[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 144 (Thursday, July 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38789-38790]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-18920]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 40-08948]
Notice of Availability of ``Draft Environmental Impact
Statement--Decommissioning of the Shieldalloy Metallurgical
Corporation, Cambridge Ohio, Facility''
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has published a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) regarding the proposed
decommissioning of the Shieldalloy Metallurgical Corporation (SMC),
Cambridge, Ohio, facility. This DEIS describes and evaluates the
potential environmental impacts of SMC's proposed approach to
decommissioning two radiologically contaminated waste piles by capping
and stabilizing the piles in place and implementing appropriate land-
use restrictions. Based on the evaluations in this DEIS, the NRC
staff's preliminary conclusion is that SMC's proposal, with certain
mitigative measures, is acceptable with respect to environmental costs
and benefits, and there is no obviously superior alternative. The DEIS
is a preliminary analysis of the environmental impacts of SMC's
proposed approach. The issuance of a final EIS, and any NRC
decisionmaking based on a final EIS, will not be made until public
comments on the DEIS are received and evaluated.
DATES: NRC will conduct a public meeting to discuss the DEIS and obtain
public comment this Fall, in the Cambridge, Ohio area. A meeting
[[Page 38790]]
announcement will be published as a Federal Register notice. Written
comments on the DEIS should be received at the address listed below
within ninety (90) days from the date on which the Environmental
Protection Agency notice is published in the Federal Register stating
that the DEIS has been filed with EPA. To the extent practicable, NRC
staff will grant reasonable requests for extensions of time for comment
up to fifteen (15) days. Comments received after this date will be
considered if it is practical to do so, but the Commission is able to
assure consideration only for comments received on or before this date.
ADDRESSES: A single copy of the DEIS (NUREG-1543) may be requested by
those considering public comment by writing to the NRC Publications
Section, ATTN.: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
Office, P.O. Box 37082, Washington, DC 20013-7082, or by calling 202-
512-1800. A copy of the DEIS is available for inspection and/or copying
in the NRC Public Document Room, 2120 L St. NW., Washington, DC 20555-
0001. A copy will also be available shortly for public inspection at
the Guernsey County District Library, 800 Steubenville Avenue,
Cambridge, Ohio 43725-2385.
Any interested party may submit comments on this document for
consideration by the staff. Consistent with its past commitments, NRC
is extending the comment period 45 days beyond the required minimum of
45 days. To be certain of consideration, comments on these reports must
be received within 90 days from the date of this notice. Comments
received after the due date will be considered to the extent practical.
Comments should be sent to Michael Weber, Chief, Low-Level Waste and
Decommissioning Projects Branch, Mail Stop T7F-27, Division of Waste
Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mark Thaggard, Low-Level Waste and
Decommissioning Projects Branch, Mail Stop T7D-13, Division of Waste
Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001. Telephone
301/415-6718.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NRC has prepared a DEIS that evaluates
the environmental impacts and alternatives associated with SMC's
proposed approach to decommissioning radiologically contaminated waste
piles by capping and stabilizing the piles in place and implementing
appropriate land-use restrictions. NRC noticed its intent to prepare an
EIS on the decommissioning of the SMC facility in Cambridge, Ohio, on
November 26, 1993 (58 FR 62383) and conducted a public meeting to
obtain comments on the intended scope of the EIS in Byesville, Ohio, on
December 13, 1993.
SMC holds a license (SMB-1507) with the NRC for possession of
source material (i.e., uranium and thorium) at its Cambridge facility.
The source material is in the form of slag and contaminated soil
located in two piles that contain a total of 546,000 metric tons
(606,000 tons) of material. The radioactive materials in the slag were
contaminants in the ores and processed materials used at the site to
produce metal alloys and other compounds. The contaminated slag was
produced at the site prior to Shieldalloy's acquisition of the facility
in 1987. The piles also contain chemical contaminants that may require
remediation.
SMC proposes to stabilize and cap the slag piles in place and
implement land-use restrictions to ensure people do not inadvertently
dig into the piles and expose themselves to elevated levels of
radiation. Three other variations of SMC's proposed alternative are
considered in the DEIS, including: (1) Stabilizing the material on site
along with an additional 10,000 cubic yards of slag added from off
site, (2) stabilizing the material on site along with additional soil
contaminated with metals, and (3) stabilizing the material on site
along with both the additional slag and soils. In addition, the DEIS
considers three other alternatives, including: (1) The no-action
alternative, (2) disposing the material off site at a facility that is
licensed to dispose of radioactive waste, and (3) sale of the slag for
reuse. Two additional alternatives were considered but eliminated from
detail study; these are: (1) diluting the contaminated material to
reduce concentrations of radioactive materials, and (2) separating and
removing the most contaminated material for disposal offsite.
The DEIS evaluates radiological and nonradiological impacts
associated with the proposed action. Impacts are assessed for land use,
socioeconomic and cultural resources, air quality, water quality, human
health, and biological resources. The NRC staff's preliminary
conclusion is that environmental impacts from SMC's proposed
alternative is not significant if certain mitigative measures are
implemented, and there is no obviously superior alternative. The
potential long-term human health effects from taking no action are
significant; therefore, some remediation actions is appropriate and
required by NRC regulations. Removing the contaminated material from
the site will result in the smallest long-term environmental effects
(impacts at the disposal facility have been previously assessed);
however, the costs are quite significant. The off-site disposal
alternative also has some potentially significant impacts on air
quality and noise that would require mitigation. Further, the off-site
disposal alternative is expected to result in a slightly higher
incident of worker injuries than the on-site disposal alternatives. A
cost benefit analysis shows that all on-site disposal alternatives have
identical economic benefits, and the no action alternative has no
economic benefits.
The NRC is offering an opportunity for public review and comment on
the DEIS in accordance with NRC requirements in 10 CFR 51.73, 51.74,
and 51.117. Any comments of Federal, State, and local agencies, Indian
tribes, or other interested parties will be made available for public
inspection when received. The DEIS is a preliminary analysis of the
environmental impacts of SMC's proposed approach. The issuance of a
final EIS, and any NRC decisionmaking based on a final EIS, will not be
made until public comments on the DEIS are received and evaluated. NRC
staff will review the comments, conduct any necessary analyses, and
make appropriate revisions in developing the final EIS on the
decommissioning of the Shieldalloy Metallurgical Corporation Cambridge,
Ohio, facility. NRC anticipates completing the EIS on this facility in
1997. However, this schedule may need to be adjusted in reviewing
public comments.
NRC is also arranging a public meeting on the DEIS to be held in
the vicinity of Cambridge, Ohio, during the public comment period in
the early Fall of 1996. The meeting will consist of an overview of the
DEIS and an opportunity for the NRC to hear any public comments on the
DEIS. NRC will announce the date and location for this meeting in a
subsequent Federal Register notice well in advance of the public
meeting.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 19th day of July 1996.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Michael F. Weber,
Chief Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning Projects Branch, Division of
Waste Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 96-18920 Filed 7-24-96; 8:45 am]
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