[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 5, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10550-10552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-5161]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 030-03766]
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact related to license amendment of Byproduct Material
License No. 06-00807-01, Schlumberger Technology Corporation,
Ridgefield, Connecticut.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering
the issuance of a license amendment to Byproduct Material License No.
06-00807-01 to authorize release a portion of its facility in
Ridgefield, Connecticut, for unrestricted use and has prepared an
Environmental Assessment in support of this action. Based upon the
Environmental Assessment, the NRC has concluded that a Finding of No
Significant Impact is appropriate, and, therefore, an Environmental
Impact Statement is unnecessary.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Judy Joustra, Division of Nuclear
Materials Safety, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region I, 475
Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 19406; telephone (610)
337-5355 or e-mail [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is
considering amending Byproduct Materials License No. 06-00807-01 and
authorizing the release of a portion of the licensee's facilities in
Ridgefield, Connecticut, for unrestricted use and has prepared an
Environmental Assessment (EA) and a Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) in support of this action.
Summary
The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviewed the results
of the decommissioning of the Schlumberger Technology Corporation
(Schlumberger) facility in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Schlumberger was
authorized by NRC from 1956 to 2003 to use radioactive materials for
research and development purposes at the site. In 2000, Schlumberger
ceased operations with licensed materials in a portion of its facility
at the Ridgefield site, and on September 30, 2002 requested that NRC
amend its license to release three areas for unrestricted use.
Schlumberger contracted with Radiation Safety Associates, Inc. Hebron,
Connecticut, who conducted surveys of the areas and determined that
these areas meet the license termination criteria in Subpart E of 10
CFR Part 20. The NRC staff has evaluated Schlumberger's request and
results of the surveys, and has developed an Environmental Assessment
(EA) in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR Part 51. Based on
the staff evaluation, the conclusion
[[Page 10551]]
of the EA is a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on human health
and the environment for the proposed licensing action.
Introduction
Schlumberger requested release for unrestricted use areas of
designated as Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level including the area
identified as the Catacomb, which are attached to the main building on
Old Quarry Road, Ridgefield, Connecticut. NRC License No. 06-00807-01,
which was issued in 1956 and amended periodically since that time
authorized activities at these areas. In Lab Z, Lab Z Lower Level
including the Catacomb the licensee conducted research and development,
and manufactured neutron generators tubes using curie amounts of
tritium.
Licensed activities in Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level including the
Catacomb ceased completely in November 2000, and the licensee requested
an amendment to its license to release Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level
including the Catacomb for unrestricted use in September 2002. Based on
the licensee's historical knowledge of the site and the conditions of
the facility, the licensee determined that only routine decontamination
activities, in accordance with licensee radiation safety procedures,
were required. A decommissioning plan was not required to be submitted
to the NRC. The licensee's contractor surveyed the facilities,
decontaminated or remediated areas as needed, and provided
documentation that the facilities meet the license termination criteria
specified in Subpart E of 10 CFR Part 20, and do not require additional
decommissioning activities to be performed. The licensee subsequently
requested that the facilities (Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level including
the Catacomb) be released for unrestricted use.
The Proposed Action
The proposed action is to amend Byproduct Materials License No. 06-
00807-01 and release Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level including the
Catacomb of the facilities at Old Quarry Road, Ridgefield, Connecticut
for unrestricted use. By letter dated September 30, 2002, Schlumberger
provided survey results which demonstrate that the Ridgefield site is
in compliance with the radiological criteria for license termination in
Subpart E, 10 CFR Part 20, ``Radiological Criteria for License
Termination.''
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
The purpose of the proposed action is to amend Byproduct Materials
License No. 06-00807-01 and release Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level
including the Catacomb of the Schlumberger site in Ridgefield,
Connecticut, for unrestricted use. NRC is fulfilling its
responsibilities under the Atomic Energy Act to make a decision on a
proposed license amendment of a license and release of facilities for
unrestricted use that ensures protection of public health and safety
and the environment.
Alternative to the Proposed Action
Since Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level including the Catacomb have
already been surveyed and found acceptable for release for unrestricted
use, the no-action alternative would be to keep the facilities on the
license. This no-action alternative is not acceptable because the
licensee does not plan to perform the previously authorized activities
with licensed materials at those locations. Maintaining the areas under
a license would reduce options for future use of the property.
The Affected Environment and Environmental Impacts
The NRC staff has reviewed the surveys performed by Schlumberger to
demonstrate compliance with 10 CFR 20.1402 license termination
criteria. Based on its review, the staff has determined that the
affected environment and environmental impacts associated with the
release for unrestricted use of the Schlumberger facilities are bounded
by the impacts evaluated by the ``Generic Environmental Impact
Statement in Support of Rulemaking on Radiological Criteria for License
Termination of NRC-Licensed Nuclear Facilities' (NUREG-1496).
Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level including the Catacomb are attached to
the main building on Old Quarry Road, Ridgefield, Connecticut. Since
Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level including the Catacomb have been surveyed
and meet the NRC criteria for unrestricted use in 10 CFR Part 20, the
environmental impacts resulting from the release of these areas for
unrestricted use are expected to be insignificant. The NRC has found no
other activities in the area that could result in cumulative impacts.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
This Environmental Assessment was prepared entirely by the NRC
staff. The State Office of Historical Preservation, the State Fish and
Wildlife Service, and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service were not
contacted because release of Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower Level including the
Catacomb at the Schlumberger facilities for unrestricted use does not
modify the facilities. No other sources were used beyond those
referenced in this EA.
NRC provided a draft of its Environmental Assessment to the State
of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP) for
review. On January 31, 2003, CTDEP responded by letter and stated that
it concurs with NRC's FONSI on human health and the environment.
Finding of No Significant Impact
The NRC staff concluded that the completed action complies with 10
CFR part 20. NRC has prepared this EA in support of the proposed
license amendment to the license and release Lab Z, and Lab Z Lower
Level including the Catacomb facilities for unrestricted use. On the
basis of the EA, NRC has concluded that the environmental impacts from
the proposed action are expected to be insignificant and has determined
not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed
action.
List of Preparers
Judy Joustra, Senior Health Physicist, Division of Nuclear
Materials Safety, Region 1.
List of References
1. 10 CFR Part 20, Subpart E.
2. NRC License No. 06-00807-01 inspection and licensing records.
3. Letter dated September 30, 2002, with enclosures, from
Schlumberger-Doll Research for Schlumberger Technology Corporation.
[ADAMS Accession No. ML022820310].
4. Letter dated December 19, 2002, from Schlumberger-Doll Research
for Schlumberger Technology Corporation. [ADAMS Accession No.
ML023530607].
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRC's ``Rules of Practice,''
the application for the license amendment and supporting documentation
are available for inspection at NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room at
http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/index.html.
Any questions with respect to this action should be referred to
Judy Joustra, Nuclear Materials Safety Branch 2, Division of Nuclear
Materials Safety, Region I, 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia,
Pennsylvania 19406, telephone (610) 337-5355, fax (610) 337-5269.
Dated at King of Prussia, Pennsylvania this 26th day of
February, 2003.
[[Page 10552]]
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John D. Kinneman,
Chief, Nuclear Materials Safety Branch 2, Division of Nuclear Materials
Safety, Region I.
[FR Doc. 03-5161 Filed 3-4-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P