NUREG-1613 I Draft Environmental Impact Statement Decommissioning of the Babcock & Wilcox I Shallow Land Disposal Area in Parks Township, Pennsylvania Docket No. 70-3085 License No. SNM-2001 H. Astwood, J. W. Bradbury, R. Codell, T. E. Harris, T. J. Biasing, A. H. Curtis, J. A. Dickerman, C. E. Easterly, G. K. Eddlemon, J. T. Ensminger, C. W. Hagan, H. K. Hardee, L. N. McCold, B. M. Sorensen, W. P. Staub, J. W. Van Dyke U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards AVAILABILITY NOTICE Availability of Reference Materials Cited in NRC Publications Most documents cited in NRC publications will be available from one of the following sources: 1. The NRC Public Document Room, 2120 L Street, NW., Lower Level, Washington, DC 20555-0001 2. The Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, P. 0. Box 37082, Washington, DC 20402-9328 3. 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Van Dyke, ORNL Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6206 ABSTRACT ABSTRACT The Shallow Land Disposal Area (SLDA) at Parks Township, Pennsylvania is owned by Babcock & Wilcox (B&W), which maintains the site under an active NRC license. Under the B&W proposed SLDA decommissioning alternative, the wastes would be stabilized on-site by installing engineered cover and hydrologic barrier systems surrounding the trenches to provide groundwater protection. The underlying coal mine would be stabilized by injecting grout into the mine voids to prevent subsidence. Institutional controls would be required in perpetuity to prevent intrusion into the wastes. The DEIS evaluates the radiological and nonradiological impacts associated with the B&W proposed action and four alternative actions, including no action. Impacts are assessed for socioeconomics, land use, cultural resources, geology, air quality, water quality, human health, biological resources, and wetlands. The analysis shows that the staffs preferred alternative, modified stabilization in place, would protect public health and the environment and would be less costly than the other alternatives. This alterative would include institutional controls and backfilling of the coal mine, but the engineered barriers and cap would not be implemented. For any of the alternatives, off-site impacts would be low and no off-site dose is expected. ... NUREG- 1613 CONTENTS Page A B STRA C T .................................................................... iii LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................. xi LIST OF TABLES........................................................... xi ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ............................................. xv SU M M A RY ................................................................... xix 1. IN TRODUCTION ........................................................... 1-1 1.1 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROPOSED ACTION ....................... 1-1 1.2 BACKGROUND ........... ............................................. 1-2 1.3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION ............................... 1-8 1.4 SCOPE OF THE EIS ..................................................... 1-8 1.5 SCOPING PROCESS ..................................................... 1-9 1.6 PARTICIPATING AGENCIES ............................................ 1-9 2. ALTERNATIVES INCLUDING THE PROPOSED ACTION ......................... 2-1 2.1 N O -A CTION ........................................................... 2-1 2.2 STABILIZATION IN PLACE (LICENSEE'S PROPOSED ACTION) .............. 2-1 2.2.1 Sw ales .......................................................... 2-1 2.2.2 C over ........................................................... 2-3 2.2.3 Slurry W all ...................................................... 2-5 2.2.4 G rout Curtain .................................................... 2-5 2.2.5 Hydraulic Control Borings .......................................... 2-8 2.2.6 Coal M ine Grouting ............................................... 2-8 2.2.7 Site Restoration ................................................... 2-8 2.2.8 Protection of Occupational and Public Health and Safety ................. 2-8 2.2.8.1 Occupational Health and Safety .............................. 2-8 2.2.8.2 Public Access Control ..................................... 2-11 2.2.9 Surveillance and Maintenance .................................... 2-11 2.2.9.1 The Surveillance and Maintenance Plan ....................... 2-12 2.2.9.2 M onitoring Instruments .................................... 2-12 2.2.9.3 Remediation Works Performance Monitoring: Transient Conditions 2-12 2.2.9.4 Surveillance and Maintenance: Steady State Conditions .......... 2-12 2.2.10 ProjectCost ..................................................... 2-13 2.3 DISPOSAL OFF-SITE ALTERNATIVE .................................... 2-13 2.3.1 W aste Excavation ................................................. 2-13 2.3.2 W aste Treatm ent ................................................. 2-14 2.3.3 W aste Transport and Disposal ...................................... 2-14 2.3.4 Project Cost ..................................................... 2-15 2.4 STABILIZATION ON-SITE ALTERNATIVE ............................... 2-15 2.4.1 W aste Treatm ent ................................................. 2-15 2.4.2 W aste Disposal Cell .............................................. 2-17 V NUREG- 1613 Page 2.4.3 Coal M ine Grouting .............................................. 2-17 3 2.4.4 Project Cost ..................................................... 2-17 2.5 OTHER ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED .................................. 2-17 2.5.1 In Situ A lternatives ............................................... 2-17 U 2.5.1.1 Soil Vapor Extraction ..................................... 2-20 2.5.1.2 Leachate Removal ........................................ 2-20 2.5.1.3 Electro-osmosis .......................................... 2-20 I 2.5.1.4 Biorem ediation .......................................... 2-21 2.5.1.5 Shallow Soil M ixing ...................................... 2-21 2.5.1.6 In Situ Grouting .......................................... 2-21 I 2.5.1.7 V itrification ............................................. 2-22 2.5.1.8 Radio Frequency Heating .................................. 2-22 2.5.1.9 Soil Flushing ............................................ 2-22 I 2.5.1.10 Other in Situ Alternatives .................................. 2-22 2.5.2 Exhumation Options .............................................. 2-22 2.6 REGULATORY COMPLIANCE .......................................... 2-23 2.7 REFERENCES .......................................................