmental impacts

involve use of natural resources due to

cask fabrication. Each TN–68 storage

cask weighs approximately 100 tons and

is fabricated mainly from steel and

plastic. The estimated 900 tons of steel

required for nine casks is expected to

have very little impact on the steel

industry. Additionally, the estimated 9

tons of plastic required for nine casks is

insignificant compared to the millions

of tons of plastic produced annually.

Cask fabrication would be at a metal

fabrication facility, not at the reactor

site. Fabrication of nine casks is

insignificant compared to the amount of

metal fabrication performed annually in

the United States. If the casks are not

usable, the casks could be disposed of

or recycled. The amount of material

disposed of is insignificant compared to

the amount of steel and plastic that is

disposed of annually in the United

States. Based upon this information, the

fabrication of nine casks will have no

significant impact on the environment

since no radioactive materials are

involved, and the amount of natural

resources used is minimal.

Alternative to the Proposed Action:

Since there is no significant

environmental impact associated with

the proposed action, any alternatives

with equal or greater environmental

impact are not evaluated. The

alternative to the proposed action would

be to deny approval of the exemption

and, therefore, not allow cask

fabrication until a COC is issued.

However, if a COC is issued and

fabrication of the casks occurs, the

environmental impacts of the proposed

action and the alternative action would

be the same.

Given that there are no significant

differences in environmental impacts

between the proposed action and the

alternative considered and that the

applicant has a legitimate need to

fabricate the casks prior to certification

and is willing to assume the risk that the

fabricated casks may not be certified or

may require modification, the

Commission concludes that the

preferred alternative is to grant the

exemption.

Agencies and Persons Consulted: The

Pennsylvania Department of

Environmental Protection was consulted

about the EA for the proposed action

and had no comments.

References used in preparation of the

EA:

1. NRC, Environmental Assessment

Regarding Final Rule, ‘‘Storage of Spent

Fuel in NRC-Approved Storage Casks at

Power Reactor Sites,’’ 55 FR 29181.

2. NRC, 10 CFR part 51,

Environmental Protection Regulations

for Domestic Licensing and Related

Regulatory Functions.

Finding of No Significant Impact

The environmental impacts of the

proposed action have been reviewed in

accordance with the requirements set

forth in 10 CFR part 51. Based upon the

foregoing EA, the Commission finds that

the proposed action of granting an

exemption from 10 CFR 72.234(c) so

that TN may fabricate nine TN–68 casks

prior to issuance of a COC will not

significantly impact the quality of the

human environment. Accordingly, the

Commission has determined not to

prepare an environmental impact

statement for the proposed exemption.

This application was docketed under

10 CFR part 72, Docket 72–1027. For

further details with respect to this

action, see the application dated January

23, 1998, which is available for public

inspection at the Commission’s Public

Document Room, 2120 L Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20555, and the Local

Public Document Room at the State

Library of Pennsylvania, Walnut Street

and Commonwealth Avenue,

Harrisburg, PA 17105.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day

of May 1998.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

Susan F. Shankman,

Acting Deputy Director, Spent Fuel Project

Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and

Safeguards.

[FR Doc. 98–12674 Filed 5–12–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket Number 07003085; License Number

SNM–2001]

Public Meeting To Discuss the

Decommissioning of the Babcock and

Wilcox Shallow Land Disposal Area in

Parks Township, PA

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory

Commission.

ACTION: Public meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice is to inform the

public of a meeting to discuss the

decommissioning of the Babcock and

Wilcox (B&W) Shallow Land Disposal

Area (SLDA) in Parks Township, PA.

The meeting will be held on May 27,

1998, in the Leechburg High School

Cafeteria on Siberian Avenue, in

Leechburg, PA. The meeting will begin

at 7 p.m. and will end at 9:30 p.m. The

meeting will consist of a facilitated

discussion, followed by an opportunity

for comments by interested members of

the public.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SLDA

is located in Armstrong County, PA,

approximately 23 miles east-northeast of

Pittsburgh. The SLDA consists of ten

waste disposal trenches comprising

approximately 1.2 acres surrounded by

a 40-acre fenced buffer area. The SLDA

was formerly owned by Nuclear

Materials and Equipment Corporation

(NUMEC) which also operated the

nearby Apollo Nuclear Fuel Fabrication

Facility. In the 1960s and 1970s, the

SLDA was used by NUMEC to dispose

of radioactively contaminated (primarily

uranium and thorium) and nonradioactive wastes in accordance with

NRC regulations at 10 CFR 20.304. NRC

rescinded 10 CFR 20.304 in 1981. In

1967, Atlantic Richfield Company

(ARCO) purchased stock in NUMEC and

then sold it to B&W in 1971.

In September 1994, B&W submitted

several remediation alternatives for the

SLDA to NRC. B&W’s preferred

alternative was to stabilize the waste in

place by covering the buried waste with

a soil and synthetic cover and isolating
26656 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 92 /Wednesday, May 13, 1998 / Notices

the waste from the groundwater with

slurry walls, grout curtains and other

engineered barriers. Based on B&W’s

proposed alternative for

decommissioning the SLDA, NRC

published a notice in the Federal

Register announcing NRC’s intent to

develop an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) for the

decommissioning of the site. NRC

conducted an EIS scoping meeting in

Leechburg, PA, on January 26, 1995, and

released a scoping summary report on

May 30, 1995. In August 1997, NRC

completed development of a draft EIS

(DEIS) and published a Notice of

Availability in the Federal Register on

September 4, 1997. NRC withdrew the

DEIS on September 24, 1997, so that

NRC staff could develop additional

information regarding the alternatives

presented in the DEIS.

CONDUCT OF MEETING: The meeting will

be held on May 27, 1998, in the

Leechburg High School Cafeteria on

Siberian Avenue, in Leechburg, PA. The

meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will

end at 9:30 p.m. The meeting will be

facilitated by Mr. F. X. Cameron, NRC’s

Special Counsel for Public Liaison. The

purpose of this meeting will be to

discuss, with representative

stakeholders and the public, the status

of the decommissioning of the SLDA.

The meeting will involve

representatives from the NRC, local

government and citizen groups and the

public. These representatives will

participate in a facilitated discussion. In

addition, the public will be afforded the

opportunity to provide comments at

specified points during the discussion.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dominick Orlando, Division of Waste

Management, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, Mail Stop T–8F37,

Washington, DC, telephone (301) 415–

6749, e-mail DAO@NRC.GOV

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day

of May 1998.

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. 98–12678 Filed 5–12–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING: Nuclear

Regulatory Commission.

DATE: Weeks of May 11, 18, 25, and June

1, 1998.

PLACE: Commissioners’ Conference

Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,

Maryland.

STATUS: Public and Closed.

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED:

Week of May 11

Wednesday, May 13

10:30 a.m. Affirmation Session (Public

Meeting)

a: Final Rule: Amendments to 10 CFR

Parts 30, 40, 50, 70, and 72-SelfGuarantee of Decommissioning

Funding by Non-Profit and NonBond Issuing Licensee

b: Final Rule: Revision of 10 CFR

32.14 (D) to Place Timepieces

Containing Gaseous Tritium Light

Sources on the Same Regulatory

Basis as Timepieces Containing

Tritium Paint (Contact: Ken Hart,

301–415–1659)

Week of May 18—Tentative

There are no meetings the week of

May 18.

Week of May 25—Tentative

Friday, May 29

10:30 a.m. Affirmation Session (Public

Meeting) (if needed)

1:00 p.m. Briefing on Investigative

Matters (Closed—Ex. 5 and 7)

Week of June 1—Tentative

Wednesday, June 3

8:30 a.m. Briefing on Remaining Issues

Related to Proposed Restart of

Millstone Unit 3. (Public Meeting)

(Contact: Bill Travers, 301–415–

1200)

12:30 p.m. (Continuation of Millstone

meeting.)

Thursday, June 4

3:30 p.m. Affirmation Session (Public

Meeting) (if needed)

Friday, June 5

10:00 a.m. Briefing by EPRI on their

Strategic Plan for the Future (Public

Meeting)

*The schedule for commission

meetings is subject to change on short

notice. To verify the status of meetings

call (recording)—(301) 415–1292.

Contact Person for more information:

Bill Hill (301) 415–1661.

* * * * *

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The

Commission meeting, ‘‘Discussion of

Management Issues (Closed—Ex. 2 and

6),’’ previously scheduled for Thursday,

April 30, was held on Thursday, May 7.

* * * * *

The NRC Commission Meeting

Schedule can be found on the Internet

at: http://www.nrc.gov/SECY/smj/

schedule.htm

* * * * *

This notice is distributed by mail to

several hundred subscribers; if you no

longer wish to receive it, or would like

to be added to it, please contact the

Office of the Secretary, Attn: Operations

Branch, Washington, D.C. 20555 (301–

415–1661). In addition, distribution of

this meeting notice over the Internet

system is available. If you are interested

in receiving this Commission meeting

schedule electronically, please send an

electronic message to wmh@nrc.gov or

dkw@nrc.gov.

* * * * *

William M. Hill, Jr.,

SECY Tracking Officer Office of the Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–12793 Filed 5–8–98; 4:17 pm]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–M

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Notice of Availability of Draft NUREG–

1628 ‘‘Staff Responses to Frequently

Asked Questions Concerning

Decommissioning of Nuclear Power

Reactors; Correction

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory

Commission.

ACTION: Notice of availability;

Correction.

SUMMARY: This document corrects a

notice appearing in the Federal Register

on April 27, 1998 (63 FR 20673), that

announces the availability of Draft

NUREG–1628 and requests public

comment on the draft report. This action

is necessary to include an inadvertent

omission of the comment expiration

date.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John

L. Minns, Division of Reactor Program

Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, Washington, DC 20555–

0001; telephone: 301 415–3166.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Dates: The

comment period expires October 1,

1998.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 7th day

of May 1998.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Seymour H. Weiss,

Director, Non-Power Reactors and

Decommissioning of Project Directorate,

Division of Reactor Project Management,

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 98–12671 Filed 5–12–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–M