[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 62 (Friday, April 1, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16879-16881]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-1449]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 030-01063]


Notice of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant 
Impact of License Amendment for Augustana College at Sioux Falls, SD

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact 
for license amendment.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: D. Blair Spitzberg, PhD., Fuel Cycle 
and Decommissioning Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, 
Region IV, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, 
Suite 400, Arlington, TX 76011. Telephone: (817) 860-8100; e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering the 
issuance of an amendment to NRC Materials License No. 40-06921-03 to 
remove a former burial site from the license. This licensing action 
will allow Augustana College to release the property for unrestricted 
use. If approved, Augustana College will continue to possess 
radioactive materials in accordance with the conditions of its license 
but will not be required to maintain radiological control over the 
burial site. The NRC has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) in 
support of this action in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR 
Part 51. Based on the EA, the NRC has determined that a Finding of No 
Significant Impact (FONSI) is appropriate.

II. Environmental Assessment

Background

    The radioactive burial site is located on the campus of Augustana 
College (the licensee) in the central part of Sioux Falls, South 
Dakota. The burial site is located in a grove of crabapple trees on the 
east side of the Gilbert Science Center near the corner of 33rd Street 
and Summit Avenue. Based on the licensee's records, the burial site 
consists of a line of six pits (holes) containing radioactive material. 
The holes were dug using manual equipment (post-hole digger & shovel) 
to a depth of 5 feet (1.5 meters) and are arranged in 6-foot (1.8-
meter) intervals.
    The licensee has been authorized by the NRC and its predecessor, 
the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), to possess radioactive 
material since 1958. The docket file records indicate that Augustana 
College first began possessing radioactive material during 1963. The 
licensee's records document that about 12 millicuries (0.44 
gigabecquerels) of carbon-14, a long-lived beta particle emitter, were 
disposed at the burial site between 1968 and 1969.

Review Scope

    By letters dated February 17, April 25 and August 25, 2003, the 
licensee requested that the former radioactive materials burial site 
located on campus property be released for unrestricted use. Prior to 
January 28, 1981, the NRC permitted licensees to dispose of small 
quantities of licensed materials by burial in soil without specific NRC 
authorization. This was authorized pursuant to 10 CFR 20.304. This 
regulation has since been rescinded by the NRC. The NRC is considering 
the issuance of an amendment to Materials License No. 40-06921-03 to 
release the burial site for unrestricted use. In accordance with 10 CFR 
30.36 and NUREG-1757, Volume 1, Revision 1, a decommissioning plan was 
not required from the licensee. The purpose of this EA is to assess the 
environmental consequences of this licensing action using the guidance 
provided in NUREG-1748.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action would approve the licensee's request to amend 
its license to release the former burial site located at Augustana 
College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for unrestricted use. The 
licensee would not be required to remediate the burial site if the NRC 
approves the license amendment request.

Purpose and Need for Proposed Action

    The proposed action is necessary to release the burial site from 
the license for unrestricted use. The need for the proposed action is 
for the licensee to be in compliance with the requirements of 10 CFR 
30.36, ``Expiration and Termination of Licenses and Decommissioning of 
Sites and Separate Buildings or Outdoor Areas.'' By releasing the site 
for unrestricted use, the applicant will not be burdened with 
additional regulations that would no longer be applicable to them.

Alternatives

    The alternatives to the proposed action are (1) the no-action 
alternative, or (2) to deny the amendment request and require the 
licensee to take additional actions such as the remediation of the 
burial site.

Affected Environment and Environmental Impacts of Proposed Action

    By letter dated March 25, 1968, the licensee requested information 
from the AEC on ``* * * how and where to dispose of solid and liquid 
form carbon-14 wastes * * * accumulated.'' The AEC responded in a 
letter dated April 1, 1968, stating that the disposal options available 
to the licensee at the time included disposal by burial in soil. 
Licensees were authorized to dispose of radioactive material by burial 
in accordance with 10 CFR 20.304 between 1959 and 1981. The April 1, 
1968, letter reminded the licensee of the regulatory requirements--that 
each burial may not exceed 50,000 microcuries (50 millicuries, or 1.85 
gigabecquerels) of carbon-14, each burial must be made at a depth of at 
least 4 feet (1.2 meters), and each burial must be separated from other 
burial sites by at least 6 feet (1.8 meters).

[[Page 16880]]

    Based on the licensee's records, no more than 12 millicuries (0.44 
gigabecquerels) of carbon-14 were buried. The licensee's estimate was 
based on available disposal records from the 1968 to 1969 time frame. 
Although the records do not clearly identify the amount of material 
buried, the licensee made the assumption from the records available 
that each hole contained the maximum amount of carbon-14 that could 
have been received under the license's authorization limit. Since six 
holes were constructed, the licensee assumed that the maximum 
possession limit of 2 millicuries (0.074 gigabecquerels) were buried in 
each hole. This total may be an overestimate of the amount buried but 
is below the regulatory limit of 50 millicuries (1.85 gigabecquerels) 
per year that was allowed during 1968 to 1969.
    According to the licensee's records, only dry wastes were buried. 
Liquid wastes were disposed via the sewer as allowed by AEC regulations 
at that time. In addition, the experiments involved carbon-14 in a 
chemical form that would have resulted in a loss of carbon to the 
atmosphere during the experiments. Therefore, the actual amount of 
carbon-14 buried could be less than 12 millicuries (0.44 
gigabecquerels). The NRC conducted a review of archived records to 
ascertain whether the licensee's estimate was accurate. Nothing was 
identified in the NRC's records that refuted the licensee's claim that 
only 12 millicuries (0.44 gigabecquerels), or less, of radioactive 
material were buried during 1968 to 1969.
    The licensee's request to release the former burial site for 
unrestricted use was based on dose modeling calculations using the NRC-
approved RESRAD Computer Code, Version 6.21. The licensee used the 
code's default values for its calculations, including a default value 
of 100 picocuries (3.7 becquerels) per gram of carbon-14. [The NRC and 
the licensee's contractor estimated that the actual concentration was 
around 1 picocurie (0.037 becquerels) per gram based on the amount of 
material buried and the volume of the burial pit.] Using this 
conservative approach, the individual dose summed over all pathways was 
calculated at time zero (1969) to be 77.8 millirems (0.778 
millisieverts) per year. At Year 10 (1979), the dose had fallen to less 
than 1 millirem (0.01 millisievert) per year, and by Year 30 (1999) the 
dose had fallen to 0.00 millirems (0.0 millisieverts) per year. These 
calculations were independently verified by the NRC. The NRC notes that 
the calculated values beyond Year 10 (1979) are below the 25-millirem 
(0.25 millisieverts) limit for unrestricted release of the site as 
stipulated in 10 CFR 20.1402. Furthermore, the radiological impacts of 
releasing the burial site for unrestricted use are bounded by the 
impacts evaluated in NUREG-1496, ``Generic Environmental Impact 
Statement in Support of Rulemaking on Radiological Criteria for License 
Termination of NRC-Licensed Nuclear Facilities.''
    The NRC staff considered the potential impacts of the leaching of 
radioactive and non-radioactive material into the groundwater. The 
licensee estimated that the groundwater table is at a depth of 20 feet 
(6 meters), and the depth of the disposed material was about 4-6 feet 
(1.2-1.8 meters) deep. The shallow surface groundwater in the vicinity 
of the site is not used as a drinking water supply. Local members of 
the public obtain water from the city. Further, the impacts that 
potentially contaminated groundwater would have on members of the 
public were considered as part of the RESRAD modeling scenario. The NRC 
believes that the burial site, if left undisturbed, will not have a 
radiological impact on the site groundwater.

Environmental Impacts of Alternative Actions

1. Environmental Impacts of the No-Action Alternative
    The no-action alternative would result in impacts similar to or the 
same as the proposed action. However, this alternative would be 
inconsistent with the Commission's regulations, therefore, it is not a 
reasonable alternative.
2. Environmental Impacts of Alternative 2
    Alternative 2 to the proposed action is to deny the amendment 
request and require the licensee to take some additional action such as 
the remediation of the burial site. If the licensee were required to 
remediate the burial site, the potential harm to the workers or members 
of the public from exposure to radioactive material would be bounded by 
the RESRAD calculations. In other words, the remediation of the site 
would most likely have a minimal radiological impact on site workers 
and members of the public.
    Remediation of the site may have short-term health and safety 
consequences caused by the excavation, packaging, and shipping of the 
residual radioactive material. These non-radiological impacts would 
include the normal risks of exhuming the wastes with earth-moving 
equipment and transportation of the material to an out-of-state 
disposal facility. The risks include death or injury from a 
construction or transportation accident.
    The remediation of the former burial site would cause some 
environmental harm. The waste material would have to be excavated, 
packaged, and transported to an out-of-state disposal facility. The 
excavation process would be accomplished by heavy equipment and trucks 
that would disturb the general area. The prevailing winds will most 
likely disperse some of the excavated material offsite. The resulting 
surface void would have to be refilled with clean soil and contoured. 
Vegetation in the vicinity of the reclaimed site would be temporarily 
disturbed.
    Since the licensee successfully demonstrated that the current dose 
is 0.00 millirems (0.0 millisieverts) using the RESRAD program, the NRC 
has determined that the remediation of the burial site is not a 
practical option.

Conclusion

    Based on its review, the NRC staff has concluded that there are no 
significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed action 
and the preparation of an environmental impact statement is not 
warranted. The staff has determined that the proposed action, approval 
of the license amendment request to release the former burial site from 
the license for unrestricted use, is the appropriate alternative for 
selection.

Agencies and Persons Contacted

    The NRC staff has determined that the proposed action is not a 
major construction activity and will not affect listed or proposed 
endangered species. Additionally, it is not an undertaking that will 
affect historic properties. Therefore, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 
and the State Historic Preservation Office were not contacted.
    The Department of Environment & Natural Resources, State of South 
Dakota, was consulted by the NRC. The State responded by letter dated 
September 23, 2004, and suggested that the NRC consider use of 
institutional controls to prevent the unintentional disturbance of the 
burial site. The NRC responded by letter dated October 27, 2004, 
stating that it was appropriate to release the site without 
restrictions, including institutional controls. The NRC contacted the 
Administrator, Waste Management Program, South Dakota Department of 
Environment & Natural Resources, for the State's response. The State 
accepted the NRC's position as documented in the October 27, 2004, 
letter, but plans to pursue the issue of

[[Page 16881]]

institutional controls directly with the College.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    The NRC staff concludes that the proposed action complies with the 
radiological criteria for unrestricted use as stipulated in 10 CFR 
20.1402. The licensee demonstrated that any remaining residual 
radioactivity will not result in radiological exposures in excess of 
the 25 millirem (0.25 millisievert) total effective dose equivalent 
limit specified in Sec.  20.1402. Dose modeling indicates that current 
and future members of the public will not receive any radiological dose 
from the burial site. The NRC staff prepared this EA in support of the 
proposed action to amend the license. On the basis of this EA, the NRC 
has concluded that there are no significant environmental impacts and 
the license amendment does not warrant the preparation of an 
Environmental Impact Statement. Accordingly, it has been determined 
that a FONSI is appropriate.

IV. Further Information

    A copy of this document will be available electronically for public 
inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly 
Available Records (PARS) component of the NRC's document system. From 
this site, you can access the NRC's Agencywide Document Access and 
Management System (ADAMS), which provides text and image files of NRC's 
public documents. The following references are available for inspection 
at NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room). ADAMS accession 
numbers are located in parentheses following the reference.
    1. Wanous, Michael, Augustana College letter to NRC, February 17, 
2003 (ML030850812).
    2. Wanous, Michael, Augustana College letter to NRC, April 25, 2003 
(ML031220675).
    3. NRC, ``Environmental Review Guidance for Licensing Actions 
Associated with NMSS Programs,'' NUREG-1748, August 2003 (ML032540811).
    4. Wanous, Michael, Augustana College letter to NRC, August 25, 
2003 (ML032400519).
    5. NRC, ``Consolidated Decommissioning Guidance,'' NUREG-1757, 
Volume 1, Revision 1, September 2003 (ML032530410).
    6. NRC, ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement in Support of 
Rulemaking on Radiological Criteria for License Termination of NRC-
Licensed Nuclear Facilities,'' NUREG-1496, July 1997 (ML042310492).
    7. Satorius, Mark, ``Request for Comments Regarding Environmental 
Assessment of Former Burial Site at Augustana College,'' NRC letter to 
State of South Dakota, September 10, 2004 (ML042540432).
    8. Lancaster, Rick, ``Request for Comments Regarding Environmental 
Assessment of Former Burial Site at Augustana College,'' State of South 
Dakota letter to NRC, September 23, 2004 (ML042730227).
    9. Satorius, Mark, ``Request for Institutional Controls Over Former 
Burial Site at Augustana College,'' NRC letter to State of South 
Dakota, October 27, 2004 (ML043010521).
    10. Evans, Robert, ``Telephone Call With State of South Dakota 
Regarding Former Burial Site at Augustana College,'' NRC Memorandum To 
Docket File, December 8, 2004 (ML0434400520).
    If you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are problems in 
accessing the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC Public 
Document Room (PDR) reference staff at (800) 397-4209, (301) 415-4737 
or by e-mail to [email protected]. Documents may also be viewed 
electronically on the public computers located at the NRC's PDR, O 1 
F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. 
The PDR reproduction contractor will copy documents for a fee.

    Dated at Arlington, Texas this 22nd day of March 2005.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Patricia K. Holahan,
Director, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, Region IV.
[FR Doc. E5-1449 Filed 3-31-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P