[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 171 (Thursday, September 3, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53343-53347]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21820]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-128; NRC-2015-0210]
Texas Engineering Experiment Station/Texas A&M University System
Nuclear Science Center Reactor
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact;
issuance.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
renewal of Facility Operating License No. R-83, held by the Texas
Engineering Experiment Station/Texas A&M University System (TEES/TAMUS
or the licensee) for the continued operation of its Nuclear Science
Center (NSC or the facility) Training, Research, Isotope Production,
General Atomics (TRIGA) reactor (NSCR or the reactor). The NRC is
issuing an environmental assessment and finding of no significant
impact associated with the renewal of the license.
DATES: The environmental assessment and finding of no significant
impact are available as of September 3, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2015-0210 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You
may obtain publicly-available information related to this document
using any of the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2015-0210. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; email: [email protected]. For technical questions, contact
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of
this document.
NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
[[Page 53344]]
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the
ADAMS Public Documents collection at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and
then select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS,
please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at
1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by email to [email protected]. For
the convenience of the reader, the ADAMS accession numbers are provided
in a table in the ``Availability of Documents'' section of this
document.
NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Geoffrey A. Wertz, Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-0893; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The NRC is considering renewal of Facility Operating License No. R-
83, held by TEES/TAMUS, which would authorize continued operation of
its NSCR, located in College Station, Brazos County, Texas. Therefore,
as required by Sec. 51.21 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR), the NRC performed an environmental assessment.
Based on the results of the environmental assessment that follows, the
NRC has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for
the renewed license, and is issuing a finding of no significant impact.
II. Environmental Assessment
Description of the Proposed Action
The proposed action would renew Facility Operating License No. R-83
for an additional 20 years from the date of issuance of the renewed
license. The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's
letter dated February 27, 2003, as supplemented by letters dated July
22, 2009; July 28, August 30, August 31, and December 9, 2010; May 27,
June 9, and November 21, 2011; January 12, April 11, and November 14,
2012; January 31, 2013; February 3, February 11, and November 13, 2014;
and March 2, June 5, June 11, and June 30, 2015 (the renewal
application). In accordance with Sec. 2.109, ``Effect of timely
renewal application,'' the existing license remains in effect until the
NRC takes final action on the renewal application.
Need for the Proposed Action
The proposed action is needed to allow the continued operation of
the TEES/TAMUS NSCR to routinely provide teaching, research, and
services to numerous institutions for a period of 20 years.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
The NRC has completed its safety evaluation of the proposed action
to issue a renewed TEES/TAMUS NSC Facility Operating License No. R-83
to allow continued operation of the TEES/TAMUS NSCR for an additional
20 years and concludes there is reasonable assurance that the licensee
will continue to operate the TEES/TAMUS NSCR safely for the additional
period of time. The details of the NRC's safety evaluation will be
provided with the renewed license that will be issued as part of the
letter to the licensee approving its license renewal application. This
document contains the environmental assessment of the proposed action.
The TEES/TAMUS NSC is located on a rectangular 6-acre site on the
west end of the Texas A&M University (TAMU) campus in College Station,
Texas. The NSC is located 460 meters (1500 feet) west of the north-
south runway of Easterwood Airport. The NSC is surrounded by land owned
and controlled by TAMU and Easterwood Airport. No industrial,
transportation or military facilities within the vicinity of the NSC
pose sufficient risk to the NSC NSCR to render the site unusable for
operation of the reactor facility. Although the airport is nearby, the
trajectory of the runways make the probability of a casualty resulting
from an aircraft collision low. The NSCR is located within a steel and
concrete confinement building, below ground level, and is protected by
thick stainless steel-lined concrete pool walls, which would minimize
the radiological risk of a potential aircraft collision.
The NSC is comprised of the reactor confinement building, entry/
reception area, laboratory building and other equipment rooms, and
storage/support buildings. The main entrance into the NSC is located at
the east end of the site. The NSC is located 9.6 kilometers (6 miles)
south of the city center of Bryan, 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) southwest
of the TAMU main campus, and 4.1 kilometers (2.5 miles) west-southwest
of the City of College Station. The nearest permanent residences are
greater than 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) from the NSC and the nearest
dormitories are 4 to 6 kilometers (2.5 to 3.5 miles) away.
The NSC is approximately 6 kilometers (3.5 miles) south of TAMU's
Zachry Engineering Center complex. The Zachry Engineering Center is the
location of TAMU's second research reactor, an Aerojet General
Nucleonics (AGN)-201M research reactor (the AGN). The license for the
AGN is currently under review for renewal which will also include an
environmental assessment similar in nature to this environmental
assessment for the NSC.
The NSCR is a pool-type, light water moderated and cooled TRIGA
research reactor licensed to operate at a steady-state power level of
1.0 megawatt (thermal). The reactor is also licensed to operate in a
pulse mode. The fuel is located at the bottom of a stainless steel-
lined concrete pool, which has two sections with a total volume of
401,500 liters (106,000 gallons) of water. The main section of the pool
is 10 meters (33 feet) deep and 5.5 meters (18 feet) wide. The stall
section of the pool is 2.8 meters (9 feet) wide with a rounded end,
which can be isolated from the main section of the pool by an aluminum
gate. The reactor is fueled with standard TRIGA low-enriched uranium
fuel and the core is normally covered by 8 meters (26 feet) of water. A
detailed description of the reactor is publicly available and can be
found in the Safety Analysis Report (SAR) for the NSCR. There have been
two major modifications to Facility Operating License No. R-83 since
the last renewal of the license on March 30, 1983. An order was issued
in 2006 amending the license by: (1) Allowing an increase in the
possession limits for uranium-235 to bring a low-enriched uranium core
on site for converting the reactor from the use of high-enriched
uranium fuel to low-enriched uranium fuel (possession limits were
reduced when the high-enriched uranium core was removed from the
facility after conversion); and (2) converting the reactor from the use
of high-enriched uranium fuel to low-enriched uranium fuel.
A. Radiological Impact
Environmental Effects of Reactor Operations:
Gaseous radioactive effluents are discharged from the NSCR facility
exhaust system through a single release point, a 26-meter (85 feet)
high building stack, at a volumetric flow rate of approximately 233
cubic meters (8,000 cubic feet) per minute. The only significant
radionuclide found in the gaseous effluent stream is argon-41 (Ar-41).
The Ar-41 release rate for the NSCR is limited to 30 curies per year
(Ci/yr), as required by TS 3.5.2.
[[Page 53345]]
The licensee states that all modes of operation at the NSCR,
including thermal column operations, produce air concentrations and
total Ar-41 release much less than the TS 3.5.2 limit of 30-Ci/yr.
However, using the 30-Ci/yr TS 3.5.2 limit and the stack flow rate
provided above, the licensee calculated that the average Ar-41 release
concentration would be 2.5x10-7 microcuries per milliliter
([mu]Ci/mL), which is 8.3 percent of the derived air concentration
(DAC) limiting value of 3x10-6 [mu]Ci/mL, established in
Table 1 of appendix B, ``Annual Limits on Intake (ALIs) and Derived Air
Concentrations (DACs) of Radionuclides for Occupational Exposure;
Effluent Concentrations; Concentrations for Release to Sewerage,'' to
10 CFR part 20. Using the building concentration as the average stack
flow concentration provided above, the licensee calculated the
occupational dose to an NSC worker staying in the confinement for 2,000
hours per year at 416 millirem (mrem). The license also evaluated the
dose to a worker given the assumption that the concentration of Ar-41,
based on the 30 Ci/yr release limit, was generated during 2,000 hours
of reactor operation and the resulting dose was 1.84 rem, which is well
below the 5,000 mrem limit established in Sec. 20.1201, ``Occupational
dose limits for adults.''
The licensee calculated, using an atmospheric dilution factor of 5
x 10-3 for the distance to the fence line at 100 m (boundary
of the restricted area), the potential dose to a member of the public
to be 12.6 mrem for a continuous Ar-41 exposure over the entire year.
This dose value is below the limit of 100 mrem/yr in Sec. 20.1301,
``Dose limits for individual members of the public.'' In order to
ensure that the actual dose remains below the 10 mrem annual as low as
is reasonably achievable (ALARA) constraint of Sec. 20.1101,
``Radiation protection programs,'' the licensee indicated that the Ar-
41 releases are monitored monthly, and the Radiation Safety Officer
(RSO) reviews the results of any abnormal releases to ensure that the
Ar-41 doses remain below the 10 mrem ALARA constraint. Additionally, a
review of the Ar-41 releases from the licensee's annual reports shows
that the annual release of Ar-41 is well below the 30 Ci limit. The
2013 Annual Report, as supplemented, is publicly available and
indicated that the total release of Ar-41 was 10.4 Ci. The NRC
estimates this release could result in a potential dose to a member of
the public to be approximately 4.3 mrem over a year.
The licensee disposes of liquid radioactive wastes by discharge to
the sanitary sewer. Liquid radioactive waste is collected from various
locations within the facility and transferred to one of three 140,060
liters (37,000 gallons) hold-up tanks. When a tank is full, its
contents are filtered to remove any particulates, and sampled for
radioactive content. Procedures are used to control the discharge
process to ensure that discharges meet the requirements of Sec.
20.2003, ``Disposal by release into sanitary sewerage,'' for disposal
into the sanitary sewerage. For many years, the licensee discharged
liquid waste from the hold-up tanks directly to a small creek running
through the site. The waste was analyzed and sufficiently diluted
before each release. Sampling of creek sediment was routinely done as
part of the overall environmental monitoring program. In September
2008, the licensee reconfigured its liquid effluent system such that
the hold-up tanks now discharge to the sanitary sewer. Since that time,
no releases have been made to the creek and none are planned.
The licensee oversees the handling of solid low-level radioactive
waste generated at the NSC. The bulk of the waste consists of gloves,
paper, plastic, and small pieces of metal. The licensee disposes of the
waste by decay-in-storage or shipment to a low-level waste broker in
accordance with all applicable regulations for transportation of
radioactive materials.
To comply with the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, the licensee
has entered into a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
that provides that DOE retains title to the fuel utilized at the NSC
and that DOE is obligated to take the fuel from the site for final
disposition.
As described in Chapter 11 of the publicly available NSC SAR,
personnel exposures are well within the limits set by Sec. 20.1201,
``Occupational dose limits for adults,'' and are ALARA. The licensee
tracks exposures of personnel monitored with dosimeters, which are
usually less than 10 percent of the occupational limit of 50
milliSieverts (5,000 mrem) per year. Area thermo-luminescent dosimeter
(TLD) monitors mounted in the control room and other strategic
locations provide an additional monthly measurement of total radiation
exposures at those locations. No changes in reactor operation that
would lead to an increase in occupational dose are expected as a result
of the proposed action.
The licensee conducts an environmental monitoring program to assess
the radiological impact of reactor operations on the surrounding areas.
The program consists of measuring and recording the integrated
radiation exposure obtained from environmental TLDs located at various
positions around the site boundary and at two control locations away
from any direct influence from the NSC. The licensee administers the
program and maintains the appropriate records. Over the past five
years, the survey program indicated that radiation exposures at the
monitoring locations were not significantly higher than those measured
at the control locations. Year-to-year trends in exposures are
consistent between monitoring locations. Also, no correlation exists
between total annual reactor operation and annual exposures measured at
the monitoring locations. Based on its review of the past five years of
data, the NRC staff concludes that operation of the NSC does not have
any significant radiological impact on the surrounding environment. No
changes in reactor operation that would affect off-site radiation
levels are expected as a result of the proposed action.
Environmental Effects of Accidents
Accident scenarios are discussed in Chapter 13 of the NSC SAR. The
maximum hypothetical accident is the simultaneous loss of coolant and
rupture of a single fuel element in air. The licensee conservatively
calculated doses to facility personnel and the maximum potential dose
to a member of the public. The NRC performed independent calculations
to verify that the doses represent conservative estimates for the
maximum hypothetical accident. Occupational doses resulting from this
accident would be well below the 10 CFR part 20 annual limit of 50
milliSievert (5.0 rem). Maximum doses for members of the public
resulting from this accident would be well below the 10 CFR part 20
annual limit of 1.0 milliSievert (100 mrem). The proposed action will
not increase the probability or consequences of accidents.
The licensee has not requested any changes to the facility design
or operating conditions as part of the application for license renewal.
No changes are being made in the types or quantities of effluents that
may be released off site. The licensee has systems in place for
controlling the release of radiological effluents and implements a
radiation protection program to monitor personnel exposures and
releases of radioactive effluents. As discussed in the safety
evaluation, the systems and radiation protection program are
appropriate for the types and quantities of effluents expected to be
generated by continued operation of the NSCR. Accordingly, there would
be
[[Page 53346]]
no increase in routine occupational or public radiation exposure as a
result of license renewal. As discussed in the safety evaluation, the
proposed action would not significantly increase the probability or
consequences of accidents. Therefore, license renewal would not change
the environmental impact of facility operation. The NRC evaluated
information contained in the licensee's renewal application and
reviewed data reported to the NRC by the licensee for the last five
years of operation to determine the projected radiological impact of
the facility on the environment during the period of the renewed
license. The NRC found that releases of radioactive material and
personnel exposures were all well within applicable regulatory limits.
Based on its evaluation, the NRC concludes that continued operation of
the NSCR would not have a significant environmental impact.
B. Non-Radiological Impacts
The NSCR core is cooled by a light water primary system consisting
of the reactor pool, a heat removal system, and a processing system.
Cooling occurs by natural convection with the heated coolant rising out
of the core and into the bulk pool water. The large heat sink provided
by the volume of primary coolant allows several hours of full-power
operation without any secondary cooling. The heat removal system
transfers heat to the secondary system via a heat exchanger. The
secondary system uses water supplied by the municipal water system. The
licensee monitors both systems for purity and to detect significant
leakage. The licensee does not chemically treat the primary coolant.
Three chemicals (sulfuric acid, sodium hypochlorite (bleach), and a
commercial cooling water treatment) are used to maintain the secondary
coolant pH, control growth of organisms, and control the buildup of
scale, respectively. These chemicals are highly diluted and possess
minimal hazards to the operating staff. Secondary cooling tower water
is occasionally ``blown-down'' to maintain acceptable conductivity
(purity), and the blow-down water is disposed of in accordance with the
permit limits of the University's waste water treatment plant. The
licensee uses small volumes of standard laboratory-grade chemicals in
their chemical laboratories. These chemicals are disposed through an
established procedure with the University's Environmental Health
Office. The licensee implements a non-radiological environmental
monitoring program with the Texas Department of State Health Services.
This program helps to ensure that impacts are kept within acceptable
limits.
Given that the proposed action does not involve any change in the
operation of the reactor, the minimal heat load dissipated to the
environment and limited chemical usage, the NRC concludes that the
proposed action will not have a significant non-radiological impact on
the environment.
National Environmental Policy Act Considerations
The NRC has responsibilities that are derived from the National
Environmental Policy Act and from other environmental laws, which
include the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Coastal Zone Management Act,
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Fish and Wildlife
Coordination Act (FWCA) and Executive Order 12898--Environmental
Justice. The following presents a brief discussion of impacts
associated with these laws and other requirements.
1. Endangered Species Act
No effects on the aquatic or terrestrial habitat in the vicinity of
the NSC, or to threatened, endangered, or protected species under the
ESA, would be expected.
2. Coastal Zone Management Act
The NSC is not located within any managed coastal zone, nor would
the effluents and emissions from the NSCR impact any managed coastal
zones.
3. National Historic Preservation Act
The NHPA requires Federal agencies to consider the effects of their
undertakings on historic properties. The National Register of Historic
Places lists several historical sites in Brazos County. However, none
of the sites are located within 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) of the NSC and,
given their respective locations, continued operation of the NSCR will
not impact any historical sites. The NRC staff contacted the State of
Texas Historical Preservation Officer (SHPO) and discussed the proposed
action. The SHPO indicated that there was no objection to the proposed
action and that it did not require a formal review by that office.
Based on this information, the NRC staff finds that the potential
impacts of the proposed action would have no adverse effect on historic
and archaeological resources.
4. Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act
With regard to the NSC, TEES/TAMUS is not planning any water
resource development projects, including any modifications relating to
impounding a body of water, damming, diverting a stream or river,
deepening a channel, irrigation, or altering a body of water for
navigation or drainage. Therefore, this action has no significant
impact related to the FWCA.
5. Executive Order 12898--Environmental Justice
The environmental justice impact analysis evaluates the potential
for disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental
effects on minority and low-income populations that could result from
the relicensing and the continued operation of the NSC. Such effects
may include human health, biological, cultural, economic, or social
impacts.
Minority Populations in the Vicinity of the NSC--According to the
2010 census data, 36 percent of the total population (approximately
512,000 individuals) residing within a 50-mile radius of the NSC
identified themselves as minority individuals. The largest minority
were people of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin of any race
(approximately 100,000 persons or 19.5 percent), followed by Black or
African American (65,000 or 12.7 percent). According to the U.S. Census
Bureau, about 41 percent of the Brazos County population identified
themselves as minorities, with persons of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish
origin comprising the largest minority group (23 percent). According to
U.S. Census Bureau's 2013 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates,
the minority population of Brazos County, as a percent of the total
population, had increased to about 42 percent.
Low-income Populations in the Vicinity of the NSC--According to the
U.S. Census Bureau's 2008-2012 American Community Survey 5-Year
Estimates, approximately 100,000 individuals (20 percent) residing
within a 50-mile radius of the NSC were identified as living below the
Federal poverty threshold. The 2012 Federal poverty threshold was
$23,492 for a family of four.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2013 American Community
Survey 1-Year Estimates, the median household income for Texas was
$51,704, while 13.6 percent of families and 17.5 percent of the state
population were found to be living below the Federal poverty threshold.
Brazos County had a lower median household income average ($37,913) and
a higher percent of families (16.1 percent) and individuals (29.5
percent) living below the poverty level, respectively.
Impact Analysis--Potential impacts to minority and low-income
populations would mostly consist of radiological effects; however,
radiation doses from continued operations associated with the license
renewal are expected to
[[Page 53347]]
continue at current levels, and would be well below regulatory limits.
Based on this information and the analysis of human health and
environmental impacts presented in this environmental assessment, the
proposed license renewal would not have disproportionately high and
adverse human health and environmental effects on minority and low-
income populations residing in the vicinity of the NSC.
Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action
As an alternative to license renewal, the NRC considered denying
the proposed action. If the NRC denied the request for license renewal,
reactor operations at the NSC would cease and decommissioning would be
required. The NRC notes that, even with a renewed license, the NSC will
eventually require decommissioning, at which time the environmental
effects of decommissioning would occur. Decommissioning would be
conducted in accordance with an NRC-approved decommissioning plan which
would require a separate environmental review under Sec. 51.21,
``Criteria for and identification of licensing and regulatory actions
requiring environmental assessments.'' Cessation of reactor operations
at the NSC would reduce or eliminate radioactive effluents and
emissions. However, as previously discussed in this environmental
assessment, radioactive effluents resulting from reactor operations are
only a small fraction of the applicable regulatory limits. Therefore,
the environmental impacts of renewing the license and the denial of the
request for license renewal would be similar. In addition, denying the
request for license renewal would eliminate the benefits of teaching,
research, and services provided by the NSCR.
Alternative Use of Resources
The proposed action does not involve the use of any different
resources or significant quantities of resources beyond those
previously considered in the issuance of License Amendment No. 9 to
Facility Operating License No. R-83 for the NSC dated March 30, 1983,
which renewed the Facility Operating License No. R-83 for an additional
period of 20 years.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
In accordance with the agency's stated policy, on June 11, 2010,
the NRC staff consulted with the Texas State Liaison Officer regarding
the environmental impact of the proposed action. The consultation
involved a thorough explanation of the environmental review, the
details of this environmental assessment, and the NRC's findings. The
State official stated the he understood the NRC review and had no
comments regarding the proposed action.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
The NRC staff has prepared this EA as part of its review of the
proposed action. On the basis of this EA, the NRC finds that there are
no significant environmental impacts from the proposed action, and that
preparation of an environmental impact statement is not warranted. On
the basis of the environmental assessment included in Section II of
this document, 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 that a finding of no significant
impact is appropriate.
IV. Availability of Documents
This finding and related environmental documents are available to
interested persons through ADAMS via the following ADAMS accession
numbers:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADAMS Accession No./Web link/Federal
Document Register Citation
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February 27, 2003............ ADAMS Accession No. ML102920025.
July 22, 2009................ ADAMS Accession No. ML092530306.
July 28, 2010................ ADAMS Accession No. ML102150544.
August 30, 2010.............. ADAMS Accession No. ML102510154.
August 31, 2010.............. ADAMS Accession No. ML102650318.
December 9, 2010............. ADAMS Accession No. ML103470278.
May 27, 2011................. ADAMS Accession No. ML111950372.
June 9, 2011................. ADAMS Accession No. ML111950376.
November 21, 2011............ ADAMS Accession Nos. ML113410067 and
ML11327A083.
January 12, 2012............. ADAMS Accession No. ML120260016.
April 11, 2012............... ADAMS Accession No. ML12110A116.
November 14, 2012............ ADAMS Accession No. ML12321A321.
January 31, 2013............. ADAMS Accession No. ML13037A307.
February 3, 2013............. ADAMS Accession No. ML14038A106.
February 11, 2013............ ADAMS Accession No. ML14076A112.
November 13, 2014............ ADAMS Accession No. ML15009A297.
March 2, 2015................ ADAMS Accession No ML15065A068.
June 5, 2015................. ADAMS Accession No ML15160A023.
June 11, 2015................ ADAMS Accession No. ML15187A256.
June 30, 2015................ ADAMS Accession No. ML15182A449.
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Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 24th day of August, 2015.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Alexander Adams, Jr.,
Chief, Research and Test Reactors Licensing Branch. Division of Policy
and Rulemaking, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 2015-21820 Filed 9-2-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P