26464 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 95 / Wednesday, May 17, 1995 / Notices

(A) Agency Clearance Officer. Herman

G. Fleming, Division of Contracts,

Policy, and Oversight, National Science

Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard,

Arlington, VA 22230, or by telephone

(703) 306–1243.

Comments may also be submitted to:

(B) OMB Desk Officer. Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs,

ATTN: Jonathan Winer, Desk Officer,

OMB, 722 Jackson Place, Room 3208,

NEOB, Washington, DC 20503.

Title: NSF Informal Science Education

Survey

Affected Public: Individuals, Business

or other for-profit, Not for profit

Respondents/Reporting Burden: 965

respondents: average 40 minutes per

response.

Abstract: The National Science

Foundation needs this information to

assess the impact of its Informal

Science Education Program on three

diverse populations: grantees, grantee

organizations, and individuals who

work in the sciences. These data, in

aggregate statistical form, serve as a

database for a program evaluation.

Dated: May 11, 1995.

Herman G. Fleming,

Reports Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 95–12029 Filed 5–16–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7555–01–M

NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

[Docket 40–3392]

Finding of No Significant Impact and

Notice of Opportunity for a Hearing;

Renewal of Source Material License

Sub–526 AlliedSignal, Inc. Metropolis,

Illinois

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission is considering the renewal

of Source Material License SUB–526 for

the continued operation of the

AlliedSignal, Inc. (Allied), UF6

conversion facility, located in

Metropolis, Illinois.

Summary of the Environmental

Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

The proposed action is the renewal of

Allied’s Source Material License SUB–

526 for 10 years. With this renewal, the

Metropolis facility will continue to

convert natural uranium ore

concentrates into UF6 for the

commercial nuclear power industry.

The production of UF6 is one phase in

the fuel cycle resulting in production of

fuel elements for nuclear reactors.

The Need for the Proposed Action

Allied performs a necessary service

for the commercial nuclear power

industry by converting natural uranium

ore concentrates into UF6. The UF6

product is then shipped to gaseous

diffusion plants for the enrichment of

the uranium (U–235) isotope; following

enrichment, the uranium is converted

into fuel for use in nuclear power

reactors. Currently, Allied is the only

UF6 conversion facility operating within

the United States. Denial of the license

renewal for Allied’s Metropolis facility

is an alternative available to the NRC,

but would require the construction of a

new facility at another site.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed

Action

The radiological impacts of the

continued operation of the Metropolis

facility were assessed by calculating the

radiation dose to the maximally exposed

individual located at the nearest

residence and the collective radiation

dose to the local population living

within 80 kilometers (50 miles) of the

plant site.

Doses From Routine Airborne Releases

Atmospheric releases were

determined for three locations at the

Metropolis facility: (1) the feed material

building, (2) the uranium recovery

facility, and (3) the ore sampling plant.

Based on information provided in the

application, the projected annual

average quantity of uranium released

from each emission point was

estimated. The isotopic distribution of

the uranium and the solubility class of

the uranium were also determined.

Relatively small amounts of thorium230 and radium-226 are also released

from the Metropolis facility. The

radiation doses resulting from

atmospheric releases were estimated

using the XOQDOQ and GENII

computer codes. The maximally

exposed individual was located at the

nearest residence, which was 564

meters (1,850 feet) north northeast of the

Metropolis facility. The radiation dose

Total Effective Dose Equivalent (TEDE)

to the nearest resident is estimated to be

1.5 mrem per year. This estimated

radiation dose is less than the limit of

10 mrem per year established by the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) in 40 CFR Part 61 for the air

pathway and less than the limit of 25

mrem per year established by the EPA

in 40 CFR Part 190 for all pathways. It

is also less than the 100 mrem per year

limit established by the NRC in 10 CFR

Part 20. The highest organ dose is to the

lungs from insoluble forms of uranium.

The estimated lung dose of 9.3 mrem

per year is less than the dose limit

established in 40 CFR Part 190; the

thyroid doses were also an insignificant

fraction of the 75 mrem per year thyroid

dose limit established in 40 CFR Part

190.

The population surrounding Allied’s

facility is about 471,410 people, based

on 1990 census data. The collective

dose to the surrounding population is

estimated to be 4.1 person-rem per year.

Based on an average background

radiation dose of 0.360 rem per year for

individuals in the U.S., the same

population would receive about 170,000

person-rem per year from background

radiation. Thus, the collective radiation

dose associated with atmospheric

releases from Allied’s facility is a very

small percentage (0.0024%) of the

collective radiation dose from

background radiation for these same

people.

Doses From Aqueous Releases

The projected annual average quantity

of radionuclides released to the Ohio

River from the Metropolis facility was

estimated using information provided

by the applicant. The GENII computer

code was used to estimate radiation

doses through ingestion, shoreline

exposure, and water submersion

pathways. The estimated radiation dose

(TEDE) to the maximally exposed

individual located 8 kilometers (5 miles)

downstream of the Metropolis facility is

estimated to be 0.0013 mrem per year.

This estimated radiation dose is far less

than the 100 mrem per year limit

established by the NRC in 10 CFR Part

20 and the 25 mrem per year limit

established by EPA in 40 CFR Part 190.

The estimated radiation dose of 0.0013

mrem per year is also far less than the

dose of 4 mrem per year that is the basis

for the drinking water standards

contained in 40 CFR Part 141.

The estimated collective radiation

dose to the population (4,846 people)

located in Cairo, Illinois, as a result of

liquid releases is estimated to be 0.0030

person-rem per year. Based on an

average background radiation dose of

0.360 rem per year for individuals in the

U.S., this same population would

receive about 1,700 person-rem per year

from background radiation; the

collective radiation dose associated with

liquid releases from Allied’s Metropolis

facility thus is a small percentage of the

collective radiation dose from

background.

Accident Evaluation

In the Environmental Assessment, the

NRC evaluated a suite of five accident

scenarios. Four of the five scenarios
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 95 / Wednesday, May 17, 1995 / Notices 26465

evaluated the accidental release of

radioactive materials. The intakes and

predicted doses for three of the

radiological accident scenarios were

small with negligible associated health

impacts. The fourth radiological

accident, rupture of a UF6 cylinder

(liquid), produced a dose of 3.9 rem at

the nearest resident. While the potential

consequences of such an event would be

severe, the likelihood of such an event

is low because of design and procedural

controls. The fifth accident analyzed,

the release of gaseous ammonia, would

be expected to produce noticeable, but

non-life-threatening effects both onsite

and offsite. Given the low likelihood for

these accidents, it is concluded that the

proposed license renewal will not have

a significant impact on the general

population.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

Alternatives to the proposed action

include denial of Allied’s renewal

application. Not granting a license

renewal for the facility would cause

Allied to cease production of UF6 at this

site. The only benefits to be gained by

nonrenewal would be the cessation of

the minor environmental impact from

operation of the facility. Because

Allied’s site is the only operating

facility to convert uranium ore to UF6,

denial of a license for Allied would

result in the transfer of the activity and

associated environmental impact to an

alternative site.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

The staff utilized the application

dated July 11, 1994, and additional

information dated September 6, and

November 16, 1994. Discussions were

held with the Agreement States of

Illinois and Kentucky. The Region III

inspectors and Allied representatives

were also consulted in preparing this

document.

Conclusion

The staff concludes that the

environmental impacts associated with

the proposed license renewal for

continued operation of Allied’s

Metropolis facility are expected to be

insignificant.

Finding of No Significant Impact

The NRC has prepared an

Environmental Assessment related to

the renewal of Source Material License

SUB–526. On the basis of the

assessment, NRC has concluded that

environmental impacts that would be

created by the proposed licensing action

would not be significant and do not

warrant the preparation of an

Environmental Impact Statement.

Accordingly, it has been determined

that a Finding of No Significant Impact

is appropriate.

The Environmental Assessment and

the documents related to this proposed

action are available for public

inspection and copying at NRC’s Public

Document Room at the Gelman

Building, 2120 L Street NW,

Washington, DC.

Opportunity for a Hearing

Any person whose interest may be

affected by the issuance of this renewal

may file a request for a hearing. Any

request for hearing must be filed with

the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear

Regulatory Commission, Washington,

DC 20555, within 30 days of the

publication of this notice in the Federal

Register; be served on the NRC staff

(Executive Director for Operations, One

White Flint North, 11555 Rockville

Pike, Rockville, MD 20852), and on the

licensee (AlliedSignal, Inc., Route 45

North, P.O. Box 430, Metropolis, IL

62960); and must comply with the

requirements for requesting a hearing

set forth in the Commission’s regulation,

10 CFR Part 2, Subpart L, ‘‘Informal

Hearing Procedures for Adjudications in

Materials Licensing Proceedings.’’

These requirements, which the

requestor must address in detail, are:

1. The interest of the requestor in the

proceeding;

2. How that interest may be affected

by the results of the proceeding,

including the reasons why the requestor

should be permitted a hearing;

3. The requestor’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 hearing is timely, that is,

filed within 30 days of the date of this

notice.

In addressing how the requestor’s

interest may be affected by the

proceeding, the request should describe

the nature of the requestor’s right under

the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as

amended, to be made a party to the

proceeding; the nature and extent of the

requestor’s property, financial, or other

(i.e., health, safety) interest in the

proceeding; and the possible effect of

any order that may be entered in the

proceeding upon the requester’s

interest.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 11th day

of May 1995.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Robert C. Pierson,

Chief, Licensing Branch, Division of Fuel

Cycle Safety and Safeguards, NMSS.

[FR Doc. 95–12103 Filed 5–16–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

[Docket No. 72–10 (50–282/306)

Northern States Power Co. Prairie

Island Nuclear Generating Plant

Independent Spent Fuel Storage

Installation; Exemption

I

Northern States Power Company (NSP

or the licensee) holds materials license

(SNM–2506) for receipt and storage of

spent fuel from its Prairie Island

Nuclear Generating Plant at an

independent spent fuel storage

installation (ISFSI) located on the

Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant

site. This facility is located at the

licensee’s site in Goodhue County,

Minnesota.

II

Pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7, the Nuclear

Regulatory Commission (NRC) may

grant exemptions from the requirements

of the regulations in 10 CFR Part 72 as

it determines are authorized by law and

will not endanger life or property or the

common defense and security and are

otherwise in the public interest.

Section 72.82(e) of 10 CFR Part 72

requires each licensee to provide a

report of preoperational test acceptance

criteria and test results to the

appropriate NRC Regional Office with a

copy to the Director, Office of Nuclear

Material Safety and Safeguards, at least

30 days prior to receipt of spent fuel or

high level radioactive waste for storage

in an ISFSI. The purpose of the 30-day

period is to allow the NRC an

opportunity to review test results prior

to initial operation of the ISFSI.

III

By letter dated January 4, 1995, the

licensee requested a schedular

exemption pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7

from the requirement of 10 CFR

72.82(e). The licensee committed to

submit its report no less than 3 days

prior to receipt of spent fuel at its ISFSI.

In July 1993, NSP suspended cask

fabrication and site construction

activities until the Minnesota State

Legislature authorized the ISFSI on May

10, 1994. After authorization, NSP

resumed the ISFSI construction and the

facility was completed in November

1994. The fist cask was received on

January 26, 1995.

The NRC conducted an inspection of

the quality assurance records related to

the manufacture of the cask at vendor

sites, and on October 11, 1994, and

January 25, 1995, issued Inspection

Reports Nos. 72–0010/94–210 and 72–

0010/94–212, respectively, to NSP. On

February 23, 1995, and March 8, 1995,

NSP responded to the Notice of