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

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,

KY

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.

[[Page 6280]]

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 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 of the

Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-

0001, Attention: Docketing and Services Branch, 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: September 30, 1996.

Brief description of amendment: The amendment changes the Technical

Safety Requirement for the cascade cell trip function and revises

limiting specific values for battery performance.

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 changes to TSR 2.4.4.12 and SAR section 3.9.1.3.2

provide limits for battery voltage and air circuit breaker air

pressure, improve the surveillance requirements for measuring battery

cell specific gravity, as well as improved bases for the limits. These

changes provide improved assurance that the cell trip function will be

available, if required. As such, these changes enhance the ability of

the cascade trip function to deenergize the process motors (``tripping

the cell''), thus bringing the cell below atmospheric pressure. By

enhancing the ability to perform the cell trip function, the ability to

mitigate the consequences of postulated accidents has been improved. As

such, these changes have no impact on plant effluents and will not

result in any impact to the environment.

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

in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.

The proposed changes provide enhanced assurance that the cell trip

function will be available if necessary. The changes will not increase

exposure.

3. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant

construction impact.

The proposed changes will not result in any construction,

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 enhance the availability of the cascade cell

trip function and affect no other equipment functions. The cascade cell

trip function is not involved in any precursor to an evaluated

accident; therefore, the potential of occurrence of an evaluated event

is unaffected. The cell trip function is involved in the mitigation of

the consequences of previously evaluated accidents by deenergizing the

process motors, thus bringing the cell below atmospheric pressure.

Revising the limiting specific values for battery performance and the

air pressure requirements for the ``000'' air circuit breakers enhances

the ability of the cell trip function by ensuring that adequate DC

voltage and air pressure are available to effect cell trip. Since the

proposed changes provide enhanced assurance that the function will be

available if required, the consequences of previously evaluated

accidents are not increased.

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

new or different kind of accident.

The proposed changes establish new operating limits for plant

equipment that are within the existing operating ranges of that

equipment. The changes create no new operating conditions or new plant

configuration that could lead to a new or different type of accident.

6. The proposed amendment will not result in a significant

reduction in any margin of safety.

The minimum air pressures and battery voltages established by these

proposed changes are within the existing operating ranges of the

equipment and have been increased to enhance the cell trip function,

which is the only safety function affected by these parameters. The

proposed changes cause no reductions in 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.

The proposed changes enhance the availability of the cascade cell

trip function and do not affect any other equipment functions or

administrative requirements. The cell trip function is not addressed in

the safeguards and security programs. The effectiveness of the safety,

safeguards, and security programs is not decreased.

Effective date: 60 days after issuance.

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

Technical Safety Requirements.

Local Public Document Room location: Paducah Public Library, 555

Washington Street, Paducah, Kentucky 42003.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 4th day of February 1997.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Carl J. Paperiello,

Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.

[FR Doc. 97-3323 Filed 2-10-97; 8:45 am]

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