[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 122 (Monday, June 24, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32466-32468]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-15989]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket 40-7580]
Finding of No Significant Impact and Notice of Opportunity for a
Hearing; Amendment of Source Materials License SMB-911 Fansteel, Inc.,
Muskogee, Oklahoma
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering the amendment
of Source Materials License SMB-911 for the recovery of Work in
Progress (WIP) pond residues at the Fansteel, Inc., plant located in
Muskogee, Oklahoma. The amendment will allow the facility to process
on-site pond residues to recover rare earth metals and to reduce the
volume of on-site radioactive materials. The Commission has determined
not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed
action, because the amendment will not have a significant effect on the
quality of the human environment for reasons described in the
Environmental Assessment.
Summary of the Environmental Assessment
Background
Fansteel, Inc. (Fansteel) has been licensed by the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) to possess and use source materials at the
Muskogee plant since January 1967. The current license expired in July
1994; however, Fansteel submitted a renewal application on June 20,
1994. In accordance with the timely renewal provision of 10 CFR
40.43(b), the existing license continues to be effective until the
application for renewal has been finally determined by the Commission.
The NRC plans to complete the renewal action on Fansteel's license,
including an Environmental Assessment, after action on this amendment
application is completed.
Fansteel, Inc. had previously processed ore concentrates and tin
slags in the production of refined tantalum products at their Muskogee
site. A residue containing natural uranium and thorium was generated as
a result of the initial hydrofluoric acid digestion of the ore
concentrates. This residue is considered source material, and is
regulated under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and defined in 10 CFR
Part 40, because it contains more than 0.05% by weight of uranium and
thorium. Since significant quantities of tantalum remained in the
residue after initial extraction, as well as other rare earth elements
and fluoride, the residues were designated by Fansteel as WIP material
suitable for secondary processing. Approximately 9,000 dry tons of WIP
material have accumulated in ponds numbered 2, 3, and 5.
Identification of the Proposed Action
The proposed action is to amend the Source Materials License SMB-
911 to allow Fansteel to retrieve and process WIP material from the on-
site ponds. The WIP process will isolate the radioactivity such that
the bulk of the WIP material can be used commercially while minimizing
the volume of material sent for radioactive waste disposal.
Processing of the WIP material will recover tantalum, columbium
(niobium), and scandium from the pond residues. This WIP material
recovery will be achieved by a series of proprietary chemical processes
to separate the remaining tantalum, columbium, and scandium from the
residues. Uranium and thorium will be separated from the other products
as uranium and thorium hydroxides. Waste materials from this process
contaminated with natural uranium and thorium will be packaged and
stored for offsite disposal.
The Need for the Proposed Action
The current license allows Fansteel to possess, use, store, and
transfer natural uranium and thorium and their progenies in metal
processing residues. The license allows the possession of a maximum of
30,000 kilograms of uranium and 67,000 kilograms of thorium in solid
forms as oxides in tin slag and ore processing residues. The license
amendment is needed to allow Fansteel to process the pond residues.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
Treatment of pond residues will result in effluents of radioactive
materials to air and water from the Fansteel plant, which may produce a
small increase in radiation doses to the public.
The WIP process will generate gases and particulates that will be
captured in a centrifugal particulate separator followed by water and
caustic scrubbing before discharge to the atmosphere. The treated stack
effluent will be continuously monitored for gross alpha radioactivity.
Liquid effluents will be collected and treated with lime, then
pumped to Ponds 8 and 9 for settling prior to discharge through Outfall
001.
The estimated total effective dose equivalent from inhalation of
radionuclides emitted during WIP processing is less than 1 millirem per
year to a hypothetical resident located at the site boundary in the
most frequent downwind direction. The proposed amendment will not have
an adverse impact on the air quality for the region beyond the
contribution from currently licensed activities.
Treated wastewater will be discharged through Outfall 001 to the
Arkansas River. Ingestion of water discharged to the Arkansas River
would result in doses much less than 5 millirem per year, due to the
low concentration of radionuclides in the discharge. Actual dose would
be much less, because the effluent, approximately 100,000 gallons per
day, is further diluted by the Arkansas River flow of 20,600 cubic feet
per second (13 billion gallons per day).
By comparison, the total body dose rate to an individual in the
vicinity of the Muskogee plant from background sources has been
estimated at 107 millirems per year, not considering fallout radiation
sources or radon, including 43.4 mrem/yr from cosmic rays, 45.6 mrem/yr
from terrestrial sources, and 18 mrem/yr from internal emitters.
Background uranium concentrations in soil are typically 1.0 to 1.5
micrograms per gram, which is equivalent to 0.33 to 0.50 picocuries per
gram. The WIP processing is not expected to result in an increase in
soil radioactivity, because no radioactive materials will be released
to soils during processing.
The proposed license amendment will not have an adverse impact on
surface or ground water quality. In fact, there is expected to be a
potential benefit, since the removal of source material in the ponds
will reduce the potential for ground water and surface water
[[Page 32467]]
contamination in the future. Remediation of past ground water
contamination from a pond leak in 1989 will continue under the
provisions of the renewed license.
The proposed license amendment will not result in any adverse
environmental impacts which could affect terrestrial and aquatic biota.
Accidents
The Environmental Report considered the potential for accidents at
the Muskogee plant. Material which could leak from tanks, pumps, or
pipes would be confined within the dissolution building. Pipe leaks
could lead to slurry's being leaked onto the ground surface. Such
accidents would be readily identified and cleaned up and would
represent no significant radiological impacts. Process chemicals,
including hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, sulfuric acid, and
potassium hydroxide, are stored in tanks within diked areas to contain
any leaks.
Transportation accidents represent a low radiological risk because
outgoing shipments of radioactive waste will be packaged in drums or
bags and transported in accordance with the U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT) regulations. Transportation accidents could result
in spilled radioactive material that is readily cleaned up.
Furthermore, the low-activity materials that will be produced by the
WIP process do not represent a significant hazard during transport.
For soil or liquid transport, the accidental release of stored WIP
was considered worst case because of its associated radioactivity.
Rather than attempt to quantify this potential exposure, it was assumed
that its transport off-site via the river posed an unacceptable risk to
the public. The existing drainage and sump systems for the Chem A and
Chem C process buildings have thus been incorporated into the existing
WIP process design. The sump system includes a sump capable of holding
more than the total quantity of WIP that will be present in the
building at any given time. This system has sufficient capacity to
preclude any transport of liquids or slurries away from the immediate
process areas.
Transportation of nonradioactive industrial chemicals represents an
accident risk; however, these shipments do not pose any unique
transportation hazards beyond those associated with nonnuclear
facilities using similar chemicals. All shipments of industrial
chemicals to the Muskogee plant will be transported in accordance with
U.S. DOT and state and local laws.
Natural phenomena, such as tornadoes, earthquakes, flooding, and
fire, have also been considered. The probability of a tornado striking
the plant is 1.8 x 10-3 per year; this could result in dispersion
of material from the drum storage area, the milling room, the waste
holding ponds, and the digestion building. The Fansteel plant is
located in a quiet seismic region considered to be of minor seismic
risk. The site is located above the Arkansas River floodplain. Fansteel
will describe how it intends to address NRC guidance with respect to
fire prevention, detection, and suppression prior to startup of the WIP
processing facility.
Monitoring Programs
Monitoring programs have been developed to assure that there will
not be any undetected release of radioactivity from the Fansteel site
during the recovery and processing of WIP material.
Gases from the calciner in building Chem A will be exhausted
through a common duct into a wet scrubber that exhausts through a
vertical stack to the atmosphere. The stack is equipped with a
continuous radiation monitor. The process ventilation systems and
gaseous effluent control equipment are designed and will be operated in
accordance with the standard engineering practice. Operational checks
on these systems will be performed as part of the standard operating
procedures. Stack emissions will be controlled and sampled on a 24-hour
basis when operating.
Atmospheric effluents will be controlled through the use of wet
scrubbers. Scrubber liquids will be treated through the wastewater
treatment system, with the ground water collection system, laboratory,
deionized water, and chemical processing wastewaters, and discharged to
the Arkansas River through Outfall 001. Gross and gross
analyses are performed on a continuous water sample at the
effluent monitoring station when the station is in operation. This
outfall is also monitored for nonradiological parameters in accordance
with the NPDES permit.
Fansteel also monitors 25 ground water wells; depth, pH, fluoride,
ammonia, total dissolved solids, specific conductivity, and gross
and gross are measured monthly. This data is
recorded and maintained as permanent records.
Fansteel has committed to take certain actions if specified
radioactivity concentrations (action levels) for the Outfall 001
effluent and ground water analyses are exceeded. These action levels
are related to EPA drinking water standards for radionuclides in 40 CFR
Part 141 and to NRC effluent limits in 10 CFR Part 20.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action
If the license amendment application is denied, Fansteel will be
prohibited from processing the pond residues, and will be required to
decommission the plant site without recovering the metals and rare
earth elements. This would require treatment and/or disposal of large
quantities of process residues. Such a denial would likely result in
either removal of the pond residues and disposal in a low-level
radioactive waste disposal facility or onsite disposal of the residues.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, Hazards
Management and Waste Services, Radiation Control Program, Water Quality
Division.
Conclusion
The NRC has determined that issuance of the amendment to allow
Fansteel to process the pond residues will not result in a significant
impact to human health and the environment.
Finding of No Significant Impact
The NRC has prepared an Environmental Assessment related to the
amendment of Source Materials License SMB-911. On the basis of this
assessment, NRC has concluded that environmental impacts that would be
created by the proposed licensing action would not be significant and
do not warrant the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement.
Accordingly, it has been determined that a finding of no significant
impact is appropriate.
The Environmental Assessment, the license amendment application,
and other documents related to this proposed action are available for
public inspection and copying at the Commission's public document room
in NRC's Region IV office, Harris Tower, 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite
400, Arlington, Texas 76011-8064, and in NRC's headquarters public
document room, Gelman Building, 2120 L St., NW., Washington, DC 20037.
Opportunity for a Hearing
Any person whose interest may be affected by the amendment of this
license may file a request for a hearing. Any request for hearing must
be filed with the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555, within 30 days
[[Page 32468]]
of the publication of this notice in the Federal Register; must be
served on the NRC staff (Executive Director for Operations, One White
Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852) and on the
licensee (Fansteel, Inc., Number Ten Tantalum Place, Muskogee, OK
74401); and must comply with the requirements for requesting a hearing
set forth in the Commission's regulation 10 CFR Part 2, Subpart L,
``Informal Hearings Procedures for Adjudications in Materials Licensing
Proceedings.''
These requirements, which the requestor must address in detail,
are:
1. The interest of the requestor in the proceeding;
2. How that interest may be affected by the results of the
proceeding, including the reasons why the requestor should be permitted
a hearing;
3. The requestor's area of concern about the licensing activity
that is the subject matter of the proceeding; and
4. The circumstances establishing that the request for hearing is
timely, that is, filed within 30 days of the date of this notice.
In addressing how the requestor's interest may be affected by the
proceeding, the request should describe the nature of the requestor's
right under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, to be made a
party to the proceeding; the nature and extent of the requestor's
property, financial, or other (e.g., health, safety) interest in the
proceeding; and the possible effect of any order that may be entered in
the proceeding upon the requestor's interest.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 17th day of June 1996.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Robert C. Pierson,
Chief, Licensing Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards,
NMSS.
[FR Doc. 96-15989 Filed 6-21-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
