ML19323E629
| ML19323E629 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/12/2019 |
| From: | Casto G NRC/NRR/DANU/UNPL |
| To: | Gledhill-Earley R State of NC, Historic Preservation Office |
| Duane Hardesty, NRR/DANU/UNPL, 415-3274 | |
| References | |
| EPID L-2017-RNW-0026 | |
| Download: ML19323E629 (5) | |
Text
December 12, 2019 Ms. Renee Gledhill-Earley NC State Historic Preservation Office 4617 Mail Service Center Raleigh NC 27699-4617
SUBJECT:
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY - PROPOSED RENEWAL OF FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. R-120 FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY PULSTAR REACTOR (EPID NO. L-2017-RNW-0026)
Dear Ms. Gledhill-Earley:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is conducting an environmental review of the effects of renewing the operating license of the North Carolina State University Research Reactor (PULSTAR), located in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina. The reactor is housed within the Burlington Engineering Laboratory located at 2500 Stinson Drive Raleigh, NC 27607.
Under NRC regulations, the original operating license may be renewed for up to 20 years. The application for renewal was submitted to the NRC by NC State pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities. In accordance with 10 CFR 2.109, the existing license remains in effect until the NRC takes final action on the renewal application.
As part of the NRC review, a site-specific environmental assessment (EA) is being prepared under the provisions of 10 CFR Part 51, Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions, the NRC regulation that implements the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). In accordance with 36 CFR 800.8(c), the NRC will comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, (NHPA) through the NEPA process. The purpose of this letter is to initiate Section 106 consultation with the NC State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) under NHPA. The EA will include analyses of potential impacts to historic and cultural resources.
The NRC has determined the area of potential effects (APE) for this proposed license renewal action is the reactor and its immediate environs that may be impacted by ongoing reactor operations. The APE may extend beyond the immediate environs in instances where ongoing reactor operations or occasional facility refurbishment activities may have a temporary visual or audible effect on known historic sites near the PULSTAR reactor. This determination is made irrespective of ownership or control of the lands of interest.
The NHPA requires federal agencies to consider the effects of their undertakings on historic properties. As stated in the NHPA, historic properties are any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or object included in, or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The NRHP lists several historic properties in Wake County, North Carolina, within 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) of the PULSTAR reactor. The nearest NRHP listed
R. Gledhill-Earley historic property is the West Raleigh Historic District located approximately 1,200 feet (370 meters) north of the PULSTAR facility. The historic district consists of 1,157 buildings, 8 structures, 6 sites, and 2 objects. Most buildings in this historic residential district were constructed from the 1920s into the 1950s.
The renewal of the operating license and the continued operation of the PULSTAR reactor at a steady-state power level of 2 megawatts would not require any construction or land disturbing activities, or changes to the reactor facility design, or operating conditions. Furthermore, there have been no major modifications to the reactor facility since the issuance of the original operating license on August 25, 1972. Given the distance to historic properties and given that the proposed action does not involve any changes in land use, new construction, rehabilitation of existing buildings, or demolition, the NRC has determined that that there would be no adverse effect on historic properties located near the PULSTAR reactor because of the proposed license renewal action.
The NRC requests your concurrence on the above determination. This correspondence providing all relevant information requested in the SHPO project review checklist. Enclosure 1 to this letter is an area map depicting the location of the APE. Enclosure 2 to this letter provides an aerial photograph centered on the Burlington Engineering Laboratory facility.
If you have any questions or require any further information, please contact Duane Hardesty of my staff at 301-415-3724, or by electronic mail at Duane.Hardesty@nrc.gov Sincerely,
/RA/
Greg Casto, Branch Chief Non-Power Production and Utilization Facility Licensing Branch Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-297 License No. R-120
Enclosures:
- 1. Project Location Map, Burlington Engineering Laboratory and PULSTAR Reactor
- 2. Aerial Photograph of the Burlington Engineering Laboratory and Vicinity
ML19323E629 concurrence via e-mail OFFICE NRR/DLP/PRLB/PM*
NRR/DLP/PRLB/LA*
NMSS/REFS/ELRB NAME DHardesty NParker JRikhoff DATE 11/19/2019 11/19/2019 11/19/2019 OFFICE NMSSA/REFS/ELRB/BC OGC/NLO NRR/DLP/PRLB/BC NAME RElliott MYoung GCasto DATE 11/19/2019 12/10/2019 12/12/2019
Project Location Map, Burlington Engineering Laboratory and PULSTAR Reactor Enclosure
Aerial Photograph of the Burlington Engineering Laboratory and Vicinity