ML20059B581
| ML20059B581 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 10/14/1993 |
| From: | Astwood H NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Sturgeon R ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY |
| References | |
| REF-WM-3 NUDOCS 9310290014 | |
| Download: ML20059B581 (2) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 OCT 141993 Mr. Randy Sturgeon Remedial Project Manager Delaware / Maryland Section U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region III 841 Chestnut Building Philadelphia, PA 19107-4431
Dear Mr. Sturgeon:
This is in response to your August 1993 Record of Decision (ROD) for the E.I.
Du Pont, Newport superfund site in New Castle County, Delaware.
As stated in our June 9, 1993 letter, NRC retains jurisdiction under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 USC 2011 et seq.) for the thorium waste that was formerly disposed of at the Newport site. After reviewing the ROD, NRC.
believes that more detailed information concerning the burial of the thorium is needed before a decision can be made regarding the disposition of the thorium.
NRC decisions on former disposals of thorium waste are based on total thorium concentrations and inventory in the soil. The records of the burials possessed by NRC, as well as the information included in the ROD, do not clearly indicate the thorium concentrations that are present in the landfill.
Several options for remediation of the site are presented in the ROD.
However, all of the options allow for the thorium waste to remain buried onsite assuming the waste exists in an oxide form. Although the R00 cites Du Pont as stating that a majority of the waste is considered to be thorium oxide, there are indications that thorium salts could have also been buried in the landfill. The soil concentrations, as well as the chemical forms of the thorium waste, must be known in order to assess the risks associated with the burial.
A decision on the actions to be taken concerning the thorium waste should be made prior to the remediation and covering of the landfill. NRC will therefore be contacting Du Pont directly to resolve this issue and will keep you informed and will coordinate with EPA on the progress of the decision. We may also find it desirable for both agencies to develop a cooperative framework to coordinate our respective functions at the site and would be interested in EPA's view on the need for such a framework.
I have been assigned Project Management responsibilities for NRC's oversight of the decommissioning activities at the Newport site (with respect to the thorium waste).
Please contact me at (301) 504-3466 if you have any questions concerning this response or would like to discuss the need for a cooperative framework.
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I would also like to arrange a visit to the site with you in the near future to familiarize myself with the site characteristics and meet representatives of Du Pont at the site.
Sincerely, Dig!ndSDTdBy Heather M. Astwood Newport Site Project Manager Decommissioning and Regulatory Issues Branch Division of low-level Waste Management and Decommissioning Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards In small Box on "0FC:" line enter: C - Cover E<= Cover & Enclosure N - No Copy b
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