33102 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 116 /Wednesday, June 17, 1998 / Notices

absorbers. In NRC’s November 7, 1996,

safety evaluation of the TN–32 cask

Safety Analysis Report, the staff

concluded that fixed neutron poisons in

the TN–32 cask will remain effective for

the 20-year storage period. The

applicant evaluated the criticality and

radiological aspects of the North Anna

ISFSI based on use of the TN–32 cask,

as described in the North Anna ISFSI

Safety Analysis Report. Consistent with

the staff conclusions in the November 7,

1996, safety evaluation, the applicant

did not propose any verification of TN–

32 cask neutron absorber efficacy. The

staff evaluated the environmental effects

of the North Anna ISFSI and issued its

findings in the April 4, 1997, EA.

Granting an exemption from the

requirements of 10 CFR 72.124(b) will

have no environmental impact because

the staff has determined, through its

safety evaluation of the TN–32 cask, that

periodic verification of the neutron

absorber efficacy is not needed to assure

that the fixed neutron poisons in the

TN–32 cask will remain effective during

the storage period.

Alternative to the Proposed Action

Since there are no environmental

impacts associated with the proposed

actions, alternatives are not evaluated

other than the no action alternative. The

alternative to the proposed action would

be to deny approval of the exemption

and, therefore, not allow (1) submittal of

an annual effluent release report by May

1 rather than within 60 days of January

1, or (2) storage of ISFSI spent fuel

records at a single qualified record

storage facility, or (3) elimination of the

requirement to verify the efficacy of

neutron absorbing materials. These

alternatives would have the same, or

greater, environmental impacts.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

An official from the State of Virginia

Bureau of Radiological Health was

contacted about the EA for the proposed

action and had no concerns.

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 (1) granting an

exemption from 10 CFR 72.44(d)(3) so

that Virginia Power may submit an

annual effluent release report by May 1

of each year, (2) granting an exemption

from 10 CFR 72.72(d) so that Virginia

Power may store records of spent fuel

stored at the ISFSI in a single record

storage facility which meets the

standards of ANSI N45.2.9–1974, and

(3) granting an exemption from 10 CFR

72.124(b) so that Virginia Power need

not verify the efficacy of the neutron

absorbing material in ISFSI storage

casks 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 72–16. For

further details with respect to this

action, see the application for an ISFSI

license dated May 9,1995, and the

request for exemption dated April 29,

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

University of Virginia, Alderman

Library, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 10th day

of June 1998.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

William F. Kane,

Director, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of

Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.

[FR Doc. 98–16018 Filed 6–16–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Advisory Committee on Reactor

Safeguards; Subcommittee Meeting on

Advanced Reactor Designs; Notice of

Meeting

The ACRS Subcommittee on

Advanced Reactor Designs will hold a

meeting on July 6–7, 1998, Room T–

2B3, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville,

Maryland.

A portion of the meeting may be

closed to public attendance to discuss

Westinghouse proprietary information

per 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(4) and safeguards

information per 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(3)

related to the AP600 design.

The agenda for the subject meeting

shall be as follows:

Monday, July 6, 1998—8:30 a.m. until

the conclusion of business

Tuesday, July 7, 1998—8:30 a.m. until

the conclusion of business

The Subcommittee will continue its

review of the Westinghouse AP600

design. Specifically, the Subcommittee

will review issues identified by ACRS

members at previous meetings related to

the AP600 design. 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,

Westinghouse Electric Company, their

consultants, and other interested

persons regarding this review.

Further information regarding topics

to be discussed, the scheduling of

sessions open to the public, whether the

meeting has been cancelled or

rescheduled, and 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. Noel F. Dudley (telephone

301/415–6888) 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: June 11, 1998.

Sam Duraiswamy,

Chief, Nuclear Reactors Branch.

[FR Doc. 98–16094 Filed 6–16–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

Advisory Committee on Reactor

Safeguards Subcommittee Meeting on

Planning and Procedures; Notice of

Meeting

The ACRS Subcommittee on Planning

and Procedures will hold a meeting on

July 7, 1998, Room T–2B1, 11545

Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland.

The entire meeting will be open to

public attendance, with the exception of

a portion that may be closed pursuant

to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c) (2) and (6) to discuss