[Federal Register: June 22, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 121)]
[Notices]               
[Page 33579-33580]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22jn01-104]                         

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 030-28641]

 
Consideration of License Amendment to U.S. Air Force Master 
Materials License and Opportunity for Hearing

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of consideration of amendment request and opportunity 
for a hearing.

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[[Page 33580]]

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering issuance 
of a license amendment to Master Materials License No. 42-23539-01AF, 
issued to the United States Air Force, to perform remediation in 
accordance with the submitted decommissioning plan of its OT-10 
Radiation Training Sites located on Kirtland Air Force Base, New 
Mexico, and leading to subsequent release of the property for 
unrestricted use.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Blair Spitzberg, Chief Fuel Cycle 
Decommissioning Branch (FCDB) at (817) 860-8191 or Rachel Carr, FCDB at 
(817) 276-6552.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 14, 2000, the licensee submitted a 
decommissioning plan (DP) to the NRC for review that summarized the 
decommissioning activities which will be undertaken to remediate four 
training sites on the north central part of Kirtland Air Force Base. 
The area of land on this part of the base had been used since 1961 
until 1990 as a site for the education and training of U.S. Department 
of Defense (DOD), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Federal Emergency 
Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal and state personnel as 
radiological incident responders to detect contaminants generated 
during a simulated radiological incident. The surface area is seeded 
with known quantities of Brazilian thorium oxide sludge which was 
applied and tilled into site solids to simulate dispersed plutonium. 
The sites are owned by the U.S. Government and are regulated by the 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission under the United States Air Force Master 
Materials License 42-23539-01AF.
    The NRC will require the licensee to remediate the four radiation 
training sites to meet NRC's decommissioning criteria and, during 
decommissioning activities, to maintain doses within NRC requirements 
and as low as reasonably achievable.

NRC Approval Process

    Prior to approving the decommissioning plan, NRC will have made 
findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and 
NRC's regulations. These findings will be documented in an 
Environmental Assessment. The Environmental Assessment may also lead to 
the development of an Environmental Impact Statement if the NRC is 
unable to support the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). A FONSI 
briefly states the reasons why an action will not have a significant 
impact on the human environment. The FONSI must be published in the 
Federal Register prior to approval of a DP supported by an 
Environmental Assessment.

Documents

    The Decommissioning Plan submitted by Kirtland Air Force Base is 
available for public inspection from the Publicly Available Records 
(PARS) component of NRC's document system (ADAMS). The Accession Number 
for the document is (ML011560740). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC web 
site at http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/index.html (the Public Electronic 
Reading Room). Assistance with the Public Electronic Reading Room may 
be obtained by calling (800) 397-4209.

Notice of Opportunity for Hearing

    The NRC hereby provides notice that this is a proceeding on an 
application for amendment of a license falling within the scope of 
subpart L, ``Informal Hearing Procedures for Adjudications in Materials 
and Operator Licensing Proceedings,'' of NRC's rules of practice for 
domestic licensing proceedings in 10 CFR Part 2. Pursuant to 
Sec. 2.1205(a), any person whose interest may be affected by the 
proceeding may file a request for a hearing in accordance with 
Sec. 2.1205(d). A request for a hearing must be filed within thirty 
(30) days of the date of publication of this Federal Register notice.
    The request for a hearing must be filed with the office of the 
Secretary either:
    1. By delivery to the Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff of the 
Office of the Secretary at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, 
Rockville MD 20852-2738; or
    2. By mail, telegram or facsimile addressed to the Secretary, U.S. 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington DC 20555-0001. Attention: 
Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff.
    In addition to meeting other applicable requirements of 10 CFR Part 
2 of the NRC's regulations, a request for a hearing filed by a person 
other than an applicant must describe in detail:
    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, with particular reference to the factors set out in 
Sec. 2.1205(h);
    3. The requester's area of concern about the licensing activity 
that is the subject matter of the proceeding; and
    4. The circumstances establishing that the request for a hearing is 
timely in accordance with 2.1205(d)--that is, filed within 30 days of 
the date of this notice.
    In accordance with 10 CFR 2.1205(f), each request for a hearing 
must also be served, by delivering it personally or by mail, to:
    1. The applicant, Department of the Air Force, USAF Radioisotope 
Committee, HQ AFMOA/SGZR, 110 Luke Ave, Suite 405, Bolling AFB, DC 
20322-7050; and
    2. The NRC staff, by delivery to the General Counsel, One White 
Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852, or by mail, 
addressed to the General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555.

    Dated at Arlington, Texas, this 13th day of June, 2001.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
D. Blair Spitzberg,
Chief, Fuel Cycle Decommissioning Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials 
Safety, Region IV.
[FR Doc. 01-15708 Filed 6-21-01; 8:45 am]
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