[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 134 (Thursday, July 11, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 36585]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-17651]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 30-7022]


Notice of Intent to Remove the RTI Inc., Rockaway, New Jersey 
Site From the NRC Site Decommissioning Management Plan

SUMMARY: This notice informs the public that the U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission intends to remove the RTI Inc., Rockaway, New 
Jersey site from the list of contaminated sites in NRC's Site 
Decommissioning Management Plan (SDMP). Remediation of residual 
radioactive contamination in areas of the facility has successfully 
been completed and the facility meets the current NRC criteria for 
release for unrestricted use.

DATES: The NRC hereby provides notice of an opportunity to comment on 
the proposed NRC action. Comments must be submitted by no later than 
August 12, 1996. 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: Written comments should be sent to USNRC, Region I, Attn: 
Anthony Dimitriadis, 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 
19406. Hand deliver comments to 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, PA 
19406 between 7:45 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Federal workdays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anthony Dimitriadis, Division of 
Nuclear Materials Safety, USNRC, Region I, 475 Allendale Road, King of 
Prussia, PA 19406, Telephone: (610) 337-6953.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The RTI site in Rockaway, New Jersey, was 
identified in 1988 by the NRC as a site where significant residual 
radioactive contamination was present as a result of past operations. 
RTI is licensed by NRC to perform irradiation of commercial products 
using a cobalt-60 in-air irradiator. Leakage from the cobalt-60 sources 
in the 1970's contaminated the irradiator storage pool. Disposal of 
contaminated waste and effluent discharge caused contamination of soil 
outside the irradiator.
    RTI identified radioactive contamination at various locations 
inside and outside the fenced area of the site. As a result, NRC 
included this site in the list of contaminated sites contained in the 
Site Decommissioning Management Plan (SDMP) in 1990 to ensure that 
remediation of the areas was accomplished in a timely manner. The site 
was listed in the SDMP because it satisfied the criterion of large 
amounts of contaminated soil or burial grounds that may be difficult to 
decommission.
    RTI has remediated residual contamination in the various areas on 
the site property, performed radiological surveys in those areas, and 
requested by letter dated June 14, 1996, that the NRC remove the 
Rockaway, New Jersey site from the SDMP. The staff of the NRC's Region 
I Division of Nuclear Materials Safety has reviewed and approved 
various remediation activities since 1987. The staff has also reviewed 
various records of past activities at the site and the radiological 
surveys performed by RTI and their contractor and conducted 
confirmatory radiological measurements at the site. Based on these 
reviews and independent measurements, the NRC staff has determined that 
the facility meets the requirements for release of these areas for 
unrestricted use.
    The SDMP describes four criteria that make a site eligible for 
removal from the SDMP list, including (1) Termination of a license 
after successful remediation, (2) completion of remediation of an 
inactive area and modification of the active license to reflect the 
remediation, (3) completion of remediation at an unlicensed site, or 
(4) transferral of regulatory jurisdiction for remediation. The RTI 
site has satisfied the second criterion because the licensee has 
successfully remediated the inactive, contaminated portion of the site. 
Licensed irradiation operations are planned to continue at the site. 
Consequently, the NRC staff intends to remove the RTI site in Rockaway, 
New Jersey, from the SDMP.
    For further details with respect to this action, documents are 
available for inspection at the NRC's Region I offices located at 475 
Allendale Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406. Persons desiring to review 
documents at the Region I Office, should call Ms. Cheryl Buracker at 
(610) 337-5093 several days in advance to assure that the documents 
will be readily available for review.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 5th 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. 96-17651 Filed 7-10-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P