[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 88 (Monday, May 7, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23052-23053]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-11386]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Docket No. 72-5


Nuclear Management Corporation; Issuance of Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is 
considering issuance of an exemption, pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7, from the 
provisions of 10 CFR 72.48 to Nuclear Management Corporation (NMC). The 
requested exemption would allow NMC to implement the amended 10 CFR 
72.48 requirements on September 7, 2001, for the Independent Spent Fuel 
Storage Installation (ISFSI) at the Point Beach Nuclear Plant (PBNP) in 
Manitowoc County, Wisconsin.

[[Page 23053]]

Environmental Assessment (EA)

    Identification of Proposed Action: By letter dated March 20, 2001, 
as supplemented April 6, 2001, NMC requested a scheduler exemption from 
the implementation date of April 5, 2001, for the revised 10 CFR 72.48. 
NMC plans to implement its revised 10 CFR 50.59 and 10 CFR 72.48 
programs simultaneously. The planned date for implementing the revised 
10 CFR 50.59 requirements is September 7, 2001.
    Need for Proposed Action: The applicant wants the implementation 
date of 10 CFR 50.59 and 10 CFR 72.48 to coincide. The applicant stated 
in the March 20, 2001, submittal that administering separate programs 
to satisfy the current 10 CFR 72.48 schedule could become burdensome 
and create confusion.
    Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action: There are no 
significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. 
The new revision of 10 CFR 72.48 is considered less restrictive than 
the current requirements, with the exception of the additional 
reporting requirements. Continued implementation of the existing 10 CFR 
72.48 until September 7, 2001, is acceptable to the NRC as stated in 
Regulatory Issues Summary 2001-03 which states that it is the NRC's 
view that both the old rule and the new rule provide an acceptable 
level of safety. Extending the current requirements until September 7, 
2001, has no significant impact on the environment.
    Alternative to the Proposed Action: Since there are no 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action, alternatives 
are not evaluated other than the no-action alternative. The alternative 
to the proposed action would be to deny approval of the scheduler 
exemption and, therefore, not allow NMC to implement the revised 10 CFR 
72.48 requirements on the desired date, September 7, 2001. However, the 
environmental impacts of the proposed action and the alternative would 
be the same.
    Agencies and Persons Consulted: On April 10, 2001, Wisconsin state 
official, Mr. Jeff Kitsembel, Nuclear Engineer, Public Service 
Commission of Wisconsin, was contacted regarding the environmental 
assessment for the proposed action and had no comment.

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 72.48, so that NMC may implement the 
amended requirements on September 7, 2001, will not significantly 
impact the quality of human environment. Accordingly, the Commission 
has determined that an environmental impact statement for the proposed 
action is not necessary.
    The request for exemption was docketed under 10 CFR Part 72, Docket 
72-5. For further details with respect to this action, see the 
exemption request dated March 20, 2001, as supplemented April 6, 2001, 
which is available for public inspection at the Commission's Public 
Document Room, One White Flint North Building, 11555 Rockville Pike, 
Rockville, Maryland 20852, or from the publicly available records 
component of NRC's agencywide documents access and management system 
(ADAMS).
    ADAMS is accessible from the NRC web site at http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/index.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 25th day of April 2001.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
E. William Brach,
Director, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety 
and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 01-11386 Filed 5-4-01; 8:45 am]
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