[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 68 (Monday, April 10, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18154-18155]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-8705]



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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-322]


Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact 
Regarding Termination of the Shoreham Nuclear Power Station, Nuclear 
Power Facility License No. NPF-82

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering the issuance 
of an Order modifying the June 11, 1992, Order (the decommissioning 
Order) that authorized the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA or the 
licensee) to decommission the Shoreham Nuclear Power Station (SNPS), 
Unit 1, at Wading River, New York. The SNPS is located in the town of 
Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York, about 50 miles east of New York 
City, on the north shore of Long Island. The modifying Order would 
terminate License No. NPF-82 and release the site for unrestricted use 
based on the successful completion of decommissioning.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of Proposed Action

    By letter dated June 27, 1991, the former licensee, Long Island 
Lighting Company (LILCO), and supplemented by letter dated August 4, 
1994, the current licensee, LIPA, requested termination of the SNPS, 
Nuclear Power Facility (NPF) License No. NPF-82 (Docket No. 50-322). 
NRC approved, by Order dated June 11, 1992, the decommissioning of the 
SNPS. The June 11, 1992, Order contained the staff's Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact related to the 
decommissioning of SNPS.
    The licensee has completed the decommissioning and Final 
Termination Surveys of the SNPS. Representatives of the Oak Ridge 
Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), under contract to NRC, 
conducted a series of independent confirmatory surveys, during four 
site visits from February 1993 through November 1994. The proposed 
action would be to terminate the SNPS License No. NPF-82 and release 
the facility and site for unrestricted use.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    To release the SNPS for unrestricted access and use, License No. 
NPF-82 must be terminated.

Environmental Impact of License Termination

    In June 1992, NRC approved, by Order, the decommissioning of the 
SNPS. The June 11, 1992, Order contained the staff's Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact related to the 
decommissioning of SNPS.
    Based on an agreement between the Philadelphia Electric Company 
(PECo) and LIPA, the slightly irradiated fuel stored in the SNPS spent 
fuel pool was transferred to the Limerick Generating Station for use. 
The dismantlement and decontamination of the SNPS began in June 1992 
and was completed in accordance with an approved decommissioning plan 
(DP), as supplemented, in August 1994. All [[Page 18155]] contaminated 
waste generated during the SNPS decommissioning has been removed from 
the site.
    The approved DP, as supplemented, contained the SNPS Final 
Termination Survey Plan (Plan). The Plan described the methods used by 
the licensee to demonstrate compliance with existing NRC unrestricted 
release criteria. The guidelines used by the licensee for residual 
radioactivity at the SNPS are consistent with the values provided in 
Table 1, of Regulatory Guide 1.86, which establishes acceptable 
residual surface contamination levels. NRC authorized alternative 
contamination limits for iron-55 and tritium above those specified in 
Regulatory Guide 1.86. These alternative criteria were presented to the 
Commission in SECY 94-145 and increased the allowable residual average 
and maximum total residual beta activity levels for iron-55 and tritium 
from 5000 average total and 15,000 maximum total (fixed plus removable) 
disintegrations per minute (dpm)/100 square centimeters to 200,000 
average total and 600,000 maximum total dpm/100 square centimeters, 
respectively. This permitted the licensee to safely retain on site 
major portions of the reactor bioshield wall that did not exceed the 
gamma dose rate criterion or the surface contamination limits for other 
isotopes, but which would have required offsite disposal under the 
original iron-55 and tritium surface contamination limits of Regulatory 
Guide 1.86. A concentration limit for cobalt-60 in soil and other bulk 
materials of 8 picocuries per gram was also established. An average 
gamma dose rate criterion of 5 uR per hour above background, at a 
distance of 1 meter from indoor accessible surfaces, was used. For 
outdoor surfaces, individual gamma exposure rates are not to exceed 10 
uR per hour above background at 1 meter.
    The licensee implemented a phased approach to its Final Termination 
Surveys and completed final radiological surveys in August 1994. These 
survey measurements were verified by the NRC contractor, ORISE. The 
ORISE confirmatory surveys confirmed that the licensee's measurements 
meet the existing criteria for unrestricted release. Since the existing 
unrestricted release criteria have been met, there is no significant 
radiological impact on the environment from the release of the site.
    With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed 
action does not affect non-radiological plant effluents and has no 
other environmental impact. Therefore, the NRC staff concludes no 
significant non-radiological impacts are associated with the proposed 
action.
    In accordance with 10 CFR part 51, the Commission has determined 
that the issuance of this termination Order is procedural in nature and 
will have no significant impact on the quality of the human 
environment. The proposed Order terminates the SNPS, Unit 1, Facility 
License No. NPF-82.

Alternative to the Proposed Action

    Since the NRC staff has concluded that there are no environmental 
impacts associated with the proposed action, any alternative with equal 
or greater environmental impacts need not be evaluated.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    The licensee initiated the request for termination of the SNPS 
License No. NPF-82. The NRC staff reviewed the request and 
representatives from ORISE performed confirmatory surveys. The staff 
consulted with the State of New York regarding environmental impacts of 
the proposed action, and the State did not provide any comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    NRC has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement 
for the proposed action. Based on the foregoing environmental 
assessment, NRC has concluded that the issuance of an Order will not 
have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment.
    For further details with respect to this action, see: (1) The 
licensee's request to terminate the SNPC license presented in letters 
dated June 27, 1991 (SNRC-1818), and August 4, 1994 (LSNRC-2178); (2) 
the Commission's Order approving decommissioning dated June 11, 1992; 
(3) the licensee's Termination Survey Final Report, Phase 1 (LSNRC-
2101), dated September 30, 1993; the licensee's Termination Survey 
Final Report, Phase 2 (LSNRC-2144), dated February 4, 1994; the 
licensee's Termination Survey Final Report, Phase 3 (LSNRC-2173), dated 
June 14, 1994; the licensee's Termination Survey Final Report, Phase 4 
(LSNRC-2184), dated October 12, 1994; and (4) the ORISE Final 
Confirmatory Reports dated July 1993, September 1994, and February 
1995. These documents are available for public inspection at the 
Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20555, and at the Shoreham Wading River Public 
Library, Route 25A, Shoreham, NY 11786. Copies may be obtained upon 
request addressed to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555, Attention: Director, Division of Waste 
Management.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day of April, 1995.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Michael F. Weber,
Chief, Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning Projects Branch, Division of 
Waste Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 95-8705 Filed 4-7-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-M