Environmental Assessment Finding of No Significant Impact Related to Amendment to Materials License No. SUB-908 BP Chemicals, Inc., Lima, OH

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Environmental Assessment Finding of No Significant Impact Related

to Amendment to Materials License No. SUB-908 BP Chemicals, Inc., Lima,

OH

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering issuing an

amendment to Materials License No. SUB-908, held by BP Chemicals, Inc.

(BPC), to authorize the remediation, decommissioning and construction

of the mixed waste pond closure project at its facility in Lima, Ohio.

On November 19, 1991, NRC published a notice of Consideration of

Amendment to BPC's License and Opportunity for Hearing (56 FR 58406).

There was no response to that notice.

Environmental Assessment Summary

Proposed Action

The proposed action is as proposed by the licensee in a second

revised application dated February 7, 1994, which supplemented the

initial application dated August 15, 1991, and the first revision dated

February 28, 1992. In this action, BPC is proposing to use onsite

disposal, under 10 CFR Part 20.2002, at its facility in Lima, Ohio, to

dispose of the mixed waste with concentrations up to the Option 2 limit

in NRC's 1981 Branch Technical Position (1981 BTP) on ``Disposal or

Onsite Storage of Thorium or Uranium Wastes from Past Operations'' (46

FR 52061). Materials to be disposed of are currently located in surface

impoundments, hereinafter called ponds, that contain sludges

contaminated with mixed wastes. The disposal will be in up to three

lined closure cells designed and constructed according to the Resource

Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) criteria.

Need for Proposed Action:

The proposed action is necessary to remediate the existing depleted

uranium contamination and to decommission the ponds containing the

radioactive wastes. Onsite disposal is proposed to accomplish the

objectives of the remediation and decommissioning. Based on the

advantages and disadvantages of the five other alternatives

investigated, BPC concluded that the 10 CFR Part 20.2002 disposal

option is the preferred choice.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action:

The NRC staff reviewed the levels of contamination, the proposed

remediation and decommissioning methods, BPC's preferred disposal

option, and the radiological and environmental controls that will be

used during the remediation and decommissioning. These controls include

the as low as is reasonably achievable (ALARA) program, worker

dosimetry, a bioassay program for workers, air monitoring, routine

surveys, and routine monitoring of both airborne and liquid effluent

releases to meet 10 CFR Part 20 radiation protection requirements.

Worker and public doses will be limited so that exposures will not

exceed 10 CFR Part 20 requirements.

BPC proposed to remediate the contaminated sludge ponds in

accordance with ``Guidelines for Decontamination of Facilities and

Equipment Prior to Release for Unrestricted Use or Termination of

Licenses for Byproduct, Source, and Special Nuclear Materials,'' dated

August 1987. BPC also proposed to dispose of the depleted uranium-

contaminated mixed wastes in the RCRA-designed onsite closure cells, in

accordance with the 1981 BTP. Based on uranium solubility testing of

the mixed wastes, the maximum depleted uranium concentration that is

acceptable for disposal in the closure cells is 11.1 Bq/gm (300 pCi/gm)

total depleted uranium.

The staff also analyzed the radiological impacts to the public from

the disposal of depleted uranium-contaminated sludges and soils in the

proposed on-site closure cells. Radiological impacts on members of the

public could result from inhalation and ingestion of releases of

radioactivity in air and in water during the remediation operations,

and direct exposure to radiation from radioactive materials at the site

during remediation operations. The public will also be exposed to

radiation as a result of the on-site disposals in the closure cells.

Decommissioning workers will receive doses primarily by ingestion,

inhalation and direct exposure during the remediation activities. In

addition to impacts from routine operations, the potential radiological

consequences of accidents were considered.

The BPC provided an estimate of the dose to the public from

airborne effluents to be generated during the remediation activities

associated with the pond closure project. During normal operations, the

licensee expects airborne concentrations to be minimal, because the

sludges and soils will be handled in a wet state. NRC staff agrees with

this assessment.

Liquids discharged to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) permitted deep well injection system will have concentrations

less than the EPA proposed drinking water limits for uranium, and will

result in doses less than 0.057 mSv/yr (5.7 mrem/yr) to individuals

hypothetically, consuming this water.

The BPC performed dose assessments for two of the three closure

cells using RESRAD computer code, Version 5.05. The RESRAD computer

code estimates radiation dose impacts assuming a resident-farmer

scenario, where an individual would live in a residence on the site,

grow food, and consume all drinking water from a water well. The NRC

staff verified BPC's analyses and obtained similar results to BPC's.

These dose assessments include the worst-case scenarios, with the

proposed cover over the closure cells assumed to have been removed. The

predicted doses are less than NRC's limit of 1 mSv/yr (100 mrem/yr) for

radiation doses to the public in 10 CFR Part 20. NRC staff considers

that, if a third closure cell is constructed, the dose assessment

results of the two closure cells will envelope the dose impacts of the

third closure cell.

During the remediation of the waste from the ponds and placement of

the waste into the closure cells, workers will receive doses from

direct exposure and from the inhalation of airborne depleted uranium.

The maximum estimated direct exposure is for workers standing on the

contaminated soil from the ponds. The estimated exposure is 4.0E-05

mSv/hr (4.0E-03 mrem/hr). Assuming a 2000-hour work year, the maximally

exposed worker would receive an annual dose of 0.08 mSv/yr (8 mrem/yr).

The resulting dose is a small fraction of the 50 mSv/yr (5000 mrem/yr)

limit for workers (routine occupational exposure) in 10 CFR Part 20.

Based on the above evaluations, radiation exposures, of persons

living or traveling near the site, caused by onsite operations, will be

well within limits contained in NRC's regulations and will be small in

comparison to natural background radiation. The licensee has a

radiation protection program that will maintain radiation exposures and

effluent releases within the limits of 10 CFR Part 20, and will

maintain exposures ALARA.

BPC and the NRC staff also evaluated the radiological impacts from

potential accidents. The predicted maximum

[[Page 20549]]

exposure to a member of the public (BPC employee not involved in the

remediation project) from an accident scenario would be 0.07 mSv (7

mrem) internal exposure. This potential exposure would result when a

truck, transporting contaminated soil, tipped over, spread fuel over

the spilled soil, and caught fire. The exposed individual was assumed

to be standing downwind of the accident at the controlled access area

boundary. The calculated dose is a small fraction of the annual dose

limit to the public of 1.0 mSv/yr (100 mrem/yr) in 10 CFR Part 20. The

NRC staff verified these calculations used by the licensee.

The predicted maximum exposure to a worker from an accident

scenario, other than the above truck accident, would be 7.7E-04 mSv

(7.7E-02 mrem). This is based on an explosion of the pug mill mixer,

where the worker was immersed in a ``contaminated'' cloud of suspended

sludge for 10 seconds while leaving the immediate area of the

explosion. This resultant exposure is a small fraction of the 50 mSv/yr

(5000 mrem/yr) annual exposure limit for radiation workers and would

not significantly add to the worker's annual exposure. The NRC staff

verified calculations used by the licensee.

Because no wastes are expected to be shipped offsite to a licensed

low-level waste disposal site, there are no expected impacts from the

transportation or offsite disposal of radioactive materials.

The NRC staff also considered nonradiological impacts and concluded

that all such impacts are negligible.

The NRC staff examined the distribution of minority and low-income

communities near the BPC site. Based on the data, there is no potential

for environmental justice issues because of race, because no minority

exceeds 20 percent of the total population. Because the site represents

an insignificant risk to the public health and safety, and the human

environment, any residual radioactivity left at the site is not

expected to disproportionately impact minority or low income

populations near the BPC site. The staff concludes that no

environmental justice potential occurs at the BPC site.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action

Six alternatives were investigated that resulted in the selection

of onsite disposal as the recommended and preferred option by BPC. They

are:

No action;

Pond water treatment only;

Disposal at an existing commercial low-level radioactive

waste disposal site;

On-site temporary storage followed by off-site permanent

disposal at a future, commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal

site;

Treatment of the mixed waste to remove the hazardous

constituents and disposal of the remaining low-level radioactive waste

at a commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal site;

On-site disposal under 10 CFR Part 20.2002 (BPC's

preferred option).

The advantages and disadvantages of these alternatives, are described

in the EA.

Conclusions

The onsite permanent disposal under 10 CFR Part 20.2002 (the BPC's

preferred option) consists of removing and stabilizing the contaminated

material, and disposing of the wastes in up to three closure cells

designed and constructed according to the RCRA criteria. This disposal

option complies with the provisions of 10 CFR Part 20.2002.

The environmental and public health impacts would be minimized to

ALARA standards. No additional lands are required. There will be no

adverse impacts caused by off-site waste transportation because no off-

site waste transport is involved. Also, occupational exposures will be

minimized. The estimated cost for the mixed waste pond closure project

is $6 million, plus a contingency factor of 25 percent.

The NRC staff concludes that there are no reasonably available

alternatives, to the BPC's preferred action, that are obviously

superior.

Agencies and Persons Consulted, and Sources Used

This EA was prepared entirely by NRC's Office of Nuclear Material

Safety and Safeguards staff in Rockville, Maryland, and Region III

staff in Lisle, Illinois. Review comments were solicited on the draft

EA from the Ohio Department of Health, the Ohio Environmental

Protection Agency, and the Allen County Combined Health District, Lima,

Ohio.

Finding of No Siginficant Impact

Based upon the environmental assessment, the Commission concludes

that the proposed action will not have a significant impact on the

quality of the human environment. Accordingly the Commission has

determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the

proposed action.

Additional Information

For further details with respect to the proposed action, see: (1)

BPC's license amendment application submittals dated August 15, 1991,

February 28, 1992, and February 7, 1994; and (2) the complete

Environmental Assessment. The documents are available for public

inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, 2120 L Street,

N.W., Washington, DC 20555.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 1st day of May 1996.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Robert A. Nelson,

Acting Chief, Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning Projects Branch,

Division of Waste Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and

Safeguards.

[FR Doc. 96-11291 Filed 5-6-96; 8:45 am]

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