Notice of Amendment to Certificate of Compliance GDP-1 for the U.S. Enrichment Corporation Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Paducah, Kentucky

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket 70-7001]

Notice of Amendment to Certificate of Compliance GDP-1 for the

U.S. Enrichment Corporation Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Paducah,

Kentucky

The Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, has

made a determination that the following amendment request is not

significant in accordance with 10 CFR 76.45. In making that

determination, the staff concluded that: (1) There is no change in the

types or significant increase in the amounts of any effluents that may

be released offsite; (2) there is no significant increase in individual

or cumulative occupational radiation exposure; (3) there is no

significant construction impact; (4) there is no significant increase

in the potential for, or radiological or chemical consequences from,

previously analyzed accidents; (5) the proposed changes do not result

in the possibility of a new or different kind of accident; (6) there is

no significant reduction in any margin of safety; and (7) the proposed

changes will not result in an overall decrease in the effectiveness of

the plant's safety, safeguards or security programs. The basis for this

determination for the amendment request is shown below.

The NRC staff has reviewed the certificate amendment application

and concluded that it provides reasonable assurance of adequate safety,

safeguards, and security, and compliance with NRC requirements.

Therefore, the Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and

Safeguards, is prepared to issue an amendment to the Certificate of

Compliance for the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The staff has

prepared a Compliance Evaluation Report which provides details of the

staff's evaluation.

The NRC staff has determined that this amendment satisfies the

criteria for a categorical exclusion in accordance with 10 CFR 51.22.

Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental impact

statement or environmental assessment need be prepared for this

amendment.

USEC or any person whose interest may be affected may file a

petition, not exceeding 30 pages, requesting review of the Director's

Decision. The petition must be filed with the Commission not later than

15 days after publication of this Federal Register Notice. A petition

for review of the Director's Decision shall set forth with

particularity the interest of the petitioner and how that interest may

be affected by the results of the decision. The petition should

specifically explain the reasons why review of the Decision should be

permitted with particular reference to the following factors: (1) The

interest of the petitioner; (2) how that interest may be affected by

the Decision, including the reasons why the petitioner should be

permitted a review of the Decision; and (3) the petitioner's areas of

concern about the activity that is the subject matter of the Decision.

Any person described in this paragraph (USEC or

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any person who filed a petition) may file a response to any petition

for review, not to exceed 30 pages, within 10 days after filing of the

petition. If no petition is received within the designated 15-day

period, the Director will issue the final amendment to the Certificate

of Compliance without further delay. If a petition for review is

received, the decision on the amendment application will become final

in 60 days, unless the Commission grants the petition for review or

otherwise acts within 60 days after publication of this Federal

Register Notice.

A petition for review must be filed with the Secretary, U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention:

Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff, or may be delivered to the

Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street,

NW, Washington, DC, by the above date.

For further details with respect to the action see: (1) The

application for amendment; and (2) the Commission's Compliance

Evaluation Report. These items are available for public inspection at

the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L

Street, NW, Washington, DC, and at the Local Public Document Room.

Date of amendment request: August 11, 1997.

Brief description of amendment: The amendment proposes to revise

Compliance Plan Issue 3, Action 7 which provides for the modification

of the C-360 autoclave controls to add a low instrument air pressure

switch to initiate containment upon loss of instrument air. Instead of

adding a low instrument air pressure switch, USEC proposes to provide a

second channel for high pressure containment that does not rely on

instrument air. USEC also proposes to extend the due date from August

31, 1997 to October 31, 1997.

Basis for finding of no significance:

1. The proposed amendment will not result in a change in the types

or significant increase in the amounts of any effluents that may be

released offsite.

The proposed change involves the High Pressure Isolation and Steam

Pressure Control Systems. The change will not affect the function of

the system. Because there are no effluent releases associated with this

change, the proposed change will not affect effluents.

2. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant increase

in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.

The proposed changes will not significantly increase any exposure

to radiation. Therefore, the changes will not result in a significant

increase in individual or cumulative radiation exposure.

3. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant

construction impact.

The proposed changes will not result in any building construction,

only equipment modification, therefore, there will be no construction

impacts.

4. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant increase

in the potential for, or radiological or chemical consequences from,

previously analyzed accidents.

The proposed changes will not increase the probability of

occurrence or consequence of any postulated accident currently

identified in the safety analysis report. The proposed change will

reduce the failure modes of the High Pressure Isolation and Steam

Pressure Control Systems. The extension of the completion date will not

significantly increase the probability of an accident. The existing

Justification for Continued Operation will remain in effect during the

two-month extension. There is no significant increase in the potential

for or radiological or chemical consequences from previously evaluated

accidents.

5. The proposed amendment will not result in the possibility of a

new or different kind of accident.

The function of the High Pressure Isolation and Steam Pressure

Control systems will not be changed by the modifications. The proposed

changes will not create any new or different type of accident.

6. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant

reduction in any margin of safety.

The safety limit associated with the modifications remains

unchanged. The proposed change will provide for two safety channels for

initiating autoclave containment that do not rely on instrument air.

These changes do not decrease the margins of safety.

7. The proposed amendment will not result in an overall decrease in

the effectiveness of the plant's safety, safeguards or security

programs.

Implementation of the proposed changes do not change the safety,

safeguards, or security programs. Therefore, the effectiveness of the

safety, safeguards, and security programs is not decreased.

Effective date: The amendment to Certificate of Compliance GDP-1

becomes effective immediately after being signed by the Director,

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.

Certificate of Compliance No. GDP-1: Amendment will revise the

Compliance Plan Issue 3, Action 7 on the autoclave upgrades to extend

the due date by two months and to allow for mechanical-electrical

pressure switches instead of pneumatic switches.

Local Public Document Room location: Paducah Public Library, 555

Washington Street, Paducah, Kentucky 42003.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 15th day of September 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Carl J. Paperiello,

Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.

[FR Doc. 97-25213 Filed 9-22-97; 8:45 am]

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