96-12825. Floodplain Statement of Findings for Remedial Action at the Ventron Site and Adjacent Harbor Sediment in Essex County, Massachusetts

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25656-25657]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12825]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Floodplain Statement of Findings for Remedial Action at the 
Ventron Site and Adjacent Harbor Sediment in Essex County, 
Massachusetts

AGENCY: Former Sites Restoration Division, Department of Energy (DOE).

SUBJECT: Floodplain statement of findings.

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SUMMARY: This is a Floodplain Statement of Findings prepared in 
accordance with 10 CFR Part 1022, Compliance with Floodplain/Wetlands 
Environmental Review Requirements. DOE proposes to remediate sediment 
and soil with elevated levels of uranium-238 from the 100-year 
floodplain of the Bass and Danvers Rivers and from the floodplain 
buffer zone adjacent to the 100-year floodplain at the Ventron site in 
Essex County, Massachusetts. DOE prepared a Floodplain and Wetlands 
Assessment describing the effects, alternatives, and measures designed 
to avoid or minimize potential harm to or within the affected 
floodplain. DOE would endeavor to allow 15 days of public review after 
publication of the Statement of Findings before implementation of the 
proposed action.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS PROPOSED ACTION OR TO COMMENT ON THE 
ACTION, CONTACT: Mr. Jim Kopotic, Ventron Site Manager, Former Sites 
Restoration Division, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. Box 2001, Oak 
Ridge, TN 37831-8541, Phone: [phone], FAX: [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON GENERAL DOE FLOODPLAIN AND WETLANDS 
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW REQUIREMENTS, CONTACT: Carol M. Borgstrom, 
Director, Office of NEPA Oversight, EH-42, U.S. Department of Energy, 
1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, [phone] or 
[phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a Floodplain Statement of Findings 
prepared in accordance with 10 CFR Part 1022. A Notice of Floodplain 
and Wetland Involvement was published in the Federal Register (Vol. 61, 
pp. 11621-11622) on March 21, 1996, and a Floodplain and Wetlands 
Assessment was incorporated in the engineering evaluation and cost 
analysis prepared for the Ventron site. DOE proposes to remediate 
sediment and soil with elevated levels of uranium-238 that are located 
in the 100-year floodplain of the Bass and Danvers Rivers and the 100-
yr floodplain buffer zone adjacent to the floodplain at the Ventron 
site in Essex County, Massachusetts. The entire Ventron site is also 
within the Massachusetts coastal zone. The proposed action would be in 
a floodplain because levels of uranium-238 in some sediment and soil in 
the floodplain at the site exceed guidelines for residual radioactivity 
and future use without radiological restrictions of the site. DOE has 
structured potential cleanup options by affected media: harbor 
sediments and on-site soil and furnace ash. Alternative actions 
considered for harbor sediments are no action or, complete removal of 
harbor sediment with levels of uranium-238 over 50 pCi/g. Alternative 
actions considered for on-site soil and furnace ash also include no 
action or, complete removal of on-site soil and furnace ash with levels 
of uranium-238 over 50 pCi/g. Access to sediment and soil may require 
decontamination and demolition of structures at the site. There is no 
practicable alternative to the proposed action. The proposed action 
would conform to applicable state and local floodplain protection 
standards.
    The following steps would be taken to minimize potential harm to or 
within the affected floodplain:
    1. The design and performance of excavation activities would 
incorporate standard best management practices in accordance with U.S. 
Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service 
(formerly the Soil Conservation Service) methods, or the equivalent, to 
control erosion and siltation from excavations.
    2. Remediation operations would confine the areas of sediment and 
soil disturbance to the minimum necessary for successful completion of 
the project.
    3. Care would be exercised to provide minimum practicable exposure 
of sediment and soil to erosion.
    4. All erosion and sediment barriers would remain in place until 
the excavation is successfully stabilized by applicable measures.
    5. Disturbed sediment and soil in or adjacent to the floodplain, 
waterways, wetlands, coastal zone, and areas subject to tidal action 
and excavations would be stabilized or otherwise protected to prevent 
off-site migration, as conditions warrant, in accordance with 
Massachusetts soil erosion and sediment control standards or their 
equivalent.
    6. DOE would not dispose waste rubble, sediment, or soil in the 
floodway or within the tidal zone. Waste mulch not serving to control 
erosion or sediment would also not be disposed of in channels or on 
waterway banks.
    7. Remediation would not obstruct any streams or tidal areas and 
all streams and tidal zones would retain their original capacity for 
storing floodwaters. The proposed action would not impede flow or 
increase flooding.
    8. All areas excavated in or adjacent to the floodplain, wetlands, 
the Massachusetts coastal zone, and areas subject to tidal action would 
be restored to grade by the current owner, Morton International, as 
required, and the proposed activities would not subject lives or 
property to any increased risk of flooding.
    9. DOE would not use areas within the floodplain for temporary or 
permanent storage of excavated sediment, soil, or demolition rubble; 
however, some areas within the floodplain and wetland buffer zone, and 
the Massachusetts coastal zone may be used for temporary storage of 
excavated materials with appropriate measures in place to properly 
contain excavated materials.
    10. The proposed action would conform to applicable state and local 
floodplain, wetland, and coastal zone protection standards and would be 
consistent with Massachusetts' coastal zone management policies.
    11. The proposed action would not result in the destruction of any 
floodplain or wetland and would be consistent with the President's 
policy of ``no net loss'' of wetlands in the United States and 
Executive Orders 11988 and 11990.
    DOE will endeavor to allow 15 days of public review after 
publication of the Statement of Findings before implementation of the 
proposed action.


[[Page 25657]]


    Issued in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on May 6, 1996.
James L. Elmore,
Alternate NEPA Compliance Officer.
[FR Doc. 96-12825 Filed 5-21-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P