ML20247K863
| ML20247K863 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/12/1998 |
| From: | Joseph Holonich NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Tillman J ENERGY, DEPT. OF |
| References | |
| REF-WM-54 NUDOCS 9805220226 | |
| Download: ML20247K863 (5) | |
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UNITED STATES e
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY CO*1 MISSION WASHINGTON, D.i 405W0001 May 12, 1998 I
Mr. Jack Tillman U.S. Department of Energy Grand Junction Office 2597 8 3/4 Road Grand Junction, CO 81503
SUBJECT:
GRAND JUNCTION STEEL PROPERTY CLEANUP
Dear Mr. Tillman:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received a copy of a letter (copy enclosed) from Mr. Jeffery Deckler, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), to Ms. Sharon Kercher, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), dated March 3,1998, in which Mr. Deckler seeks EPA approval for disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)-contaminated radioactive material to be placed in the Grand Junction, Colorado, Cheney uranium mill tailings disposal cell. The PCBs-contamiliated material was discovered during the cleanup efforts at the Grand Junction Steel property. The CDPHE letter, final paragraph, also requests that NRC concur with the option of placing the PCBs-contaminated material in the Cheney cell, and states that CDPHE will begin discussions with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) following approval from EPA and NRC.
Under Title I of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radia'. ion Control Act (UMTRCA), NRC must concur that DOE's actions for cleanup and remediation of inactive tailings sites meet standards set by EPA for the disposal of residual radioactive material. In addition, UMTRCA requires that the tailings disposal sites be licensed under the general NRC license for long-term care with DOE as the NRC licensee and long-term care custodian. Because NRC's licensee for the Cheney disposal site is DOE, the request for NRC concurrence to place PCBs-contamint'ed radioactive materialin the Cheney cell must come from DOE.
In a letter of December 11,1995, NRC agreea with the placement of 61 cubic yards of PCBs-contaminated material from the former Grand Junction processing site in the Cheney cell.
NRC's decision was based on information provided by DOE in its letter of July 8,1992, and
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documentation in Project interface Document 05-S-61 for the Cheney site. In addition, DOE provided documentation of approval by EPA (letter of May 13,1992, from Michael F. Wood, Office of Compliance Monitoring, EPA, to Michael K. Tucker, DOE Grand Junction Projects Office) to place PCBs-contaminated material in the Cheney cel!. EPA's approval was conditioned with the statement that its decision was " based on the specific circumstances of the case and may not be applied to any other situation or waste."
Therefore, if DOE proposes to allow disposal of PCBs-contaminated material from the Grand Junction Steel property in the Cheney cell, DOE should notify NRC that it pro p
action and request NRC concurrence. Any such proposal should include information related to the type, quantity, and concentration of material (including the maximum and average specific
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Colorado Department Denver, Co7orado 80246-1530 Crand lunctinn, Colorado 81501-2768 Phone 001) 692 3300 Phone (970P 248-7164 of Public Health I ax 11011759-5355 Iax e370) 243-7198 and Environment hlarch 3,1998 Sharon Kercher, Director l
Technical Enforcement Program (8-ENF-T)
Environmental Protection Agency 99918th Street, Ste 500
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Denver, Colorado 80202-2466
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Re: PCB hiixed Waste
Dear Nis. Kercher:
1 In 1992, EPA headquaners, in conjunction with Region VIII, issued a letter (dated Niay 13, 1992) which allowed the dispo2,al of 61 cubic yards of PCB-contaminated radioactive material in the Uranium hiill Tailings Remedial Action (UhfTRA) Prograu Cheney Disposal Ceil in hiesa j
County, Colorado. The letter asserted EPA' jurisdiction over this material, and stated that enforcement action would not be appropriate should the material be disposed of at Cheney. The determination was based on the PCB concentration of the material, the design of the disposal cell, and the fact that ti.ere is no dh posal facility authorized to take PCB-contaminated radioactive material.
We are seeking similar approval and enforcement discretion for some additional material which has been discovered in our cleanup efforts at the Grand Junction Steel property. The materialin l
question is uranium mill tailings located in a steel fabrication yard. The PCBs in this material are believed to originate from a transformer on a power pole outside the facility, however, there is no definitive proof regarding ongination of the PCBs. Results of the original sampling, which occurred several years ago, showed PCBs ranging from 61 to 1500 ppra. While the UI ITRA J
Program was trying to decide what, if anything, could be done with this material, operations at the business continued. These operations resulted in further disturbance and dilution of this material.
In consultation with Dan Bench of Region Vill, it was determined that the material should be containeri ed pending final disposal. Additional sampling was performed to determine the
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excavation boundaries, which were set by Region Vlli as requiring excavation of any material with greater than 2 ppm PCB. This sampling, which was conducted in 1997, indicated a PCB range of 2 to 93 ppm. Approximately 200 yards of material was excavated and containerized on j
site, and verification sampling was performed to insure all material was excavated as necessary.
i Although the material within the containers has not been resampled, a simple area averaging
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would indicate an average concentration of approximately 15 ppm PCB.
1 Enclosure
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J. Tillman May 12, 1998 activity). In view of the EPA's conditioned approval in its letter of May 13,1992, the DOE request should be accompanied by EPA's approval to dispose of the contaminated materialin the Cheney cell.
9 Thank you for your attention in this matter. If you have any questions concerning this letter, please contact Ms. Charlotte Abrams, of my staff, at (301) 415-5808.
Sincerely,
[0riginal signed by]
Joseph J. Holonich, Chief Uranium Recovery Branch Division of Waste Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
Enclosure:
As stated cc: J. Deckler, CDPHE D. Simpson, CDPHE J. Hams, CDPHE G. Rael, DOE Alb.
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1 J. Tillman activity). In view of the EPA's conditioned approvalin its letter of May 13,1992, the DOF.
request should be accompanied by EPA's approval to dispose of the contaminated materialin the Cheney cell.
Thank you for your attention in this matter. If you have any questions concerning this letter, please contact Ms. Charlotte Abrams, of my staff, at (301) 415-5808.
Sincerely, hr Joseph J. Holonich, Chief Uranium Recovery Branch Division of Waste Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
Enclosure:
As stated cc: J. Deckler, CDPHE D. Simpson, CDPHE J. Hams, CDPHE G. Rael, DOE Alb.
S. Kercher, EPA / Den l
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