Press Release-IV-00-037, NRC to Meet with Public on Environmental Review for Decommissioning Sequoyah Fuels
| ML003764365 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 10/10/2000 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs Region IV |
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| Category:Press Release | |
| References | |
| Press Release-IV-00-037 | |
| Download: ML003764365 (1) | |
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NRCNEWSU.S.NUCLEARREGULATORYCOMMISSIONOFFICEOFPUBLICAFFAIRS,REGIONIV611RyanPlazaDrive-Suite400ArlingtonTX76011-8064No.IV-00-37October10,2000CONTACT:BreckHendersonPhone:817-860-8128 Cellular:817-917-1227 e-mail:bwh@nrc.govNRCTOMEETWITHPUBLICONENVIRONMENTALREVIEWFORDECOMMISSIONINGSEQUOYAHFUELSTheU.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommissionstaffwillmeetwiththepublicTuesday,October17todiscussthestatusoftheenvironmentalreviewofdecommissioningactivitiesattheSequoyah FuelsCorporationfacilitynearGore,Oklahoma,andtoobtainpubliccommentsonthe environmentalimpactsthatneedtobeaddressed.Themeetingwillbefrom7to10p.m.attheGoreJuniorHighSchoolcafeteria,1200Highway10N,Gore,Oklahoma.InadditiontotheTuesdayeveningmeeting,twoothermeetingsareplannedforthatday.Inthemorning,from9a.m.tonoon,NRCstaffanditsconsultantswilltourtheSequoyahFuelssite.
Intheafternoon,from2to4p.m.,NRCandSequoyahFuelsCorporationwillholdatechnical exchangerelatedtoenvironmentalissuesatthesite.ThismeetingwillbeheldattheSequoyah FuelsfacilitywarehouselocatedatInterstate-40andHighway10.ThetechnicalexchangewillaffordtheNRCanditsconsultantsanopportunitytodiscussenvironmentalissuespriortoanticipatedNRCrequestsforadditionalinformationfromSequoyah Fuels.Themeetingisopenforpublicobservation,butparticipationislimitedtoNRCand SequoyahFuelspersonnel.Theopportunityforfullpublicparticipationwilloccurintheevening duringthe7p.m.meeting.OtheragenciesandorganizationscooperatingintheenvironmentalreviewaretheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency,theArmyCorpsofEngineers,theU.S.GeologicalSurvey,the OklahomaDepartmentofEnvironmentalQuality,andtheCherokeeNation.Mostoftheseagencies andorganizationswillberepresentedatthe7p.m.meeting.FrancisX.(Chip)Cameron,Special CounselforPublicLiaisonatNRC,willbefacilitatorforthemeetingTheSequoyahFuelsfacilityisabouttwomilessoutheastofGore,Oklahoma.From1970to1993,thefacilitywasusedtoconverturaniumoxide(yellowcake)touraniumhexafluoride,astepin theproductionofnuclearreactorfuel.From1987to1993,thefacilitywasalsousedtoconvert depleteduraniumhexafluoridetodepleteduraniumtetrafluoride.Duringthisoperationalperiod, SequoyahFuelsdisposedofradioactivematerialonsiteinaccordancewithNRCregulationsineffectatthetime.Italsobuiltpondsforchemicallyandradioactivelycontaminatedmaterials,and disposedofsludgeandotherprocessmaterialsbyburial.In1998SequoyahFuelssubmittedtoNRCasitecharacterizationreport,whichisatechnicalanalysisanddescriptionofthesite'sradiologicalcontamination.Astudyofremediationalternatives wassubmitted,alsoin1998,followedbyadecommissioningplanin1999.Thealternativesstudyis theprincipalbasisfortheenvironmentalreview.TheremediationalternativeproposedbySequoyah Fuelsisanon-sitedisposalcell.TheNRCisconductinganenvironmentalreviewofthedecommissioningandwilldevelopanenvironmentalimpactstatementtodeterminewhetherthealternativeproposedbythecompany forremediationofthefacilityisacceptable.Theenvironmentalimpactstatementwillevaluatethe potentialimpactsofthelicensee'sproposal,includingtheeffectsonwaterresources,airquality, ecologicalresources,socioeconomicandcommunityresources,humanhealth,noise,and environmentaljustice.Thestatementwillalsodiscusstheoptionofdisposingofthecontaminated materialoff-siteinalicenseddisposalfacility.TheOctober17publicmeetingisoneofaseriesofpublicmeetingsheldperiodicallytodiscussvariousissuesrelatedtotheremediationoftheSequoyahFuelssite.Beforeeachmeeting, anagendaisdistributedtoallinterestedmembersofthepublicandplacedintheStanleyTubbs MemorialLibrary,101EastCherokee,Sallisaw,Oklahoma.