Notice of Availability of ``Draft Environmental Impact StatementDecommissioning of the Shieldalloy Metallurgical Corporation, Cambridge Ohio, Facility''

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 40-08948]

Notice of Availability of ``Draft Environmental Impact

Statement--Decommissioning of the Shieldalloy Metallurgical

Corporation, Cambridge Ohio, Facility''

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has published a Draft

Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) regarding the proposed

decommissioning of the Shieldalloy Metallurgical Corporation (SMC),

Cambridge, Ohio, facility. This DEIS describes and evaluates the

potential environmental impacts of SMC's proposed approach to

decommissioning two radiologically contaminated waste piles by capping

and stabilizing the piles in place and implementing appropriate land-

use restrictions. Based on the evaluations in this DEIS, the NRC

staff's preliminary conclusion is that SMC's proposal, with certain

mitigative measures, is acceptable with respect to environmental costs

and benefits, and there is no obviously superior alternative. The DEIS

is a preliminary analysis of the environmental impacts of SMC's

proposed approach. The issuance of a final EIS, and any NRC

decisionmaking based on a final EIS, will not be made until public

comments on the DEIS are received and evaluated.

DATES: NRC will conduct a public meeting to discuss the DEIS and obtain

public comment this Fall, in the Cambridge, Ohio area. A meeting

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announcement will be published as a Federal Register notice. Written

comments on the DEIS should be received at the address listed below

within ninety (90) days from the date on which the Environmental

Protection Agency notice is published in the Federal Register stating

that the DEIS has been filed with EPA. To the extent practicable, NRC

staff will grant reasonable requests for extensions of time for comment

up to fifteen (15) days. Comments received after this date will be

considered if it is practical to do so, but the Commission is able to

assure consideration only for comments received on or before this date.

ADDRESSES: A single copy of the DEIS (NUREG-1543) may be requested by

those considering public comment by writing to the NRC Publications

Section, ATTN.: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing

Office, P.O. Box 37082, Washington, DC 20013-7082, or by calling 202-

512-1800. A copy of the DEIS is available for inspection and/or copying

in the NRC Public Document Room, 2120 L St. NW., Washington, DC 20555-

0001. A copy will also be available shortly for public inspection at

the Guernsey County District Library, 800 Steubenville Avenue,

Cambridge, Ohio 43725-2385.

Any interested party may submit comments on this document for

consideration by the staff. Consistent with its past commitments, NRC

is extending the comment period 45 days beyond the required minimum of

45 days. To be certain of consideration, comments on these reports must

be received within 90 days from the date of this notice. Comments

received after the due date will be considered to the extent practical.

Comments should be sent to Michael Weber, Chief, Low-Level Waste and

Decommissioning Projects Branch, Mail Stop T7F-27, Division of Waste

Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mark Thaggard, Low-Level Waste and

Decommissioning Projects Branch, Mail Stop T7D-13, Division of Waste

Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001. Telephone

301/415-6718.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NRC has prepared a DEIS that evaluates

the environmental impacts and alternatives associated with SMC's

proposed approach to decommissioning radiologically contaminated waste

piles by capping and stabilizing the piles in place and implementing

appropriate land-use restrictions. NRC noticed its intent to prepare an

EIS on the decommissioning of the SMC facility in Cambridge, Ohio, on

November 26, 1993 (58 FR 62383) and conducted a public meeting to

obtain comments on the intended scope of the EIS in Byesville, Ohio, on

December 13, 1993.

SMC holds a license (SMB-1507) with the NRC for possession of

source material (i.e., uranium and thorium) at its Cambridge facility.

The source material is in the form of slag and contaminated soil

located in two piles that contain a total of 546,000 metric tons

(606,000 tons) of material. The radioactive materials in the slag were

contaminants in the ores and processed materials used at the site to

produce metal alloys and other compounds. The contaminated slag was

produced at the site prior to Shieldalloy's acquisition of the facility

in 1987. The piles also contain chemical contaminants that may require

remediation.

SMC proposes to stabilize and cap the slag piles in place and

implement land-use restrictions to ensure people do not inadvertently

dig into the piles and expose themselves to elevated levels of

radiation. Three other variations of SMC's proposed alternative are

considered in the DEIS, including: (1) Stabilizing the material on site

along with an additional 10,000 cubic yards of slag added from off

site, (2) stabilizing the material on site along with additional soil

contaminated with metals, and (3) stabilizing the material on site

along with both the additional slag and soils. In addition, the DEIS

considers three other alternatives, including: (1) The no-action

alternative, (2) disposing the material off site at a facility that is

licensed to dispose of radioactive waste, and (3) sale of the slag for

reuse. Two additional alternatives were considered but eliminated from

detail study; these are: (1) diluting the contaminated material to

reduce concentrations of radioactive materials, and (2) separating and

removing the most contaminated material for disposal offsite.

The DEIS evaluates radiological and nonradiological impacts

associated with the proposed action. Impacts are assessed for land use,

socioeconomic and cultural resources, air quality, water quality, human

health, and biological resources. The NRC staff's preliminary

conclusion is that environmental impacts from SMC's proposed

alternative is not significant if certain mitigative measures are

implemented, and there is no obviously superior alternative. The

potential long-term human health effects from taking no action are

significant; therefore, some remediation actions is appropriate and

required by NRC regulations. Removing the contaminated material from

the site will result in the smallest long-term environmental effects

(impacts at the disposal facility have been previously assessed);

however, the costs are quite significant. The off-site disposal

alternative also has some potentially significant impacts on air

quality and noise that would require mitigation. Further, the off-site

disposal alternative is expected to result in a slightly higher

incident of worker injuries than the on-site disposal alternatives. A

cost benefit analysis shows that all on-site disposal alternatives have

identical economic benefits, and the no action alternative has no

economic benefits.

The NRC is offering an opportunity for public review and comment on

the DEIS in accordance with NRC requirements in 10 CFR 51.73, 51.74,

and 51.117. Any comments of Federal, State, and local agencies, Indian

tribes, or other interested parties will be made available for public

inspection when received. The DEIS is a preliminary analysis of the

environmental impacts of SMC's proposed approach. The issuance of a

final EIS, and any NRC decisionmaking based on a final EIS, will not be

made until public comments on the DEIS are received and evaluated. NRC

staff will review the comments, conduct any necessary analyses, and

make appropriate revisions in developing the final EIS on the

decommissioning of the Shieldalloy Metallurgical Corporation Cambridge,

Ohio, facility. NRC anticipates completing the EIS on this facility in

1997. However, this schedule may need to be adjusted in reviewing

public comments.

NRC is also arranging a public meeting on the DEIS to be held in

the vicinity of Cambridge, Ohio, during the public comment period in

the early Fall of 1996. The meeting will consist of an overview of the

DEIS and an opportunity for the NRC to hear any public comments on the

DEIS. NRC will announce the date and location for this meeting in a

subsequent Federal Register notice well in advance of the public

meeting.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 19th day of July 1996.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Michael F. Weber,

Chief Low-Level Waste and Decommissioning Projects Branch, Division of

Waste Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.

[FR Doc. 96-18920 Filed 7-24-96; 8:45 am]

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