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Homer Laughlin

1.0 Site Identification

2.0 Site Status Summary

The Homer Laughlin China Company is a 37-Acre facility on the banks of the Ohio River, in Newell, West Virginia. The town is located in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle, approximately 40 miles Northwest of Pittsburgh, PA. The facility is an active business, manufacturing retail and commercial dinnerware. It encompasses several buildings on 37 acres and employs over 1100 individuals.

The Homer Laughlin China Company (HLC) is a formerly-licensed site. HLC was licensed by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) for possession of 100,000 pounds of source material used as a glazing agent (up to 20% uranium) in the production of ceramic tableware. The license was terminated in 1972 based upon a letter from HLC stating that all remaining licensed materials had been returned to their supplier. A review of the terminated license file determined that no record of licensee closeout survey or NRC confirmatory survey was performed. In 1994, approximately 500 pounds of depleted uranium oxide (U3O8) sand was discovered on the property. A contractor was hired to survey areas where licensed materials were used and stored and provide a radiological characterization of material in the facility. Several areas of fixed and removable contamination exceeding NRC limits for unrestricted use were identified during the characterization survey. A Confirmatory Action Letter issued to HLC required HLC?s commitment to package and dispose of the bulk source material, limit access to contaminated areas, and submit a DP. After NRC approved the DP in January 1995, HLC and its contractor initiated facility decommissioning. HLC did not complete decommissioning in production areas because they were unable to remove fixed contamination from surfaces of equipment and structures which exceeded NRC unrestricted release guidelines using conventional techniques. At various times during the period 1996?2004, HLC provided additional information to NRC to refine their computer-based risk analysis, to demonstrate the facility meets the 25 mrem/yr unrestricted release limit of the LTR. In March, 2005, NRC accepted HLC's revised risk assessment, pending the verification of certain assumptions made in the analysis (contaminated surface area, no contamination above background on kiln floor, secular equilibrium of U-238, no other alpha emitters considered). Although the facility likely meets the LTR, the waste material from decon activities remains on site, packaged and in storage.

3.0 Major Technical or Regulatory Issues

1. Disposal of Stored Waste Waste material from site D&D has been packaged and is being stored in a posted, and infrequently-used area of the plant. HLC is currently having characterization of the material performed. An initial random sampling characterization was conducted in first quarter 2006 and a complete characterization is expected to be completed by the end of 2006. Cost estimates for waste disposal will be solicited from waste vendors when characterization is completed.

4.0 Estimated Date For Closure

03/31/2008

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Monday, April 14, 2008