[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 155 (Thursday, August 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44059-44061]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-20907]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 070-0925]


Finding of No Significant Impact Related to Amendment of 
Materials License No. SNM-928, Kerr-McGee Corporation, Cimarron Fuel 
Fabrication Site, Crescent, Oklahoma

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (hereafter referred to as 
NRC) is considering issuing a license amendment to Materials License 
No. SNM-923, held by the Kerr-McGee Cimarron Corporation (Cimarron or 
the licensee), to incorporate the licensee's proposed decommissioning 
plan (DP) for its Cimarron Fuel Fabrication Site (Cimarron site) 
located in Crescent, Oklahoma. Other proposals being considered 
include: (1) Establishment of a cleanup standard for the site; (2) 
revision of Cimarron's Radiation Protection Plan (RPP) that summarizes 
the overall radiation protection program for the Cimarron facility; and 
(3) revision of Cimarron's organizational structure.

Summary of Environmental Assessment

Background

    Cimarron has environmental responsibility for a fuel fabrication 
facility site near the city of Crescent, Oklahoma. The Kerr-McGee 
Corporation (KMC) operated two plants at the Cimarron facility between 
1965 and 1975, each under its own separate Atomic Energy Commission 
license. Radioactive Materials License SNM-928 was issued under 10 CFR 
Part 70 for the Uranium Fuel Fabrication Facility and Radioactive 
Materials License SNM-1174 was issued for the Mixed Oxide Fuel 
Fabrication Facility. In 1983, when KMC was divided into Sequoyah Fuels 
Corporation (SFC) and Quivera Mining Corporation, SFC became the owner 
of the Cimarron facility. Subsequently, in 1988, Cimarron Corporation, 
a subsidiary of KMC, became responsible for the Cimarron facility. 
Although the Cimarron facility poses no immediate threat to public 
health and safety, it is listed in the Site Decommissioning Management 
Plan to ensure timely decommissioning.

Proposed Action

    The objectives of the proposed actions are to decontaminate and 
decommission the Cimarron site to permit release for unrestricted use 
and to terminate the Radioactive Materials License SNM-928. In 
accordance with 10 CFR 70.38(g), Cimarron submitted a proposed DP. In 
conjunction with this proposal, Cimarron has also proposed revisions to 
the Radioactive Materials License SNM-928, changes to its RPP, and 
changes to its organizational structure.
    Decommissioning activities have been ongoing since 1976 when 
production activities were terminated. Many of the decommissioning 
activities at the site have been completed under existing license 
conditions. Decommissioning activities remaining to be performed at the 
Cimarron facility include: decontamination and decommissioning of 
facility structures; onsite disposal of contaminated soil meeting the 
Option 2 criteria of NRC's 1981 Branch Technical Position (BTP) 
1, ``Disposal or Onsite Storage of Thorium or Uranium Wastes 
from Past Operations;'' offsite disposal of soil or material exceeding 
the BTP Option 2 criteria; and groundwater remediation.
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    \1\ ``Disposal or Onsite Storage of Thorium or Uranium Waste 
from Past Operations'' (46 FR 52061, October 23, 1981).
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    As previously noted, Cimarron proposed other related revisions to 
its license:
    (1) Amending its license to add a new license condition 
specifically establishing the BTP Option 1 unrestricted-use, residual-
contamination criteria as the cleanup standard for the Cimarron site;

[[Page 44060]]

    (2) Amending license conditions to better delineate the handling of 
various classifications of contaminated material at the site, and 
revising License Condition 10 to only reference licensee commitments 
that pertain to Cimarron's current decommissioning status;
    (3) Amending the RPP to clarify statements made in the RPP; 
incorporate references to a Quality Assurance Plan, and revise its 
Environmental Sampling Schedule; and
    (4) Amending the license to incorporate changes in its 
organizational structure. These changes were and will continue to be 
caused by downsizing of staff at the Cimarron site as decommissioning 
activities are completed.

The Need for Proposed Action

    The proposed actions are necessary for Cimarron to complete the 
remaining decommissioning activities needed for NRC to release the 
Cimarron site for unrestricted use and to terminate Radioactive 
Materials License SNM-928. License termination is a separate action 
that requires an NRC finding that the premises are suitable for 
release.

Alternative to Proposed Action

    The only alternative considered in the Environmental Assessment 
(EA) was the no-action alternative. No action would mean that: (1) The 
site would not be approved to remediate now; (2) obsolete license 
conditions would continue to be in License SNM-928; (3) changes to the 
RPP would not be effective; and (4) Cimarron's organizational structure 
would be outdated.
    NRC staff has evaluated the no-action alternative and determined 
that the no-action alternative would conflict with NRC's requirement, 
10 CFR 70.38, for timely remediation at sites that have ceased 
operation. Although there is no immediate threat to the public health 
and safety from this site, not undertaking remediation at this time 
does not solve the regulatory and potential long-term health and safety 
problems associated with storing this waste. No action now would delay 
remediation until some time in the future, when costs could be much 
higher than they are today. It is even possible that no disposal option 
will be available in the future if the current low level waste disposal 
facilities are closed and no new ones are opened. Therefore, the no-
action alternative is not acceptable.

Environmental Impacts of Proposed Action

    Radiological impacts on members of the public may result from 
inhalation and ingestion of releases of radioactivity in air and in 
water during the remediation operations, direct exposure to radiation 
from radioactive material at the site during remediation operations, 
and transport for disposal. Decommissioning workers may receive doses 
primarily by ingestion, inhalation, and direct exposure during the 
decommissioning activities. In addition to impacts from routine 
operations, the potential radiological consequences of accidents were 
considered.
    NRC staff has reviewed the potential impacts of the proposed 
decommissioning, both beneficial and adverse. NRC staff's conclusions 
are summarized as follows:
    a. Radiation exposures of persons living or traveling near the site 
because of onsite operations and waste transportation will be well 
within limits contained in 10 CFR Part 20.
    b. The potential radiological impacts off-site of potential onsite 
accidents are well below the radiation dose limit of 1 mSv/yr (100 
mrem/yr) to the public and the radiation dose limit of 0.50 mSv/yr (5 
rem/yr) to workers in accordance with 10 CFR Part 20.
    c. The potential non-radiological impacts, such as socioeconomic, 
air quality, land and water use, etc., from decommissioning activities 
at Cimarron are negligible.
    d. For conservatism, the site use is assumed to be equivalent to 
the resident farmer scenario described in the NRC Policy and Guidance 
Directive PG-8-08, ``Scenarios for Assessing Potential Doses Associated 
with Residual Radioactivity.'' Under this scenario, the maximum 
radiation doses to a hypothetical resident farmer, who might establish 
a residence on the site, grow and consume food from the site, and 
consume drinking water from an onsite groundwater well, over a 1000-
year period, were calculated assuming both with a cover and without a 
cover over the disposal cell. The predicted doses for both scenarios 
are less than 0.09 mSv/yr (9 mrem/yr), which is below NRC's Part 20 
radiation dose for the public of 1 mSv/yr (100 mrem/yr).
    e. Radiation doses to a remediation worker onsite from direct 
exposure are estimated to be less than 0.01 mSv (1 mrem) for a 2000-
hour exposure period. Inhalation doses from a 2000-hour exposure would 
be less than 0.03 Sv (3 mrem). These predicted doses are substantially 
less than the occupation exposure limit of 0.50 mSv/yr (5 rem/yr) in 10 
CFR Part 20.
    f. The impacts from the transportation of radioactive materials are 
low and within NRC and Department of Transportation requirements. The 
potential consequences and probability of a transportation accident are 
low.
    g. The licensee has a radiation protection program that will 
maintain radiation exposures and effluent releases within the limits of 
10 CFR Part 20 and will maintain exposures as low as is reasonably 
achievable.
    h. The population within a 6.5 kilometer (4 mile) radius of the 
licensee facility has minority and senior citizen populations lower 
than the county and the State averages, and has a median household 
income above that of the county and the State. Based on these 
statistics, there are no significant minorities and low-income 
households that will be exposed to impacts from the proposed activities 
at Cimarron. Because there are no significant impacts from the proposed 
activities, there will be no environmental justice impacts.
    i. No reasonably available alternative to the licensee's proposed 
plan is obviously superior.

Conclusions

    On the basis of its EA, NRC staff has concluded that the proposed 
action would not have any significant effect on the quality of the 
human environment and does not warrant the preparation of an 
environmental impact statement (EIS). The action called for, under NEPA 
and 10 CFR Part 51, is the issuance of a license amendment authorizing 
the licensee to perform decommissioning of the Cimarron site as 
proposed by the licensee and make the proposed revisions to the 
license.
    In accordance with the requirements of Subpart L of 10 CFR part 2, 
an Opportunity for a Hearing 2 was offered on September 6, 
1995. No requests for a hearing were received.
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    \2\ 60 FR 46315 (September 6, 1995).
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Finding of No Significant Impact

    Pursuant to 10 CFR part 51, NRC has prepared an EA related to the 
issuance of a license amendment to Materials License SNM-928, 
authorizing decommissioning of the Cimarron Site. On the basis of this 
EA, NRC has concluded that this licensing action would not have any 
significant effect on the quality of the human environment and does not 
warrant the preparation of an EIS. Accordingly, it has been determined 
that a Finding of No Significant Impact is appropriate.

Further Information

    For further details with respect to this action, the EA and other 
documents related to this proposed action are available for public 
inspection and copying at NRC's Public Document

[[Page 44061]]

Room at the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street NW., Washington, DC.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day of August 1999.

    For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Larry W. Camper,
Chief, Decommissioning Branch, Division of Waste Management, Office of 
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 99-20907 Filed 8-11-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P