Certification of the Radiological Condition of Building 028 at the Energy Technology Engineering Center Near Chatsworth, California

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. ETEC-028]

Certification of the Radiological Condition of Building 028 at

the Energy Technology Engineering Center Near Chatsworth, 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 Building 028 located

at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC) near Chatsworth,

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, a subsidiary of Rockwell International,

Rocketdyne, owned the land. Rocketdyne has recently been sold to Boeing

North American Incorporated.

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 ETEC (Ventura County, Map Book 3, Page 7,

Miscellaneous Records) 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/ERDA during

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

ETEC is comprised of a number of facilities and structures located

within Administrative Area IV of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. The

work performed for DOE at ETEC consisted primarily of testing of

equipment, materials, and components for nuclear and energy related

programs. These nuclear energy research and development programs,

conducted by Atomics International under contract to AEC/ERDA, began in

1946. Several buildings and land areas became radiologically

contaminated as a result of facility operations and site activities.

Building 028 is one ETEC area that has been designated for cleanup

under the DOE Environmental Restoration Program. Other areas undergoing

decontamination will be released as

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they are completed and are verified to meet established cleanup

criteria and standards for release without radiological restrictions as

established in DOE Order 5400.5.

Building 028 is located in the north-central section of ETEC. The

above-grade concrete slab is approximately 300 m\2\ in area. The below-

grade vault measures approximately 60 m\2\ with 6 m (20 ft.) ceilings.

Construction consists of a concrete slab floor with concrete walls and

ceilings.

Building 028 was originally constructed to perform tests of space

reactor shields using a fission plate driven by neutrons from the

thermal column of a 50-kW swimming pool-type reactor. This reactor was

designated the Shield Test Reactor and operated from 1961 to 1964, when

it was replaced with another reactor design to operate at 1 MW. This

latter configuration was named the Shield Test and Irradiation Reactor

(STIR) and operated through 1972.

Following shutdown of the test program and removal of the reactor,

the facility was decommissioned and made available for alternate use in

March 1976.

In 1977, operations were started to investigate the behavior of

molten uranium-oxide relative to simulated reactor accidents, in

particular, its reaction with floor and structural materials. These

experiments resulted in some recontamination of various parts of the

building that were used for preparation and melting of the uranium-

oxide. Tests continued intermittently into 1981. Some facility

modifications were made, and a decision to terminate operations was

made later in 1981. The building remained inactive, under periodic

surveillance, until decontamination began in 1988.

To allow the release of Building 028 for use without radiological

restriction, all detectable radioactive material/contamination was

removed from the facility. This decontamination and decommissioning was

performed in two phases, starting in 1975 (STIR facility) with the

removal of the core tank, the activated concrete structures surrounding

the core tank, thermal column, reactor shield, test vault carriage,

water cooling systems, water shield door, and the partially dismantled

exhaust system.

The second and final stage of decontamination of Building 028 began

in 1988 and required slightly less than five months to complete.

Briefly, the decontamination steps involved in the second stage:

(1) Removal of surplus normal and depleted uranium oxide; (2)

decontamination and removal of equipment and electrical components,

including the furnace system used for the uranium-oxide experiments;

(3) removal of the radiologically contaminated ducting system; (4)

building surfaces decontamination, including scabbling of the concrete

floor in Room 101A; (5) final miscellaneous cleanup operations; and (6)

final radiological survey of the building (above-grade and basement).

Rockwell/Rocketdyne performed a radiological survey in 1991. The

Environmental Survey and Site Assessment Program of the Oak Ridge

Institute for Science and Education performed independent verification

of the decontamination project in 1993. Post-decontamination surveys

have demonstrated that Building 028 is in compliance with DOE

decontamination criteria and standards for release without radiological

restrictions. The State of California Department of Health Services has

concurred that the proposed release guidelines provide adequate

assurance for release without further radiological restrictions. In the

event of property transfer, DOE intends to comply with applicable

Federal, State, and local requirements.

The external radiation exposure of the nine people directly

associated with the STIR project, particularly the dismantling

operations, during the period of September 23, 1975, through January

31, 1976, averaged 193 mrem, with a maximum individual exposure of 420

mrem. The entire operation was performed with a total radiation

exposure of 1.7 man-rem.

None of the engineering or radiation and nuclear safety personnel

assigned to the Building 028 decommissioning project received any

measurable exposure to ionizing radiation.

Final costs for the decontamination of the STIR project were

$134,922.

Final costs for the decontamination of Building 028 were $239,970.

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; California State University, Northridge, Urban Archives

Center, Oviatt Library, Room 4, 18111 Nordhoff, Northridge, California;

Simi Valley Library, 2629 Tapo Canyon Road, Simi Valley, California;

and the Platt Branch, Los Angeles Public Library, 23600 Victory

Boulevard, Woodland Hills, California.

DOE has issued the following statement of certification:

Statement of Certification: Energy Technology Engineering Center,

Building 028

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

Environmental Restoration Division, has reviewed and analyzed the

radiological data obtained following decontamination of Building 028 at

the Energy Technology Engineering Center. 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. Accordingly, the property specified below is

released from DOE's Environmental Restoration Program.

Property owned by Boeing North American Incorporated:

Building 028, at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (situated

within Area IV of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory), located in a

portion of Tract ``A'' of Rancho Simi, in the County of Ventura, State

of California, as per map recorded in Book 3, Page 7 of Miscellaneous

Records of Ventura County.

Issued in Washington, DC, on March 27, 1997.

James J. Fiore,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Restoration.

Statement of Certification: Energy Technology Engineering Center,

Building 028

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

Environmental Restoration Division, has reviewed and analyzed the

radiological data obtained following decontamination of the Energy

Technology Engineering Center Building 028. Based on this analysis

of all data collected, the Department of Energy (DOE) certifies that

the following property is in compliance with DOE decontamination

criteria and standards. 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.

Accordingly, the property specified below is released from DOE's

Environmental Restoration Program.

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Property owned by Rockwell International Corporation:

Building 028, at the Energy Technology Engineering Center,

located in a portion of Tract ``A'' of Rancho Simi, in the County of

Ventura, State of California, as per map recorded in Book 3, Page 7

of Miscellaneous Records of Ventura County.

Certification:

Dated: January 23, 1997.

Roger Liddle,

Director, ERD.

[FR Doc. 97-8640 Filed 4-3-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P