[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 5, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10550-10552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-5161]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 030-03766]


Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact related to license amendment of Byproduct Material 
License No. 06-00807-01, Schlumberger Technology Corporation, 
Ridgefield, Connecticut.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
the issuance of a license amendment to Byproduct Material License No. 
06-00807-01 to authorize release a portion of its facility in 
Ridgefield, Connecticut, for unrestricted use 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: Judy Joustra, Division of Nuclear 
Materials Safety, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region I, 475 
Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 19406; telephone (610) 
337-5355 or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is 
considering amending Byproduct Materials License No. 06-00807-01 and 
authorizing the release of a portion of the licensee's facilities in 
Ridgefield, Connecticut, for unrestricted use and has prepared an 
Environmental Assessment (EA) and a Finding of No Significant Impact 
(FONSI) in support of this action.

Summary

    The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviewed the results 
of the decommissioning of the Schlumberger Technology Corporation 
(Schlumberger) facility in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Schlumberger was 
authorized by NRC from 1956 to 2003 to use radioactive materials for 
research and development purposes at the site. In 2000, Schlumberger 
ceased operations with licensed materials in a portion of its facility 
at the Ridgefield site, and on September 30, 2002 requested that NRC 
amend its license to release three areas for unrestricted use. 
Schlumberger contracted with Radiation Safety Associates, Inc. Hebron, 
Connecticut, who conducted surveys of the areas and determined that 
these areas meet the license termination criteria in Subpart E of 10 
CFR Part 20. The NRC staff has evaluated Schlumberger's request and 
results of the surveys, and has developed an Environmental Assessment 
(EA) in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR Part 51. Based on 
the staff evaluation, the conclusion

[[Page 10551]]

of the EA is a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on human health 
and the environment for the proposed licensing action.

Introduction

    Schlumberger requested release for unrestricted use areas of 
designated as Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level including the area 
identified as the Catacomb, which are attached to the main building on 
Old Quarry Road, Ridgefield, Connecticut. NRC License No. 06-00807-01, 
which was issued in 1956 and amended periodically since that time 
authorized activities at these areas. In Lab Z, Lab Z Lower Level 
including the Catacomb the licensee conducted research and development, 
and manufactured neutron generators tubes using curie amounts of 
tritium.
    Licensed activities in Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level including the 
Catacomb ceased completely in November 2000, and the licensee requested 
an amendment to its license to release Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level 
including the Catacomb for unrestricted use in September 2002. Based on 
the licensee's historical knowledge of the site and the conditions of 
the facility, the licensee determined that only routine decontamination 
activities, in accordance with licensee radiation safety procedures, 
were required. A decommissioning plan was not required to be submitted 
to the NRC. The licensee's contractor surveyed the facilities, 
decontaminated or remediated areas as needed, and provided 
documentation that the facilities meet the license termination criteria 
specified in Subpart E of 10 CFR Part 20, and do not require additional 
decommissioning activities to be performed. The licensee subsequently 
requested that the facilities (Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level including 
the Catacomb) be released for unrestricted use.

The Proposed Action

    The proposed action is to amend Byproduct Materials License No. 06-
00807-01 and release Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level including the 
Catacomb of the facilities at Old Quarry Road, Ridgefield, Connecticut 
for unrestricted use. By letter dated September 30, 2002, Schlumberger 
provided survey results which demonstrate that the Ridgefield site is 
in compliance with the radiological criteria for license termination in 
Subpart E, 10 CFR Part 20, ``Radiological Criteria for License 
Termination.''

Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action

    The purpose of the proposed action is to amend Byproduct Materials 
License No. 06-00807-01 and release Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level 
including the Catacomb of the Schlumberger site in Ridgefield, 
Connecticut, for unrestricted use. NRC is fulfilling its 
responsibilities under the Atomic Energy Act to make a decision on a 
proposed license amendment of a license and release of facilities for 
unrestricted use that ensures protection of public health and safety 
and the environment.

Alternative to the Proposed Action

    Since Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level including the Catacomb have 
already been surveyed and found acceptable for release for unrestricted 
use, the no-action alternative would be to keep the facilities on the 
license. This no-action alternative is not acceptable because the 
licensee does not plan to perform the previously authorized activities 
with licensed materials at those locations. Maintaining the areas under 
a license would reduce options for future use of the property.

The Affected Environment and Environmental Impacts

    The NRC staff has reviewed the surveys performed by Schlumberger to 
demonstrate compliance with 10 CFR 20.1402 license termination 
criteria. Based on its review, the staff has determined that the 
affected environment and environmental impacts associated with the 
release for unrestricted use of the Schlumberger facilities are bounded 
by the impacts evaluated by the ``Generic Environmental Impact 
Statement in Support of Rulemaking on Radiological Criteria for License 
Termination of NRC-Licensed Nuclear Facilities' (NUREG-1496).
    Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level including the Catacomb are attached to 
the main building on Old Quarry Road, Ridgefield, Connecticut. Since 
Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level including the Catacomb have been surveyed 
and meet the NRC criteria for unrestricted use in 10 CFR Part 20, the 
environmental impacts resulting from the release of these areas for 
unrestricted use are expected to be insignificant. The NRC has found no 
other activities in the area that could result in cumulative impacts.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    This Environmental Assessment was prepared entirely by the NRC 
staff. The State Office of Historical Preservation, the State Fish and 
Wildlife Service, and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service were not 
contacted because release of Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level including the 
Catacomb at the Schlumberger facilities for unrestricted use does not 
modify the facilities. No other sources were used beyond those 
referenced in this EA.
    NRC provided a draft of its Environmental Assessment to the State 
of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP) for 
review. On January 31, 2003, CTDEP responded by letter and stated that 
it concurs with NRC's FONSI on human health and the environment.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    The NRC staff concluded that the completed action complies with 10 
CFR part 20. NRC has prepared this EA in support of the proposed 
license amendment to the license and release Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower 
Level including the Catacomb facilities for unrestricted use. On the 
basis of the EA, NRC has concluded that the environmental impacts from 
the proposed action are expected to be insignificant and has determined 
not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed 
action.

List of Preparers

    Judy Joustra, Senior Health Physicist, Division of Nuclear 
Materials Safety, Region 1.

List of References

    1. 10 CFR Part 20, Subpart E.
    2. NRC License No. 06-00807-01 inspection and licensing records.
    3. Letter dated September 30, 2002, with enclosures, from 
Schlumberger-Doll Research for Schlumberger Technology Corporation. 
[ADAMS Accession No. ML022820310].
    4. Letter dated December 19, 2002, from Schlumberger-Doll Research 
for Schlumberger Technology Corporation. [ADAMS Accession No. 
ML023530607].
    In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's ``Rules of Practice,'' 
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.
    Any questions with respect to this action should be referred to 
Judy Joustra, Nuclear Materials Safety Branch 2, Division of Nuclear 
Materials Safety, Region I, 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, 
Pennsylvania 19406, telephone (610) 337-5355, fax (610) 337-5269.

    Dated at King of Prussia, Pennsylvania this 26th day of 
February, 2003.


[[Page 10552]]


    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John D. Kinneman,
Chief, Nuclear Materials Safety Branch 2, Division of Nuclear Materials 
Safety, Region I.
[FR Doc. 03-5161 Filed 3-4-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P