[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 8, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48538-48539]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20013]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 040-08778]


Finding of No Significant Impact Related to Amendment of Source 
Materials License SMB-1393 Molycorp. Inc., Washington, PA, Facility

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuing 
an amendment to Source Materials License No. SMB-1393 issued to 
Molycorp, Inc. (Molycorp or licensee), to authorize decommissioning of 
its facility in Washington, Pennsylvania. In preparation for cleanup of 
the site, Molycorp submitted its initial decommissioning plan (DP) to 
the NRC in July 1995. The DP has been supplemented twice: (1) First on 
June 30, 1999, (DP Part 1) to reflect the licensee's intent to 
decommission a portion of the site using cleanup criteria contained in 
NRC's ``Action Plan to Ensure Timely Cleanup of Site Decommissioning 
Management Plan Sites'' (SDMP Action Plan) (57 Federal Register 13389); 
and (2) on July 14, 2000, (DP part 2) for that portion of the site 
intended to meet the requirements of the License Termination Rule (LTR) 
in 10 CFR part 20, Subpart E, ``Radiological Criteria for License 
Termination,'' published in July 1997 (62 Federal Register 39057).

Environmental Assessment Summary

    This Environmental Assessment (EA) addresses only the part 1 
decommissioning. Part 2 will be the subject of a separate evaluation. 
Under the Part 1 DP (hereafter, decommissioning plan) Molycorp, Inc., 
will remediate contaminated soils on the main facility grounds and at a 
separate location where slag materials have been concentrated by past 
operations (i.e., slag pile) to unrestricted release levels. The 
decision to dispose of the materials on site will be addressed in part 
2.
    This EA reviews the environmental impacts of the decommissioning 
actions proposed by Molycorp, Inc. in the decommissioning plan (part 1) 
for its facility located in Washington, Pennsylvania. In connection 
with the review of plans for the proposed action, NRC staff is 
preparing a safety evaluation report (SER), that evaluates compliance 
of the proposed action with NRC regulations. On issuance, the SER will 
be available in NRC's Electronic Reading Room, on NRC's Web site http://www.nrc.gov/adams/index.html.

Proposed Action

    The decommissioning activities proposed by Molycorp include:
     Identify the location, depth, and thickness of areas 
containing greater than 10 picoCuries per gram (0.37 Becquerels per 
gram) total thorium.
     Mobilize equipment, set up decontamination facilities, and 
implement erosion control measures in preparation for excavation 
activities.
     Survey the site area to establish spatial coordinates of 
contaminated areas identified from site characterization radiological 
surveys.
     Excavate clean overburden and stockpile onsite.
     Excavate all soil and slag containing average 
contamination levels in excess of the unrestricted use criteria.
     Stockpile excavated material in preparation for loading 
onto transports. Stockpiling duration is estimated at two weeks. 
Excavation and stockpiling of waste will not occur until NRC has 
approved a disposal location for the waste.

[[Page 48539]]

     Sample excavated material to be transported consistent 
with requirements of the NRC-approved disposal location.
     Transporting the material containing average contamination 
levels in excess of the unrestricted use criteria to a NRC-approved 
location.
     Conduct final surveys on excavated areas to demonstrate 
compliance with the unrestricted use limits.
     Survey the stockpiled clean overburden.
     Backfill excavated areas that meet the unrestricted use 
criteria with the clean overburden.

Need for Proposed Action

    The proposed action is necessary to allow Molycorp to remove 
radioactive material attributable to licensed operations, to levels 
that permit unrestricted-use of that portion of the site.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    NRC staff reviewed the levels of contamination, the proposed 
remediation and decommissioning methods, and the radiological release 
criteria that will be used during the remediation. The radiological 
criteria are specified so that decommissioning activities will meet the 
10 CFR Part 20 radiation protection requirements. Worker and public 
doses will be limited so that exposures will not exceed Part 20 
requirements and are as low as is reasonably achievable.
    Molycorp will perform remediation to achieve the unrestricted 
release criteria approved by the Commission in the SDMP Action Plan and 
will transport radioactive waste to a NRC-approved disposal facility.
    The EA include: a description of the facility and its operating 
history; a description of the radiological status of the facility; an 
evaluation of the proposed methods for decontamination and 
dismantlement of structures, buildings, and equipment; an evaluation of 
the proposed methods for decontamination of outdoor areas; a review of 
the licensee's radiation protection program; and a summary of the 
radiological release criteria.
    The EA assesses radiological impacts to: workers from planned 
decommissioning activities; members of the public from planned 
decommissioning activities; and workers and members of the public from 
transportation of low-level radioactive waste. The EA also includes a 
radiological accident analysis.
    Non-radiological impacts addressed in the EA include: non-
radiological releases; economic impact; transportation; air quality; 
noise; environmental justice; and endangered species.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    The following alternatives, and the associated impacts and 
conclusions, are discussed in the EA:

--No action
--Proposed action
--On-site disposal at the Washington, Pennsylvania site
--On-site storage of the excavated soil at the Washington, 
Pennsylvania, site

Conclusions

    Based on the NRC staff evaluation of the Part 1 DP for the 
Washington, Pennsylvania, facility, as documented in the EA, the staff 
has determined that the proposed decommissioning can be accomplished in 
compliance with NRC's public and occupational dose limits, effluent 
release limits, and residual radioactive material limits. In addition, 
the approval of the decommissioning plan will not result in a 
significant adverse impact on the public health and safety or the 
environment.

Agencies and Individuals Contacted

    NRC staff consulted with the Pennsylvania Department of 
Environmental Protection (PADEP) in the preparation of this EA. PADEP 
provided comments on the draft EA in a letter dated July 14, 2000. NRC 
responded to these comments on July 27, 2000. The final EA reflects the 
staff's resolution as documented in its July 27, 2000, response. In 
addition, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Wildlife Management of the 
Pennsylvania Game Commission was consulted and noted that no endangered 
species have been documented as occurring on or near the site. 
Similarly, the National Register of Historic Places was consulted and 
indicated that no historic properties are listed for the Molycorp, 
Inc., Washington site. Also, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum 
Commission indicated there are no archeological sites of significance 
in the facility area.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    Based upon the analysis documented in the EA, the Commission 
concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant impact 
on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the Commission 
has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the 
proposed action.

Additional Information

    The EA is available for review at NRC's Electronic Reading Room, on 
the NRC's Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/adams/index.html. The 
accession [file] number for this document is ML003735909. The NRC 
Project Manager for this action is Mr. LeRoy Person. Mr. Person can be 
reached at (301) 415-6701.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 2nd day of August 2000.

    For the Nuclear Regulaatory Commission.
Larry W. Camper,
Chief, Decommissioning Branch, Division of Waste Management, Office of 
Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 00-20013 Filed 8-7-00; 8:45 am]
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