ML20052A094
| ML20052A094 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/25/1982 |
| From: | Scarano R NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Martin J NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| References | |
| REF-WM-40 NUDOCS 8204270077 | |
| Download: ML20052A094 (5) | |
Text
pb v4n -lo LO MdR.s D h5 DISTRIBUTION l Profect WM-40 EDR.
WMUR w/f WMUR r/f 40/MNE/82/02/24/0 N 25 1982 WM r/f NMSS r/f GEadie HPettengill WMUR:GGE RScarano WM-40 BFisher JLinehan DMartin RBrowning MEMORANDUM FOR:
John B. Martin, Director Division of Waste Management 9
R FROM:
Ross A. Scarano, Chief f
4 Uranium Recovery Licensing Branch Q
Division of Waste Management
- /
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-1 g" 2 PROGRAM Qi 3 fog" }1
SUBJECT:
REVISED FOURTH STATUS REPORT - EDGEMONT C1.EANUP s
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. /N pW TheNRChascontractedwiththeBattellePacificNorthwestLaboratoried>D (PNL) to conduct radiological surveys to determine the extent of usage of uranium mill tailings at off-site properties in the vicinity of Edgemont, South Dakota.
Basically, PNL performs comprehensive surveys to evaluate against two independent set of criteria.
Specific criteria are applied by HUD to determine if a property can be covered under federal mortgage assistance.
Another independent set of criteria are applied to determine the need for remedial action (clean up) of the property, (i.e., the cleanup of residual radioactive materials).
The methodology currently being used to propose remedial action is comparison to interim standards promulgated by the U.S. EPA (40 CFR 192
" Proposed Cleanup Standards for Inactive Uranium Processing Sites") which became effective June 21, 1980.
The EPA has estimated that its final cleanup standards will not be promulgated before early 1983; hence, until such final standards are available, the NRC will designate those properties requiring remedial action based on the interim EPA standards.
As of December,1981, the status of evaluations to determine a need for remedial action are:
614 structures surveyed (excluding long-term radon progeny measurements); 22 structure remaining to be completed; and owners of 71 structures declined permission to conduct the free radiological surveys.
These survey results indicate that to date 96 structures failed one or more of the EPA's criteria and require an Engineering Assessment (EA). Of the 93 EAs completed to date 45 DIST:
TICKET NO:
8204 M 0o77 OFC :
NAME :
DATE :82/03/15
i 40/MNE/82/02/24/0 MAR 25 19 82 structures have identified residual radioactivity and will require remedial action.
The completion of all necessary surveys under the EPA criteria is somewhat hampered by the need to complete a full year of Working Level measurements at 258 structures in order to compare such results to the EPA's average annual Working Level (WL) criteria (i.e., 0.015 WL including background).
In order to investigate the possibility of eliminating the need for such long-term radon progeny measurements to determine the average annual WL, PNL has prepared a protocol for a
" mini-Engineering Assessment".
This procedure has been pre-tested at 31 properties, and no " residual radioactivity" was found.
Pending acceptance of this new protocol by peer review groups it would seem likely that the need to perform year-long WL sampling at these structures could be eliminated.
The necessary gamma radiation surveys and soil analyses have been completed at 138 vacant residential lots out of the 145 lots for which survey requests have been received. Thirteen (13) of these vacant lots failed one or more of EPA's criteria, and therefore, will need an EA.
(The number of lots has been changed in this report as compared to previous reports due to the reclassification of tracts (i.e., equal to 16 lots) now being considered as one owner block (i.e., equal to one large lot).)
In the last report, it was noted that all requested U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) surveys had been completed.
- However, at the request of NRC, PNL recently made an extensive effort to contact all property owners who had previously refused the offer of free surveys.
As a result, 75 more property owners requested structure surveys, and 22 HUD surveys remain to be completed in the Spring.
As stated earlier, the HUD criteria differ slightly from those put forth by EPA and require only I
grab Working Level sampling in any structure and gamma surveys of vacant lots be performed before federal financial assistance will be approved for Edgemont properties.
Results to date indicate that 68 structures fail the HUD criterion [i.e., they exceed 0.033 WL (i.e., 0.02 Weighted Working Levels)] and 7 lots fail the HUD criterion that vacant land shall not exceed an average background gamma radiation level of 14.5 pR/hr.
Due to the severe winter in Edgemont, PNL will not keep a field team of scientists in Edgemont to complete the remaining radiological surveys and engineering assessments at this time.
However, it is anticipated that DIST:
TICE".!T NO:
OFC :
NAME :
DATE :82/03/15
4 40/MNE/82/02/24/0 MAR 25 1982 all required radiological field work, except for the long-term radon progeny monitoring, will be completed during the Summer of 1982.
Complete details of all radiological surveys are summarized in the attached table.
Original Signed bu T.J.Linehag /
- )RossA.Scarano, Chief-v Uranium Recovery Licensing Brcnch Division of Waste Management
Enclosure:
Summary of Findings DIST.
TICKET NO:
MUR q WMUR,.
- WMUR OFC :
_f,
_____._____e t
NAME : GEadi me :llPettengill :
i no
_____1
.-DATE :82/03/15
- 82/03//5,
- 82/03/
1 Edgemont-Cleanup-Action-Program (Summary of Findings as of December,1981)
' STRUCTURE SURVEYS Number of Structures in Town 707 Number of Structures Declining Surveys 71 Number of Structures Surveyed to Date 614 Number of Structures Remaining to be Completed 22 SURVEYS Grab Working Level Grab Working Level Greater than 0.033WLt.2 68 Grab Working Level Between 0.01 to 0.033WL3 258 Grab Working Level Less Than 0.01WL 150 Grab Working Level Retests Required 4 138 Gamma Surveys Gamma Radiation Less Than 34.5 pR/hr 570 Gamma Radiation Greater Than 34.5 pR/hr1 44 Soil Surveys Soil Sample Radium-226 Less Than 5 pCi/g 539 Soil Sample Radium-226 Greater Than 5 pCi/g1 75 VACANT LOT SURVEYS 1
Number of Vacant Lots in Town 5 223 Number of Vacant Lots Declining Surveys 78 Number of Vacant Lots Surveyed to Date 138 Number of Vacant Lots Remaining to be Completed 7
f e
e
2 SURVEYS Gamma Surveys Gamma Radiation Less Than 34.5 pR/hr 132 t
6 Gamma Radiation Greater Than 34.5 pR/hr Gamma Radiation Greater Than 14.5 pR/hr2 7
Soil Surveys Soil Sample Radium-226 Less Then 5 pCi/g 125 2
13 Soil Sample Radium-226 Greater Than 5 pCi/g ENGINEERING ASSESSMENTS (EA)
Number of EAs Required to Date 96 Number of EAs Completed 93 Number of Properties Requiring Remedial Action 45 Number of Properties Not Requiring Remedial Action 48 1.
Requires Engineering Assessment (Fails EPA remedial action survey criteria).
2.
Fails HUD survey criteria.
3.
Requires long-term radon progeny measurements in order to determine if it fails the EPA annual WL criterion.
4.
Needed to verify that initial grab WL was greater than 0.033 WL, or that house was closed-up for the required time in order to maximize progeny equilibrium.
5.
The number of lots has been changed in this report as compared to previous reports due to the reclassification of tracts (i.e., equal to 16 lots) now being considered as a one owner block (ie., equal to one large lot).
.