[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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