ML24096A042

Letter to R. Nelson, Advisory Council Historic Preservation; Re., Uta Section 106 Consultation

ML24096A042
Person / Time
Site:	University of Texas at Austin
Issue date:	05/01/2024
From:	Daniel Barnhurst NRC/NMSS/DREFS/ENRB
To:	Nelson R US Advisory Council On Historic Preservation
Shared Package
ML24096a034	List: ML24096A042 ML24096A043
References
Download: ML24096A042 (1)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 Reid Nelson, Executive Director Advisory Council on Historic Preservation 401 F Street NW, Suite 308 Washington, DC 20001

SUBJECT:

REQUEST TO INITIATE SECTION 106 CONSULTATION FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN NETL TRIGA REACTOR LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (DOCKET NUMBER:05000602)

Dear Director Nelson:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is conducting an environmental review for a license renewal application submitted by the University of Texas at Austin (UTA) for the renewal of the NETL TRIGA reactor license in Austin, Texas. The license renewal application (LRA) was submitted to the NRC by letter dated December 12, 2011, (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) ML12156A097), as supplemented by letter dated July 23, 2020 (ML20203M166) and Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) dated September 15, 2023 (ML23258A162), pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities, and Section 104c of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended.

An environmental report was submitted as part of the LRA as Chapter 19 of UTAs PSAR.

These documents may be obtained online in the NRCs ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select Begin Web-based ADAMS Search. For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRCs Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by email to PDR.Resource@nrc.gov.

The NETL TRIGA reactor is located at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus in the City of Austin, Texas. The NETL TRIGA reactor received its operating license on January 17, 1992. The J.J.

Pickle Research campus encompasses approximately 226 acres (91.4 hectares). The location for the NETL TRIGA reactor is within the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Lab building on the northeastern side of the campus. No additional land is being disturbed, cleared, or graded as part of the proposed action to renew the license.

As part of its review, the NRC staff is preparing an environmental assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), to determine whether to prepare an environmental impact statement or finding of no significant impact, pursuant to as provided by 10 CFR 51, Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and Related Regulatory Functions. In accordance with Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR) Part 800, Protection of Historic Properties, paragraph May 1, 2024 R. Nelson 2 800.8(c), the NRC staff is using the NEPA process to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (NHPA), in lieu of the procedures set forth in 36 CFR 800.3 through 800.6. The EA will include identification of historic and cultural resources and historic properties, an analysis of potential effects of the proposed action, including potential effects on historic and cultural resources and historic properties, and the NRC staffs preliminary determination. The purpose of this letter is to initiate NHPA Section 106 consultation.

The NRC invites you to submit any comments that you may have to offer on the proposed action within 30 days of receiving this letter. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods :

• Email comments to: Madelyn.Nagel@nrc.gov ; or

• Mail comments to: Office of Administration, Mail Stop: TWFN-7-A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, ATTN: Program Management, Announcements and Editing Staff.

The NRC staff expects to publish the EA in June 2024. A copy of the historic and cultural resources section of the EA will be made available for your review and comment.

If you have any questions concerning the NRCs NHPA Section 106 consultation and associated historic and cultural resources review of the license renewal application for the NETL TRIGA reactor, please contact Beau Goldstein, Environmental Project Manager, via email at Beau.Goldstein@nrc.gov; or Madelyn Nagel, Environmental Project Manager, via email at Madelyn.Nagel@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Daniel Barnhurst, Chief Environmental Project Management Branch 3 Division of Rulemaking, Environment, and Financial Support Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket No. 05000602 Signed by Barnhurst, Daniel on 05/01/24

R. Nelson 3

SUBJECT:

REQUEST TO INITIATE SECTION 106 CONSULTATION FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN NETL TRIGA REACTOR LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (DOCKET NUMBER: 050-00602)

DATED:

DISTRIBUTION:

External:

Applicant/Licensee Internal:

PUBLIC Listserv DBarnhurst, NMSS/REFS TSmith, NMSS/REFS MWright, OGC GWertz, NRR/DANU JBorromeo, NRR/DANU JMoses, NMSS/REFS bobby.janecka@tceq.texas.gov TribalRelationsTeam@usnrc.onmicrosoft.com ADAMS Package Accession Number: 24096A034

• via email OFFICE NMSS/REFS NMSS/REFS OGC BC/REFS NAME MNagel AWalker-Smith MWright* DBarnhurst DATE 4/5/2024 4/9/2024 4/24/20204 5/1/2024 OFFICAL RECORD COPYMay 1, 2024