[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 60 (Friday, March 28, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15247-15249]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7488]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 030-05357]
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact related to license amendment of Byproduct Material
License No. 29-08978-02, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East
Hanover, New Jersey.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
the issuance of a license amendment to Byproduct Material License No.
29-08978-02 to authorize release of its facility in Summit, New Jersey,
for unrestricted use 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: Donna Janda, Division of Nuclear
Materials Safety, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region I, 475
Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 19406; telephone (610)
337-5371 or e-mail [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC) is considering amending Byproduct Materials License No. 29-08978-
02 and authorizing the release of the licensee's facility in Summit,
New Jersey, for unrestricted use and has prepared an Environmental
Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) in support
of this action.
SUMMARY: The NRC reviewed the results of the decommissioning of the
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (Novartis) facility in Summit, New
Jersey. Novartis was formed in 1997 from the merger of Ciga-Geigy
Corporation and Sandoz Corporation. From 1963 to 1997, Ciba-Geigy was
authorized by NRC under Materials License No. 29-00459-03 to use
radioactive materials for research and development purposes at the
Summit facility. After the merger, Novartis continued to perform the
same activities at the Summit facility under Materials License No. 29-
00459-03 until 1998, when the license was terminated and the facility
was added to Novartis' Materials License No. 29-08978-02. In January
2003, Novartis ceased operations with licensed materials at the Summit
site, and in February 2003, requested that NRC release the facility for
unrestricted use. Novartis has conducted surveys of the Summit facility
and determined that the facility meets the license termination criteria
in subpart E of 10 CFR part 20. The NRC staff has evaluated Novartis'
request and results of the surveys, and
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has developed an Environmental Assessment (EA) in accordance with the
requirements of 10 CFR part 51. Based on the staff evaluation, the
conclusion of the EA is a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on
human health and the environment for the proposed licensing action.
Introduction
Novartis requested release for unrestricted use of the entire
facility at 556 Morris Avenue, Summit, New Jersey, as authorized by the
NRC License No. 29-08978-02. License No. 29-08978-02 was issued in 1968
and amended in March 1998 to include the Summit site. It authorizes
Novartis to perform activities in Buildings 130, L, LX, and U at 556
Morris Avenue, Summit, New Jersey. NRC-licensed activities at the
Summit site were limited to laboratory procedures typically performed
on bench tops and in hoods. A variety of radionuclides were used
primarily for research and development. No outdoor areas were affected
by the use of licensed materials.
Licensed activities ceased completely in January 2003, and the
licensee requested release of the facility for unrestricted use. Based
on the licensee's historical knowledge of the site and the conditions
of the facility, the licensee determined that only routine
decontamination activities, in accordance with the licensee's radiation
safety procedures, were required. A decommissioning plan was not
required to be submitted to NRC. The licensee surveyed the facility,
decontaminated or remediated areas as needed, and provided
documentation that the facility meets the license termination criteria,
specified in subpart E of 10 CFR part 20, and does not require
additional decommissioning activities to be performed. NRC inspectors
inspected the decommissioning activities at the Summit facility on
November 26, 2002, December 19, 2002, January 10, 2003, and February
12, 2003. The inspectors observed surveys and wipe tests being
performed and reviewed the licensee's records related to
decommissioning and survey activities. The licensee subsequently
requested that the Novartis facility in Summit, New Jersey be released
for unrestricted use.
The Proposed Action
The proposed action is to amend Byproduct Materials License No. 29-
08978-02 and release the facility at 556 Morris Avenue, Summit, New
Jersey for unrestricted use. By letter dated February 6, 2003, Novartis
provided survey results which demonstrate that the Summit site is in
compliance with the radiological criteria for license termination in
subpart E, 10 CFR part 20, ``Radiological Criteria for License
Termination.''
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
The purpose of the proposed action is to amend NRC Byproduct
Materials License No. 29-08978-02 and release the Novartis site in
Summit, New Jersey for unrestricted use. NRC is fulfilling its
responsibilities under the Atomic Energy Act to make a decision on a
proposed license amendment for release of a facility for unrestricted
use that ensures protection of public health and safety and the
environment.
Alternative to the Proposed Action
Since the facility at the Summit site has already been surveyed and
found acceptable for release for unrestricted use, the only alternative
to the proposed action of amendment of the license and release of the
Summit site for unrestricted use is no action. The no-action
alternative would be to keep the facility on the license, which is not
acceptable because the licensee does not plan to perform any activities
with licensed materials at this location and does not plan to maintain
staff to perform licensed activities. Maintaining the areas under a
license would provide negligible, if any, environmental benefit and
would reduce options for future use of the property.
The Affected Environment and Environmental Impacts
The NRC staff has reviewed the surveys performed by Novartis to
demonstrate compliance with the 10 CFR 20.1402 license termination
criteria. Based on its review, the staff has determined that the
affected environment and environmental impacts associated with the
release for unrestricted use of the Novartis Summit facility are
bounded by the impacts evaluated by the ``Generic Environmental Impact
Statement in Support of Rulemaking on Radiological Criteria for License
Termination of NRC-Licensed Nuclear Facilities' (NUREG-1496). The staff
also finds that the proposed release for unrestricted use of the
Novartis facility is in compliance with Title 10, Code of Federal
Regulations, part 20.1402, ``Radiological Criteria for Unrestricted
Use.'' The NRC has found no other activities in the area that could
result in cumulative impacts.
Agencies and Persons Consulted, and Sources Used
This EA was prepared entirely by the NRC staff. The State Office of
Historical Preservation, the State Fish and Wildlife Service, and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were not contacted because release of
the Novartis facility for unrestricted use does not affect historical
or cultural resources, nor will it affect threatened or endangered
species. No other sources were used beyond those referenced in this EA.
NRC provided a draft of its Environmental Assessment to the State
of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) for
review. On March 10, 2003, the NJDEP responded by letter and agreed
with the conclusions of the EA.
Conclusion and Finding of No Significant Impact
Based on its review, the NRC staff has concluded that the completed
action complies with 10 CFR part 20. NRC has prepared this EA in
support of the proposed license amendment to release the facility at
556 Morris Avenue, Summit, New Jersey, for unrestricted use. On the
basis of the EA, NRC has concluded that the environmental impacts from
the proposed action are expected to be insignificant and has determined
not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed
action.
List of Preparers
Donna M. Janda, Health Physicist, Division of Nuclear Materials
Safety, Region 1.
List of References
1. NRC License Nos. 29-08978-02 and 29-00459-03 inspection and
licensing records.
2. Letter dated December 3, 2001, with attachment from Novartis
Pharmaceuticals Corporation. [ADAMS Accession No. ML013550047]
3. Letter dated September 6, 2002, with attachment from Novartis
Pharmaceuticals Corporation. [ADAMS Accession No. ML022660406]
4. Letter dated February 6, 2003, with attachment from Novartis
Pharmaceuticals Corporation. [ADAMS Accession Nos. ML030510365,
ML030510378, and ML030510379]
5. Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 20, Subpart E,
``Radiological Criteria for License Termination.''
6. Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 51,
``Environmental Protection Regulations for Domestic Licensing and
Related Regulatory Functions.''
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/reading-rm/ADAMS.html. Any questions
with respect to this action should be referred to Donna Janda,
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Nuclear Materials Safety Branch 2, Division of Nuclear Materials
Safety, Region 1, 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
19406, telephone (610) 337-5371, fax (610) 337-5269.
Dated at King of Prussia, Pennsylvania this 21st day of March,
2003.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John D. Kinneman,
Chief, Nuclear Materials Safety Branch 2, Division of Nuclear Materials
Safety, Region I.
[FR Doc. 03-7488 Filed 3-27-03; 8:45 am]
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