[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 67 (Tuesday, April 8, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16796-16798]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-8936]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. ETEC-029]


Certification of the Radiological Condition of Building 029 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 029 located 
at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC) near Chatsworth, 
California. This property 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 029 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 029 is located in the north-eastern section of ETEC with 
access by way of 10th Street, which intersects ``G'' Street just 
southwest of Building 064. An asphalt concrete roadway (10th Street) 
runs directly to the facility.
    Constructed in 1959 as an open bay facility, Building 029 is a 
Butler-type building with a steel frame and

[[Page 16797]]

corrugated metal siding and roofing. The building is 20 ft. x 40 ft. 
with a 12-ft. eave height. It is a single room with no office, support 
laboratory, rest room areas, or installed air conditioners. The ceiling 
and walls are insulated with a 1-inch thick fiberglass mat. The 
concrete floors were originally covered with asphalt tile; however, the 
tile has now been removed.
    From 1959 to 1974, Building 029 was used as a facility for 
calibrating radiation detection instruments. In 1959 and in subsequent 
years, it was known as the ``Radiation Measurements Facility'' or the 
``Old Calibration Facility.''
    Calibration sources were housed within Building 029. Radium-226, 
and later cesium-137, sources were housed inside a source storage well 
made from a 12-inch diameter, 10-ft. long Schedule-20 galvanized pipe 
casing which was installed below grade. The sources were attached to 
nylon strings and were guided through three 1-inch diameter Pyrex tube 
thimbles within Schedule-40 galvanized pipes which were embedded evenly 
within the casing, with concrete as embedment. The encapsulated cobalt-
60 sources were housed separately in a 12-inch diameter pipe which 
extended 10 ft. below grade and 4 ft. above grade. Above grade, the 
pipe was enclosed with lead shielding and covered by a 77-inch square 
concrete rolling door. The neutron sources were housed in a 3 ft. x 3 
ft. x 2 ft. deep pit, with a graphite neutron exposure block.
    All of the sources were fully encapsulated, leak-tested at least 
every six months in compliance with State of California Radiation 
Control Regulations, and subsequently removed from Building 029. Thus, 
apart from one incident involving the dropping of a radium-226 capsule 
(described below), there is no known cause for radioactive 
contamination in the facility.
    Radioactivity was released from one of the radium-226 source 
capsules (Source No. 1) on March 23, 1964, when this source became 
detached from the nylon string and fell into the bottom of the source 
thimble. The 13-ft. fall cracked the outer plastic encapsulation 
surrounding the inner capsule and released some loose radium-226. 
Release of radioactivity was primarily confined to the well and the 
source thimble. An April 10, 1964, report describing the incident, the 
subsequent recovery of the source, and the decontamination of the area 
outside the well is found in Reference 11, Appendix A, of the Final 
Decontamination and Radiological Survey report.
    Operation of the facility continued by replacing all the radium-226 
sources with two cesium-137 sources. On November 20, 1970, the 4.6 
curie cesium-137 source was accidently dropped 10 ft. to the bottom of 
the well. No contamination release occurred. When all sources were 
removed from Building 029 in 1974, a radiation survey was performed 
which showed that the facility was free of radiological contamination 
except for the interior of the radium-226 storage well. In 1988, the 
radium-226 storage well was excavated along with the radium-226 source 
holder, and both were disposed of as low-level radioactive waste. This 
work was performed and paid for by Rockwell/Rocketdyne.
    Rockwell/Rocketdyne performed an additional radiological survey in 
1990. In 1993, the Environmental Survey and Site Assessment Program of 
the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education performed an 
independent verification of the decontamination work performed by 
Rockwell/Rocketdyne in 1988. Post-decontamination surveys have 
demonstrated that Building 029 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.
    No appreciable personnel radiation exposure was anticipated or 
encountered from decontamination activities for Building 029.
    Building 029 decommissioning costs were funded by Rockwell 
International and complete cost records are unavailable.
    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, CA; California State University, Northridge, Urban 
Archives Center, Oviatt Library, Room 4, 18111 Nordhoff, Northridge, 
CA; Simi Valley Library, 2629 Tapo Canyon Road, Simi Valley, CA; and 
the Platt Branch, Los Angeles Public Library, 23600 Victory Boulevard, 
Woodland Hills, CA.
    DOE has issued the following statement of certification:
    Statement of Certification: Energy Technology Engineering Center, 
Building 029
    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 029 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 029, at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (situated 
in 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 March 28, 1997.
James J. Fiore,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Restoration.

Statement of Certification: Energy Technology Engineering Center, 
Building 029

    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 029. 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.

[[Page 16798]]

Accordingly, the property specified below is released from DOE's 
Environmental Restoration Program.
    Property owned by Rockwell International Corporation:
    Building 029, 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. 97-8936 Filed 4-7-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P