[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 24, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9181-9182]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-4528]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 030-05798, License No. 34-10445-01]
Environmental Assessment, Finding of No Significant Impact
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
Related to Release of Parts of the Shelwell Services, Inc. Site for
Unrestricted Use.
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The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
approving the release of parts of the Shelwell Services, Inc.
(hereafter known as Shelwell) site for unrestricted use, in connection
with Shelwell's request to terminate byproduct material license No. 34-
10445-01. This environmental assessment has been prepared with respect
to that approval.
Introduction
Shelwell, located at 645 Main Street, Hebron, Ohio, is licensed to
use sealed sources and unsealed radioactive material in well logging
and tracer studies of oil and gas wells. In September 1983, the
licensee accidentally drilled into a 2-curie, cesium-137 sealed source,
which caused the spread of radioactive contamination. The site was
substantially decontaminated following the 1983 incident. The licensee
has recently completed additional decontamination, and reported that
the site will be ready for release for unrestricted use when some
sealed sources and a small amount of containerized radioactive waste
are removed from the site.
The NRC staff will approve termination of the Shelwell license, if
the staff determines that the site has been adequately decontaminated,
and the site is suitable for release for unrestricted use in accordance
with 10 CFR 30.36, 10 CFR Part 20, Subpart E, and other applicable
requirements. If the staff determines that portions of the site have
been adequately decontaminated, but the stored sealed sources and waste
have not been removed from the site, then the license may be amended to
release the decontaminated portions of the site for unrestricted use,
and a decision made on termination at a later date, when the stored
sources and waste have been removed from the site.
Proposed Action
The proposed action is the release of Building No. 2, the office
trailer, and all outdoor areas of the Shelwell site for unrestricted
use. The licensee has reported that Building No. 2, the office trailer,
and all outdoor areas are adequately decontaminated and do not contain
any stored sealed sources or waste. Building No. 1 still contains
stored sealed sources and waste, so this building is not being
considered as part of this proposed action.
The Need for Proposed Action
The licensee seeks to release property for unrestricted use. This
action is requested in order to remove the current limitations on the
future use of the property.
Alternatives to Proposed Action
The only alternative to the proposed action is to not release the
buildings and all outdoor areas for unrestricted use and keep these
areas under license. Maintaining a license for Building No. 2, and the
office trailer, and outdoor areas would provide negligible, if any,
environmental benefit, but would significantly reduce options for
future use of the property.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
Radioactive contamination at the Shelwell site is in the form of
cesium-137 in the buildings and outdoor areas. NRC staff has performed
inspections to assess the levels of contamination, and has evaluated
whether the levels of contamination are sufficiently low to meet NRC
criteria for unrestricted use; that is, 10 CFR 20.1402, which specifies
that residual radioactivity must be reduced so that potential doses to
exposed persons do not exceed 25 millirems per year (0.25 millisieverts
per year). The staff has determined that potential doses are below 25
millirems per year. The low levels of contaminate fall within the scope
of the Generic Environmental Impact Statement prepared in connection
with 10 CFR 20.1402. Therefore, the staff concludes that the potential
radiological impact of release of Building No. 2, the office trailer,
and outdoor areas at the Shelwell site is insignificant.
There are no environmental justice issues associated with the
proposed action, because the levels of radioactive contamination at the
site are very low, and there are no significant impacts associated with
the proposed action.
Other Agencies or Persons Consulted
No agencies or persons outside of NRC were consulted during the
preparation of this environmental assessment.
[[Page 9182]]
Conclusions
Shelwell has met NRC's unrestricted release criteria, and there is
no significant impact on the environment from the proposed action;
therefore, Building No. 2, the office trailer, and outdoor areas of the
Shelwell site can be released for unrestricted use.
Finding of No Significant Impact
On the basis of this environmental assessment, the Commission has
concluded that this proposed action would not significantly affect the
quality of the human environment, and does not warrant the preparation
of an environmental impact statement for the proposed action.
Accordingly, it has been determined that a Finding of No Significant
Impact is appropriate.
The NRC inspection reports and other documents related to this
proposed action are available for public inspection and copying for a
fee at the NRC Region III Office, 801 Warrenville Road, Lisle, IL
60532-4351.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 18th day of February, 1999.
For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John W. N. Hickey,
Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning Projects Branch, Division of Waste
Management.
[FR Doc. 99-4528 Filed 2-23-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
