Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2006/09/13/E6-15132/notice-of-availability-of-environmental-assessment-and-finding-of-no-significant-impact-for-license
Timestamp: 2018-03-24 10:41:00
Document Index: 656800032

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 40', 'art 51', 'art 51', 'art 40', 'art 40', 'art 20', 'art 20', 'art 51']

Federal Register :: Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for License Amendment to Source Materials License No. SUB-834, To Authorize Disposal, in Accordance With 10 CFR 20.2002, of Contaminated Military Vehicles by the Department of the Army, U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center Facility, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD
Docket No. 040-07354
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E6-15132 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E6-15132
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering the issuance of a license amendment to Source Materials License No. SUB-834. This license is held by the Department of the Army Aberdeen Test Center (the Licensee), for its facility located at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. License No. SUB-834 was issued to the Army on April 11, 1961, pursuant to 10 CFR Part 40, and has been amended periodically since that time. This license authorizes the Licensee to use uranium and thorium for purposes of conducting research and development activities with military equipment.
In accordance with 10 CFR 20.2002 and 10 CFR 40.14, issuance of the license amendment would authorize the transfer and off-site disposal of two M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles which are contaminated with depleted uranium. As discussed further below, the two vehicles would be disposed of at U.S. Ecology, a Subtitle C Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste disposal facility in Idaho. The Licensee requested this action in a letter dated September 13, 2005. The NRC has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) in support of this proposed action in accordance with the requirements of Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 51 (10 CFR Part 51). Based on the EA, the NRC has concluded that a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is appropriate with respect to the proposed action. The amendment will be issued to the Licensee following the publication of this FONSI and EA in the Federal Register.
The proposed action would approve the Licensee's September 13, 2005, license amendment request that transfer of its two M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles to U.S. Ecology's disposal facility be authorized. In addition to granting the licensee's license amendment request, the proposed action would also grant, pursuant to 10 CFR 40.14, an exemption to U.S. Ecology from 10 CFR Part 40 licensing requirements. 10 CFR 40.14 provides that the Commission may, upon application by an interested person, “or upon its own initiative, grant such exemptions” from the 10 CFR Part 40 requirements “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.” Under the exemption granted to U.S. Ecology any depleted uranium on the two vehicles would, upon their receipt at U.S. Ecology's disposal facility, no longer be subject to NRC regulation and would no longer be NRC licensed material. The 10 CFR 40.14 exemption in this case is equivalent to (1) prior EA determinations on 10 CFR 20.2002 requests in which disposal of depleted uranium at RCRA hazardous waste disposal facilities were approved; and (2) previous related exemptions to the effect that the materials at issue were exempt from further Atomic Energy Act and NRC licensing requirements.
The Licensee needs this license change in order to dispose of the two M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles that are contaminated with hazardous wastes at an appropriate facility. The two vehicles also have low-level contamination from depleted uranium, specifically, less than 800 microcuries total depleted uranium on a total mass of 58,000 pounds in 2,800 cubic feet of material. NRC is fulfilling its Start Printed Page 54100responsibilities under the Atomic Energy Act to make a timely decision on a proposed license amendment that ensures protection of public health and safety and the environment.
The disposal of the military vehicle debris containing less than 800 microcuries of depleted uranium will result in a dose of less than 1 millirem to a member of the public. Based on its review, the staff has determined that the affected environment and environmental impacts associated with the proposed action will not significantly increase the probability or consequences of accidents. No changes are being made in the types of any effluents that may be released off site, and there is no significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Based on its review, the NRC staff considered the impact of the residual radioactivity at the disposal site. The NRC has identified no other radiological or non-radiological activities in the area that could result in cumulative environmental impacts, and concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment.
Due to the very small amounts of radioactive material involved, the environmental impacts of the proposed action are small. Therefore, the only alternative the staff considered is the no-action alternative, under which the staff would leave things as they are by simply denying the amendment request. This denial of the application would result in no change in current environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of the proposed action and the no-action alternative are therefore similar and the no-action alternative is accordingly not further considered.
NRC provided a draft of this Environmental Assessment to the State of Idaho Department of Environmental Quality for review on May 10, 2006. On July 28, 2006, the State responded by letter. The State agreed with the health and safety conclusions of the EA, but provided comments as to NRC jurisdiction of the material at U.S. Ecology. The NRC revised the EA to explain that pursuant to the proposed exemption, the material, upon its receipt at U.S. Ecology's disposal facility, would no longer be NRC licensed material and would thus no longer be subject to NRC regulation.
(1) Letter dated September 13, 2005, with Attachment 1 “Aberdeen Proving Ground Request for Approval of Proposed Procedures in accordance with 10 CFR 20.2002”, Enclosure 2, “MicroShield Exposure Rates for Hypothetical Transportation Worker, Members of the General Public, and Disposal Facility Workers”, and Enclosure 3, “RESRAD Computer code Summary Report Resident Farmer” [ADAMS Accession No. ML052870504].
(2) Technical Review of Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) part 20.2002 Request by Aberdeen Test Center [ML060310247] and Safety Evaluation Report: 10 CFR 20.2002 Request By Aberdeen Test Center [ML060310257].
(3) Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations, part 20, “Standards for Protection Against Radiation.”
(4) Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, part 51, “Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions”.
Dated at King of Prussia, Pennsylvania this 1st day of September 2006.
[FR Doc. E6-15132 Filed 9-12-06; 8:45 am]