ML17356A084

12/13/2017 NMFS Call Summary Regarding Westinghouse Cfff License Renewal Sturgeon Consultation

ML17356A084
Person / Time
Site:	Westinghouse
Issue date:	01/24/2018
From:	Jessie Quintero Environmental Review Branch
To:	Roman C Environmental Review Branch
Quintero J
References
Download: ML17356A084 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 January 24, 2018 MEMORANDUM TO: Cinthya I. Román, Chief Environmental Review Branch Division of Fuel Cycle Safety, Safeguards and Environmental Review Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards FROM: Jessie Quintero, Environmental Project Manager \RA\

Environmental Review Branch Division of Fuel Cycle Safety, Safeguards and Environmental Review Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

SUMMARY

OF TELECONFERENCE WITH SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL RELATED TO THE UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS REVIEW OF WESTINGHOUSES COLUMBIA FUEL FABRICATION FACILITY LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION On December 13, 2017, the staff from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) held a teleconference to discuss the NRCs review of Westinghouse Electric Companys (WEC) license renewal application for its Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility (CFFF) and SCDHECs ongoing Voluntary Cleanup Contract (VCC) and its review of WECs National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) renewal application. Participants on the call included:

Ms. Addie Walker, Mr. Bryon Amick with SCDHEC, and Ms. Jessie Quintero with the NRC.

Call Summary Ms. Quintero, the NRCs Environmental Project Manager, gave a brief status of the NRCs environmental review, under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for WECs license renewal application to allow CFFF to operate for 40 years. The NRC staff is preparing a draft CONTACT: Jessie Quintero, NMSS/FCSE (301)415-7476

C. Román 2 Environmental Assessment to submit to SCDHEC for their review and comment. However, the NRC staff learned of a 2011 pipe leak and breach that released uranium into the soil beneath a building. WEC did not report the leak to the NRC nor SCDHEC because reporting threshold were not exceeded. The NRC explained that the 2011 pipe leak was not discussed in WECs application (Agencywide Documents Access and Management Systems [ADAMS] Accession Number ML14352A111) nor in the reports prepared by its contractor (e.g., 2013 Remedial Investigation Report (ADAMS Accession No. ML16166A141), 2014 Preliminary Baseline Risk Assessment (ADAMS Accession No. ML17275A619). As a result, the NRC staff had to ask for Requests for Additional Information to get information on the leak (ADAMS Accession No.

ML17340B339).

Ms. Walker, SCDHEC coordinator for the VCC, provided a summary and status of the VCC.

SCDHEC has approved the 2013 Remedial Investigation Report. SCDHEC has not formally commented on the 2014 Preliminary Baseline Risk Assessment. The VCC covers only volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Gross alpha and gross beta are included in the NPDES permit since it was assumed that the wastewater treatment plant and lagoons were the source of gross alpha and gross beta contamination in the ground water. WEC is almost at the end of the Response Action Section of the VCC (pg. 5). The VCC is online at:

http://www.scdhec.gov/HomeAndEnvironment/Docs/cleanupPrograms/4948_51377_rpvcc.pdf.

WEC is scheduled to provide the results of the field screening on December 15, 2017 (Task B on pg. 5) as well as a proposal for installation of new monitoring wells for the VOC plume. Once SCDHEC reviews and approves the proposal, WEC will be required to install the new wells and begin monitoring. Ms. Walker said because of the size of the plume, the size of the property, and concentrations, WEC will most likely be required to monitor, using monitored natural attenuation, instead of remediation to address the VOC plume.

Mr. Amick, SCDHEC coordinator for WECs NPDES permit, stated that the renewal application had recently been submitted by WEC. The current NPDES permit is scheduled to expire in March, 2018. Mr. Amick stated that they had received a presentation on well sufficiency and plume analysis from EARTHCon (the same presentation the NRC had received).

Mr. Amick suggested that NRC contact its project hydrologist to understand more about the SCDHECs understanding of contaminant plumes.

Ms. Quintero asked Mr. Amick about questions the NRC had received from the National Marines Fisheries Service about whether the NPDES permit limits were protective of sturgeon.

Mr. Amick stated that the permit rationale for WECs NPDES permit did include consideration of endangered species. SCDHEC did work with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources when developing the NPDES limit. For example, juvenile sturgeon are susceptible to low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels and so the DO limits in the NPDES permit considered the sturgeon. Mr. Amick stated that the NPDES permit and discharge, as well as storm water outfalls did not consider groundwater contamination. Mr. Amick said for more information on the storm water permit, to reach out to Mr. Mel Leaphart, who is the coordinator in the Bureau of Water within SCDHEC.

C. Román 3

SUMMARY

OF TELECONFERENCE WITH SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL RELATED TO THE UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS REVIEW OF WESTINGHOUSES COLUMBIA FUEL FABRICATION FACILITY LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION DATED: January 24, 2018 ADAMS Accession Number: ML17353A080 OFFICE FCSE/ERB FCSE/ERB FCSE/ERB NAME JQuintero AWalker-Smith CRomán DATE 12/21/2017 12/21/2017 01/22/2018 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY