ML23319A353
| ML23319A353 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | WM-00042 |
| Issue date: | 11/29/2023 |
| From: | Barnes K NRC Region 1 |
| To: | NRC Region 1 |
| References | |
| Download: ML23319A353 (1) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION I 475 ALLENDALE ROAD, SUITE 102 KING OF PRUSSIA, PA 19406-1415 November 29, 2023 MEMORANDUM TO: Docket File WM-000042 Digitally signed by Anthony M. Anthony M. Dimitriadis Date: 2023.11.30 THRU: Anthony Dimitriadis, Chief Dimitriadis 10:46:40 -05'00' Decommissioning, ISFSI, and Reactor Health Physics Branch Division of Radiological Safety and Security Digitally signed by Katherine L.
Katherine L. Barnes FROM: Katherine Barnes, Health Physicist Barnes Date: 2023.11.29 14:20:35
-05'00' Decommissioning, ISFSI, and Reactor Health Physics Branch Division of Radiological Safety and Security
SUBJECT:
NRC OBSERVATIONAL SITE VISIT AT THE CANONSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA DISPOSAL SITE On October 24, 2023, Region I U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) inspectors conducted an observational site visit at the U.S. Department of Energys (DOE) Canonsburg, Pennsylvania Disposal Site in Washington County, Pennsylvania. This site visit was conducted in accordance with NRC guidance dated September 7, 2012. The purpose of the site visit was to observe DOEs routine annual inspection of the facility and 5-year routine groundwater sampling. The enclosure of this memorandum is the NRCs trip report for this observational site visit.
In summary, DOE representatives conducted the annual inspection in accordance with the guidance provided in the Long-Term Surveillance Plan dated March 2013. No significant regulatory issues or safety concerns were identified during the site visit.
Docket No.: WM-000042
Enclosure:
NRC Trip Report cc w/encl: Tiffany Drake, Site Manager United States Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management 7295 Highway 94 South St. Charles, MO 63304 CONTACT: Katherine Barnes, RI/DRSS 610-337-5323
Memo to Docket File WM-000042 2 cc w/encl (contd):
Ken Broberg, UMTRCA Title I Site Lead RSI Entech Contractor to the U.S. Department of Energy 1800 Carillon Blvd.
Cincinnati, OH 45240 Dwight Shearer, Director Bureau of Radiation Protection Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Rachel Carson State Office Building PO Box 8469 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105-8469 Barbara Bookser, Radiation Protection Program Manager Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection SW Radiation Protection Division Southwest Regional Office 400 Waterfront Drive Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-4745
Memo to Docket File WM-000042 3
SUBJECT:
NRC OBSERVATIONAL SITE VISIT AT THE CANONSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA DISPOSAL SITE DATED NOVEMBER 29, 2023 DISTRIBUTION:
BVonTill, DUWP, NMSS CMcKenney, DUWP, NMSS SKoenick, DUWP, NMSS PKrohn, DRSS RI JZimmerman, DRSS, RI KBarnes, DRSS, RI ATaverna, DRSS, RI REvans, DRSS, Region IV DOCUMENT NAME: https://usnrc.sharepoint.com/teams/Region-I-Decommissioning-Branch/Inspection Reports/Inspection Reports - Draft/Canonsburg Disposal Site Visit 2023.docx SUNSI Review Complete: KBarnes ADAMS ACCESSION ML23319A353 After declaring this document An Official Agency Record it will be released to the Public.
To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box: C = Copy w/o attach/encl E = Copy w/ attach/encl N = No copy OFFICE DRSS/RI N DRSS/RI N NAME KBarnes/KB ADimitriadis/ad DATE 11/20/2023 11/29/2023 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION I MONITORING VISIT Docket: WM-000042 Report: WM-000042/23-001 Licensee: U.S. Department of Energy Facility: Canonsburg, Pennsylvania Disposal Site Location: Canonsburg, Pennsylvania Date: October 24, 2023 Inspectors: Katherine Barnes, Health Physicist Decommissioning, ISFSI, and Reactor Health Physics Branch Division of Radiological Safety and Security Miranda Ross, General Engineer NRAN Nuclear Regulatory Apprenticeship Network Branch Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer Zee St. Hilaire, General Engineer NRAN Nuclear Regulatory Apprenticeship Network Branch Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer Approved by: Anthony Dimitriadis, Chief Decommissioning, ISFSI, and Reactor Health Physics Branch Division of Radiological Safety and Security
Attachment:
Photographs Taken at the Canonsburg, Pennsylvania Disposal Site Enclosure
REPORT DETAILS
1. Background
The licensing, custody, and long-term care requirements of residual radioactive material disposal sites closed under Title I of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) of 1978, as amended, can be found in 10 CFR 40.27. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is the general licensee for these sites and conducts the program for the long-term surveillance and maintenance program for each inactive uranium ore processing site under a Long-Term Surveillance Plan (LTSP) that has been accepted by the NRC. The LTSP provides instructions for institutional controls of the site. These controls include deed restrictions, site markers, survey monuments, boundary markers, gates, fences, signs and environmental sampling and analysis. The physical features of the site are inspected once per year by DOE staff. The Long-Term Surveillance Plan for the U.S. Department of Energy Canonsburg Uranium Mill Tailings Disposal Site Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, March 2013, provides the guidance for DOE in fulfilling the general license requirements.
The Canonsburg, Pennsylvania Disposal Site is a former uranium ore processing facility located in the Borough of Canonsburg, Washington County, Pennsylvania. The site lies between Chartiers Creek to the west, north, and east and the Pittsburgh and Ohio Central Railroad tracks to the south. The surrounding land is primarily residential and is moderately populated. The former mill processed uranium and other ores at various periods between 1911 and 1957 for extraction of radium and uranium. The historical operations at the site generated radioactive mill tailings that contaminated the site and some surrounding vicinity properties. A portion of the tailings were shipped approximately 50 miles away to Burrell, Pennsylvania for use as railroad fill. This material was consolidated and stabilized in place in a disposal cell at the Burrell site (place ADAMS number here for the last report for Burrell sot that there is a cross tie between the two sites). Processing operations at the Canonsburg site ceased in 1957 and for the next nine years the site was used for storage under a U.S. Atomic Energy Commission contract. The site was subsequently sold and used for light industrial purposes.
Remediation at the site consisted of consolidating contaminated materials from the Canonsburg site and local contaminated vicinity properties into an onsite engineered disposal cell. The cell contains approximately 226,000 tons of contaminated material with a total activity of 100 curies of radium-226 (Ra-226). The cell occupies approximately 6 acres of the 37-acre site. The disposal cell was closed in 1985. A three-acre parcel outside the restricted area, Area C, was sold to a private party. The transferred property carries restrictions limiting excavation, disturbance of the creek bank, prohibits residential use, and allows for monitoring.
The cell is lined with compacted clay to prevent groundwater contamination. The tailings were placed on the clay liner and covered with a multi-layer system designed to isolate the contaminated materials. The cover includes a low-permeability layer of compacted clay, a protective rock layer, and vegetated topsoil. The clay layer is designed to prevent the escape of radon-222 gas (from the decay of Ra-226), and in conjunction with the other materials, provides for rapid runoff and minimizes infiltration of precipitation. The cell is graded to promote drainage away from the disposal cell and has been vegetated to further prevent erosion. A chain link fence with warning signs surrounds the property 2
to prevent unauthorized access. Locked gates allow for vehicle and pedestrian access.
Site markers placed near the entrance of the site and on top of the cell identify the site and show the date of closure and contents of the cell. Erosion control markers have been placed between the fence perimeter and the creek. Contractors perform routine, periodic landscaping maintenance activities (primarily mowing) during the year.
- 2. Site Status The DOE conducted the last annual inspection of the Canonsburg, Pennsylvania Disposal Site in October 2022. The inspection concluded that, with the exception of a few minor maintenance items, the disposal cell and all associated drainage diversion structures were in good condition and functioning as designed. No evidence of erosion or slope instability were observed on the disposal cell.
The DOE monitors groundwater quality in samples from five monitoring wells and one surface water sample in Chartiers Creek. The previous routine groundwater sampling was conducted in 2018. Additionally, groundwater sampling was conducted during the 2023 site inspection. Past groundwater monitoring results have indicated uranium contamination in some groundwater samples, but results have been less than the site-specific alternate concentration limit, and no milling-related constituents have been detected in samples of creek water. Analytical results from the 2023 sampling were not available as of this writing.
- 3. Site Observations and Findings DOE and its contractors prepared an inspection checklist to identify items to review during the inspection. The checklist included requirements for the inspectors to make direct observations of the disposal cell, site perimeter, outlying areas, vegetation, and various site-specific features. The inspection staff included the DOE site manager and two contractors. Inspection observers included one DOE representative, three NRC representatives, and six Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) representatives.
The DOE inspectors checked the disposal cell for evidence of erosion, settlement, slumping, displacement, and any other feature that would require maintenance or repair.
The revegetation along the stream bank continues to mature, and the stream bank and riprap armoring remained stable and in good condition. The DOE inspectors identified animal burrows west of the cell to be filled in, which did not affect the integrity of the cell.
At the time of the observational site visit, the property was enclosed by a chain link fence and locked gates. Other institutional controls in place at the site included site markers, perimeter warning signs, boundary monuments, and erosion control markers. These institutional controls were found to be in place and in good condition, with minor exceptions. Minor maintenance needs identified in the previous site inspection were addressed, such as replacement of a perimeter sign and repair of a boundary monument. Additional signs with improved visibility had been added in the southwest corner of the property outside of the fenced area. No evidence of human intrusion was identified within the restricted area. No deep-rooted vegetation was identified on the top or side slopes of the cell that would impact cell performance. With respect to Area C, the DOE inspectors noted no activities that were contrary to the restrictions on the parcel.
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The NRC inspectors observed groundwater sampling activities performed by a DOE contractor and f determined that sampling was conducted in accordance with procedures.
The NRC inspectors measured the ambient gamma exposure rate at several locations using a Thermo Scientific MicroRem meter (NRC No. 09039, calibrated 07/11/23). The background exposure rates ranged from 5-10 microRoentgens per hour (R/hr). The exposure rates measured were not significantly different from background.
- 4. Conclusions The NRC inspectors concluded that the DOE inspectors conducted the site inspection in accordance with the requirements specified in the LTSP dated March 2013. The disposal cell appeared to be structurally intact, the cover in good condition, and the perimeter secure. No threats to the integrity of the disposal cell were identified. Minor maintenance needs were noted by the DOE representatives for future disposition.
- 5. Meeting Summary The NRC inspectors participated in a planning and coordination meeting with the DOE site manager and site contractors prior to commencing the site inspection. During this meeting, the participants discussed the site status, the inspection plan, potential hazards, and personal protective equipment. At the conclusion of the inspection, the DOE site manager and site contractors noted the site status and recorded minor maintenance needs.
- 6. Persons Contacted K. Broberg, Site Lead, RSI Entech T. Drake, Site Manager, DOE L. McHenry, RSI ECO East Team N. Olin, Site Manager, DOE M. Stott, Water Sampler, RSI EMO East Team B. Bookser, Radiation Protection Program Manager, PADEP 4
Figure 1: Canonsburg Disposal Cell (looking northwest); image captured on October 24, 2023 Attachment
Figure 2: Groundwater sampling at monitoring well 0424; image captured on October 24, 2023 2