ML20148D408

Requests Consideration in Establishing Realistic Background Radiation Basis.Excerpt from Data Taken in Apr 1963 Encl

ML20148D408
Person / Time
Site:	Wood River Junction
Issue date:	07/09/1980
From:	Bowers C UNC RECOVERY SYSTEMS, UNITED NUCLEAR CORP. (SUBS. OF UNC, INC.)
To:	Crow W NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
Shared Package
ML20148D399	List: ML20148D396 ML20148D400 ML20148D408
References
16837, CEB-80-109, NUDOCS 8009170005
Download: ML20148D408 (2)

Text

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United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mr. W.

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Crow, Branch Chief Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Fuel Processing and Fabrication Branch Washington, DC 20555

Dear'Mr. Crow:

i In delivering final criteria for release of UNC's Wood River Junction property, we request that due consideration be given to establishing a realistic background radiation basis.

Such background data was published in our Environmental Information re-port (UNC-EI-1, December 1974), filed with our most recent license renewal application.

The enclosed excerpt from Section H of Volume II of that report summarizes data taken in April 1963.

Plea'se note that beta radiation levels of as high as

' N 31 pCi/l occurred in drinking water sources, and as high.. ar 262 pCi/l occurred in water collections in the Pawcatbbk River area.

Indeed, a pond near Wood River JuncMion had background levels of over 100 pCi/1.

Accordingly, to use drinniac vater standards as abso-lute lima.'s (gross beta of 50) pCi/1) not only appears contradictey to the ERP.'s. interim standards but also unrealist!.c compared to potential background.

UNC will cooperate in any practicable way in establish-ing such reasonable limits and in adhering to them.

Your cooperation is appreciated in this matter.

Sincerely, UNC RECOVERY SYSTEMS j

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RESULTS OF ANALYSES ON SAMPLES TAKEN ON RH,0DE ISLAND ~ SITE, UNITED NUCLEAR TABLE 1 - WATER DATA AeRit, 1963 LOCATION DESCRIPT10g ALPHA PCI/L BETA PCI/L

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I'UCKERTOWN DRINKING WATER 6i2 ;

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WAKEFIELD DRINKING WATER 010.5 15 3 3.

DRAKE, BOUCHARD

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& HEATON ORCHARD ROAD DRINKING WATER 17i3 31i4 4.

.CAROLl'NA DRINKING WATER 41 1614 5.

CHAPMAN POND POND WATER 0.4io.4 53+5 5.

WATCHAUG POND POND WATER 0.2 0.4 5015 7.

SCHOOL House POND WATER 0.510.5 39i4 8.

WORDEN POND WATER 1.310.6 10316 9.

LARKIN POND WATER 02.0.4 19919

10. WOODVILLE STREAM POND WATER 0.210.4 4714

11. PAWCATUCK)

_ POND WATER 0.4ia 4 11016 RIVER (A

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13. OLD MILL RD, POND WATER 21 9316

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SWAMP WATER 0.5 0.5 262 11

15. INDIAN CEDAR SWAMP WATER 31 5615

10. PASQUISET POND WATre 211 6715-U. C DAR hWAMP Si.' AMP WATER 0.Si0,5 8616 18.. WOOD RIVER JCT, POND WATER Ot0.4

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1 the Honorable E6ard P. Beard United States House of Representatives 307 Post Office Annex Providence, Rhode Island 02901

Dear Congresstran. Beard:

He are pleased to 'espond to your letter of July 2,1980, to Comis$icn$r d

. Joseph 11. Hendrie regarding the radionuclides found in the groun water under the United Nuclear Corporation's property at Hood River Junction, Rhode I-land.

Listed below' are our responses to the questions posed in your letter:

1.

What vitt be the tong-tem eflcate of the mdioc.4ive vastes on grour.&.31ter in Ch::::<testoen?

Response: When the groundwater contamination was brought to HRC's attentien in 1977, the staff requested geohydrologist, Dr. Donald Warner of the Missouri School of Mines, to evaluate the situation for NRC.

His response was as follows:

"As a result of my review of the available informtion concerning the effects of the United Nuclear Corporation Uranium Recovery Plant on groun6 rater in the vicinity of the plant and as a result of my visit to the plant, I have reached the following conclusio: s:

1.

Most of the liquid waste disposed into ponds at the plant during its operation and up until mid-1977 raust have escaped into the ubsurface,'where it has caused groun6 rater contamination.

This conclusion is based on the fact that the storage capacity of the ponds was limited to a fraction of.the liquid produced; and, since precipitation exceeds evaporation, there is no where else for the liquid to have gone'.

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_The plume'of contamination apparently extends from the waste pondt northwestward to the Par:catuck River, where it proSably enters the river. Con-l taminants have not been detected and most likely are not present in groundwater on the other side of the river.

3.

Removal of pond B has probably eliminated the principal source of groundwater contamintion ar.d

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I liquid wastes are apparently being conteined in the lined trenchos that replaced pond B.

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~the capacity of these trenches is limited to about 10 months of plant effluent and a permanent dis-posal ::ethod che,uld be devised before the trenches

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are filled.'

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.The contaminant.s now in the groundwater do not j

l appear to pose any imediate threat to a water supply.

If no new contaminants are introduced, the present cc,ntaminant plume will,be flushed out

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i over a period of years and should not interfere with develop: rent of the aquifer for water supply at some later date."

2.

What quanMKas of radioactivity are deemed " safe" for hwnan beinge and whac are the tevete of radioactivity in tha test ucMe located s'n the area?

Based on the assumption that there is no threst.old for Response;long-term health effects from low-level radiation, there is possible no level of radioactivity. no matter how small, which can be considered.

" risk-free". However, radiation protection standards have been 1

established at levels such that the risk to the general public and environment is minimal. ---

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1 The level of radioactivity in the test wells located on the UNC site can be compared with the maxintum permissible concentration of radionuclides in water discharged to un"estriced areas as specified in Apgendix B of HRC's regulation Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 20,

" Standards for Protection Against Radiation." The average concentr' tions a

of radionuclides in the plume of ground water, contamination under United Nuclear's property are less than 10% of the concentrations specified in Part 20, except for strontium-90 which averaps about -

40% of the Part 20 concentration. At the present time, there is no f

public access to these' wells..

The Environmental Prot 5ction Agency has published standards for radionu-clides in dr4nking riater from a municipal water treatnent facility; however, those standards do not apply to groundwater and uranium is specificalb excluded frota the standards, h

2

'r, The Honorable Edward P. Beard 3

'3.

If radioactivity 2 eis of the groundoater are higher than safety tinits, hou long would it take nature or rectify the situation 7 Response: ' At this time, the NRC cannot state, with any degree of certainty, how long it will take the aquifer to purge itself, however, the NRC has made a commitment to the State of Rhode Island that we will have our consultant, Dr. Warner, reevaluate the contamination in the aquif er and predict,'if possible, how long it will take to purge itself to background concentrations, We will also ask Dr. Warner.

to recommend what actions, if any, can be taken to speed up the

. process.

4.

What procedures tatt: be followed in deccmiseioning the United Nuclear Corporasion plant so that the environment w*st be protectedt.

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• Standtrd techniques and procedures will be followed during the deco temination process prior to decomissioning. These include chemice nd mechanical cleaning to remove surf ace contamination and removal ad packaging of contaminated solids, including soil, prior to i'

shipme, to e licensed burial ground. T!.ere are standard conditions in the carrent license regarding precautions and monitoring that must be followed to assure the safety of the employees and protection of the environment. These conditions will rer.ain in effect until the license is tenninated. -

5.

hitttheNRCtueanactiveroteinthisproceset Response: The NRC's Of# ice of Inspection and Enforcement will continue to inspect the facility during the decommissioning process to assure that all conditions of the license are inet. Also, prior to tenninating the license, the HRC will conduct a verification survey to assure the2 the facilities and grounds cen be released for unrestricted use.

6.

Who is legatty liable for the cost of cleaning the contamination?

Response

United Nuclear Resources Company is liable for the ost of decontaminating the property.

Enclosed is a copy of a letter froin a Corporate Vice-President comitting the Corporation to~ supplying the necessary funds for the decocrnissioning effort.

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The Honorable Edward P. Beard ;

If we-:an be of further assistance in' this matter, please contact'me.

Sincerely, (gggesylillum1.DN4 4

William J. Dircks r

Acting Executive Director for Operations

Enclosure:

As stated e e' n'

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Robert L..Stevenson cr4F.r2x.i osce' Uranium fuel Fabrication Section Fuel Processing and Fabrication Branch Division of Fuel Cycle and Material Safety

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Subject:

Financial Surety for Decomissioning. Wood River Junction Plant License SNH-777

Reference:

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FCPF:RLS70-820

Dear Mr Stevenson:

3 In response te the request contained in your above referenced letter, UNC Resources, Inc. commits to provide the fund when needed for decontamination and decomissioning of its United Huclear Corporation Wood River Junction site.

Sincerely, RCW:sfs

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Joseph H. Hendrie, Chairmen w

Nuclear Regulatory Cort.miss'.onb gg i 2 980 > 7_y Ma.;h;g g )1ashin ggp M D 4C,Jr2S545e-id kA'.j [ gri GCIPM 7._-.A{!.{' g 1717 H Street, N.W.

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Dear Mr. Hendrie:

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facing relative to disclosures made by the U. S. Ceological Sur-vey indicating contamination of groundwater by radioactive wastes.

.As you.can imagine, more than a little concern has been expressed.

If you would kindly address in understandable layman's terms the following questions, it would be appreciated:

1)

What will be.the long-term effects of the radio-active wastes on groundwater in Charlestown?

2)

What quantities of radioactivity are deemed " safe" for human beings and what are the levels of radioactivity in the test wells located in the area?

.D If radioactivity levels of the groundwater are higher than safety limits, how long would it take nature to rectify the situation?

4)

What procedures will be followed in decommissioning the United Nuclear Corporation plant so that the environ-ment wil.' be protected?

5)

Will the NRC take an &ctive role in this process?

6)

Who is legally liable for the cost of cleaning the contamination?

Please send all correspondence to my Providence office.

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t' Joseph M. Hendrie, Chairman July 2, 3.980 s

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i Thank you for your attention in this matter..

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