Results of the Phase III Data Recovery of 33PK347, Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Pike
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Department of Energy Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office 1017 Majestic Drive, Suite 200 Lexington, Kentucky 40513 (859) 219-4000 JUL 2 1 2017 Dr. David Snyder PPP0-03-4334897-17 Archaeology Reviews Manager Ohio History Connection State Historic Preservation Office 800 East 17th A venue Columbus, Ohio 43211 Dear Dr. Snyder: TRANSMITTAL OF THE REPORT OF THE PHASE III DATA RECOVERY OF 33PK347 AT THE PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT Enclosed for your information is the report, Results ofthe Phase III Data Recovery at Site 33PK347, Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Pike County, Ohio. Site 33PK347 was recommended to be considered a historic property following Phase I and Phase II surveys that took place in 2011 and 2012. Recovery of the site and preparation of a technical report fulfill a commitment made by the Department of Energy (DOE) in the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation Liability Act (CERCLA) Record of Decision for the Site-Wide Waste Disposition Evaluation Project. Adverse impacts to Site 33PK347 occurred as a result of the selection of the location for siting the On-Site Waste Disposal Facility (OSWDF). Mitigation for the adverse effects included the recovery of the archaeological site prior to the construction of the OSWDF and preparation of a technical report to document the data recovery processes and results. The site recovery took place in August 2015, prior to initiation of OSWDF construction, in the area of the archaeological site and was preceded by coordination with the Tribal Nations and with the State Historic Preservation Office. In addition to documenting the results and findings of the recovery, the report also provides a comprehensive summary of the results from the Phase I and Phase II surveys. A summary-level report of the findings of the recovery is also in preparation. The summary level report is intended for a general audience and will support DOE's public outreach. DOE is also considering the range of alternatives for the preservation of recorded artifacts from the data recovery. A copy of the report is enclosed and can also be obtained at the Environmental Information Center by contacting 740-289-8898 or at [email protected]. Additionally, an electronic copy can be found at https://www.energy.gov/pppo/downloads/national-historic preservation-act-documents-portsmouth. Dr. Snyder -2- PPP0-03-4334897-17 If you have any questions, please contact Amy Lawson of my staff at 740-897-2112. Sincerely, Robert E. Edwards, III Manager Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office Enclosure: Results of the Phase III Data Recovery at Site 33PK347, Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Pike County, Ohio cc w/enclosure: [email protected], OHPO [email protected], ACHP [email protected], PPPO/PORTS [email protected] (Information Repository, RCRA AR Files, DFF&O AR Files) cc w/o enclosure: [email protected], PPPO/LEX [email protected], PPPO/PORTS Kristi. [email protected], PPPO/PORTS [email protected], PPPO/LEX [email protected], MA-75 [email protected], FBP/PORTS [email protected], RSI/ORO Distribution: Roy Baldridge Robin Dushane Micco Emarthla Leonard Longhorn !"!#$ $%&! '()*+,,- . / (01$ -!-23 1 ()*+&#& Project No. 14-63201.001 Results of the Phase III Data Recovery at Site 33PK347, Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Pike County, Ohio Lead Agency: United States Department of Energy Prepared for: Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth LLC 3930 U.S. Route 23 South Piketon, Ohio 45661 Contact: Wendy Stewart (740) 897-2973 Prepared by: Karen Leone and Marcia Vehling With Contributions from: Ruth Dickau, Donald Handshoe, Melissa Lavender, Nathan Scholl, and Benjamin Stern Gray & Pape, Inc. 1318 Main Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 287-7700 ____________________________ Karen L. Leone, M.A., RPA Principal Investigator June 7, 2017 ABSTRACT Gray & Pape, Inc., of Cincinnati, Ohio, under contract with Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth LLC, and acting on behalf of the United States Department of Energy, has completed a Phase III archaeological data recovery at site 33PK347, Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Scioto Township, Pike County, Ohio. The mitigation of adverse effects to site 33PK347 was conducted as part of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act process, which is being used for the environmental clean-up, including Decontamination and Decommissioning and Waste Management, at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Impacts to site 33PK347 occurred as a result of the selection of the location for siting of the On-Site Waste Disposal Facility. The United States Department of Energy is the lead federal agency for the project. Site 33PK347 is a small, multicomponent, prehistoric site located on a ridgetop, approximately 1,000 meters north-northeast of Little Beaver Creek, in the northeast quadrant of the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant reservation. Phase I and Phase II investigations at site 33PK347 were completed by Ohio Valley Archaeology, Inc., in 2010 and 2012, respectively, and, based upon those results, site 33PK347 was recommended as eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. Phase III data recovery efforts were recommended. The Final Record of Decision for the Site-Wide Waste Disposition Evaluation Project at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant was concurred and finalized by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency in June 2015. Coordination with federally recognized tribes and the Ohio Historic Preservation Office took place prior to, and during, fieldwork. In accordance with the commitments in the Final Record of Decision, Gray & Pape, Inc., on behalf of the United States Department of Energy, completed fieldwork at site 33PK347 in August 2015 and fulfilled its obligations to mitigate the site. This report presents results from the Phase III data recovery, but also provides a comprehensive summary of results from all investigations completed at site 33PK347, including the Phase I survey, Phase II testing, and Phase III data recovery. Site 33PK347 is characterized by a total of 4,809 prehistoric artifacts and two fire-cracked rock-filled basin-shaped pits. The artifact assemblage consists mainly of fire-cracked rock, but also includes chipped stone debitage and lithic tools. In total, excavations at site 33PK347 have exposed 216.5 square meters of the site’s surface area. The strategic placement of 354 shovel test units and 128 excavation units across site 33PK347, as well as the use of geophysical survey and a multitude of special analyses, suggests that all significant cultural features have been identified and mitigated. Temporally diagnostic artifacts and radiocarbon dates indicate occasional site use over a span of approximately 7,500 years of prehistory. Results show that site 33PK347 is located on a severely eroded ridgetop that has, as a result, compromised site integrity. The absence of domestic debris, in the form of ceramics and food remains, suggests that habitation did not take place at site 33PK347. Low frequencies of cultural features and artifacts suggest that the site was likely formed through short, repeated visits by small groups. The focus of activities undertaken at site 33PK347 is unclear. i TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................................... i TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ ii LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... viii LIST OF ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................. x 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Site Overview ........................................................................................................................ 3 1.2 Project Personnel and Acknowledgements ........................................................................... 3 2.0 RESEARCH DESIGN .............................................................................................................. 5 2.1 Previous Archaeological Investigations ................................................................................ 5 2.2 Environmental Overview ...................................................................................................... 6 2.2.1 Physiography and Geomorphology................................................................................ 6 2.2.2 Hydrology ...................................................................................................................... 7 2.2.3 Climate ........................................................................................................................... 7 2.2.4 Flora and Fauna.............................................................................................................. 8 2.3 Cultural Context .................................................................................................................... 9 2.3.1 Archaic Period (8000–1000 B.C.) ..............................................................................