[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 192 (Friday, October 3, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51844-51845]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-26278]



[[Page 51844]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. LEHR-SF-597]


Certification of the Radiological Condition of Four Buildings at 
the Laboratory for Energy-Related Health Research, Davis, California

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Restoration.

ACTION: Notice of certification.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) has completed radiological 
surveys and taken remedial action to decontaminate and decommission 
four buildings located at the Laboratory for Energy-Related Health 
Research (LEHR) facility in Davis, California. This property previously 
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 at the 
LEHR site (including these four buildings), the University of 
California owns the land.

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 LEHR 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 or ERDA 
during the early years of the Nation's atomic energy program.
    LEHR is comprised of a number of buildings and structures located 
within a 15-acre parcel of land leased from the University of 
California, Davis. The facility was operated by the University of 
California between 1956 and 1988 to conduct animal research to 
determine the effects of radionuclides, primarily strontium-90 and 
radium-226, on tissue, organs, and bone. Several buildings and land 
areas became radiologically contaminated as a result of facility 
operations and site activities. A LEHR area that has been designated 
for cleanup under the DOE Environmental Restoration Program includes 
the two Animal Hospital Laboratories, the Specimen Storage building, 
and the Cobalt-60 building. These buildings have been decontaminated 
and have been independently verified to meet established cleanup 
criteria and standards; they are, therefore, now available for release 
without radiological restrictions as established in DOE Order 5400.5.
    The Animal Hospital Laboratories are single story, wood-framed 
buildings with stucco exteriors. Animal Hospital No. 1 housed built-in 
cage rooms and contained nine laboratories for conducting animal 
research using strontium-90. Animal Hospital No. 2 was used for 
surgery, radiography, and radium-226 studies. Plumbing and ventilation 
systems associated with the animal cages were contaminated as a result 
of the studies. The Specimen Storage building is a single story 
structure constructed with concrete blocks. This building was used to 
store radioactive and non-radioactive research samples. The Cobalt-60 
building is a single story, poured concrete, composite roof structure. 
This building housed a cobalt-60 irradiation source and was equipped 
with a control room and animal exposure room. The 390-curie cobalt-60 
source was removed in January 1993 and made available for reuse at 
another facility. Following the removal of the cobalt-60 source, the 
exposure room was used to store lead bricks, a radiological glovebox, 
bagged electrical motors, and miscellaneous radioactive sources.
    To allow the release of these buildings for use without 
radiological restrictions, all radioactive material and contamination 
was removed from the buildings. In general, passive decontamination 
techniques, such as high-efficiency particulate air vacuuming, damp 
cloth wiping, and hand washing/scrubbing, were applied first. When the 
contaminants were more tightly bound to the surface material, such as 
fiberglass and epoxy coated cages, more aggressive decontamination 
methods were applied. These methods included surface removal by 
chipping and grinding. When decontamination of cages was no longer 
cost-effective, the remaining contaminated material was removed, volume 
reduced, and shipped offsite for disposal as low-level radiological 
waste.
    After the decontamination project was completed, a comprehensive 
final survey of the building interiors was performed to demonstrate 
compliance with standards for release without radiological 
restrictions. The Environmental Survey and Site Assessment Program of 
the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education performed independent 
verification of the decontamination project in 1996. Post-
decontamination surveys have demonstrated that the four buildings are 
in compliance with DOE decontamination criteria and standards for 
release without radiological restrictions. DOE intends to comply with 
applicable Federal, State, and local requirements which relate to 
property transfer.
    Final DOE costs for the decontamination of the four buildings were 
$4,000,000, including the final survey and waste disposal.
    All personnel working on the decontamination and decommissioning 
project were monitored for both external and internal dose exposure. 
Over the five year duration of the project, two workers received a 
total of 10 mrem each, which is well below applicable radiological 
standards establishing a dose limit of 100 mrem/yr. to the general 
public under DOE Order 5400.5 or 5 rem/yr. for workers under 10 CFR 
Part 835.
    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. DOE, Oakland 
Operations Office, the Federal Building, 1301 Clay Street, Oakland, 
California; University of California-Davis Shields Library, Reference 
Desk, Davis, California; and Davis Public Library, Reference Desk, 315 
East 14th Street, Davis, California.
    DOE has issued the following statement of certification:

Statement of Certification: Laboratory for Energy-Related Health 
Research, Animal Hospital No. 1, Animal Hospital No. 2, Specimen 
Storage Building, and the Cobalt-60 Building

    The U.S. Department of Energy, Oakland Operations Office, 
Environmental Restoration Division, has reviewed and analyzed the 
radiological data obtained following decontamination and 
decommissioning of Animal Hospital No. 1, Animal Hospital No. 2, 
Specimen Storage building, and the Cobalt-60 building at the Laboratory 
for Energy-Related Health Research. Based on analysis of all data 
collected and the results of independent verification, DOE certifies 
that the following properties are 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 properties will result in no radiological

[[Page 51845]]

exposure above applicable guidelines established to protect members of 
the general public or site occupants. Accordingly, the properties 
specified below are released from DOE's Environmental Restoration 
Program.
    Property owned by the University of California:
    Animal Hospital No. 1 (H-219), Animal Hospital No. 2 (H-218), 
Specimen Storage building (H-216), and the Cobalt-60 building (H-290) 
located at the Laboratory for Energy-Related Health Research at Davis, 
Solano County, California in the southeast quarter of Section 21, 
Township 8 North, Range 2 East, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian.

    Issued in Washington, D.C. on September 22, 1997.
James J. Fiore,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Restoration.

Statement of Certification: Laboratory for Energy-Related Health 
Research, Animal Hospital No. 1, Animal Hospital No. 2, Specimen 
Storage Building, and the Cobalt-60 Building

    The U.S. Department of Energy, Oakland Operations Office, 
Environmental Restoration Division, has reviewed and analyzed the 
radiological data obtained following decontamination and 
decommissioning of Animal Hospital No. 1, Animal Hospital No. 2, 
Specimen Storage Building, and the Cobalt-60 Building at the Laboratory 
for Energy-Related Health Research. 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.
    Property owned by the University of California:
    Animal Hospital No. 1 (H-219), Animal Hospital No. 2 (H-218), 
Specimen Storage Building (H-216), and the Cobalt-60 Building (H-290) 
located at the Laboratory for Energy-Related Health Research at Davis, 
Solano County, California, in the southeast quarter of Section 21, 
Township 8 North, Range 2 East, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian.

    Dated: July 22, 1997.
Roger Liddle,
Director, Environmental Restoration Division, Oakland Operations 
Office, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 97-26278 Filed 10-2-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P