ML20204F635

Expresses Appreciation to NRC for Forwarding Copy of Insp Rept 50-022/99-201 Reflecting Results of 990203 Insp of W Test Reactor at Waltz Mill Site.Review of Insp Rept Raises Listed Concerns.Nrc Help in Matter Would Be Appreciated

ML20204F635
Person / Time
Site:	Waltz Mill
Issue date:	03/18/1999
From:	Dreier T PENNSYLVANIA, COMMONWEALTH OF
To:	Weiss S NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
References
50-022-99-201, 50-22-99-201, NUDOCS 9903250332
Download: ML20204F635 (2)

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1. , Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection 400 Waterfront Drive I Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4745 l March 18,1999 Southwest Regional Office 412-442-4000 l Fax 412-442-4328 1 l

Seymour H. Weiss, Director Non-Power Reactors and Decommissioning Project Directorate Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs i Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 I i

i Re: NRC Inspection Report 50-22/99-701 j Westinghouse, Waltz Mill Site Sewickley Township Westmoreland County

Dear Mr. Weiss:

Thank you for sending us a copy of your Inspection Report No. 50-22/99-201 reflecting results of your February 3,1999 inspection of the Westinghouse Test Reactor at the Waltz Mill Site. Our review of your inspection report raises several concerns as follows:

Under Section RI.2b on Page 3 of the inspection report, the entry appears accurate with respect to the fact that a permit has been issued by the Department of Environmental Protection to treat and discharge contaminated water from the Waltz Mill site. The entry also indicates that such a discharge should be in compliance with state discharge requirements. As a point of clarification our state permit imposes limitations on a number of chemical parameters found in the contaminated wastewater at the  :

site. However, with respect to radioactivity, our permit solely references your agency's requirements.

Therefore we assume that your agency and Westinghouse monitor the discharges for radioactive constituents in accordance with your regulations for comp,liance. If our understanding is incorrect, we would appreciate your clarification. 33 Secondly, we were surprised to note that the inspection report made no mention of the radioactive contamination which has been identified in stream sediments outside the limits of the Waltz Mill site. Westinghouse recently conducted a radiological scoping survey in several phases from

August 5 to September 11,1998. Considering this contamination appears to exceed your standards, we l assumed that you would be requiring a full characterization with respect to the extent of this i

contamination as well as requiring the necessary cleanup. Could you clarify why this aspect of the site was not mentioned in the inspection report?

l 9903250332 990318 PDR ADOCK 05000022 I Agg i H 0 PDR ( l f)

.c4 An Equal opportui.ity imployn www.dep. state.pa.us Pnoted on Recyled ' aper D

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Seymour H. Weiss, Director March 18,1999 I t "9 Finally on a minor note, our copy of the inspection report was properly addressed to

'400 Waterfront Drive Pittsburgh PA 15222 however the specific addressee Mr Bruce B evilacqua

. Manager, Pa. Department of Environmental Protection appears to be in error. Mr. Bevilacqua is not an i employee of the Department, however, based upon the inspection report's " Partial List of Persons Contacted" during your inspection Mr. Bevilacqua is listed as " Manager, Waltz Mill Site."

Your confirmation with respect to monitoring and regulating the radioactivity in the treated wastewater discharges as well as characterizing and removing the offsite contamination will be much appreciated. ~ We look forward to your earliest response. ,

- Sincer -

Tim V. Dreier Regional Manager Water Management l

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