ML20236U751

Submits Comments on Draft Environ Impact Statement for Bwx Technologies Shallow Land Disposal Area in Park Township, Pa.Bwx Technologies Encl

ML20236U751
Person / Time
Site:	07000364, 07003085
Issue date:	07/27/1998
From:	Jim Hickey NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
To:	Matviya J PENNSYLVANIA, COMMONWEALTH OF
Shared Package
ML20236U753	List: ML20236U751 ML20236U755
References
NUDOCS 9807300416
Download: ML20236U751 (4)

Text

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f*%k UNITED STATES s* j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.c. 2006H001 l

\ ***y i July 27, 1998 Mr. John J. Matviya, Regional Manager

! Environmental Cleanup Program

! Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection 400 Waterford Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4745

Dear 'Ar. Matviya:

I am writing in response to your letter dated June 15,1998, transmitting the Pennsylvania

, Department of Environmental Protection's (PADEP's) comments on the Draft Environmental

impact Statement (DEIS) for BWX Technologies' (BWXT's) Shallow Land Disposal Area (SLDA) in Parks Township, PA.

On May 27,1998, after the public meeting to discuss the decommissioning of the SLDA, you 4 stated that PADEP had completed its review of the DEIS and asked if the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff was still willing to accept comments on the DEIS, although NRC had I

withdrawn the DEIS in late August 1997. We responded that we would accept PADEP's comments on the DEIS and that we would consider them in all subsequent reviews of information and submittals pertaining to the decommissioning of the SLDA. Although the NRC staff is still in the process of reviewing your comments, and may have questions or comments '

in the future, I want to thank you and your staff for your efforts in reviewing the DEIS and stress that your comments will be considered as the decommissioning of the SLDA moves forward.

On another matter, on July 9,1998, BWXT requested that condition 14a of the radioactive materials license for the SLDA, which requires that BWXT submit a decommissioning plan for the SLDA within 6 months of NRC's publication of the Record of Decision for the Environmental Impact Statement for the SLDA, be deleted and that it be replaced with a requirement to submit a decommissioning plan for the SLDA by December 6,2000. A copy of BWXT's request is )

enclosed for your information. Currently, NRC staff is evaluating BWXT's request, and while the staff has not determined whether the request is acceptable as currently written, the request does raise several questions concerning the roles of NRC and PADEP in approving the decommissioning plan, in light of the State's plans to become an NRC Agreement State in 2000. We would like to discuss this issue in more detail with you and your staff and will be contacting you to arrange this discussion in the near future.

l Also, during a phone conversation with BWXT staff on July 9,1998, BWXT staff indicated that t

they were considering reducing the groundwater monitoring at the SLDA from quarterly to annually. BWXT staff stated that the radioactive materials license for the SLDA allows them to 1 L modify the environmental monitoring program, without prior approval from NRC, as long as the

! changes do not reduce the overall effectiveness of the program. BWXT staff stated that they l

believed that reducing the groundwater monitoring to an annual schedule would not reduce the I

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i Mr. John J. Matviya .

effectiveness of the program because the results of groundwater monitoring for the past several years do not indicate that radioactive material in excess of the applicable limits has been detected in the groundwater. Based on commitments made by BWXT staff during the phone conversation on July 9,1998, NRC staff expects BWXT staff to provide NRC with a letter discussing their plans to reduce the groundwater monitoring program for the SLDA and solicit NRC staff comments on the proposed reduction. When this letter is received from BWXT, we would like to discuss it with you prior to responding.

If you have any questions concerning this letter, please contact Dominick A. Orlando at (301) 415-6749.

Sincerely,

/

John W.N. Hickey, Chief Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning Projects Branch Division of Waste Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards License Nos.: SNM-414 SNM-2001 Docket Nos.: 70-364 70-3085

Enclosure:

As stated cc:SLDA dist list l

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, July 27,1998 Mr. John J.'Matviya l effectiveness of the program because the results of groundwater monitoring for the past several

! years do not indicate that radioactive material in excess of the applicable limits has been I l detected in the groundwater. Based on commitments made by BWXT staff during the phone f conversation on July 9,1998, NRC staff expects BWXT staff to provide NRC with a letter discussing their plans to reduce the groundwater monitoring program for the SLDA and solicit NRC staff comments on the proposed reduction. When this letter is received from BWXT we j l would like to discuss it with you prior to forwarding our comments to BWXT.

l If you have any questions concerning this letter, please contact Dominick A. Orlando at l (301) 415-6749.

Sincerely,

[originalsignedby:]

John W.N. Hickey, Chief Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning Projects Branch i Division of Waste Management l Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Lic;nsa Nos.: SNM-414

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SNM-2001 Dock t Nos.: 70-364 70-3085 Encic ure: As stated cc: SLDA dist. list < ,

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TICKET: n/a l DISTRIBUTION: Central File LLDP r/f DWM r/f NMSS r/f RJohnson PUBLIC TJIckson, RI MRoberts, RI SGagner,OPA TMadden,0CA f. G g (M y[,. I "S::o pr:v,ous i concurrence DOCUMENT NAME: S:\DWM\LLDP\DAO\SLDAMATV.WPD OFC LLDP* LLDFM//// OGk/f OSP [ ,- Lh N NAME DOrlando RNelbn / / hMv

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DATE 07/15 /98 07/jff/98 07 M /98 07/M/98 07/ d/98 OFC DWM ,

l NAME MWeber DATE 07/2 t/98 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY LSS: YES NO X ACNW. YES NO X IG: YES, NO X Delete file after distribution YES NO 1

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effectiveness of the program because the results of groundwater monitoring for ttye' past several years do not indicate that radioactive materialin excess of the applicable limits has been detected in the groundwater. Based on commitments made by BWXT staff pdring the phone conversation on July 9,1998, NRC staff expects BWXT staff to provide NRC with a lette-discussing their plans to reduce the groundwater monitoring program for {he SLDA and r;olicit NRC staff comments on the proposed reductiosi. When thi.s letter is /r ceived from BWXT we would like to discuss it with you prior to forwarding our comments t 'BWXT.

If you have any questions concerning this letter please contact ominick A. Orlando at (301) 415-6749.

Sincerely, John .N. Hickey, Chief Low- evel Waste and Decommissioning Pr jects Branch Di ision of Waste Management ffice of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

Enclosure:

As stated cc: SLDA dist. list TICKET: n/a DISTRIBUTION: Central File LLDP r/f WM r/f NMSS r/f RJohnson PUBLIC TJackson,RI MRoberts, RI SGagner,0 A TMadden,0CA DOCUMENT NAME: S:iDWM\LLDP\DAO,\ DAMATV.WPD OFC LLDP ,l LLD -) /.

OGC OSP LLDP NAME DOrlandd R lso JHickey DATE 07/ /$'/98 . 7/ f /98 07/ /98 07/ /98 07/ /98

/

OFC DWM  ! l NAME MWeber _ /

DATE_07/ /98  !

/ OFFICIAL RECORD COPY LSS: YES NO X ACNW: YES NO X lG: YES NO X Delete file after distnbution YES NO

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