Floodplain Statement of Findings for Remedial Action at the Ventron Site and Adjacent Harbor Sediment in Essex County, Massachusetts

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Floodplain Statement of Findings for Remedial Action at the

Ventron Site and Adjacent Harbor Sediment in Essex County,

Massachusetts

AGENCY: Former Sites Restoration Division, Department of Energy (DOE).

SUBJECT: Floodplain statement of findings.

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SUMMARY: This is a Floodplain Statement of Findings prepared in

accordance with 10 CFR Part 1022, Compliance with Floodplain/Wetlands

Environmental Review Requirements. DOE proposes to remediate sediment

and soil with elevated levels of uranium-238 from the 100-year

floodplain of the Bass and Danvers Rivers and from the floodplain

buffer zone adjacent to the 100-year floodplain at the Ventron site in

Essex County, Massachusetts. DOE prepared a Floodplain and Wetlands

Assessment describing the effects, alternatives, and measures designed

to avoid or minimize potential harm to or within the affected

floodplain. DOE would endeavor to allow 15 days of public review after

publication of the Statement of Findings before implementation of the

proposed action.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS PROPOSED ACTION OR TO COMMENT ON THE

ACTION, CONTACT: Mr. Jim Kopotic, Ventron Site Manager, Former Sites

Restoration Division, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. Box 2001, Oak

Ridge, TN 37831-8541, Phone: (423) 576-4991, FAX: (423) 576-0956.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON GENERAL DOE FLOODPLAIN AND WETLANDS

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW REQUIREMENTS, CONTACT: Carol M. Borgstrom,

Director, Office of NEPA Oversight, EH-42, U.S. Department of Energy,

1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-4600 or

(800) 472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a Floodplain Statement of Findings

prepared in accordance with 10 CFR Part 1022. A Notice of Floodplain

and Wetland Involvement was published in the Federal Register (Vol. 61,

pp. 11621-11622) on March 21, 1996, and a Floodplain and Wetlands

Assessment was incorporated in the engineering evaluation and cost

analysis prepared for the Ventron site. DOE proposes to remediate

sediment and soil with elevated levels of uranium-238 that are located

in the 100-year floodplain of the Bass and Danvers Rivers and the 100-

yr floodplain buffer zone adjacent to the floodplain at the Ventron

site in Essex County, Massachusetts. The entire Ventron site is also

within the Massachusetts coastal zone. The proposed action would be in

a floodplain because levels of uranium-238 in some sediment and soil in

the floodplain at the site exceed guidelines for residual radioactivity

and future use without radiological restrictions of the site. DOE has

structured potential cleanup options by affected media: harbor

sediments and on-site soil and furnace ash. Alternative actions

considered for harbor sediments are no action or, complete removal of

harbor sediment with levels of uranium-238 over 50 pCi/g. Alternative

actions considered for on-site soil and furnace ash also include no

action or, complete removal of on-site soil and furnace ash with levels

of uranium-238 over 50 pCi/g. Access to sediment and soil may require

decontamination and demolition of structures at the site. There is no

practicable alternative to the proposed action. The proposed action

would conform to applicable state and local floodplain protection

standards.

The following steps would be taken to minimize potential harm to or

within the affected floodplain:

1. The design and performance of excavation activities would

incorporate standard best management practices in accordance with U.S.

Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service

(formerly the Soil Conservation Service) methods, or the equivalent, to

control erosion and siltation from excavations.

2. Remediation operations would confine the areas of sediment and

soil disturbance to the minimum necessary for successful completion of

the project.

3. Care would be exercised to provide minimum practicable exposure

of sediment and soil to erosion.

4. All erosion and sediment barriers would remain in place until

the excavation is successfully stabilized by applicable measures.

5. Disturbed sediment and soil in or adjacent to the floodplain,

waterways, wetlands, coastal zone, and areas subject to tidal action

and excavations would be stabilized or otherwise protected to prevent

off-site migration, as conditions warrant, in accordance with

Massachusetts soil erosion and sediment control standards or their

equivalent.

6. DOE would not dispose waste rubble, sediment, or soil in the

floodway or within the tidal zone. Waste mulch not serving to control

erosion or sediment would also not be disposed of in channels or on

waterway banks.

7. Remediation would not obstruct any streams or tidal areas and

all streams and tidal zones would retain their original capacity for

storing floodwaters. The proposed action would not impede flow or

increase flooding.

8. All areas excavated in or adjacent to the floodplain, wetlands,

the Massachusetts coastal zone, and areas subject to tidal action would

be restored to grade by the current owner, Morton International, as

required, and the proposed activities would not subject lives or

property to any increased risk of flooding.

9. DOE would not use areas within the floodplain for temporary or

permanent storage of excavated sediment, soil, or demolition rubble;

however, some areas within the floodplain and wetland buffer zone, and

the Massachusetts coastal zone may be used for temporary storage of

excavated materials with appropriate measures in place to properly

contain excavated materials.

10. The proposed action would conform to applicable state and local

floodplain, wetland, and coastal zone protection standards and would be

consistent with Massachusetts' coastal zone management policies.

11. The proposed action would not result in the destruction of any

floodplain or wetland and would be consistent with the President's

policy of ``no net loss'' of wetlands in the United States and

Executive Orders 11988 and 11990.

DOE will endeavor to allow 15 days of public review after

publication of the Statement of Findings before implementation of the

proposed action.

[[Page 25657]]

Issued in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on May 6, 1996.

James L. Elmore,

Alternate NEPA Compliance Officer.

[FR Doc. 96-12825 Filed 5-21-96; 8:45 am]

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