[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 75 (Friday, April 18, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19140-19141]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-10070]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Termination of License SNM-145 for the Babcock & Wilcox Apollo 
Site and Release of the Property for Unrestricted Use

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of license termination.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice is to advise the public of the U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission's decision to terminate License SNM-145 for the 
Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) Apollo, Pennsylvania, site and release the 
property for unrestricted use.
    The Apollo facility was used for the manufacture of nuclear fuel 
under NRC License SNM-145, which was issued in December of 1957. The 
primary activity at the site was the conversion of uranium hexafluoride 
(UF6) into uranium dioxide (UO2). Operations at the site 
ceased in 1983 and decommissioning activities were completed in 1995.
    Based on the results of NRC's inspections, Oak Ridge Institute for 
Science and Education's Confirmatory Surveys, B&W's Termination 
Surveys, and B&W's groundwater monitoring program results, the staff 
concludes that decommissioning activities are complete and the site is 
suitable to be released for unrestricted use.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Apollo facility was used for the 
manufacture of nuclear fuel under NRC License SNM-145, which was issued 
in December of 1957. The primary activity at the site was the 
conversion of UF6 into UO2.
    The site is located on Warren Avenue in Apollo, Armstrong County, 
Pennsylvania, about 40 km (25 miles) east-northeast of Pittsburgh along 
the Kiskiminetas River. The Apollo site consisted of three areas: (1) 
The Main Facility containing the process buildings, laundry building, 
and parking lot, which were located between Warren Avenue and the 
river; (2) another industrial facility located next to the Main 
Facility, but not owned nor operated by B&W and (3) the Apollo office 
building, which was located outside the restricted area, on the 
opposite side of Warren Avenue. The site was located in a residential 
neighborhood with some privately owned houses within several hundred 
yards of the facility.
    Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) was the operator of the site from 
1967 to 1971. In 1971, ARCO sold its shares of Nuclear Material and 
Equipment Corporation (NUMEC) stock to B&W, who then operated the site 
from 1971 to the present. Low-level waste containing thorium and 
uranium was shipped for disposal at a number of locations, including 
the neighboring Parks Township Shallow Land Disposal Area, which is 
also listed on the Site Decommissioning Management Plan (SDMP) and is 
being assessed for remediation. Decommissioning of inactive portions of 
the facility began in 1978 and continued through 1995. The Apollo site 
was included on the SDMP because of the large quantity of building and 
soil contamination which was present on-site. All operations at the 
site ceased in 1983 and on August 30, 1991, B&W submitted a specific 
decommissioning plan to complete the final activities necessary to 
remediate the entire site to NRC requirements for unrestricted use. In 
a letter dated April 15, 1992, B&W requested that NRC terminate this 
license. The staff reviewed the decommissioning submittal and developed 
an Environmental Assessment (EA) to consider the impacts to the 
environment from the remediation of the site. The EA was published in 
the Federal Register on June 25, 1992, along with the staff's Finding 
of No Significant Impact and an opportunity for a hearing (57 FR 
28539).
    A request for a hearing was filed by petitioners on July 27, 1992, 
which cited 20 areas of concern about the amendment request. The 
petitioners submitted a supplement dated October 9, 1992, requesting an 
immediate cessation of site clean-up activities. Memorandum and Order 
LBP-92-31, dated November 12, 1992, denied the petitioners' request to 
cease clean-up activities. During the remainder of the proceedings, 
there were several requests for information from the presiding officer 
and several additional submittals by the participants. Then, in 
Memorandum and Order LBP-93-4, dated February 5, 1993, the judge denied 
the hearing request and terminated the proceedings.
    Decommissioning activities at the site continued, and in 1995 the 
Apollo office building, the last major remaining structure on the site, 
was dismantled. The Apollo office building had been used for office 
space since the mid-1950s. Portions of the building had been used for 
an analytical laboratory and to develop and manufacture calibration 
sources in the 1960s and early 1970s. Both laboratory operations had 
been terminated by 1972. NRC contracted with Oak Ridge Institute for 
Science and Education (ORISE) to perform several radiological surveys 
in 1993. Both B&W and the NRC regional inspector performed additional 
surveys. By letter dated September 7, 1994, NRC staff released the 
building for unrestricted use and removed it from License SNM-145. The 
building was then dismantled and returned to a green area.
    B&W has completed decommissioning activities at the remainder of 
the site, which included: dismantlement of the main building; The 
removal or replacement of three sewer lines; remediation and 
reconstruction of the riverbank; and remediation of other contaminated 
areas. B&W removed over 22,000 m3 (800,000 ft3) of 
contaminated soil and building rubble and disposed of it at Envirocare 
in Utah, and Barnwell in South Carolina. B&W submitted radiological 
survey data for each phase of remediation, which staff reviewed. NRC 
and ORISE performed several confirmatory radiological surveys during 
the period from 1992 to 1995. These surveys consisted of document and 
data reviews, gamma surface scans, exposure rate measurements, and 
soil, sediment, water, and miscellaneous sampling. The final surveys 
showed that the site meets NRC's criteria for unrestricted use.
    Based on the results of NRC's inspections, ORISE's Confirmatory 
Surveys, B&W's Termination Surveys, and groundwater monitoring program 
results, the staff concludes that decommissioning activities are 
complete. The staff has informed the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) of NRC's intent to release the Apollo site. In addition, 
in accordance with the recently issued Memorandum of Understanding with 
the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), staff 
has also informed PADEP of NRC's intent to release the site. The staff 
is notifying B&W that remediation of the site is complete, that the 
site is suitable for unrestricted use, and that license SNM-145 is 
terminated.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Astwood, Division of Waste 
Management, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop T-7F-27, 
Washington, D.C., 20555, telephone (301) 415-5819.

    Dated at Rockville, MD this 14th day of April 1997.


[[Page 19141]]


    For the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John W.N. Hickey,
Chief, Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning Projects Branch, Division of 
Waste Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 97-10070 Filed 4-17-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P