Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Issuance of an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact.
Shana Helton, Senior Project Manager, Licensing Branch, Division of Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Rockville, MD 20852. Telephone: (301) 492–3284; fax number: (301) 492–3348; e-mail:
Pursuant to 10 CFR 20.2301, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an exemption to the United States Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (DOE or applicant), from the requirements of 10 CFR 20.1501(c). Section 20.1501(c) requires that dosimeter processors hold current personnel dosimetry accreditation from the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Exemption from this requirement of 10 CFR 20.1501(c) would allow DOE to use the DOE Laboratory Accreditation Program (DOELAP) process for personnel dosimetry at Idaho Spent Fuel (ISF) facility independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI), located at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory in Butte County, Idaho.
Pursuant to 10 CFR part 72, DOE submitted an application, including a Safety Analysis Report (SAR), by letter dated May 30, 2008, as supplemented, seeking NRC approval of the direct transfer of Special Nuclear Materials License No. 2512 (SNM–2512) for the ISF facility, currently held by Foster Wheeler Environmental Corporation (FWENC). The applicant is also seeking NRC approval of a conforming license amendment, which would reflect the proposed transfer. NRC staff is currently performing a review of the requested license transfer and conforming amendment.
NUREG–1773, “Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Idaho Spent Fuel Facility at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory in Butte County, Idaho” (January 2004), considered the potential environmental impacts of licensing (including construction, operation, and decommissioning) this facility. The proposed exemption, substituting the DOELAP accreditation process for the NVLAP accreditation process, would not change the potential environmental effects assessed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) described in NUREG–1773. Use of the DOELAP accreditation process by DOE at the ISF facility is an action that is administrative and procedural in nature. The NRC concludes that there are no environmental impacts associated with the approval of the proposed action. Furthermore, in accordance with 10 CFR 20.2301, the NRC staff concludes that the use of the DOELAP accreditation process at the ISF facility would not result in any undue hazard to life or property.
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 NRC finds that the proposed action of granting an exemption from 10 CFR 20.1501(c) so that DOE may use the DOELAP, rather than the NVLAP, as required by existing regulations, will not significantly impact the quality of the human environment. The NRC has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed exemption. Accordingly, it has been determined that a Finding of No Significant Impact is appropriate.
For further details with respect to the application, see the application dated May 30, 2008, and the request for the exemption dated June 9, 2008, available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records are accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management Systems (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site,
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.