[Federal Register: June 14, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 115)]
[Notices]
[Page 32399-32400]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14jn01-138]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-271]
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation; Vermont Yankee Nuclear
Power Station; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant
Impact
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
amending a previously granted approval to dispose of slightly
contaminated soil under 10 CFR 20.2002 by expanding the allowable waste
stream to include low levels of radioactively contaminated soil
generated as a residual byproduct of other types of on-site
construction activities. This approval is requested by Vermont Yankee
Nuclear Power Corporation (the licensee), for operation of the Vermont
Yankee Nuclear Power Station (Vermont Yankee), located in Windham
County, Vermont.
Environmental Assessment
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would amend the previously granted approvals to
dispose of slightly contaminated septic waste, cooling tower silt,
soil/sand from roadways and walkways, to include low levels of
radioactively contaminated construction soil generated as a residual
byproduct of on-site construction activities such as design change
implementation and land maintenance.
The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's request
dated September 11, 2000.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed to dispose of slightly contaminated
soil on-site. In accordance with 10 CFR 20.2002, which requires that a
licensee apply to the Commission for approval of proposed procedures,
not otherwise authorized in the regulations, to dispose of licensed
material generated by the licensee's activities. The licensee
identified 28.3 cubic meters of approved materials (i.e., soil/sand
from roadways and walkways, and soil from on-site construction-related
activities including, but not limited to, design change implementation
and land maintenance) to be disposed of on-site on an annual basis
until the expiration of the plant's operating license in 2013. Since
the previous approval did not include disposal of soil generated as a
result of certain construction-related activities, the licensee is
requesting approval to amend the previously granted application
pursuant to 10 CFR 20.2002, dated June 15, 2000.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and
concludes that the proposed action will be bound by the conditions for
the on-site disposals previously reviewed and approved by the NRC. The
licensee will continue to use the designated and approved areas on
their property (approximately 1.9 acres) and use approximately 10 acres
which have not been previously used for disposal. The amount of soil
and soil/sand materials that will be disposed has not increased, and
will remain at 28.3 cubic meters. Determination of the radiological
dose impact of the new material has been made based on the same dose
assessment models and pathway assumptions used in the previous
submittals. The licensee's proposal was evaluated against the NRC
staff's guidelines for on-site disposal and found not to be a
significant radiological environmental impact. The bounding dose
conditions for the previously approved materials will not be exceeded.
The potential exposure to members of the general public from the
radionuclides in material was
[[Page 32400]]
determined to be less than 1 mrem/year and meets the NRC staff's
guidelines.
The proposed action will not increase the probability or
consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of
any effluents that may be released offsite, and there is no significant
increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, there
are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with
the proposed action.
With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed
action does not involve any historic sites. It does not affect
nonradiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact.
Therefore, there are no significant nonradiological environmental
impacts associated with the proposed action.
Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered
denial of the proposed action. Denial of the application would result
in no change in current environmental impacts. The environmental
impacts of the proposed action and the alternative action are similar.
If the proposed action is denied, the licensee may be required to ship
the material to an off-site low-level radioactive waste disposal
facility. Transportation impacts would increase as a result of the
additional volume of low-level waste generated for disposal.
Furthermore, the costs associated with off-site disposal greatly exceed
the cost of on-site disposal without no significant benefit to the
environment.
Alternative Use of Resources
This action does not involve the use of any resources not
previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for the
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with its stated policy, on April 12, 2001, the staff
consulted with the Vermont State Official, William Sherman, of the
Department of Public Service, regarding the environmental impact of the
proposed action. The State official had no comments.
Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC concludes
that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the
quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has determined
not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed
action.
For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the
licensee's letter dated September 11, 2000. Documents may be examined,
and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room, located at
One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville,
Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically
from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)
Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC web site,
http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/index.html. If you do not have access to
ADAMS or if there are problems in accessing the documents located in
ADAMS, contact the NRC Public Document Room (PDR) Reference staff at 1-
800-397-4209, 301-415-4737 or by email to pdr@nrc.gov.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day of June 2001.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Robert M. Pulsifer,
Project Manager, Section 2, Project Directorate I, Division of
Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-14977 Filed 6-13-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P