[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 67 (Tuesday, April 8, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16796-16798]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-8936]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. ETEC-029]
Certification of the Radiological Condition of Building 029 at
the Energy Technology Engineering Center near Chatsworth, California
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Restoration.
ACTION: Notice of Certification.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) has completed radiological
surveys and taken remedial action to decontaminate Building 029 located
at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC) near Chatsworth,
California. This property was found to contain radioactive materials
from activities carried out for the Atomic Energy Commission and the
Energy Research and Development Administration (AEC/ERDA), predecessor
agencies to DOE. Although DOE owns the majority of the buildings and
equipment, a subsidiary of Rockwell International, Rocketdyne, owned
the land. Rocketdyne has recently been sold to Boeing North American
Incorporated.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Williams, Program Manager, Office
of Northwestern Area Programs, Office of Environmental Restoration (EM-
44), U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. 20585.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE has implemented environmental
restoration projects at ETEC (Ventura County, Map Book 3, Page 7,
Miscellaneous Records) as part of DOE's Environmental Restoration
Program. One objective of the program is to identify and clean up
or otherwise control facilities where residual radioactive
contamination remains from activities carried out under contract to
AEC/ERDA during the early years of the Nation's atomic energy
program.
ETEC is comprised of a number of facilities and structures located
within Administrative Area IV of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. The
work performed for DOE at ETEC consisted primarily of testing of
equipment, materials, and components for nuclear and energy related
programs. These nuclear energy research and development programs,
conducted by Atomics International under contract to AEC/ERDA, began in
1946. Several buildings and land areas became radiologically
contaminated as a result of facility operations and site activities.
Building 029 is one ETEC area that has been designated for cleanup
under the DOE Environmental Restoration Program. Other areas undergoing
decontamination will be released as they are completed and are verified
to meet established cleanup criteria and standards for release without
radiological restrictions as established in DOE Order 5400.5.
Building 029 is located in the north-eastern section of ETEC with
access by way of 10th Street, which intersects ``G'' Street just
southwest of Building 064. An asphalt concrete roadway (10th Street)
runs directly to the facility.
Constructed in 1959 as an open bay facility, Building 029 is a
Butler-type building with a steel frame and
[[Page 16797]]
corrugated metal siding and roofing. The building is 20 ft. x 40 ft.
with a 12-ft. eave height. It is a single room with no office, support
laboratory, rest room areas, or installed air conditioners. The ceiling
and walls are insulated with a 1-inch thick fiberglass mat. The
concrete floors were originally covered with asphalt tile; however, the
tile has now been removed.
From 1959 to 1974, Building 029 was used as a facility for
calibrating radiation detection instruments. In 1959 and in subsequent
years, it was known as the ``Radiation Measurements Facility'' or the
``Old Calibration Facility.''
Calibration sources were housed within Building 029. Radium-226,
and later cesium-137, sources were housed inside a source storage well
made from a 12-inch diameter, 10-ft. long Schedule-20 galvanized pipe
casing which was installed below grade. The sources were attached to
nylon strings and were guided through three 1-inch diameter Pyrex tube
thimbles within Schedule-40 galvanized pipes which were embedded evenly
within the casing, with concrete as embedment. The encapsulated cobalt-
60 sources were housed separately in a 12-inch diameter pipe which
extended 10 ft. below grade and 4 ft. above grade. Above grade, the
pipe was enclosed with lead shielding and covered by a 77-inch square
concrete rolling door. The neutron sources were housed in a 3 ft. x 3
ft. x 2 ft. deep pit, with a graphite neutron exposure block.
All of the sources were fully encapsulated, leak-tested at least
every six months in compliance with State of California Radiation
Control Regulations, and subsequently removed from Building 029. Thus,
apart from one incident involving the dropping of a radium-226 capsule
(described below), there is no known cause for radioactive
contamination in the facility.
Radioactivity was released from one of the radium-226 source
capsules (Source No. 1) on March 23, 1964, when this source became
detached from the nylon string and fell into the bottom of the source
thimble. The 13-ft. fall cracked the outer plastic encapsulation
surrounding the inner capsule and released some loose radium-226.
Release of radioactivity was primarily confined to the well and the
source thimble. An April 10, 1964, report describing the incident, the
subsequent recovery of the source, and the decontamination of the area
outside the well is found in Reference 11, Appendix A, of the Final
Decontamination and Radiological Survey report.
Operation of the facility continued by replacing all the radium-226
sources with two cesium-137 sources. On November 20, 1970, the 4.6
curie cesium-137 source was accidently dropped 10 ft. to the bottom of
the well. No contamination release occurred. When all sources were
removed from Building 029 in 1974, a radiation survey was performed
which showed that the facility was free of radiological contamination
except for the interior of the radium-226 storage well. In 1988, the
radium-226 storage well was excavated along with the radium-226 source
holder, and both were disposed of as low-level radioactive waste. This
work was performed and paid for by Rockwell/Rocketdyne.
Rockwell/Rocketdyne performed an additional radiological survey in
1990. In 1993, the Environmental Survey and Site Assessment Program of
the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education performed an
independent verification of the decontamination work performed by
Rockwell/Rocketdyne in 1988. Post-decontamination surveys have
demonstrated that Building 029 is in compliance with DOE
decontamination criteria and standards for release without radiological
restrictions. The State of California Department of Health Services has
concurred that the proposed release guidelines provide adequate
assurance for release without further radiological restrictions. In the
event of property transfer, DOE intends to comply with applicable
Federal, State, and local requirements.
No appreciable personnel radiation exposure was anticipated or
encountered from decontamination activities for Building 029.
Building 029 decommissioning costs were funded by Rockwell
International and complete cost records are unavailable.
The certification docket will be available for review between 9:00
a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays), in
the U.S. DOE Public Reading Room located in Room 1E-190 of the
Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue S.W., Washington, D.C.
Copies of the certification docket will also be available at the
following locations: DOE Public Document Room, U.S. Department of
Energy, Oakland Operations Office, the Federal Building, 1301 Clay
Street, Oakland, CA; California State University, Northridge, Urban
Archives Center, Oviatt Library, Room 4, 18111 Nordhoff, Northridge,
CA; Simi Valley Library, 2629 Tapo Canyon Road, Simi Valley, CA; and
the Platt Branch, Los Angeles Public Library, 23600 Victory Boulevard,
Woodland Hills, CA.
DOE has issued the following statement of certification:
Statement of Certification: Energy Technology Engineering Center,
Building 029
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Oakland Operations Office,
Environmental Restoration Division, has reviewed and analyzed the
radiological data obtained following decontamination of Building 029 at
the Energy Technology Engineering Center. Based on analysis of all data
collected and the results of independent verification, DOE certifies
that the following property is in compliance with DOE radiological
decontamination criteria and standards as established in DOE Order
5400.5. This certification of compliance provides assurance that future
use of the property will result in no radiological exposure above
applicable guidelines established to protect members of the general
public or site occupants. Accordingly, the property specified below is
released from DOE's Environmental Restoration Program.
Property owned by Boeing North American Incorporated:
Building 029, at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (situated
in Area IV of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory), located in a portion
of Tract ``A'' of Rancho Simi, in the County of Ventura, State of
California, as per map recorded in Book 3, Page 7 of Miscellaneous
Records of Ventura County.
Issued in Washington, D.C., on March 28, 1997.
James J. Fiore,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Restoration.
Statement of Certification: Energy Technology Engineering Center,
Building 029
The U.S. Department of Energy, Oakland Operations Office,
Environmental Restoration Division, has reviewed and analyzed the
radiological data obtained following decontamination of the Energy
Technology Engineering Center Building 029. Based on this analysis of
all data collected, the Department of Energy (DOE) certifies that the
following property is in compliance with DOE decontamination criteria
and standards. This certification of compliance provides assurance that
future use of the property will result in no radiological exposure
above applicable guidelines established to protect members of the
general public or site occupants.
[[Page 16798]]
Accordingly, the property specified below is released from DOE's
Environmental Restoration Program.
Property owned by Rockwell International Corporation:
Building 029, at the Energy Technology Engineering Center, located
in a portion of Tract ``A'' of Rancho Simi, in the County of Ventura,
State of California, as per map recorded in Book 3, Page 7 of
Miscellaneous Records of Ventura County.
Certification:
Dated: January 23, 1997.
Roger Liddle,
Director, ERD.
[FR Doc. 97-8936 Filed 4-7-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
