[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26676-26678]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12257]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 70-143, License No. SNM-124, EA 03-087]
In the Matter of Nuclear Fuel Services Inc., Erwin, TN; Order
Modifying License (Effective Immediately)
Nuclear Fuel Services Inc., (``NFS'' or the ``licensee'') is the
holder of Special Nuclear Material License No. SNM-124 issued by the
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory (NRC or Commission) pursuant to Title 10 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) part 70. NFS is authorized by its
license to receive, possess, and transfer special nuclear material in
accordance with the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and 10 CFR
part 70. The NFS license, originally issued on September 18, 1957, was
last renewed on July 2, 1999, and is due to expire on July 31, 2009.
On September 11, 2001, terrorists simultaneously attacked targets
in New York, NY, and Washington, DC, utilizing large commercial
aircraft as weapons. In response to the attacks and intelligence
information subsequently obtained, the Commission issued a number of
Safeguards and Threat Advisories to its licensees and eventually Orders
to selected licensees, including NFS, to strengthen licensees'
capabilities and readiness to respond to a potential attack on a
nuclear facility. The Commission has also communicated with other
Federal, State and local government agencies and industry
representatives to discuss and evaluate the current threat environment
in order to assess the nature of the current threat. In addition, the
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Commission has been conducting a comprehensive review of its safeguards
and security programs and requirements. As part of this review, the
Commission issued an Order to NFS on August 21, 2002, to implement
interim compensatory measures (ICMs) to enhance physical security of
licensed operations at this facility.
As a result of information provided by the intelligence community
concerning the nature of the threat and the Commission's assessment of
this information, the Commission has determined that a revision is
needed to the Design Basis Threat (DBT) specified in 10 CFR 73.1.
Therefore, the Commission is imposing a revised DBT, as set forth in
Attachment 1 \1\ of this Order. The DBT, which supercedes the DBT
specified in 10 CFR 73.1, provides the Commission with reasonable
assurance that the public health and safety and common defense and
security continue to be adequately protected in the current threat
environment. The requirements of this Order will remain in effect until
the Commission determines otherwise. To address the DBT set forth in
Attachment 1 of this Order, NFS is required to revise its physical
security plan, safeguards contingency plan, and guard training and
qualification plan that are required by 10 CFR 70.22.
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\1\ Attachment 1 contains classified information and will not be
released to the public.
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In order to provide assurance that NFS is implementing prudent
measures to protect against the DBT, Materials License SNM-124 shall be
modified to require that the physical security plan, safeguards
contingency plan, and the guard training and qualification plan,
required by 10 CFR 70.22 be revised to provide protection against this
DBT. Upon completion of NRC review and approval of the revised physical
security plan, including pertinent requirements of the Order issued on
August 21, 2002, safeguards contingency plan, and the guard training
and qualification plan, and their full implementation, the Commission
will consider requests to relax or rescind, either in whole or in part,
the requirements of the Order issued on August 21, 2002, imposing ICMs.
In addition, pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202, 70.32, and 70.81, I find that,
in the circumstances described above, the public health, safety and
interest and the common defense and security require that this Order be
immediately effective.
Accordingly, pursuant to sections 53, 161b, 161i, 161o, 182 and 186
of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and the Commission's
regulations in 10 CFR 2.202, 70.32, and 70.81, it is hereby ordered,
effective immediately, that material license SNM-124 is modified as
follows:
A. 1. NFS shall, notwithstanding the provisions of any Commission
regulation, license, or order to the contrary, revise its physical
protection plan, safeguards contingency plan, and guard training and
qualification plan prepared pursuant to 10 CFR 70.22 to provide
protection against the DBT set forth in Attachment 1 to this Order. NFS
shall submit the revised physical security plan, revised safeguards
contingency plan, and revised guard training and qualification plan
including an implementation schedule, to the Commission for review and
approval no later than April 29, 2004.
2. The revised physical security plan, revised safeguards
contingency plan, and revised guard training and qualification plan
must be fully implemented by the licensee by October 29, 2004.
B. 1. NFS shall, within twenty (20) days of the date of this Order,
notify the Commission, (1) if it is unable to comply with any of the
requirements of this Order, (2) if compliance with any of the
requirements is unnecessary in its specific circumstances, or (3) if
implementation of any of the requirements would cause NFS to be in
violation of the provisions of any Commission regulation or its
facility license. The notification shall provide NFS's justification
for seeking relief from, or variation of, any specific requirement.
2. If NFS considers that implementation of any of the requirements
of this Order would adversely impact safe operation of its facility,
NFS must notify the Commission, within twenty (20) days of this Order,
of the adverse safety impact, the basis for its determination that the
requirement has an adverse safety impact, and either a proposal for
achieving the same objectives of this Order, or a schedule for
modifying the facility to address the adverse safety condition. If
neither approach is appropriate, NFS must supplement its response to
Condition B.1 of this Order to identify the condition as a requirement
with which it cannot comply, with attendant justifications as required
in Condition B.1.
C. NFS shall report to the Commission, in writing, when it has
fully implemented the approved revisions to its physical security plan,
safeguards contingency plan, and guard training and qualification plan
to protect against the DBT described in Attachment 1 to this Order.
D. Notwithstanding the provisions of any Commission regulation,
license or order to the contrary, all measures implemented or actions
taken in response to this Order shall be maintained until the
Commission determines otherwise, except that NFS may make changes to
their revised physical security plan, safeguards contingency plan, and
guard training and qualification plan if authorized by 10 CFR 73.32(e)
or (g).
NFS's responses to Conditions A.1, B.1, B.2, and C above, shall be
submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 70.5. In addition, NFS's submittals
that contain classified information shall be properly marked and
handled in accordance with 10 CFR 95.39.
The Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards may,
in writing, relax or rescind any of the above conditions upon
demonstration by NFS of good cause.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.202, NFS must, and any other person
adversely affected by this Order may, submit an answer to this Order,
and may request a hearing on this Order, within twenty (20) days of the
date of this Order. Where good cause is shown, consideration will be
given to extending the time to request a hearing. A request for
extension of time in which to submit an answer or request a hearing
must be made in writing to the Director, Office of Nuclear Material
Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington,
DC 20555, and include a statement of good cause for the extension. The
answer may consent to this Order. Unless the answer consents to this
Order, the answer shall, in writing and under oath or affirmation,
specifically set forth the matters of fact and law on which NFS or
other person adversely affected relies and the reasons as to why the
Order should not have been issued. Any answer or request for a hearing
shall be submitted to the Secretary, Office of the Secretary of the
Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Rulemakings and
Adjudications Staff, Washington, DC 20555. Copies also shall be sent to
the Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555; to the Assistant
General Counsel for Materials Litigation and Enforcement at the same
address; to the Regional Administrator for NRC Region II and to NFS if
the answer or hearing request is by a person other than the licensee.
Because of possible disruptions in delivery of mail to United States
Government offices, it is requested that answers and requests for
hearing be transmitted to the Secretary
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of the Commission either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-
1101 or by e-mail to [email protected] and also to the Office of
the General Counsel either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-
415-3725 or by e-mail to [email protected]. If a person other than
the licensee requests a hearing, that person shall set forth with
particularity the manner in which his or her interest is adversely
affected by this Order and shall address the criteria set forth in 10
CFR 2.714(d).
If a hearing is requested by NFS or a person whose interest is
adversely affected, the Commission will issue an Order designating the
time and place of any hearing. If a hearing is held, the issue to be
considered at such hearing shall be whether this Order should be
sustained.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202(c)(2)(i), NFS may, in addition to
demanding a hearing, at the time the answer is filed or sooner, move
the presiding officer to set aside the immediate effectiveness of the
Order on the ground that the Order, including the need for immediate
effectiveness, is not based on adequate evidence but on mere suspicion,
unfounded allegations, or error.
In the absence of any request for hearing, or written approval of
an extension of time in which to request a hearing, the provisions
specified in Section III above shall be final twenty (20) days from the
date of this Order without further order or proceedings. If an
extension of time for requesting a hearing has been approved, the
provisions specified in Section III shall be final when the extension
expires if a hearing request has not been received. An answer or a
request for hearing shall not stay the immediate effectiveness of this
order.
Dated this 29th day of April, 2003.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Martin J. Virgilio,
Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 03-12257 Filed 5-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P