[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 155 (Thursday, August 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44059-44061]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20907]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 070-0925]
Finding of No Significant Impact Related to Amendment of
Materials License No. SNM-928, Kerr-McGee Corporation, Cimarron Fuel
Fabrication Site, Crescent, Oklahoma
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (hereafter referred to as
NRC) is considering issuing a license amendment to Materials License
No. SNM-923, held by the Kerr-McGee Cimarron Corporation (Cimarron or
the licensee), to incorporate the licensee's proposed decommissioning
plan (DP) for its Cimarron Fuel Fabrication Site (Cimarron site)
located in Crescent, Oklahoma. Other proposals being considered
include: (1) Establishment of a cleanup standard for the site; (2)
revision of Cimarron's Radiation Protection Plan (RPP) that summarizes
the overall radiation protection program for the Cimarron facility; and
(3) revision of Cimarron's organizational structure.
Summary of Environmental Assessment
Background
Cimarron has environmental responsibility for a fuel fabrication
facility site near the city of Crescent, Oklahoma. The Kerr-McGee
Corporation (KMC) operated two plants at the Cimarron facility between
1965 and 1975, each under its own separate Atomic Energy Commission
license. Radioactive Materials License SNM-928 was issued under 10 CFR
Part 70 for the Uranium Fuel Fabrication Facility and Radioactive
Materials License SNM-1174 was issued for the Mixed Oxide Fuel
Fabrication Facility. In 1983, when KMC was divided into Sequoyah Fuels
Corporation (SFC) and Quivera Mining Corporation, SFC became the owner
of the Cimarron facility. Subsequently, in 1988, Cimarron Corporation,
a subsidiary of KMC, became responsible for the Cimarron facility.
Although the Cimarron facility poses no immediate threat to public
health and safety, it is listed in the Site Decommissioning Management
Plan to ensure timely decommissioning.
Proposed Action
The objectives of the proposed actions are to decontaminate and
decommission the Cimarron site to permit release for unrestricted use
and to terminate the Radioactive Materials License SNM-928. In
accordance with 10 CFR 70.38(g), Cimarron submitted a proposed DP. In
conjunction with this proposal, Cimarron has also proposed revisions to
the Radioactive Materials License SNM-928, changes to its RPP, and
changes to its organizational structure.
Decommissioning activities have been ongoing since 1976 when
production activities were terminated. Many of the decommissioning
activities at the site have been completed under existing license
conditions. Decommissioning activities remaining to be performed at the
Cimarron facility include: decontamination and decommissioning of
facility structures; onsite disposal of contaminated soil meeting the
Option 2 criteria of NRC's 1981 Branch Technical Position (BTP)
1, ``Disposal or Onsite Storage of Thorium or Uranium Wastes
from Past Operations;'' offsite disposal of soil or material exceeding
the BTP Option 2 criteria; and groundwater remediation.
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\1\ ``Disposal or Onsite Storage of Thorium or Uranium Waste
from Past Operations'' (46 FR 52061, October 23, 1981).
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As previously noted, Cimarron proposed other related revisions to
its license:
(1) Amending its license to add a new license condition
specifically establishing the BTP Option 1 unrestricted-use, residual-
contamination criteria as the cleanup standard for the Cimarron site;
[[Page 44060]]
(2) Amending license conditions to better delineate the handling of
various classifications of contaminated material at the site, and
revising License Condition 10 to only reference licensee commitments
that pertain to Cimarron's current decommissioning status;
(3) Amending the RPP to clarify statements made in the RPP;
incorporate references to a Quality Assurance Plan, and revise its
Environmental Sampling Schedule; and
(4) Amending the license to incorporate changes in its
organizational structure. These changes were and will continue to be
caused by downsizing of staff at the Cimarron site as decommissioning
activities are completed.
The Need for Proposed Action
The proposed actions are necessary for Cimarron to complete the
remaining decommissioning activities needed for NRC to release the
Cimarron site for unrestricted use and to terminate Radioactive
Materials License SNM-928. License termination is a separate action
that requires an NRC finding that the premises are suitable for
release.
Alternative to Proposed Action
The only alternative considered in the Environmental Assessment
(EA) was the no-action alternative. No action would mean that: (1) The
site would not be approved to remediate now; (2) obsolete license
conditions would continue to be in License SNM-928; (3) changes to the
RPP would not be effective; and (4) Cimarron's organizational structure
would be outdated.
NRC staff has evaluated the no-action alternative and determined
that the no-action alternative would conflict with NRC's requirement,
10 CFR 70.38, for timely remediation at sites that have ceased
operation. Although there is no immediate threat to the public health
and safety from this site, not undertaking remediation at this time
does not solve the regulatory and potential long-term health and safety
problems associated with storing this waste. No action now would delay
remediation until some time in the future, when costs could be much
higher than they are today. It is even possible that no disposal option
will be available in the future if the current low level waste disposal
facilities are closed and no new ones are opened. Therefore, the no-
action alternative is not acceptable.
Environmental Impacts of Proposed Action
Radiological impacts on members of the public may result from
inhalation and ingestion of releases of radioactivity in air and in
water during the remediation operations, direct exposure to radiation
from radioactive material at the site during remediation operations,
and transport for disposal. Decommissioning workers may receive doses
primarily by ingestion, inhalation, and direct exposure during the
decommissioning activities. In addition to impacts from routine
operations, the potential radiological consequences of accidents were
considered.
NRC staff has reviewed the potential impacts of the proposed
decommissioning, both beneficial and adverse. NRC staff's conclusions
are summarized as follows:
a. Radiation exposures of persons living or traveling near the site
because of onsite operations and waste transportation will be well
within limits contained in 10 CFR Part 20.
b. The potential radiological impacts off-site of potential onsite
accidents are well below the radiation dose limit of 1 mSv/yr (100
mrem/yr) to the public and the radiation dose limit of 0.50 mSv/yr (5
rem/yr) to workers in accordance with 10 CFR Part 20.
c. The potential non-radiological impacts, such as socioeconomic,
air quality, land and water use, etc., from decommissioning activities
at Cimarron are negligible.
d. For conservatism, the site use is assumed to be equivalent to
the resident farmer scenario described in the NRC Policy and Guidance
Directive PG-8-08, ``Scenarios for Assessing Potential Doses Associated
with Residual Radioactivity.'' Under this scenario, the maximum
radiation doses to a hypothetical resident farmer, who might establish
a residence on the site, grow and consume food from the site, and
consume drinking water from an onsite groundwater well, over a 1000-
year period, were calculated assuming both with a cover and without a
cover over the disposal cell. The predicted doses for both scenarios
are less than 0.09 mSv/yr (9 mrem/yr), which is below NRC's Part 20
radiation dose for the public of 1 mSv/yr (100 mrem/yr).
e. Radiation doses to a remediation worker onsite from direct
exposure are estimated to be less than 0.01 mSv (1 mrem) for a 2000-
hour exposure period. Inhalation doses from a 2000-hour exposure would
be less than 0.03 Sv (3 mrem). These predicted doses are substantially
less than the occupation exposure limit of 0.50 mSv/yr (5 rem/yr) in 10
CFR Part 20.
f. The impacts from the transportation of radioactive materials are
low and within NRC and Department of Transportation requirements. The
potential consequences and probability of a transportation accident are
low.
g. The licensee has a radiation protection program that will
maintain radiation exposures and effluent releases within the limits of
10 CFR Part 20 and will maintain exposures as low as is reasonably
achievable.
h. The population within a 6.5 kilometer (4 mile) radius of the
licensee facility has minority and senior citizen populations lower
than the county and the State averages, and has a median household
income above that of the county and the State. Based on these
statistics, there are no significant minorities and low-income
households that will be exposed to impacts from the proposed activities
at Cimarron. Because there are no significant impacts from the proposed
activities, there will be no environmental justice impacts.
i. No reasonably available alternative to the licensee's proposed
plan is obviously superior.
Conclusions
On the basis of its EA, NRC staff has concluded that the proposed
action would not have any significant effect on the quality of the
human environment and does not warrant the preparation of an
environmental impact statement (EIS). The action called for, under NEPA
and 10 CFR Part 51, is the issuance of a license amendment authorizing
the licensee to perform decommissioning of the Cimarron site as
proposed by the licensee and make the proposed revisions to the
license.
In accordance with the requirements of Subpart L of 10 CFR part 2,
an Opportunity for a Hearing 2 was offered on September 6,
1995. No requests for a hearing were received.
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\2\ 60 FR 46315 (September 6, 1995).
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Finding of No Significant Impact
Pursuant to 10 CFR part 51, NRC has prepared an EA related to the
issuance of a license amendment to Materials License SNM-928,
authorizing decommissioning of the Cimarron Site. On the basis of this
EA, NRC has concluded that this licensing action would not have any
significant effect on the quality of the human environment and does not
warrant the preparation of an EIS. Accordingly, it has been determined
that a Finding of No Significant Impact is appropriate.
Further Information
For further details with respect to this action, the EA and other
documents related to this proposed action are available for public
inspection and copying at NRC's Public Document
[[Page 44061]]
Room at the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street NW., Washington, DC.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day of August 1999.
For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Larry W. Camper,
Chief, Decommissioning Branch, Division of Waste Management, Office of
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 99-20907 Filed 8-11-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P