Notice of Consideration of Amendment Request for Construction of a Containment Cell at Fansteel Facility in Muskogee, Oklahoma and Opportunity for Hearing

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 177 (Tuesday, September 14, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49823-49824]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-23905]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 40-7580]


Notice of Consideration of Amendment Request for Construction of 
a Containment Cell at Fansteel Facility in Muskogee, Oklahoma and 
Opportunity for Hearing

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of consideration of amendment request for construction 
of a containment cell at Fansteel Facility in Muskogee, Oklahoma and 
opportunity for hearing.

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    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the NRC) is considering an 
amendment to Source Material License No. SMB-911, issued to Fansteel, 
Inc. (the licensee), for construction of a low-level, radioactive waste 
(LLW) disposal cell (containment cell) onsite at Fansteel's facility in 
Muskogee, Oklahoma. The containment cell would be used for permanent 
disposal of Fansteel's own LLW, i.e., contaminated soil and soil-like 
materials, generated from past and current metal recovery operations at 
the Muskogee, Oklahoma facility. The licensee requested the amendment 
in a letter dated August 13, 1999.
    The Fansteel site is in active operation for the recovery of 
tantalum, niobium, scandium, uranium, thorium, and other metals of 
commercial value from process waste residues. Process waste residues 
and contaminated soil at the Fansteel site are the result of past 
operations involving acid digestion of foreign and domestic ores and 
slags containing natural uranium and thorium. The licensee is not 
scheduled to terminate License SMB-911 until after 10 to 12 years of 
additional waste residue reprocessing.
    The contaminated soil onsite consists of over 0.68 million cubic 
feet of soil and soil-like material, e.g., building rubble, that are 
contaminated with natural uranium and thorium. Metal recovery 
operations are not feasible on this large volume of dilute, 
contaminated soil; therefore, these materials require disposal at an 
appropriate LLW disposal facility. The licensee has proposed to 
construct a containment cell, located at the southwest of the Fansteel 
property for disposal of its LLW. In accordance with the NRC's criteria 
for license termination (10 CFR 20.1403), the containment cell area 
would, after completion of disposal, be released for restricted use and 
be subject to long-

[[Page 49824]]

term monitoring, maintenance, and surveillance.
    The proposed containment cell is to be buried beneath the surface 
and is comprised of a monolith and an engineered cover. The monolith 
consists of solidified, contaminated soil and rubble. The 
solidification process involves mixing the contaminated materials with 
cement and hydrated calcium chloride, forming a solid, concrete-like 
monolith. The monolith is to be protected from the surface environment 
by means of an engineered cover, comprising layers of sand, gravel, 
riprap (crushed stone), and soil.
    Approval of the proposed action would permit Fansteel to excavate 
the cell area, create the waste monolith, cover the monolith, and 
release the site area for restricted use under 10 CFR 20.1403.
    Prior to the issuance of the proposed action, the NRC will have 
made findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, 
and the NRC's regulations. These findings will be documented in a 
Safety Evaluation Report and an Environmental Assessment or 
Environmental Impact Statement (if necesssary). If the proposed action 
is approved, it will be documented in an amendment to SMB-911.
    The NRC hereby provides that this is a proceeding on an application 
for amendment of a license falling within the scope of Subpart L, 
``Informal Hearing Procedures for Adjudication in Materials Licensing 
Proceedings,'' of NRC's rules and practice for domestic licensing 
proceedings in 10 CFR part 2. Pursuant to Sec. 2.1205(a), any person 
whose interest may be affected by this proceeding may file a request 
for a hearing in accordance with Sec. 2.1205(d). A request for a 
hearing must be filed within thirty (30) days of the date of 
publication of the Federal Register notice.

The request for a hearing must be filed with the Office of 
Secretary either:

    1. By delivery to the Docketing and Service Branch of the Secretary 
at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852-
2738, between 7:45am and 4:15pm, federal workdays; or
    2. By mail or telegram addressed to the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Attention: Rulemaking 
and Adjudication Staff.
    In addition to meeting other applicable requirements of 10 CFR part 
2 of the NRC's regulations, a request for a hearing filed by a person 
other than an applicant must describe in detail:
    1. The interest of the requester in the proceeding;
    2. How the interest may be affected by the results of the 
proceeding, including the reasons why the requestor should be permitted 
a hearing, with particular reference to the factors set out in 
Sec. 2.1205(h).
    3. The requester's areas of concern about the licensing activity 
that is the subject matter of the proceeding; and
    4. The circumstances establishing that the request for a hearing is 
timely in accordance with Sec. 2.1205(d).
    In accordance with 10 CFR 2.1205(f), each request for a hearing 
must also be served, by delivering it personally or by mail to:
    1. The applicant, Fansteel, Inc., Number Ten Tantalum Place, 
Muskogee, OK, 74403-9296; Attention: Mr. John J. Hunter; and
    2. The NRC staff, by delivering to the Executive Director for 
Operations, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 
20852-2738, or by mail, addressed to the Executive Director for 
Operations, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001.
    Questions with respect to this action should be referred to NRC's 
project manager for Fansteel, Inc., Michael Adjodha, at (301) 415-8147 
or by electronic mail at mea1@nrc.gov.
    For further details with respect to this action, the application 
for amendment request is available for inspection at the Commission's 
Public Document Room, 2120 L Street NW., Washington, DC 20555.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day of September, 1999.
Theodore S. Sherr,
Chief, Licensing and International Safeguards Branch, Division of Fuel 
Cycle Safety and Safeguards, NMSS.
[FR Doc. 99-23905 Filed 9-13-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P