Certification of the Radiological Condition of Building 029 at the Energy Technology Engineering Center near Chatsworth, California

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. ETEC-029]

Certification of the Radiological Condition of Building 029 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 029 located

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

California. This property 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 029 is one ETEC area that has been designated for cleanup

under the DOE Environmental Restoration Program. Other areas undergoing

decontamination will be released as 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 029 is located in the north-eastern section of ETEC with

access by way of 10th Street, which intersects ``G'' Street just

southwest of Building 064. An asphalt concrete roadway (10th Street)

runs directly to the facility.

Constructed in 1959 as an open bay facility, Building 029 is a

Butler-type building with a steel frame and

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corrugated metal siding and roofing. The building is 20 ft. x 40 ft.

with a 12-ft. eave height. It is a single room with no office, support

laboratory, rest room areas, or installed air conditioners. The ceiling

and walls are insulated with a 1-inch thick fiberglass mat. The

concrete floors were originally covered with asphalt tile; however, the

tile has now been removed.

From 1959 to 1974, Building 029 was used as a facility for

calibrating radiation detection instruments. In 1959 and in subsequent

years, it was known as the ``Radiation Measurements Facility'' or the

``Old Calibration Facility.''

Calibration sources were housed within Building 029. Radium-226,

and later cesium-137, sources were housed inside a source storage well

made from a 12-inch diameter, 10-ft. long Schedule-20 galvanized pipe

casing which was installed below grade. The sources were attached to

nylon strings and were guided through three 1-inch diameter Pyrex tube

thimbles within Schedule-40 galvanized pipes which were embedded evenly

within the casing, with concrete as embedment. The encapsulated cobalt-

60 sources were housed separately in a 12-inch diameter pipe which

extended 10 ft. below grade and 4 ft. above grade. Above grade, the

pipe was enclosed with lead shielding and covered by a 77-inch square

concrete rolling door. The neutron sources were housed in a 3 ft. x 3

ft. x 2 ft. deep pit, with a graphite neutron exposure block.

All of the sources were fully encapsulated, leak-tested at least

every six months in compliance with State of California Radiation

Control Regulations, and subsequently removed from Building 029. Thus,

apart from one incident involving the dropping of a radium-226 capsule

(described below), there is no known cause for radioactive

contamination in the facility.

Radioactivity was released from one of the radium-226 source

capsules (Source No. 1) on March 23, 1964, when this source became

detached from the nylon string and fell into the bottom of the source

thimble. The 13-ft. fall cracked the outer plastic encapsulation

surrounding the inner capsule and released some loose radium-226.

Release of radioactivity was primarily confined to the well and the

source thimble. An April 10, 1964, report describing the incident, the

subsequent recovery of the source, and the decontamination of the area

outside the well is found in Reference 11, Appendix A, of the Final

Decontamination and Radiological Survey report.

Operation of the facility continued by replacing all the radium-226

sources with two cesium-137 sources. On November 20, 1970, the 4.6

curie cesium-137 source was accidently dropped 10 ft. to the bottom of

the well. No contamination release occurred. When all sources were

removed from Building 029 in 1974, a radiation survey was performed

which showed that the facility was free of radiological contamination

except for the interior of the radium-226 storage well. In 1988, the

radium-226 storage well was excavated along with the radium-226 source

holder, and both were disposed of as low-level radioactive waste. This

work was performed and paid for by Rockwell/Rocketdyne.

Rockwell/Rocketdyne performed an additional radiological survey in

1990. In 1993, the Environmental Survey and Site Assessment Program of

the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education performed an

independent verification of the decontamination work performed by

Rockwell/Rocketdyne in 1988. Post-decontamination surveys have

demonstrated that Building 029 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.

No appreciable personnel radiation exposure was anticipated or

encountered from decontamination activities for Building 029.

Building 029 decommissioning costs were funded by Rockwell

International and complete cost records are unavailable.

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. Department of

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

Street, Oakland, CA; California State University, Northridge, Urban

Archives Center, Oviatt Library, Room 4, 18111 Nordhoff, Northridge,

CA; Simi Valley Library, 2629 Tapo Canyon Road, Simi Valley, CA; and

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

Woodland Hills, CA.

DOE has issued the following statement of certification:

Statement of Certification: Energy Technology Engineering Center,

Building 029

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Oakland Operations Office,

Environmental Restoration Division, has reviewed and analyzed the

radiological data obtained following decontamination of Building 029 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 029, at the Energy Technology Engineering Center (situated

in 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, D.C., on March 28, 1997.

James J. Fiore,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Restoration.

Statement of Certification: Energy Technology Engineering Center,

Building 029

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 029. 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.

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

Environmental Restoration Program.

Property owned by Rockwell International Corporation:

Building 029, 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. 97-8936 Filed 4-7-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P