United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Office of Public Affairs

Washington, DC 20555

Phone 301-415-8200 Fax 301-415-2234

Internet:opa@nrc.gov

No. 97-125 FOR IMMEDIATE

RELEASE

(Thursday, August 28,

1997)

NRC ISSUES DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

FOR DECOMMISSIONING OF CONTAMINATED SITE IN

PENNSYLVANIA

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has published for public

comment a draft environmental impact statement concerning the

proposed decommissioning of the Shallow Land Disposal Area, owned

and maintained at Parks Township, Pennsylvania, by Babcock &

Wilcox (B&W) under an NRC license.

The NRC will offer an opportunity for a hearing to persons

whose interests may be affected by the decommissioning actions.

This site was used from 1961 until 1970 for disposal of

hazardous and low-level wastes from a nuclear fuel fabrication

facility in nearby Apollo, Pennsylvania. (Such disposal was

permitted by Federal regulations in effect at the time.)

Radioactive materials buried in trenches on site include natural

uranium, enriched and depleted uranium, and lesser quantities of

thorium, americium and plutonium. For the past several years,

the area has been included in the NRC Site Decommissioning

Management Plan list of about 50 contaminated sites which require

special oversight to ensure safe and timely decommissioning.

The draft environmental impact statement evaluates both

radiological and non-radiological impacts associated with B&W's

proposed decommissioning approach (stabilization in place), and

those of four alternatives: no action, disposal off site,

stabilization on site, and modified stabilization in place.

Impacts are assessed for socioeconomics, land use, cultural

resources, geology, air quality, water quality, human health,

biological resources, and wetlands.

B&W proposes to stabilize the wastes on site by installing

an engineered cover and hydrologic barrier systems surrounding

the trenches to provide groundwater protection. An underlying

coal mine would be stabilized by injecting grout into the mine
voids to prevent settlement. Access controls would be required

in perpetuity to prevent human intrusion into the wastes.

The NRC staff's preliminary conclusion, presented in the

draft statement, is that modified stabilization in place, an NRCdeveloped alternative, would protect public health and the

environment at less cost than other alternatives. This approach

would include access controls and backfilling of the coal mine,

but would not require capping the waste or building of engineered

barriers. None of the alternatives are expected to cause an offsite radiation dose or other significant off-site impacts.

Persons interested in commenting on the draft environmental

impact statement (designated as NUREG-1613) may obtain a single

copy by writing to: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Printing

and Graphics Branch, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Written comments

should be mailed to David L. Meyer, Chief, Rules and Directives

Branch, Mail Stop T-6D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

Washington, DC 20555-0001. Comments may be delivered to 11545

Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, between 7:30 a. m. and 4:15

p.m. on Federal workdays.

Comments are due by December 15, but NRC will grant

reasonable requests for extensions of up to 15 days.

In addition to publishing the draft statement for comment,

NRC plans to hold a public meeting next month in Parks Township

to discuss the report. The date, time and location will be

announced shortly.

A copy of the draft environmental impact statement is being

made available for public inspection at the NRC local public

document room in the Apollo Memorial Library, 219 North

Pennsylvania Avenue, Apollo, Pennsylvania 15613. The telephone

number is 412/478-4214.

Decommissioning associated with B&W's former operating

facility at Parks Township is covered by a separate license and

is not within the scope of this environmental impact statement.

NRC will publish in the Federal Register soon a notice that

will include procedures that should be followed by persons who

wish to file a petition with the NRC for a hearing on the

decommissioning alternatives. The notice will also specify the

date by which petitions must be filed.

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