Certification of the Radiological Condition of Four Buildings at the Laboratory for Energy-Related Health Research, Davis, California

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. LEHR-SF-597]

Certification of the Radiological Condition of Four Buildings at

the Laboratory for Energy-Related Health Research, Davis, California

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Restoration.

ACTION: Notice of certification.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) has completed radiological

surveys and taken remedial action to decontaminate and decommission

four buildings located at the Laboratory for Energy-Related Health

Research (LEHR) facility in Davis, California. This property previously

was found to contain radioactive materials from activities carried out

for the Atomic Energy Commission and the Energy Research and

Development Administration (AEC/ERDA), predecessor agencies to DOE.

Although DOE owns the majority of the buildings and equipment at the

LEHR site (including these four buildings), the University of

California owns the land.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Williams, Program Manager, Office

of Northwestern Area Programs, Office of Environmental Restoration (EM-

44), U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. 20585.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE has implemented environmental

restoration projects at LEHR as part of DOE's Environmental Restoration

Program. One objective of the program is to identify and clean up or

otherwise control facilities where residual radioactive contamination

remains from activities carried out under contract to AEC or ERDA

during the early years of the Nation's atomic energy program.

LEHR is comprised of a number of buildings and structures located

within a 15-acre parcel of land leased from the University of

California, Davis. The facility was operated by the University of

California between 1956 and 1988 to conduct animal research to

determine the effects of radionuclides, primarily strontium-90 and

radium-226, on tissue, organs, and bone. Several buildings and land

areas became radiologically contaminated as a result of facility

operations and site activities. A LEHR area that has been designated

for cleanup under the DOE Environmental Restoration Program includes

the two Animal Hospital Laboratories, the Specimen Storage building,

and the Cobalt-60 building. These buildings have been decontaminated

and have been independently verified to meet established cleanup

criteria and standards; they are, therefore, now available for release

without radiological restrictions as established in DOE Order 5400.5.

The Animal Hospital Laboratories are single story, wood-framed

buildings with stucco exteriors. Animal Hospital No. 1 housed built-in

cage rooms and contained nine laboratories for conducting animal

research using strontium-90. Animal Hospital No. 2 was used for

surgery, radiography, and radium-226 studies. Plumbing and ventilation

systems associated with the animal cages were contaminated as a result

of the studies. The Specimen Storage building is a single story

structure constructed with concrete blocks. This building was used to

store radioactive and non-radioactive research samples. The Cobalt-60

building is a single story, poured concrete, composite roof structure.

This building housed a cobalt-60 irradiation source and was equipped

with a control room and animal exposure room. The 390-curie cobalt-60

source was removed in January 1993 and made available for reuse at

another facility. Following the removal of the cobalt-60 source, the

exposure room was used to store lead bricks, a radiological glovebox,

bagged electrical motors, and miscellaneous radioactive sources.

To allow the release of these buildings for use without

radiological restrictions, all radioactive material and contamination

was removed from the buildings. In general, passive decontamination

techniques, such as high-efficiency particulate air vacuuming, damp

cloth wiping, and hand washing/scrubbing, were applied first. When the

contaminants were more tightly bound to the surface material, such as

fiberglass and epoxy coated cages, more aggressive decontamination

methods were applied. These methods included surface removal by

chipping and grinding. When decontamination of cages was no longer

cost-effective, the remaining contaminated material was removed, volume

reduced, and shipped offsite for disposal as low-level radiological

waste.

After the decontamination project was completed, a comprehensive

final survey of the building interiors was performed to demonstrate

compliance with standards for release without radiological

restrictions. The Environmental Survey and Site Assessment Program of

the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education performed independent

verification of the decontamination project in 1996. Post-

decontamination surveys have demonstrated that the four buildings are

in compliance with DOE decontamination criteria and standards for

release without radiological restrictions. DOE intends to comply with

applicable Federal, State, and local requirements which relate to

property transfer.

Final DOE costs for the decontamination of the four buildings were

$4,000,000, including the final survey and waste disposal.

All personnel working on the decontamination and decommissioning

project were monitored for both external and internal dose exposure.

Over the five year duration of the project, two workers received a

total of 10 mrem each, which is well below applicable radiological

standards establishing a dose limit of 100 mrem/yr. to the general

public under DOE Order 5400.5 or 5 rem/yr. for workers under 10 CFR

Part 835.

The certification docket will be available for review between 9:00

a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays), in

the U.S. DOE Public Reading Room located in Room 1E-190 of the

Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C.

Copies of the certification docket will also be available at the

following locations: DOE Public Document Room, U.S. DOE, Oakland

Operations Office, the Federal Building, 1301 Clay Street, Oakland,

California; University of California-Davis Shields Library, Reference

Desk, Davis, California; and Davis Public Library, Reference Desk, 315

East 14th Street, Davis, California.

DOE has issued the following statement of certification:

Statement of Certification: Laboratory for Energy-Related Health

Research, Animal Hospital No. 1, Animal Hospital No. 2, Specimen

Storage Building, and the Cobalt-60 Building

The U.S. Department of Energy, Oakland Operations Office,

Environmental Restoration Division, has reviewed and analyzed the

radiological data obtained following decontamination and

decommissioning of Animal Hospital No. 1, Animal Hospital No. 2,

Specimen Storage building, and the Cobalt-60 building at the Laboratory

for Energy-Related Health Research. Based on analysis of all data

collected and the results of independent verification, DOE certifies

that the following properties are in compliance with DOE radiological

decontamination criteria and standards as established in DOE Order

5400.5. This certification of compliance provides assurance that future

use of the properties will result in no radiological

[[Page 51845]]

exposure above applicable guidelines established to protect members of

the general public or site occupants. Accordingly, the properties

specified below are released from DOE's Environmental Restoration

Program.

Property owned by the University of California:

Animal Hospital No. 1 (H-219), Animal Hospital No. 2 (H-218),

Specimen Storage building (H-216), and the Cobalt-60 building (H-290)

located at the Laboratory for Energy-Related Health Research at Davis,

Solano County, California in the southeast quarter of Section 21,

Township 8 North, Range 2 East, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian.

Issued in Washington, D.C. on September 22, 1997.

James J. Fiore,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Restoration.

Statement of Certification: Laboratory for Energy-Related Health

Research, Animal Hospital No. 1, Animal Hospital No. 2, Specimen

Storage Building, and the Cobalt-60 Building

The U.S. Department of Energy, Oakland Operations Office,

Environmental Restoration Division, has reviewed and analyzed the

radiological data obtained following decontamination and

decommissioning of Animal Hospital No. 1, Animal Hospital No. 2,

Specimen Storage Building, and the Cobalt-60 Building at the Laboratory

for Energy-Related Health Research. Based on analysis of all data

collected and the results of independent verification, DOE certifies

that the following property is in compliance with DOE radiological

decontamination criteria and standards as established in DOE Order

5400.5. This certification of compliance provides assurance that future

use of the property will result in no radiological exposure above

applicable guidelines established to protect members of the general

public or site occupants.

Property owned by the University of California:

Animal Hospital No. 1 (H-219), Animal Hospital No. 2 (H-218),

Specimen Storage Building (H-216), and the Cobalt-60 Building (H-290)

located at the Laboratory for Energy-Related Health Research at Davis,

Solano County, California, in the southeast quarter of Section 21,

Township 8 North, Range 2 East, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian.

Dated: July 22, 1997.

Roger Liddle,

Director, Environmental Restoration Division, Oakland Operations

Office, U.S. Department of Energy.

[FR Doc. 97-26278 Filed 10-2-97; 8:45 am]

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