[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 201 (Thursday, October 17, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64147-64150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-26447]



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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 030-03754]


Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact 
Related to the License Amendment Request of ABB Prospects, Inc. 
Materials License No. 06-00217-06 for the CE Windsor Site, Building 
Complexes 2, 5, and 17 in Windsor, CT

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact related to the license amendment request of ABB 
Prospects, Inc. Materials License No. 06-00217-06 for the CE Windsor 
Site, Building Complexes 2, 5 and 17 in Windsor, Connecticut.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
the issuance of a license amendment to ABB Prospects, Inc. Materials 
License No. 06-00217-06 to authorize dismantlement and deconstruction 
to grade level of the buildings in Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17 at 
the CE site in Windsor, CT and has prepared an Environmental Assessment 
in support of this action. Based upon the Environmental Assessment, the 
NRC has concluded that a finding of No Significant Impact is 
appropriate, and, therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement is 
unnecessary.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Kottan, Decommissioning and 
Laboratory Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, NRC Region I, 
King of Prussia, PA 19406; telephone (610) 337-5214 of e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) 
is considering amending Byproduct Materials License Number 06-00217-06 
issued to ABB Prospects, Inc. (ABB) to authorize the dismantlement and 
deconstruction of Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17 at the ABB site in 
Windsor, Connecticut.

1.0 Introduction

    In a letter dated December 31, 2001, ABB submitted a request to 
amend Byproduct Materials License Number 06-00217-06 to obtain 
authorization to dismantle and deconstruct Building Complexes 2, 5, and 
17 and to remove all impacted sub-grade structures and systems. In 
subsequent letters dated February 22, 2002, March 8, 2002, and August 
9, 2002, ABB modified the original license amendment request. The 
request currently before the NRC is limited to dismantlement and 
deconstruction of the buildings of Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17 to 
grade level only. References hereafter to the license amendment request 
are to the request as amended through the August 9, 2002 letter. This 
environmental assessment (EA) is being performed to evaluate the 
environmental impacts of ABB's request for NRC's approval for ABB to 
conduct decommissioning only at or above the basement slabs and at or 
above the floors of the three Complexes.
    In accordance with the conditions currently described in Byproduct 
Materials License Number 06-00217-06, the licensee has been performing 
remediation of residual radioactivity and other industrial contaminants 
from internal building equipment and components for Building Complexes 
2, 5, and 17. The radioactive contamination at ABB's Windsor, 
Connecticut site consists of soils and building and equipment surfaces 
contaminated with uranium and by-product material from licensed 
operations that occurred from the late 1950s until 2001.
    The licensee's December 31, 2001 license amendment request was 
noticed in the Federal Register on April 10, 2002 (67 FR 28610). This 
Federal Register notice also provided an opportunity for a hearing on 
this licensing action.

1.1 Proposed Action

    The proposed action is to amend NRC Byproduct Materials License 
Number 06-00217-06 issued to ABB to allow for the dismantlement and 
deconstruction of the buildings in Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17. The 
buildings will be taken down to grade level only and no work will be 
performed on the building slabs/foundations or sub-grade structures and 
systems. ABB plans to use dismantlement and deconstruction techniques, 
such as cutting and shearing in taking the buildings down. Manual 
jackhammers, equipment mounted jackhammers (hoe ram), skid-steer loader 
or shears will be used to remove/dismantle and to size reduce concrete 
or concrete masonry unit (CMU) structures. CMU walls may also be 
brought down using pushover techniques. Steel reinforcement bars will 
be torch-cut, sheared, or saw-cut as required for dismantlement, 
leveling, or size reduction purposes.

1.2 Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action

    NRC regulations require licensees to begin timely decommissioning 
of their sites, or any separate buildings that contain residual 
radioactivity, upon cessation of licensed operational activities, in 
accordance with 10 CFR 30.36(d). The purpose of the proposed action is 
to reduce residual radioactivity at ABB's Windsor, Connecticut site. 
Additionally, due to the commercial value of the site property, the 
licensee plans to eventually return the land to beneficial unrestricted 
use. The proposed licensing action will support such an ultimate goal. 
NRC is fulfilling its responsibilities under the Atomic Energy Act and 
the National Environmental Policy Act to make a decision on a proposed 
license amendment for building dismantlement and deconstruction that 
ensures protection of the public health and safety and the environment.

2.0 Facility Description/Operating History

2.1 Site Local and Physical Description

    The CE Windsor site is located in the Town of Windsor, Connecticut, 
13 km (8 miles) north of Hartford, Connecticut. This site is 
industrially zoned by the Town of Windsor, and is located in a Mixed 
Land Use area of Hartford County. The site covers approximately 600 
acres. Much of the northern and western portions of the property are 
wooded. Approximately, one third of the property is developed with 
buildings, infrastructure, and maintained landscaping. ABB anticipates 
that future uses of the site will be consistent with its current use 
(commercial, light industrial uses). The current land use in the 
surrounding area is a mixture of commercial, light industrial, 
warehousing, office park, residential, municipal landfill, and 
commercial farming. Surface water bodies on site include the Great 
Pond, located on the southwestern end of the property, the Small Pond, 
located East of the Site buildings, and the Goodwin Pond and the Site 
Brook, both located on the northeastern portion of the property. The 
regional geology in Windsor is mapped within the Central Valley 
landscape of the Newark Terrain. A full description of the site and its 
characteristics is given in the ABB License Amendment Request for 
demolition of Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17.

2.2 Facility Operating History

    From the late1950's until 2001, ABB Prospects, Inc. Combustion 
Engineering site was involved in the research, development, 
engineering, production, and servicing of nuclear systems and fuel. 
Nuclear research was conducted in

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the Building 2 Complex and the Building 5 Complex. Nuclear fuel was 
manufactured in the Building 17 Complex.
    The Building 2 Complex was constructed in the mid 1950's and is 
located in the central area of the CE site. The Building 2 Complex 
consists of buildings 1, 1A, 2, and 2A. Uses for these buildings 
included nuclear research and development and commercial nuclear power 
plant outage support. The Building 5 Complex is located in the southern 
portion of the CE site and includes buildings 5, 15, 16, and 18. 
Building 5 was constructed in 1957, building 18 was constructed in 1968 
and building 16 was constructed in 1975. Building 15 was a carpentry 
shop and was not used for nuclear materials work. Building 5 was a 
research and development laboratory that included a materials 
development laboratory, a nuclear fuel manufacturing laboratory, and an 
engineering development laboratory. Building 16 was used to test 
boronometers, and building 18 contained a scale model reactor test loop 
to test the fluid mechanics of commercial nuclear reactors. The 
Building 17 Complex consists of only building 17 which was constructed 
in 1967 and used for manufacturing commercial nuclear fuel. Commercial 
nuclear fuel manufacturing ceased in 1993, and the building was 
renovated and used for commercial nuclear power plant outage support 
work.

3.0 Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    The only alternatives to the proposed action of dismantlement and 
deconstruction of Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17 are decontamination 
of the buildings without dismantlement and deconstruction and no 
action. The no action alternative is not acceptable because it will 
result in violation of the NRC's Timeliness Rule (10 CFR 30.36d), which 
requires licensees to decommission their facilities when licensed 
activities cease, and to request termination of their radioactive 
materials license. The no action alternative would keep radioactive 
material on site without disposal. Additionally, the impact of the 
proposed action encompasses the alternative action of decontaminating 
and maintaining the buildings on site. Maintaining the buildings on 
site would provide negligible, if any, environmental benefit, but would 
greatly reduce options for future use of the site. Therefore, these 
alternative are not considered to be reasonable and are not analyzed 
further in the EA.

4.0 Environmental Impacts

    The NRC staff has reviewed the license amendment request for the 
ABB facility in Windsor, Connecticut and examined the impacts of this 
license amendment request. Potential impacts include water resource 
impact (e.g., water may be used for dust control), air quality impacts 
from dust emissions, temporary local traffic impacts resulting from 
transporting the building debris offsite, beneficial local economic 
effects due to the creation of jobs to perform dismantlement and 
deconstruction, human health impacts, noise impacts from equipment 
operation, scenic quality impacts, and waste management impacts.
    Based on its review, the staff has determined that no surface water 
or ground water impacts are expected from building dismantlement and 
deconstruction down to the building slabs and foundations at grade. 
Additionally, the staff has determined that significant air quality, 
noise, land use, and off-site radiation exposure impacts are also not 
expected. No significant air quality impacts are anticipated because of 
the contamination controls and dust suppression techniques that will be 
implemented by ABB during building dismantlement and deconstruction. 
Asbestos waste, primarily from building siding, will be generated 
during building dismantlement and deconstruction. All removal and 
disposal of asbestos building siding will take place in accordance with 
applicable Federal and State regulations. In addition, the 
environmental impacts associated with the dismantlement and 
deconstruction of the buildings in Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17 are 
bounded by the impacts evaluated by NUREG-0586, ``Final Generic 
Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) on Decommissioning of Nuclear 
Facilities'' (NRC, 1988). Generic impacts for this type of 
dismantlement and deconstruction process were previously evaluated and 
described in this GEIS, which concludes that the environmental 
consequences are small. The risk to human health from the 
transportation of all radioactive material in the U.S. was evaluated in 
NUREG-0170, ``Final Environmental Statement on the Transportation of 
Radioactive Materials by Air and Other Modes'' (NRC, 1977). The 
principal radiological environmental impact during normal 
transportation is direct radiation exposure to nearby persons from 
radioactive material in the package. The average annual individual dose 
from all radioactive material transportation in the U.S. was calculated 
to be approximately 0.5 mrem, well below the 10 CFR 20.1301 limit of 
100 mrem for a member of the public. Additionally, ABB estimates that 1 
to 2 truck loads of demolition waste will leave the site per working 
day compared to an average daily traffic flow of approximately 10,000 
vehicles per day on Day Hill Road. The trucks will then travel on 
Interstate 91 to their intended destinations. Thus, waste management 
and transportation impacts from the building dismantlement and 
deconstruction will not be significant.
    Occupational health was also considered in the Final Environmental 
Impact Statement on the Transportation of Radioactive Material by Air 
and Other Modes (NRC, 1977). The Department of Transportation (DOT) 
regulations in 49 CFR 177.842(g) require that the radiation dose may 
not exceed 0.02 mSv (2 mrem) per hour in any position normally occupied 
by an individual in a motor vehicle. Shipment of these materials would 
not affect the assessment of environmental impacts or the conclusions 
in the Final Environmental Impact Statement on the Transportation of 
Radioactive Material by Air and Other Modes (NRC, 1977).
    The Staff also finds that the proposed license amendment will meet 
the radiological release criteria of Regulatory Guide 1.86, 
``Termination of Operating Licenses for Nuclear Reactors,'' for release 
of material from the ABB site.
    ABB will maintain an appropriate level of radiation protection 
staff, procedures, and capabilities, and, through its on-site Radiation 
Safety Officer, will implement an acceptable program to keep exposure 
to radioactive materials as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA). As 
previously noted, ABB has submitted a license amendment request 
describing the work to be performed, and work activities are not 
anticipated to result in radiation exposures to the public in excess of 
ten percent of the 10 CFR 20.1301 limits. The Connecticut Historical 
Commission has determined that there will be an historical impact from 
the proposed action, but that no prudent or feasible alternative exists 
relative to the proposed action. See Section 7.0 of this EA.

4.1 Cumulative Impacts

    The NRC has evaluated whether cumulative environmental impacts 
could result from an incremental impact of the proposed action when 
added to other past, present, or reasonably foreseeable future actions 
in the area. The proposed NRC approval of the

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License Amendment, when combined with known effects on resource areas 
at the site, including future further site remediation, are not 
anticipated to result in any cumulative impacts at the site.

5.0 Mitigation Measures

    The dismantlement and deconstruction of Building Complexes 2, 5, 
and 17 are not expected to have any significant adverse environmental 
impact. The license amendment request submitted by ABB contains 
mitigation measures to further ensure that the requested licensing 
action will not have any adverse environmental impact.
    ABB plans to implement procedural controls, such as the use of less 
aggressive dismantlement and deconstruction techniques, including 
cutting and shearing, to minimize the generation of fugitive emissions. 
Other engineering controls, including water sprays, will also be 
utilized to control fugitive emissions and visible dust, if needed. In 
addition, ABB has agreed to perform the mitigative measures proposed by 
the Connecticut Historical Commission regarding the historical impact 
of the proposed action.
    Erosion and sediment control will be provided, if necessary, in 
accordance with best management practices, regulatory guidance, and 
good engineering practices. This will include structural features, 
stabilization, and storm water management. The controls may be 
temporary or permanent.

6.0 Monitoring

    The license amendment request submitted by ABB described the 
effluent/environmental monitoring that will take place during building 
dismantlement and deconstruction. This description included not only 
the routine effluent/environmental monitoring program that ABB 
presently has in place, but also the additional sampling that will take 
place during dismantlement and deconstruction. The additional air 
sampling will include air samples from three locations at or near the 
boundary of the particular dismantlement and deconstruction activity. 
The locations for the air samplers will be chosen with considerations 
of meteorological conditions and the dismantlement and deconstruction 
activity taking place in order to sample the maximum airborne 
concentrations. This air sampling data will be used by ABB to 
demonstrate that any effluent from the proposed building dismantlement 
and deconstruction will be limited in accordance with NRC requirements 
in accordance with 10 CFR part 20.

7.0 Agencies and Individuals Consulted

    The NRC staff has prepared this EA with input from the Connecticut 
Historical Commission, by letters dated August 19, 2002 and August 26, 
2002, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, by letter dated August 
21, 2002. In its letter dated August 19, 2002, the Connecticut 
Historical Commission noted that buildings 1 and 2 of Building Complex 
2 ``demonstrate architectural and engineering uniqueness, retain their 
essential functional characteristics, and possess historic significance 
with respect to commercial and military-related nuclear research and 
development''. The Connecticut Historical Commission also stated in 
this letter that ``no feasible and prudent alternative exists which 
would facilitate retention and adaptive use of the extant structures''. 
Therefore, the Connecticut Historical Commission proposed two 
mitigative measures: photographic documentation, to the standards of 
the State Historic Preservation Office, of buildings 1 and 2; and 
development of a public education component regarding Combustion 
Engineering's nuclear research at the CE site. ABB has agreed to 
perform the mitigative measures. In its letter dated August 26, 2002 
the Connecticut Historical Commission noted that the first mitigative 
step had been competed by ABB, to the satisfaction of the State, and 
offered ``no objection to the expeditious furtherance of the proposed 
remediation and demolition of these historic structures''. The U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service indicated, in its letter, that on the basis 
of current information, no current Federally identified or proposed 
threatened or endangered species under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
jurisdiction are known to occur in the site project area. The staff 
provided a draft of this Environmental Assessment to the State of 
Connecticut for review. In its letter dated September 23, 2002, which 
commented on draft EA, the State of Connecticut's only comment was that 
an additional alternative exists regarding the proposed action. This 
additional alternative is the decontamination of the existing 
structures without demolition of the structures. Section 3.0 of this EA 
was revised to reflect the State's comment.

8.0 Conclusion

    NRC believes that the approval of the license amendment will not 
cause any significant impacts on the human environment that will not be 
mitigated and is protective of human health. The NRC staff has 
concluded that exposures to workers will be low and well within the 
limits specified in 10 CFR 20. Dismantlement and deconstruction of the 
buildings in Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17, as proposed by the 
amendment, will result in a reduction of radioactive material at the 
ABB site in Windsor, CT, which will reduce the long term potential for 
release of radiological contamination to the environment. No 
radiologically contaminated effluents are expected during building 
dismantlement and deconstruction. No radiation exposure to any member 
of the public is expected, and public exposure will therefore also be 
less than the applicable public exposure limits of 10 CFR part 20.

9.0 List of Preparers

    This Environmental Assessment was prepared entirely by the 
following NRC staff.
    James Kottan, ABB Project Manager, Decommissioning and Laboratory 
Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, Region I, Decommissioning 
Issues.
    Anthony Huffert, Senior Health Physicist, Division of Waste 
Management, Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards (NMSS), 
Dose Assessment.
    Amir Kouhestani, Project Manager, Division of Waste Management, 
NMSS, Decommissioning Issues.
    Melanie Wong, Environmental Project Manager, Division of Waste 
Management, NMSS, Environmental Issues.

10.0 List of References

    The licensee's December 31, 2001 license amendment request was 
noticed in the Federal Register on April 10, 2002 (67 FR 28610). This 
Federal Register notice also provided an opportunity for a hearing on 
this licensing action.
    The application for the license amendment and supporting 
documentation are available for inspection at NRC's Public Electronic 
Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/index.html.
    NUREG-0170, 1977. Final Environmental Impact Statement on the 
Transportation of Radioactive Material by Air and Other Modes, U.S. 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC.
    NUREG-0586, 1988. Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement on 
the Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC.
    NUREG-1496, ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement in Support of 
Rulemaking on Radiological

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Criteria for License Termination of NRC-Licensed Nuclear Facilities'' 
NRC: Washington, DC July 1997.
    NUREG-1748, ``Environmental Review Guidance for Licensing Actions 
Associated with NMSS Programs, Draft Report for Interim Use and 
Comment'' NRC: Washington, DC September 2001.
    REGULATORY GUIDE--1.86, ``Termination of Operating Licenses for 
Nuclear Reactors'', NRC: Washington, DC June 1974.
    ABB Building Permit Application (and Approval) for demolition of 
the buildings of Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17, Town of Windsor, 
Connecticut November 16, 2001.
    Asbestos Abatement Registration Form for ABB filed with the 
Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    Pursuant to 10 CFR part 51, NRC has prepared the above 
environmental assessment related to a license amendment to Materials 
License No. 06-00217-06 authorizing dismantlement and deconstruction to 
grade level of the buildings in Building Complexes 2, 5, and 17. On the 
basis of the above environmental assessment, the NRC has concluded that 
this licensing action would not have any significant effect on the 
quality of the human environment, and therefore, an environmental 
impact statement is not required.
    The licensee's request for the proposed action was previously 
noticed in the Federal Register on April 10, 2002 (67 FR 28610) along 
with the notice of an opportunity to request a hearing.
    ABB Prospects, Inc. request for the proposed action, the NRC's 
Environmental Assessment, and any other related documents, if any, are 
available for inspection and copying for a fee in the Region I Public 
Document Room, 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406. The 
documents may also be viewed at NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room at 
http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/index.html.

    Dated at King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, this 3rd day of October, 
2002.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Francis M. Costello,
Deputy Director, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, RI.
[FR Doc. 02-26447 Filed 10-16-02; 8:45 am]
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