Information Notice No. 89-37:Proposed Amendments to 40 CFR Part 61, Air Emission Standards for Radionuclides

                                  UNITED STATES
                          NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
                OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS
                             WASHINGTON, D.C.  20555

                                  April 4, 1989


Information Notice No. 89-37:  PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO 40 CFR PART 61,
                                   AIR EMISSION STANDARDS FOR RADIONUCLIDES

Addressees: 

All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensees. 

Purpose: 

This information notice is provided to inform licensees that the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has published a proposed rule (53 FR 9612) to amend 
the air emission standards for radionuclides in 40 CFR Part 61.  Licensees may 
wish to review this information for applicability to their programs, 
distribute the notice to responsible radiation safety staff, and consider 
actions, if appro-priate, to assess the impact of the proposed rule on licensee 
operations and the need for comments to EPA.  However, suggestions contained 
in this infor-mation notice do not constitute new NRC requirements, and no 
written response is required.  

Description of Circumstances: 

On March 7, 1989, a proposed rule on radionuclide emissions under the 
authority of the Clean Air Act was published on the Federal Register, Vol. 54, 
No. 43, pp. 9612 to 9668.  NRC licensees constitute one category of sources 
covered by the proposed rule.  A copy of that portion of the statement of 
considerations dealing with NRC-licensed, Agreement State-licensed, and 
non-DOE Federal faci-lities (including fuel cycle facilities) is provided as 
Attachment 1 of this information notice.  The proposed rule also sets 
standards for mill tailings sites. 

Comments on the proposed rule must be received by EPA on or before May 15, 
1989.  Public hearings will be held in Washington, D.C. on April 10 and 11, 
1989, and in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 13 and 14, 1989.  Comments should be 
submitted (in duplicate, if possible) to: Central Docket Section (A-130), 
Environmental Protection Agency, Attn: Docket No. A-79-11, Washington, D.C., 
20460. 

Discussion: 

The Federal Register Notice discusses four approaches to establish a health 
and safety standard for radionuclide air emissions.  The final standard will 
be determined after public comments have been considered.  Proposed procedures
for determining compliance may require historical meteorological data, 
emissions 




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                                                            April 4, 1989
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sampling, and use of computer codes developed by EPA.  Licensees should 
consider obtaining a complete copy of the proposed rule and assessing the 
impact of en-suring compliance on their operations.  

Licensee comments on the potential impact of the various options under consi-
deration and the methods for determining and demonstrating compliance would be
of use to EPA.   For more information, contact:  James M. Hardin, 
Environmental Standards Branch, Criteria and Standards Division (ANR-460), 
Office of Radiation Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, 
D.C., 20460, (202) 475-9610. 

No written response is required by this information notice.  If you have any 
questions about this matter, please contact the appropriate NRC Regional 
Offices or this office. 




                                   Richard E. Cunningham, Director
                                   Division of Industrial and
                                     Medical Nuclear Safety, NMSS

Technical Contact:  Kevin M. Ramsey, NMSS
                    (301) 492-0534

Attachments:
1.  Pages 9628-9632 of 54 FR 9612
2.  List of Recently Issued NMSS Information Notices
3.  List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
.                                                            Attachment 3
                                                            IN 89-37
                                                            April 4, 1989
                                                            Page 1 of 1

                             LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED
                             NRC INFORMATION NOTICES
_____________________________________________________________________________
Information                                  Date of 
Notice No._____Subject_______________________Issuance_______Issued to________

89-36          Excessive Temperatures        4/4/89         All holders of OLs
               in Emergency Core Cooling                    or CPs for nuclear
               System Piping Located                        power reactors.
               Outside Containment

88-86,         Operating with Multiple       3/31/89        All holders of OLs
Supp. 1        Grounds in Direct Current                    or CPs for nuclear
               Distribution Systems                         power reactors.

89-35          Loss and Theft of Un-         3/30/89        All U.S. NRC 
               secured Licensed Material                    byproduct, source 
                                                            and special 
                                                            nuclear material
                                                            licensees.

89-34          Disposal of Americium         3/30/89        All holders of an
               Well-Logging Sources                         NRC specific 
                                                            license 
                                                            authorizing well-
                                                            logging activities.

89-33          Potential Failure of          3/23/89        All holders of OLs
               Westinghouse Steam                           or CPs for PWRs.
               Generator Tube 
               Mechanical Plugs

89-32          Surveillance Testing          3/23/89        All holders of OLs
               of Low-Temperature                           or CPs for PWRs.
               Overpressure-Protection
               Systems

89-31          Swelling and Cracking         3/22/89        All holders of OLs
               of Hafnium Control Rods                      or CPs for PWRs 
                                                            with Hafnium 
                                                            control rods. 

89-30          High Temperature              3/15/89        All holders of OLs
               Environments at                              or CPs for nuclear
               Nuclear Power Plants                         power reactors.

89-29          Potential Failure of          3/15/89        All holders of OLs
               ASEA Brown Boveri                            or CPs for nuclear
               Circuit Breakers                             power reactors.
               During Seismic Event
_____________________________________________________________________________

OL = Operating License
CP = Construction Permit 
..