ML20053E739
| ML20053E739 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/28/1982 |
| 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 8206090250 | |
| Download: ML20053E739 (5) | |
Text
M%t,'Id LO AlL R 1/6 7 55 DISTRIBUTION pt WM_4015 WMUR w/f WMUR r/f 40/ftNE/82/05/14/0 WM r/f MAY 2 8 1982 NitSS r/f
_1-EDL GEadie BFisher WMUR:GGE HPettengill WM-40 RScarano JLinehan \\ o t
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llEf10RANDUf1 FOR:
John B. Martin, Director RBro t
. %,9g.i Division of Waste Management FR0ft:
Ross A. Scarano, Chief
.D Uranium Recovery Licensing Branch, Wii
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SUBJECT:
FIFTH STATUS REPORT - EDGEM0NT CLEANUP ACTION P OGhA!!vg 3 g
~.,
g D j td The NRC has contracted with the Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories (PNL) to conduct radiological surveys to determine the extent of usage of uranium mill tailings at offsite properties in the vicinity of Edgenant, 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 deternine the need for remedial action at 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 (40CFR192
" 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 he: ice, until such final standards are available, the NPC will designate those properties requiring remedial action based on the interim EPA standards.
As of April,1982, the status of evaluations to determine a need for remedial action are:
653 structures surveyed (excluding long-tern radon progeny measurements); 7 structures remaining to be completed; and owners of 50 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 96 EAs c'mleted to date, 46 structures have identified residual radioactivit3 ;4d will require remedial action.
Based on these EAs, cleanup costs for these 46 properties have been projected to be $250,000.
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DATE :82/05/17 B206090250 920528
' @'l PDR WASTE e
40/MNE/82/05/14/0 MAY 2 8 1982 The completion of all necassary surveys under the EPA criteria is serrewhat hampered by the need to complete a full year of Working Level neasurements at 267 structures in order to compare such results to the EPA's average annual Working Level (UL) criteria (i.e., 0.015 WL includingbackground).
In order to investigate the possibility of eliminating the need for such long-tern radon progeny measurements to determine the average annual WL, PNL has prepared a pretccol for a
" mini-Engineering Assessment." This procedure has been pre-tested at 43 properties, and no " residual radioactivity" was fcund.
Pending acceptance of this new protocol by peer review groups it would seem likely that the need to perform year-long WL serpling at these structures could be eliminated.
The current PNL contract with the lRC expires February 28, 1983.
If the mini-EA protocol is not implemented, continued radon progeny year-long nonitoring will be required in 267 structures which will take an additional 2 to 3 years to corplete (i.e., ending 1984).
If NRC is to continue year-long radon progeny monitoring programs, the estimated additional NRC costs are $30,000 each for FY83, FY84 and FY85. The additional engineering assessment costs resulting from such long-term radon progeny measurements are estirated at $10,000.
The necessary gamna radiation surveys and soil analyses have been completed at 138 vacant residential lots out of the 145 lots for which survey requests nave been received. Thirteen (13) of these vacant lots failed one or more of EPA's criteria and, therefore, will need an EA.
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, 21 more property owners requested structure surveys, and 7 HUD surveys remain to be conpleted in the Spring, 1982. As stated earlier, the HUD criteria differ slightly fren those put forth by EPA and require only grab Working Level sampling in any structure and gamma surveys of vacant lots be performed before federal financial assistance will be approved for Edgeront properties.
Results to date indicate that 71 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.
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DATE :82/05/17
l 6
40/f1NE/82/05/14/0 Due to the severe winter in Edgemont, PflL was not able to keep a field team of scientists in Edgement to complete the remaining radiological surveys and engineering assessments. However, it is anticipated that all required radiological field work, except for the long-term raden progeny monitoring, will be completed during the Summer of 1982.
Conplete details of all radiological surveys are summarized in the attached tabic.
OTL8inal signed by Ross A. Scarano, Chief Uranium Recovery Licensing Branch, Wii
Enclosure:
Summary of Findings 1
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- WMU
- WMUR 2-:: WMUR
: ----- C NAME : GEadie
- BFi er
- HPettengill : RScarano DATE :82/0 /1
- 82/05/n
- 82/05/ /7
- 82/05/yy l
Edgemont Cleanup Action Program (Summary of Findings as of April,1982)
STRUCTURE SURVEYS Number of Structures in Town 710 Number of Structures Declining Surveys 50 Number of Structures Surveyed to Date 653 Number of Structures Remaining to be Completed 7
SURVEYS l
orab Working Level Grab Working Level Greater Than 0.033 WL,2 71 1
3 Grab Working Level Between 0.01 to 0.033 WL 267 GrabWorkingLevelLessThan0.01Wg 175
__Brab Working Level Retests Required 140 Gamma Surveys Gamma Radiation Less Than 34.5 pR/hr 594 1
Gamma Radiation Greater Than 34.5 pR/hr 59 4
Soil Surveys Soil Sample Radium-226 Less Than 5 pCi/g 562 1
Soil Sample Radium-226 Greater Than 5 pCi/g 91 VACANT LOT SURVEYS Number of Vacant Lots in Town 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
e
-i.__.
m- _ - - -
9
. SURVEYS Gamma Surveys Gamae Pediation Less Than 34.5 pR/hr-132 Germe Pediation Greater Than 34.5 pR/hrj 6
Gamma Radiation Greater Than 14.5 pR/hr 7
Soil Surveys Soil Sample Radium-226 Less Than 5 pCi/g 125 1
Soil Sample Radium-226 Greater Than 5 pCi/g 13 ENGINEERING ASSESSMENTS (EA)
Number of EAs Required to Date 96 Nur.ber of EAs Completed 96 Number of Properties Requiring Remedial Action 46 Number of Properties Not Requiring Remedial Action 50 1.
Requires Engineering Assessment (fails one or'more EPA remedial action survey criteria).
2.
Fails HUD 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 radon progeny equilibrium.
.