[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 110 (Wednesday, June 9, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31020-31021]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-14581]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 040-8767]


Consideration of Amendment Request for Decommissioning the 600-
Yard Bullet Catcher and the Southeast Wing of Building 3A of the Lake 
City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Missouri, and an 
Opportunity for a Hearing

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuing 
a license amendment to Materials License No. SUC-1380), issued to the 
Department of the Army (the Army or the licensee), to authorize 
decommissioning of the 600-yard bullet catcher and the southeast wing 
of Building 3A of its Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (LCAAP) in 
Independence, Missouri.
    The Army built the plant and still operates it for the purpose of 
manufacturing and testing small caliber conventional munitions for the 
U.S. Army. LCAAP was founded in 1941 as a Government-owned/contractor-
operated facility. From its inception in 1941 until 1985, the plant 
operating contractor was Remington Arms.
    During the 1960s and 1970s, there was a small depleted uranium (DU) 
operation at LCAAP. Part of their operation, the production of DU 
ordnance, occurred in the southeast wing of Building 3A. Developmental 
planning of the XM-101 DU spotting projectile started in 1959, and by 
1961 LCAAP was producing the round. The Army designed these XM-101 
rounds as ``spotters'' for small scale, shoulder fired weapons.
    The maximum production capability was approximately 8,000 rounds 
per month although various supply problems resulted in a considerably 
lower production rate. The XM-101 (later M-101) round consisted of a 
fused, 20 millimeter (mm) projectile with a body constructed from DU. 
LCAAP also produced an XM-106 round that was identical to the XM-101, 
but without the explosive components. The installation designed, 
tested, manufactured and in later years, demilitarized some 75,000 20 
mm DU spotter rounds. These spotter rounds were approximately six 
inches in length, 20 mm in diameter and weighed approximately one pound 
(lb) each. A machined DU body made up 0.45 lbs of the round's weight. 
The round contained a fused-white phosphorus charge that would detonate 
on impact with the ground.
    By 1968, the program was terminated and LCAAP was left with an 
estimated 44,000 spotter rounds. In 1971, Remington Arms Company, Inc., 
the operator of LCAAP at the time, proposed a method for the disposal 
of approximately 44,000 remaining rounds of XM-101 ammunition. Because 
the rounds were fused, the safest demilitarization methodology involved 
shooting the rounds into a sand-filled catch box, identified as the 
``600-yard Bullet Catcher.'' The catch box was filled with sand as an 
impact material. The impact material was periodically replaced in the 
catch box. Remington would remove the ``old'' impact material (i.e., DU 
contaminated sand) from the 600-yard bullet catcher box and place it in 
an area of the site known as ``Area 10.'' Remediation of ``Area 10'' is 
being addressed in a separate decommissioning plan approved on August 
25, 1998.
    NRC is requiring the licensee to remediate the 600-yard bullet 
catcher and the south east wing of Building 3A of LCAAP to meet NRC's 
decommissioning criteria and, during the decommissioning activities, to 
maintain effluents and doses within NRC requirements and as low as 
reasonably achievable.
    Prior to approving the decommissioning plan, NRC will make the 
necessary findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as 
amended, and NRC's regulations. These findings will be documented in a 
Safety Evaluation Report and an Environmental Assessment. Approval of 
the LCAAP the 600-yard bullet catcher and Building 3A decommissioning 
plan will be documented in an amendment to SUC-1380.
    NRC hereby provides notice that this is a proceeding on an 
application for amendment of a license falling within the scope of 
Subpart L, ``Informal Hearing Procedures for Adjudication in Materials 
Licensing Proceedings,'' of NRC's rules and practice for domestic 
licensing proceedings in 10 CFR part 2. Pursuant to Sec. 2.1205(a), any 
person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding may file a 
request for a hearing in accordance with Sec. 2.1205(d). A request for 
a hearing must be filed within thirty (30) days of the date of 
publication of this Federal Register notice.
    The request for a hearing must be filed with the Office of the 
Secretary either:
    1. By delivery to the Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff of the 
Secretary at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 
20852; or
    2. By mail, telegram, or facsimile to the Secretary, U. S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-

[[Page 31021]]

0001, Attention: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff.
    In accordance with 10 CFR 2.1205(f), each request for a hearing 
must also be served, by delivering it personally or by mail, to:
    1. The applicant, Department of the Army, Headquarters U.S. Army 
Industrial Operations Command, Rock Island, Illinois 61299-6000, 
Attention: Ms. Rosalene E. Graham; and
    2. The NRC staff, by delivery to the Executive Director for 
Operations, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 
20852, between 7:45 am and 4:15 pm Federal workdays; or by mail, 
addressed to the Executive Director for Operations, U. S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
    In addition to meeting other applicable requirements of 10 CFR part 
2 of the NRC regulations, a request for a hearing filed by a person 
other than an applicant must describe in detail:
    1. The interest of the requester in the proceedings.
    2. How that interest may be affected by the results of the 
proceedings, including the reasons why the requester should be 
permitted a hearing, with particular reference to the factors set out 
in Sec. 2.1205(h);
    3. The requester's areas of concern about the licensing activity 
that is the subject matter of the proceeding; and
    4. The circumstances establishing that the request for a hearing is 
timely in accordance with Sec. 2.1205(d).
    For further details with respect to this action, the site 
decommissioning plan is available for inspection at the NRC's Public 
Document Room, 2120 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20555.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day of June 1999.

    For The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John W.N. Hickey,
Chief, Decommissioning Branch, Division of Waste Management, Office of 
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 99-14581 Filed 6-8-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P