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[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 65 (Friday, April 4, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16144-16146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-8640]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. ETEC-028]

Certification of the Radiological Condition of Building 028 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 028 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: 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 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 a number of 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 of 
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 028 is one ETEC area that has been designated for cleanup 
under the DOE Environmental Restoration Program. Other areas undergoing 
decontamination will be released as

[[Page 16145]]

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 028 is located in the north-central section of ETEC. The 
above-grade concrete slab is approximately 300 m\2\ in area. The below-
grade vault measures approximately 60 m\2\ with 6 m (20 ft.) ceilings. 
Construction consists of a concrete slab floor with concrete walls and 
ceilings.
    Building 028 was originally constructed to perform tests of space 
reactor shields using a fission plate driven by neutrons from the 
thermal column of a 50-kW swimming pool-type reactor. This reactor was 
designated the Shield Test Reactor and operated from 1961 to 1964, when 
it was replaced with another reactor design to operate at 1 MW. This 
latter configuration was named the Shield Test and Irradiation Reactor 
(STIR) and operated through 1972.
    Following shutdown of the test program and removal of the reactor, 
the facility was decommissioned and made available for alternate use in 
March 1976.
    In 1977, operations were started to investigate the behavior of 
molten uranium-oxide relative to simulated reactor accidents, in 
particular, its reaction with floor and structural materials. These 
experiments resulted in some recontamination of various parts of the 
building that were used for preparation and melting of the uranium-
oxide. Tests continued intermittently into 1981. Some facility 
modifications were made, and a decision to terminate operations was 
made later in 1981. The building remained inactive, under periodic 
surveillance, until decontamination began in 1988.
    To allow the release of Building 028 for use without radiological 
restriction, all detectable radioactive material/contamination was 
removed from the facility. This decontamination and decommissioning was 
performed in two phases, starting in 1975 (STIR facility) with the 
removal of the core tank, the activated concrete structures surrounding 
the core tank, thermal column, reactor shield, test vault carriage, 
water cooling systems, water shield door, and the partially dismantled 
exhaust system.
    The second and final stage of decontamination of Building 028 began 
in 1988 and required slightly less than five months to complete.
    Briefly, the decontamination steps involved in the second stage: 
(1) Removal of surplus normal and depleted uranium oxide; (2) 
decontamination and removal of equipment and electrical components, 
including the furnace system used for the uranium-oxide experiments; 
(3) removal of the radiologically contaminated ducting system; (4) 
building surfaces decontamination, including scabbling of the concrete 
floor in Room 101A; (5) final miscellaneous cleanup operations; and (6) 
final radiological survey of the building (above-grade and basement).
    Rockwell/Rocketdyne performed a radiological survey in 1991. The 
Environmental Survey and Site Assessment Program of the Oak Ridge 
Institute for Science and Education performed independent verification 
of the decontamination project in 1993. Post-decontamination surveys 
have demonstrated that Building 028 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.
    The external radiation exposure of the nine people directly 
associated with the STIR project, particularly the dismantling 
operations, during the period of September 23, 1975, through January 
31, 1976, averaged 193 mrem, with a maximum individual exposure of 420 
mrem. The entire operation was performed with a total radiation 
exposure of 1.7 man-rem.
    None of the engineering or radiation and nuclear safety personnel 
assigned to the Building 028 decommissioning project received any 
measurable exposure to ionizing radiation.
    Final costs for the decontamination of the STIR project were 
$134,922.
    Final costs for the decontamination of Building 028 were $239,970.
    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; 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 028

    The U.S. Department of Energy, Oakland Operations Office, 
Environmental Restoration Division, has reviewed and analyzed the 
radiological data obtained following decontamination of Building 028 at 
the Energy Technology Engineering Center. 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. Accordingly, the property specified below is 
released from DOE's Environmental Restoration Program.
    Property owned by Boeing North American Incorporated:
    Building 028, at the Energy Technology Engineering 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, DC, on March 27, 1997.
James J. Fiore,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Restoration.

Statement of Certification: Energy Technology Engineering Center, 
Building 028

    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 028. 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.

[[Page 16146]]

    Property owned by Rockwell International Corporation:
    Building 028, 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 3, Page 7 
of Miscellaneous Records of Ventura County.
    Certification:
    Dated: January 23, 1997.
Roger Liddle,
Director, ERD.
[FR Doc. 97-8640 Filed 4-3-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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