[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 195 (Wednesday, October 8, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52528-52530]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-26635]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. ETEC-012]


Certification of the Radiological Condition of Building T012 at 
the Energy Technology Engineering Center Near Chatsworth, 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 Building T012 
located at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC) near 
Chatsworth, 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, a subsidiary of Rockwell International, 
Rocketdyne, owned the land. Rocketdyne has recently been sold to Boeing 
North American Incorporated.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Lopez, Program Manager, 
Environmental Restoration Division, Oakland Operations Office, U.S. 
Department of Energy, Oakland, CA 94612-5208.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE has implemented environmental 
restoration projects at ETEC (Ventura County, Map Book 3, Page 7, 
Miscellaneous Records) 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/ERDA during 
the early years of the Nation's atomic energy program.
    ETEC is comprised of several facilities and structures located 
within Administrative Area IV of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. The 
work performed for DOE at ETEC consisted primarily of testing 
equipment, materials, and components for nuclear and energy-related 
programs. These nuclear energy research and development programs, 
conducted by Atomics International under contract to AEC/ERDA, began in 
1946. Several buildings and land areas became radiologically 
contaminated as a result of facility operations and site activities. 
Building T012 is one ETEC area that has been designated for cleanup 
under the DOE Environmental Restoration Program. Other areas undergoing 
decontamination will be released as they are completed and are verified 
to meet established cleanup criteria and standards for release without 
radiological restrictions as established in DOE Order 5400.5.
    Building T012 is located in the north-central section of Area IV. 
It originally consisted of two sections connected with an enclosed 
passageway.

[[Page 52529]]

    Building T012 consisted of a critical cell that was a sealed room 
with 4-ft. thick concrete walls, lined with a \1/4\-in. steel liner, 
used to test Systems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power (SNAP) critical 
assemblies. The cell floor is a mat-type concrete foundation. Sealed 
during operation, this room was designed to withstand the pressure 
release and to contain radioactive materials in the event of a burst 
condition from the assemblies.
    The equipment room adjacent to the critical cell has 9-in. thick 
concrete walls and ceiling and a spread concrete foundation. A fuel 
storage area was located in the west section of the room consisting of 
a concrete shield wall containing 1 percent boron by weight. Embedded 
in the wall were 110 cadmium-plated tubes, 3\1/2\ in. inside diameter 
by 20 in. long. The tubes were located on 1-ft. centers, 5 tubes high, 
and 22 tubes wide.
    Operations in Building T012 began with systems for SNAP critical 
assemblies in 1962. These experiments used three different critical 
assembly machines: SCA-4A, -4B, and SCA-5. Most tests were directed at 
determining criticality of various configurations and conditions, such 
as water immersion, and were performed well below the allowed high 
power limit of about 100 watts. No significant amounts of induced 
activity were produced by these operations.
    Clad reactor fuel elements (U-ZrH) were stored as shipped in 
containers and in the fuel storage tubes located in room 109. The SNAP 
critical experiments continued intermittently through 1968, when the 
fuel was shipped to the SSN Storage Vault (Building T064), and the 
facility was placed in a standby mode.
    To allow the release of building T012 for use without radiological 
restriction, all detectable radioactive material/contamination was 
removed from the facility. This decontamination and decommissioning was 
performed in two phases: (1) starting in 1986 with the removal of the 
operations control room and (2) the enclosed passageway connecting 
those structures to the equipment room and the critical cell.
    The second and final stage of decontamination of Building T012 
began in February 1995 and required slightly less than five months to 
complete.
    Briefly, the decontamination steps involved in the second stage 
were to decontaminate and decommission the remaining concrete vault 
structure of Building T012 sufficiently to permit its use without 
radiological or chemical contamination restrictions.
    The accomplishment of this objective included removal of asbestos 
containing floor tiles and pipe insulation; removal of eight 
contaminated fuel storage tubes; removal of light fixtures, conduit, 
and ventilation systems; paint sampling and removal, and scabbing of 
the floor, wall, ceiling surfaces; and completion of the ``Final 
Radiological and Chemical Contamination Assessment Survey.''
    Rockwell/Rocketdyne performed a final radiological survey in 1996. 
The Environmental Survey and Site Assessment Program of the Oak Ridge 
Institute for Science and Education performed independent verification 
of the decontamination work performed by Rockwell/Rocketdyne in 1996. 
Post-decontamination surveys have demonstrated that Building T012 is in 
compliance with DOE decontamination criteria and standards for release 
without radiological restrictions. The State of California Department 
of Health Services has concurred that the proposed release guidelines 
provide adequate assurance for release without further radiological 
restrictions. In the event of property transfer, DOE intends to comply 
with applicable Federal, State, and local requirements.
    None of the engineering or radiation and nuclear safety personnel 
assigned to the Building T012 decommissioning project received any 
measurable exposure to ionizing radiation.
    Final costs for the decontamination of Building T012 were $389,632.
    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. Department of 
Energy, Oakland Operations Office, the Federal Building, 1301 Clay 
Street, Oakland, California; California State University, Northridge, 
Urban Archives Center, Oviatt Library, Room 4, 18111 Nordhoff, 
Northridge, California; Simi Valley Library, 2629 Tapo Canyon Road, 
Simi Valley, California; and the Platt Branch, Los Angeles Public 
Library, 23600 Victory Boulevard, Woodland Hills, California.
    DOE has issued the following statement of certification:

Statement of Certification--Energy Technology Engineering Center, 
Building T012

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Oakland Operations Office, 
Environmental Restoration Division, has reviewed and analyzed the 
radiological data obtained following decontamination of Building T012 
at the Energy Technology Engineering Center. Based on analysis of all 
data collected and the results of the 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. Accordingly, the property specified 
below is released from DOE's Environmental Restoration Program.
    Property owned by Boeing North American Incorporated:
    Building T012, at the Energy Technology Center (situated within 
Area IV of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory), located in a portion of 
Tract ``A'' of Rancho Simi, in the County of Ventura, State of 
California, as per map recorded in Book 3, Page 7 of Miscellaneous 
Records of Ventura County.

    Issued in Washington, D.C., on September 26, 1997.
James J. Fiore,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Restoration.

Statement of Certification: Energy Technology Engineering Center, 
Building 012

    The U.S. Department of Energy, Oakland Operations Office, 
Environmental Restoration Division, has reviewed and analyzed the 
radiological data obtained following decontamination of the Energy 
Technology Engineering Center Building 012. Based on this analysis of 
all data collected, the Department of Energy (DOE) certifies that the 
following property is in compliance with DOE decontamination criteria 
and standards. 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. Accordingly, the property specified 
below is released from DOE's Environmental Restoration Program.
    Property owned by Rockwell International Corporation:
    Building 012, at the Energy Technology Engineering Center, located 
in a portion of Tract ``A'' of Rancho Simi, in the County of Ventura, 
State of California, as per map recorded in Book

[[Page 52530]]

3, Page 7 of Miscellaneous Records of Ventura County.

Certification:

    Dated: August 29, 1997
Hannibal Joma,
ETEC Site Manager.
[FR Doc. 97-26635 Filed 10-7-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P