[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 240 (Monday, December 15, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65717-65718]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-32621]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 40-7580]


Consideration of License Amendment Request for the Fansteel, 
Inc., Facility in Muskogee, Oklahoma

AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

ACTION: Finding of No Significant Impact for the Fansteel, Inc., 
Facility in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

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    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering the amendment 
of Source Material License SMB-911 to authorize processing of waste 
treatment pond residues at the Fansteel, Inc., facility located in 
Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Summary of the Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    Fansteel, Inc. is currently authorized to process residues 
designated as ``work-in-progress'' (WIP) materials to extract tantalum, 
niobium, and scandium for commercial use. The WIP residues contain 
natural uranium, thorium, and daughter decay products in quantities 
sufficient to be classified as source material by the NRC. Fansteel has 
proposed to modify this currently authorized operation to concurrently 
process wastewater treatment residues, which contain mostly calcium 
fluoride (CaF2) and are located in ponds 6, 7, 8, and 9 at 
the site. This modification will result in production of three 
additional products: sodium fluoroaluminate, sodium sulfate, and 
calcium sulfate. The proposed action is to amend Fansteel License SMB-
911 to authorize this modified process.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    Fansteel has proposed the modified process, which includes 
processing of the wastewater treatment residues, in order to chemically 
improve the input stream for the operation, produce additional products 
for sale, and reduce the volume of solid waste requiring off-site 
disposal.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

Normal Operations
    The NRC staff evaluated impacts from operations at the Fansteel 
site for both normal and accident conditions. During normal operations, 
small quantities of radiological and non-radiological effluents will be 
released to the environment. Radionuclides which may be released to the 
atmosphere include uranium-238, uranium-235, thorium-232, and their 
decay daughters, such as radon-222. Sources of the releases are the 
off-gas treatment system, fugitive dust, and radon emanation from the 
WIP ponds (ponds 2, 3, and 5) and the wastewater treatment ponds (ponds 
6, 7, 8, and 9). The majority of the releases are expected to be in the 
form of insoluble oxide chemicals.
    The staff performed a dose assessment to estimate the impact from 
radiological releases to the air. Atmospheric release exposure pathways 
included inhalation, ingestion of contaminated crops and resuspended 
dirt, and external exposure to the airborne plume and contaminated 
groundwater. For the combined sources (pond residue processing, 
fugitive dust, and pond residue radon), the largest tissue dose was 
estimated to be 1.9 x 10-5 Sv/yr (1.9 mrem/yr) to 
the lungs primarily from inhalation of radon-222. For the maximally 
exposed individual, the committed effective dose equivalent (CEDE) for 
combined releases from processing pond residues and fugitive dust was 
estimated as 3.2 x 10-7 Sv/yr (0.03 mrem/yr), 
while the CEDE for radon release was estimated as 
5.4 x 10-7 Sv/yr (0.054 mrem/yr). External doses 
are a factor of 10,000 times less than internal doses.
    For radionuclides released to the atmosphere other than radon, NRC 
regulations specified in 10 CFR 20.1101(d) require that the annual 
effective dose equivalent not exceed 1.0 x 10-4 
Sv (10 mrem). The total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) from releases 
to the atmosphere was estimated at 8.6 x 10-7 Sv/
yr (0.086 mrem/yr). This is a small fraction of the NRC limit.
    Liquid effluents containing radiological contaminants will be 
released after treatment to the Arkansas River and will ultimately flow 
into the Mississippi River. Although downstream residents do not use 
the Arkansas River as a drinking water source, the NRC analysis 
conservatively assumes that an individual along the river and the 
surrounding population out to a distance of 80 kilometers (50 miles) 
uses this potentially contaminated water. Liquid release exposure 
pathways included ingestion of drinking water, fish, and irrigated 
crops and external exposure during recreational activities.
    The largest tissue dose due to contaminated surface water was 
conservatively estimated to be 2.7 x 10-5 Sv/yr 
(2.7 mrem/yr) to the bone surface, and external doses are a factor of 
1000 times smaller than internal doses. The CEDE for the maximally 
exposed individual was estimated as 3.0 x 10-6 
Sv/yr (0.3 mrem/yr). For both the maximally exposed individual and 
other members of the population, doses are a small fraction of that 
from background sources.
    NRC regulations specified in 10 CFR 20.1301 require that the TEDE 
from all pathways for members of the public not exceed 
1.0 x 10-3 Sv (100 mrem) per year. For the 
maximally exposed individual, the annual TEDE from all releases from 
the proposed operation was estimated as 3.0 x 10-6 
Sv (0.3 mrem). The largest annual tissue dose was estimated to be 
2.7 x 10-5 Sv (2.7 mrem) to the bone surface. 
Estimated doses are small fractions of applicable limits and of the 
background dose, which is on the order of 1 x 10-3 
to 4 x 10-3 Sv/yr (100 to 400 mrem/yr).
    The NRC staff also assessed impacts from releases of non-
radiological contaminants to air, surface water, and groundwater. The 
most significant non-radiological gaseous effluent from processing is 
expected to be hydrogen fluoride (HF). However, normal operation of the 
only stack at the facility is not expected to have a significant effect 
on off-site nonradiological air quality. Assuming the stack operates 24 
hours a day, seven days a week, with an average fluoride emission rate 
of 0.008 gram per second (1.5 pounds per day), the average fluoride 
concentration at the nearest site boundary was estimated to be 0.7 
g/m3. There is no Oklahoma air standard for HF, but 
this concentration

[[Page 65718]]

is less than the 24-hour atmospheric HF limit of 5 g/
m3 applicable in some states.
    Surface water quality is protected by enforcing release limits and 
monitoring programs as required under the National Pollutant Discharge 
and Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Annual average concentrations of 
parameters regulated by the NPDES permit have been below discharge 
limits established for the liquid effluent outfall to the Arkansas 
River and are expected to remain below the discharge limits. Discharges 
are not expected to have significant impact on the surface water 
quality in the Arkansas River because of the dilution volume in the 
river.
    Previous operation of the plant has resulted in localized chemical 
and radiological contamination of groundwater of the shallow aquifer in 
several locations. By license amendment dated March 25, 1997, Fansteel 
committed to operation of a groundwater collection and treatment system 
which will reduce the concentration of chemical constituents to levels 
that can be discharged via the outfall.
    No impacts are expected on land use, biotic resources, or cultural 
resources. A small positive socioeconomic impact is expected through 
the employment of 30 people at the site.
Accident Conditions
    The handling, processing, and storage of material containing 
radioactive constituents at the Fansteel facility could result in an 
uncontrolled release of radioactive material to the environment if 
there was an accident. However, the relatively small quantities and low 
concentrations of the radioactive constituents are factors which 
constrain the impacts of potential accidents. The NRC staff selected 
the following representative accidents scenarios for evaluation: (1) A 
spill of contaminated soil, (2) a large-scale leak of untreated 
contaminated groundwater, and (3) a failure of the pond residue 
processing off-gas equipment.
    The NRC staff evaluated radiological impacts for each accident 
scenario by determining the CEDE to the maximally exposed individual. 
The estimated CEDE was 1.0 x 10-6 Sv (0.1 mrem) 
for the spill of contaminated soil, 2.1 x 10-10 
Sv (2.1 x 10-5 mrem) for the spill of 
groundwater, and 3.8 x 10-6 Sv (0.38 mrem) for 
the failure of the off-gas treatment equipment. Therefore, the 
potential consequences for each accident scenario pose an insignificant 
risk to the public.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    Several people from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental 
Quality (OKDEQ) were consulted concerning this proposed amendment, 
including Earlon Shirley, Waste Management Division, Radiation 
Management Section; Mark Thomason, Water Quality Division; and David 
Dimick, Air Quality Division.

Conclusion

    The NRC has determined that the issuance of the amendment to allow 
Fansteel to process the calcium fluoride wastewater treatment residues 
concurrently with the WIP residues will not result in significant 
impact to human health or the environment.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    The Commission has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) 
related to the amendment of Source Material License SNM-911. On the 
basis of the assessment, the Commission has concluded that 
environmental impacts that would be created by the proposed action 
would not be significant and do not warrant the preparation of an 
Environmental Impact Statement. Accordingly, it has been determined 
that a Finding of No Significant Impact is appropriate.
    For further details with respect to this action, the EA, the 
licensee's renewed license dated September 30, 1997, the amendment 
application dated July 30, 1997, and related documents are available 
for public inspection and copying at the Commission's Public Document 
Room at the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street NW, Washington, DC. 
Questions should be referred to NRC's Project Manager for the Fansteel, 
Inc., facility, Susan D. Chotoo, at (301) 415-8102 or [email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 9th day of December 1997.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Walter S. Schwink,
Acting Chief, Licensing Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and 
Safeguards, NMSS.
[FR Doc. 97-32621 Filed 12-12-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P