Notice of Completion of Remediation at the Homer Laughlin China Co. Site In Newell, WV, 66950-66951 [E8-26806]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 219 / Wednesday, November 12, 2008 / Notices
and time-out problems associated with
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The second major change is to provide
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including the Licensing Support
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and the Digital Data Management
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Desk, which will open on November 10,
2008, will operate on weekdays
(excluding Federal Holidays) between 8
a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time. The MetaSystem Help Desk can be contacted by
telephone at 1–866–672–7640 or by email at MSHD.Resource@nrc.gov. The
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previously responded to EIE questions,
is still available to answer general
questions about accessing agency
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For
questions about the Guidance
document: Thomas Smith, Information
Management Specialist, Information and
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Documents related to this guidance, are
available electronically at the NRC’s
Electronic Submittals Web page at
https://www.nrc.gov/site-help/esubmittals.html.
Dated at Rockville, MD this 5th day of
November 2008.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Joseph J. Holonich,
Director, Information and Records Services
Division, Office of Information Services.
[FR Doc. E8–26805 Filed 11–10–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
[Docket No. 040–01957 (Terminated)]
Notice of Completion of Remediation
at the Homer Laughlin China Co. Site
In Newell, WV
United States Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC).
ACTION: Notice of Completion of
Remediation at the Homer Laughlin
China Co. site in Newell, West Virginia.
AGENCY:
John
Nicholson, Health Physicist,
Decommissioning Branch, Division of
Nuclear Materials Safety, Region I, 475
Allendale Road, King of Prussia, PA
19406; telephone 610–337–5236; fax
number 610–337–5269 or by e-mail:
john.nicholson@nrc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Background
The Homer Laughlin China Company
(HLC) operates on the banks of the Ohio
River in Newell, West Virginia, located
in the state’s northern panhandle. HLC’s
37-acre site contains a number of plant
buildings and structures used in the
production of commercial and retail
tableware.
In 1959, the NRC’s Predecessor
agency, the Atomic Energy Commission
(AEC) issued License No. SUB–81
authorizing possession at the site of
100,000 pounds of source material for
use as a glazing agent (up to 20%
uranium) in the production of ceramic
tableware. The finished glazed ceramic
tableware products were exempt from
licensing requirements. The AEC license
was terminated in 1972, based upon an
HLC letter stating that all remaining
licensed materials had been returned to
their supplier. A routine review of the
terminated license file by the Oak Ridge
National Laboratory (ORNL), under
contract to the NRC, later determined
that there was no record of a licensee
closeout survey or any confirmatory
survey. Based on the terminated
license’s possession limit and the
results of the ORNL review, the NRC
determined that a further assessment of
HLC’s site for residual radioactivity was
needed.
Thus, in 1994, it was found that
approximately 500 pounds of depleted
uranium oxide (U3O8) sand was still on
HLC’s site. A contractor was hired to
survey areas where licensed materials
were used and stored, and to provide a
radiological characterization of the site.
Several additional areas of fixed and
removable contamination exceeding
NRC guidelines for unrestricted use
were identified during the
characterization survey. The HLC
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Sfmt 4703
committed to package and dispose of
the bulk source material, limit access to
contaminated areas, and submit a
decommissioning plan (DP). The NRC
approved the DP in 1995, and HLC and
its contractor began implementing the
DP.
Discussion
The HLC did not complete
decommissioning in some of the
production areas because it was unable
to remove fixed contamination (which
exceeded NRC unrestricted release
guidelines) from surfaces of equipment
and structures using conventional
remediation techniques. After
consultation with NRC, HLC developed
a risk assessment to demonstrate that
the residual fixed contamination would
meet the NRC release criteria. At various
times during the period 1996–2004,
HLC provided additional information to
NRC refining its computer-based risk
analysis, to demonstrate that the
regulatory standard of 25 mrem/yr for
unrestricted release (established in 10
CFR Part 20, Subpart E in 1997) would
be met.
In March 2005, the NRC accepted
HLC’s revised risk assessment
(ML043090164). The NRC determined
that this analysis would be acceptable,
pending removal of all radioactive waste
from the site and review of the final
survey results from the waste storage
area. The uranium oxide sand and the
waste material from decommissioning
activities remained on site until final
disposal options could be assessed. The
materials were packaged and were
stored in a posted and infrequently-used
area of the plant. After further
characterization of the waste was
performed and cost estimates for
disposal were obtained, HLC arranged
for disposal of the waste. The waste was
removed in July 2008, and sent to Waste
Control Specialists, Inc. (WCS) in Texas.
The waste storage area was surveyed
after the waste was removed. An NRC
inspector observed the waste removal
and radiological survey activities. The
survey results were forwarded to the
NRC in September 2008. NRC staff
reviewed the survey results and
performed independent, bounding
calculations that demonstrated that the
dose rate to a worker from potential
residual activity would be less than the
25 millirem/year unrestricted release
standard.
Conclusion
Based on the above, the NRC staff
finds that a reasonable effort had been
made by HLC to eliminate residual
radioactive contamination at its site and
that NRC regulatory requirements are
E:\FR\FM\12NON1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 219 / Wednesday, November 12, 2008 / Notices
satisfied. The NRC thus concludes that:
(1) Radioactive material above release
limits has been properly disposed; (2)
reasonable effort has been made to
eliminate residual radioactive
contamination; and (3) surveys and
associated documentation, demonstrate
that the site meets the requirements for
unrestricted release set forth in 10 CFR
Part 20, Subpart E.
Further Information: Additional
relevant information is available for
public inspection at the Commission’s
Public Document Room (PDR), located
at One White Flint North, Public File
Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first
floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly
available records will be accessible
electronically from the Agency-wide
Documents Access and Management
System’s (ADAMS) Public Electronic
Reading Room on the Internet at the
NRC Web site, https://www.nrc.gov/
reading-rm/adams.html (ML043090164,
ML072430077, ML072950154,
ML073541298, ML080320468,
ML082820580). Persons who do not
have access to ADAMS or who
encounter problems in accessing the
documents located in ADAMS, should
contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by
telephone at 1–800–397–4209, 301–
415–4737 or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.
The PDR reproduction contractor will
copy documents for a fee.
Dated King of Prussia, Pennsylvania this
3rd day of November 2008.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Raymond Lorson,
Chief, Decommissioning Branch, Division of
Nuclear Materials Safety, Region I.
[FR Doc. E8–26806 Filed 11–10–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
Draft Regulatory Guide: Issuance,
Availability
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Notice of Issuance and
Availability of Draft Regulatory Guide,
DG–1187.
AGENCY:
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jacob Philip, U. S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555–
0001, telephone: (301) 415–6211 or email to Jacob.Philip@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) has issued for public
comment a draft regulatory guide in the
agency’s ‘‘Regulatory Guide’’ series.
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This series was developed to describe
and make available to the public such
information as methods that are
acceptable to the NRC staff for
implementing specific parts of the
NRC’s regulations, techniques that the
staff uses in evaluating specific
problems or postulated accidents, and
data that the staff needs in its review of
applications for permits and licenses.
The draft regulatory guide (DG), titled,
‘‘Concrete Radiation Shields and
Generic Shield Testing for Nuclear
Power Plants,’’ is temporarily identified
by its task number, DG–1187, which
should be mentioned in all related
correspondence. DG–1187 is proposed
Revision 1 of Regulatory Guide 1.69.
This guide describes a method that
the staff of the NRC considers
acceptable for use in complying with
the regulations for concrete radiation
shields for nuclear power plants.
As stated in Title 10, Section 20.1201,
‘‘Occupational Dose Limits for Adults,’’
of the Code of Federal Regulations (10
CFR 20.1201), licensees shall control the
occupational dose to individual adults
to the limits stated therein.
Furthermore, 10 CFR 20.1101(b)
provides that licensees shall use, to the
extent practicable, procedures and
engineering controls based upon sound
radiation principles to achieve
occupational doses and doses to
members of the public that are as low
as reasonably achievable. General
Design Criterion 1, ‘‘Quality Standards
and Records,’’ of Appendix A, ‘‘Quality
Design Criteria for Nuclear Power
Plants,’’ to 10 CFR part 50, ‘‘Licensing
of Production and Utilization
Facilities,’’ requires that structures,
systems, and components important to
safety be designed, fabricated, erected,
and tested to quality standards
commensurate with the importance of
the safety function to be performed.
Appendix B, ‘‘Quality Assurance
Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants and
Fuel Reprocessing Plants,’’ to 10 CFR
part 50 requires that measures be
established to ensure design control and
inspection and test controls. Appendix
B also requires that activities affecting
quality be accomplished under suitably
controlled conditions. This guide
describes some bases acceptable to the
NRC staff for implementing the above
requirements with regard to the design
and construction of concrete radiation
shields in nuclear power plants.
II. Further Information
The NRC staff is soliciting comments
on DG–1187. Comments may be
accompanied by relevant information or
supporting data, and should mention
DG–1187 in the subject line. Comments
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66951
submitted in writing or in electronic
form will be made available to the
public in their entirety through the
NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access
and Management System (ADAMS).
Personal information will not be
removed from your comments. You may
submit comments by any of the
following methods:
1. Mail comments to: Rulemaking,
Directives, and Editing Branch, Office of
Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555–
0001.
2. E-mail comments to:
nrcrep.resource@nrc.gov.
3. Hand-deliver comments to:
Rulemaking, Directives, and Editing
Branch, Office of Administration, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland
20852, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m.
on Federal workdays.
4. Fax comments to: Rulemaking,
Directives, and Editing Branch, Office of
Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission at (301) 415–5144.
Requests for technical information
about DG–1187 may be directed to Jacob
Philip at (301) 415–6211 or e-mail to
Jacob.Philip@nrc.gov.
Comments would be most helpful if
received by January 9, 2009. Comments
received after that date will be
considered if it is practical to do so, but
the NRC is able to ensure consideration
only for comments received on or before
this date. Although a time limit is given,
comments and suggestions in
connection with items for inclusion in
guides currently being developed or
improvements in all published guides
are encouraged at any time.
Electronic copies of DG–1187 are
available through the NRC’s public Web
site under Draft Regulatory Guides in
the ‘‘Regulatory Guides’’ collection of
the NRC’s Electronic Reading Room at
https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/. Electronic copies are also
available in ADAMS (https://
www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html),
under Accession No. ML082190117.
In addition, regulatory guides are
available for inspection at the NRC’s
Public Document Room (PDR), which is
located at 11555 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, Maryland. The PDR’s mailing
address is USNRC PDR, Washington, DC
20555–0001. The PDR can also be
reached by telephone at (301) 415–4737
or (800) 397–4205, by fax at (301) 415–
3548, and by e-mail to
pdr.resource@nrc.gov.
Regulatory guides are not
copyrighted, and Commission approval
is not required to reproduce them.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day
of November, 2008.
E:\FR\FM\12NON1.SGM
12NON1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 12, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66950-66951]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26806]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 040-01957 (Terminated)]
Notice of Completion of Remediation at the Homer Laughlin China
Co. Site In Newell, WV
AGENCY: United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
ACTION: Notice of Completion of Remediation at the Homer Laughlin China
Co. site in Newell, West Virginia.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Nicholson, Health Physicist,
Decommissioning Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, Region I,
475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406; telephone 610-337-5236;
fax number 610-337-5269 or by e-mail: john.nicholson@nrc.gov.
Background
The Homer Laughlin China Company (HLC) operates on the banks of the
Ohio River in Newell, West Virginia, located in the state's northern
panhandle. HLC's 37-acre site contains a number of plant buildings and
structures used in the production of commercial and retail tableware.
In 1959, the NRC's Predecessor agency, the Atomic Energy Commission
(AEC) issued License No. SUB-81 authorizing possession at the site of
100,000 pounds of source material for use as a glazing agent (up to 20%
uranium) in the production of ceramic tableware. The finished glazed
ceramic tableware products were exempt from licensing requirements. The
AEC license was terminated in 1972, based upon an HLC letter stating
that all remaining licensed materials had been returned to their
supplier. A routine review of the terminated license file by the Oak
Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), under contract to the NRC, later
determined that there was no record of a licensee closeout survey or
any confirmatory survey. Based on the terminated license's possession
limit and the results of the ORNL review, the NRC determined that a
further assessment of HLC's site for residual radioactivity was needed.
Thus, in 1994, it was found that approximately 500 pounds of
depleted uranium oxide (U3O8) sand was still on
HLC's site. A contractor was hired to survey areas where licensed
materials were used and stored, and to provide a radiological
characterization of the site. Several additional areas of fixed and
removable contamination exceeding NRC guidelines for unrestricted use
were identified during the characterization survey. The HLC committed
to package and dispose of the bulk source material, limit access to
contaminated areas, and submit a decommissioning plan (DP). The NRC
approved the DP in 1995, and HLC and its contractor began implementing
the DP.
Discussion
The HLC did not complete decommissioning in some of the production
areas because it was unable to remove fixed contamination (which
exceeded NRC unrestricted release guidelines) from surfaces of
equipment and structures using conventional remediation techniques.
After consultation with NRC, HLC developed a risk assessment to
demonstrate that the residual fixed contamination would meet the NRC
release criteria. At various times during the period 1996-2004, HLC
provided additional information to NRC refining its computer-based risk
analysis, to demonstrate that the regulatory standard of 25 mrem/yr for
unrestricted release (established in 10 CFR Part 20, Subpart E in 1997)
would be met.
In March 2005, the NRC accepted HLC's revised risk assessment
(ML043090164). The NRC determined that this analysis would be
acceptable, pending removal of all radioactive waste from the site and
review of the final survey results from the waste storage area. The
uranium oxide sand and the waste material from decommissioning
activities remained on site until final disposal options could be
assessed. The materials were packaged and were stored in a posted and
infrequently-used area of the plant. After further characterization of
the waste was performed and cost estimates for disposal were obtained,
HLC arranged for disposal of the waste. The waste was removed in July
2008, and sent to Waste Control Specialists, Inc. (WCS) in Texas. The
waste storage area was surveyed after the waste was removed. An NRC
inspector observed the waste removal and radiological survey
activities. The survey results were forwarded to the NRC in September
2008. NRC staff reviewed the survey results and performed independent,
bounding calculations that demonstrated that the dose rate to a worker
from potential residual activity would be less than the 25 millirem/
year unrestricted release standard.
Conclusion
Based on the above, the NRC staff finds that a reasonable effort
had been made by HLC to eliminate residual radioactive contamination at
its site and that NRC regulatory requirements are
[[Page 66951]]
satisfied. The NRC thus concludes that: (1) Radioactive material above
release limits has been properly disposed; (2) reasonable effort has
been made to eliminate residual radioactive contamination; and (3)
surveys and associated documentation, demonstrate that the site meets
the requirements for unrestricted release set forth in 10 CFR Part 20,
Subpart E.
Further Information: Additional relevant information is available
for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room (PDR),
located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555
Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available
records will be accessible electronically from the Agency-wide
Documents Access and Management System's (ADAMS) Public Electronic
Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, https://www.nrc.gov/
reading-rm/adams.html (ML043090164, ML072430077, ML072950154,
ML073541298, ML080320468, ML082820580). Persons who do not have access
to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located
in ADAMS, should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-
800-397-4209, 301-415-4737 or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov. The PDR
reproduction contractor will copy documents for a fee.
Dated King of Prussia, Pennsylvania this 3rd day of November
2008.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Raymond Lorson,
Chief, Decommissioning Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety,
Region I.
[FR Doc. E8-26806 Filed 11-10-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
