[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 201 (Thursday, October 17, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64147-64150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-26447]
[[Page 64147]]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 030-03754]
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
Related to the License Amendment Request of ABB Prospects, Inc.
Materials License No. 06-00217-06 for the CE Windsor Site, Building
Complexes 2, 5, and 17 in Windsor, CT
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact related to the license amendment request of ABB
Prospects, Inc. Materials License No. 06-00217-06 for the CE Windsor
Site, Building Complexes 2, 5 and 17 in Windsor, Connecticut.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
the issuance of a license amendment to ABB Prospects, Inc. Materials
License No. 06-00217-06 to authorize dismantlement and deconstruction
to grade level of the buildings in Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17 at
the CE site in Windsor, CT and has prepared an Environmental Assessment
in support of this action. Based upon the Environmental Assessment, the
NRC has concluded that a finding of No Significant Impact is
appropriate, and, therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement is
unnecessary.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Kottan, Decommissioning and
Laboratory Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, NRC Region I,
King of Prussia, PA 19406; telephone (610) 337-5214 of e-mail
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
is considering amending Byproduct Materials License Number 06-00217-06
issued to ABB Prospects, Inc. (ABB) to authorize the dismantlement and
deconstruction of Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17 at the ABB site in
Windsor, Connecticut.
1.0 Introduction
In a letter dated December 31, 2001, ABB submitted a request to
amend Byproduct Materials License Number 06-00217-06 to obtain
authorization to dismantle and deconstruct Building Complexes 2, 5, and
17 and to remove all impacted sub-grade structures and systems. In
subsequent letters dated February 22, 2002, March 8, 2002, and August
9, 2002, ABB modified the original license amendment request. The
request currently before the NRC is limited to dismantlement and
deconstruction of the buildings of Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17 to
grade level only. References hereafter to the license amendment request
are to the request as amended through the August 9, 2002 letter. This
environmental assessment (EA) is being performed to evaluate the
environmental impacts of ABB's request for NRC's approval for ABB to
conduct decommissioning only at or above the basement slabs and at or
above the floors of the three Complexes.
In accordance with the conditions currently described in Byproduct
Materials License Number 06-00217-06, the licensee has been performing
remediation of residual radioactivity and other industrial contaminants
from internal building equipment and components for Building Complexes
2, 5, and 17. The radioactive contamination at ABB's Windsor,
Connecticut site consists of soils and building and equipment surfaces
contaminated with uranium and by-product material from licensed
operations that occurred from the late 1950s until 2001.
The licensee's December 31, 2001 license amendment request was
noticed in the Federal Register on April 10, 2002 (67 FR 28610). This
Federal Register notice also provided an opportunity for a hearing on
this licensing action.
1.1 Proposed Action
The proposed action is to amend NRC Byproduct Materials License
Number 06-00217-06 issued to ABB to allow for the dismantlement and
deconstruction of the buildings in Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17. The
buildings will be taken down to grade level only and no work will be
performed on the building slabs/foundations or sub-grade structures and
systems. ABB plans to use dismantlement and deconstruction techniques,
such as cutting and shearing in taking the buildings down. Manual
jackhammers, equipment mounted jackhammers (hoe ram), skid-steer loader
or shears will be used to remove/dismantle and to size reduce concrete
or concrete masonry unit (CMU) structures. CMU walls may also be
brought down using pushover techniques. Steel reinforcement bars will
be torch-cut, sheared, or saw-cut as required for dismantlement,
leveling, or size reduction purposes.
1.2 Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
NRC regulations require licensees to begin timely decommissioning
of their sites, or any separate buildings that contain residual
radioactivity, upon cessation of licensed operational activities, in
accordance with 10 CFR 30.36(d). The purpose of the proposed action is
to reduce residual radioactivity at ABB's Windsor, Connecticut site.
Additionally, due to the commercial value of the site property, the
licensee plans to eventually return the land to beneficial unrestricted
use. The proposed licensing action will support such an ultimate goal.
NRC is fulfilling its responsibilities under the Atomic Energy Act and
the National Environmental Policy Act to make a decision on a proposed
license amendment for building dismantlement and deconstruction that
ensures protection of the public health and safety and the environment.
2.0 Facility Description/Operating History
2.1 Site Local and Physical Description
The CE Windsor site is located in the Town of Windsor, Connecticut,
13 km (8 miles) north of Hartford, Connecticut. This site is
industrially zoned by the Town of Windsor, and is located in a Mixed
Land Use area of Hartford County. The site covers approximately 600
acres. Much of the northern and western portions of the property are
wooded. Approximately, one third of the property is developed with
buildings, infrastructure, and maintained landscaping. ABB anticipates
that future uses of the site will be consistent with its current use
(commercial, light industrial uses). The current land use in the
surrounding area is a mixture of commercial, light industrial,
warehousing, office park, residential, municipal landfill, and
commercial farming. Surface water bodies on site include the Great
Pond, located on the southwestern end of the property, the Small Pond,
located East of the Site buildings, and the Goodwin Pond and the Site
Brook, both located on the northeastern portion of the property. The
regional geology in Windsor is mapped within the Central Valley
landscape of the Newark Terrain. A full description of the site and its
characteristics is given in the ABB License Amendment Request for
demolition of Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17.
2.2 Facility Operating History
From the late1950's until 2001, ABB Prospects, Inc. Combustion
Engineering site was involved in the research, development,
engineering, production, and servicing of nuclear systems and fuel.
Nuclear research was conducted in
[[Page 64148]]
the Building 2 Complex and the Building 5 Complex. Nuclear fuel was
manufactured in the Building 17 Complex.
The Building 2 Complex was constructed in the mid 1950's and is
located in the central area of the CE site. The Building 2 Complex
consists of buildings 1, 1A, 2, and 2A. Uses for these buildings
included nuclear research and development and commercial nuclear power
plant outage support. The Building 5 Complex is located in the southern
portion of the CE site and includes buildings 5, 15, 16, and 18.
Building 5 was constructed in 1957, building 18 was constructed in 1968
and building 16 was constructed in 1975. Building 15 was a carpentry
shop and was not used for nuclear materials work. Building 5 was a
research and development laboratory that included a materials
development laboratory, a nuclear fuel manufacturing laboratory, and an
engineering development laboratory. Building 16 was used to test
boronometers, and building 18 contained a scale model reactor test loop
to test the fluid mechanics of commercial nuclear reactors. The
Building 17 Complex consists of only building 17 which was constructed
in 1967 and used for manufacturing commercial nuclear fuel. Commercial
nuclear fuel manufacturing ceased in 1993, and the building was
renovated and used for commercial nuclear power plant outage support
work.
3.0 Alternatives to the Proposed Action
The only alternatives to the proposed action of dismantlement and
deconstruction of Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17 are decontamination
of the buildings without dismantlement and deconstruction and no
action. The no action alternative is not acceptable because it will
result in violation of the NRC's Timeliness Rule (10 CFR 30.36d), which
requires licensees to decommission their facilities when licensed
activities cease, and to request termination of their radioactive
materials license. The no action alternative would keep radioactive
material on site without disposal. Additionally, the impact of the
proposed action encompasses the alternative action of decontaminating
and maintaining the buildings on site. Maintaining the buildings on
site would provide negligible, if any, environmental benefit, but would
greatly reduce options for future use of the site. Therefore, these
alternative are not considered to be reasonable and are not analyzed
further in the EA.
4.0 Environmental Impacts
The NRC staff has reviewed the license amendment request for the
ABB facility in Windsor, Connecticut and examined the impacts of this
license amendment request. Potential impacts include water resource
impact (e.g., water may be used for dust control), air quality impacts
from dust emissions, temporary local traffic impacts resulting from
transporting the building debris offsite, beneficial local economic
effects due to the creation of jobs to perform dismantlement and
deconstruction, human health impacts, noise impacts from equipment
operation, scenic quality impacts, and waste management impacts.
Based on its review, the staff has determined that no surface water
or ground water impacts are expected from building dismantlement and
deconstruction down to the building slabs and foundations at grade.
Additionally, the staff has determined that significant air quality,
noise, land use, and off-site radiation exposure impacts are also not
expected. No significant air quality impacts are anticipated because of
the contamination controls and dust suppression techniques that will be
implemented by ABB during building dismantlement and deconstruction.
Asbestos waste, primarily from building siding, will be generated
during building dismantlement and deconstruction. All removal and
disposal of asbestos building siding will take place in accordance with
applicable Federal and State regulations. In addition, the
environmental impacts associated with the dismantlement and
deconstruction of the buildings in Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17 are
bounded by the impacts evaluated by NUREG-0586, ``Final Generic
Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) on Decommissioning of Nuclear
Facilities'' (NRC, 1988). Generic impacts for this type of
dismantlement and deconstruction process were previously evaluated and
described in this GEIS, which concludes that the environmental
consequences are small. The risk to human health from the
transportation of all radioactive material in the U.S. was evaluated in
NUREG-0170, ``Final Environmental Statement on the Transportation of
Radioactive Materials by Air and Other Modes'' (NRC, 1977). The
principal radiological environmental impact during normal
transportation is direct radiation exposure to nearby persons from
radioactive material in the package. The average annual individual dose
from all radioactive material transportation in the U.S. was calculated
to be approximately 0.5 mrem, well below the 10 CFR 20.1301 limit of
100 mrem for a member of the public. Additionally, ABB estimates that 1
to 2 truck loads of demolition waste will leave the site per working
day compared to an average daily traffic flow of approximately 10,000
vehicles per day on Day Hill Road. The trucks will then travel on
Interstate 91 to their intended destinations. Thus, waste management
and transportation impacts from the building dismantlement and
deconstruction will not be significant.
Occupational health was also considered in the Final Environmental
Impact Statement on the Transportation of Radioactive Material by Air
and Other Modes (NRC, 1977). The Department of Transportation (DOT)
regulations in 49 CFR 177.842(g) require that the radiation dose may
not exceed 0.02 mSv (2 mrem) per hour in any position normally occupied
by an individual in a motor vehicle. Shipment of these materials would
not affect the assessment of environmental impacts or the conclusions
in the Final Environmental Impact Statement on the Transportation of
Radioactive Material by Air and Other Modes (NRC, 1977).
The Staff also finds that the proposed license amendment will meet
the radiological release criteria of Regulatory Guide 1.86,
``Termination of Operating Licenses for Nuclear Reactors,'' for release
of material from the ABB site.
ABB will maintain an appropriate level of radiation protection
staff, procedures, and capabilities, and, through its on-site Radiation
Safety Officer, will implement an acceptable program to keep exposure
to radioactive materials as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA). As
previously noted, ABB has submitted a license amendment request
describing the work to be performed, and work activities are not
anticipated to result in radiation exposures to the public in excess of
ten percent of the 10 CFR 20.1301 limits. The Connecticut Historical
Commission has determined that there will be an historical impact from
the proposed action, but that no prudent or feasible alternative exists
relative to the proposed action. See Section 7.0 of this EA.
4.1 Cumulative Impacts
The NRC has evaluated whether cumulative environmental impacts
could result from an incremental impact of the proposed action when
added to other past, present, or reasonably foreseeable future actions
in the area. The proposed NRC approval of the
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License Amendment, when combined with known effects on resource areas
at the site, including future further site remediation, are not
anticipated to result in any cumulative impacts at the site.
5.0 Mitigation Measures
The dismantlement and deconstruction of Building Complexes 2, 5,
and 17 are not expected to have any significant adverse environmental
impact. The license amendment request submitted by ABB contains
mitigation measures to further ensure that the requested licensing
action will not have any adverse environmental impact.
ABB plans to implement procedural controls, such as the use of less
aggressive dismantlement and deconstruction techniques, including
cutting and shearing, to minimize the generation of fugitive emissions.
Other engineering controls, including water sprays, will also be
utilized to control fugitive emissions and visible dust, if needed. In
addition, ABB has agreed to perform the mitigative measures proposed by
the Connecticut Historical Commission regarding the historical impact
of the proposed action.
Erosion and sediment control will be provided, if necessary, in
accordance with best management practices, regulatory guidance, and
good engineering practices. This will include structural features,
stabilization, and storm water management. The controls may be
temporary or permanent.
6.0 Monitoring
The license amendment request submitted by ABB described the
effluent/environmental monitoring that will take place during building
dismantlement and deconstruction. This description included not only
the routine effluent/environmental monitoring program that ABB
presently has in place, but also the additional sampling that will take
place during dismantlement and deconstruction. The additional air
sampling will include air samples from three locations at or near the
boundary of the particular dismantlement and deconstruction activity.
The locations for the air samplers will be chosen with considerations
of meteorological conditions and the dismantlement and deconstruction
activity taking place in order to sample the maximum airborne
concentrations. This air sampling data will be used by ABB to
demonstrate that any effluent from the proposed building dismantlement
and deconstruction will be limited in accordance with NRC requirements
in accordance with 10 CFR part 20.
7.0 Agencies and Individuals Consulted
The NRC staff has prepared this EA with input from the Connecticut
Historical Commission, by letters dated August 19, 2002 and August 26,
2002, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, by letter dated August
21, 2002. In its letter dated August 19, 2002, the Connecticut
Historical Commission noted that buildings 1 and 2 of Building Complex
2 ``demonstrate architectural and engineering uniqueness, retain their
essential functional characteristics, and possess historic significance
with respect to commercial and military-related nuclear research and
development''. The Connecticut Historical Commission also stated in
this letter that ``no feasible and prudent alternative exists which
would facilitate retention and adaptive use of the extant structures''.
Therefore, the Connecticut Historical Commission proposed two
mitigative measures: photographic documentation, to the standards of
the State Historic Preservation Office, of buildings 1 and 2; and
development of a public education component regarding Combustion
Engineering's nuclear research at the CE site. ABB has agreed to
perform the mitigative measures. In its letter dated August 26, 2002
the Connecticut Historical Commission noted that the first mitigative
step had been competed by ABB, to the satisfaction of the State, and
offered ``no objection to the expeditious furtherance of the proposed
remediation and demolition of these historic structures''. The U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service indicated, in its letter, that on the basis
of current information, no current Federally identified or proposed
threatened or endangered species under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
jurisdiction are known to occur in the site project area. The staff
provided a draft of this Environmental Assessment to the State of
Connecticut for review. In its letter dated September 23, 2002, which
commented on draft EA, the State of Connecticut's only comment was that
an additional alternative exists regarding the proposed action. This
additional alternative is the decontamination of the existing
structures without demolition of the structures. Section 3.0 of this EA
was revised to reflect the State's comment.
8.0 Conclusion
NRC believes that the approval of the license amendment will not
cause any significant impacts on the human environment that will not be
mitigated and is protective of human health. The NRC staff has
concluded that exposures to workers will be low and well within the
limits specified in 10 CFR 20. Dismantlement and deconstruction of the
buildings in Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17, as proposed by the
amendment, will result in a reduction of radioactive material at the
ABB site in Windsor, CT, which will reduce the long term potential for
release of radiological contamination to the environment. No
radiologically contaminated effluents are expected during building
dismantlement and deconstruction. No radiation exposure to any member
of the public is expected, and public exposure will therefore also be
less than the applicable public exposure limits of 10 CFR part 20.
9.0 List of Preparers
This Environmental Assessment was prepared entirely by the
following NRC staff.
James Kottan, ABB Project Manager, Decommissioning and Laboratory
Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, Region I, Decommissioning
Issues.
Anthony Huffert, Senior Health Physicist, Division of Waste
Management, Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards (NMSS),
Dose Assessment.
Amir Kouhestani, Project Manager, Division of Waste Management,
NMSS, Decommissioning Issues.
Melanie Wong, Environmental Project Manager, Division of Waste
Management, NMSS, Environmental Issues.
10.0 List of References
The licensee's December 31, 2001 license amendment request was
noticed in the Federal Register on April 10, 2002 (67 FR 28610). This
Federal Register notice also provided an opportunity for a hearing on
this licensing action.
The application for the license amendment and supporting
documentation are available for inspection at NRC's Public Electronic
Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/index.html.
NUREG-0170, 1977. Final Environmental Impact Statement on the
Transportation of Radioactive Material by Air and Other Modes, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC.
NUREG-0586, 1988. Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement on
the Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC.
NUREG-1496, ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement in Support of
Rulemaking on Radiological
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Criteria for License Termination of NRC-Licensed Nuclear Facilities''
NRC: Washington, DC July 1997.
NUREG-1748, ``Environmental Review Guidance for Licensing Actions
Associated with NMSS Programs, Draft Report for Interim Use and
Comment'' NRC: Washington, DC September 2001.
REGULATORY GUIDE--1.86, ``Termination of Operating Licenses for
Nuclear Reactors'', NRC: Washington, DC June 1974.
ABB Building Permit Application (and Approval) for demolition of
the buildings of Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17, Town of Windsor,
Connecticut November 16, 2001.
Asbestos Abatement Registration Form for ABB filed with the
Connecticut Department of Public Health.
Finding of No Significant Impact
Pursuant to 10 CFR part 51, NRC has prepared the above
environmental assessment related to a license amendment to Materials
License No. 06-00217-06 authorizing dismantlement and deconstruction to
grade level of the buildings in Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17. On the
basis of the above environmental assessment, the NRC has concluded that
this licensing action would not have any significant effect on the
quality of the human environment, and therefore, an environmental
impact statement is not required.
The licensee's request for the proposed action was previously
noticed in the Federal Register on April 10, 2002 (67 FR 28610) along
with the notice of an opportunity to request a hearing.
ABB Prospects, Inc. request for the proposed action, the NRC's
Environmental Assessment, and any other related documents, if any, are
available for inspection and copying for a fee in the Region I Public
Document Room, 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406. The
documents may also be viewed at NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room at
http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/index.html.
Dated at King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, this 3rd day of October,
2002.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Francis M. Costello,
Deputy Director, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, RI.
[FR Doc. 02-26447 Filed 10-16-02; 8:45 am]
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