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Kerr-McGee - Cimarron

1.0 Site Identification

2.0 Site Status Summary

The 840 acre Cimarron site in Crescent, Oklahoma is situated along the southern bank of the Cimarron River approximately 30 miles north of Oklahoma City. Most of the site has been decommissioned and released for unrestricted use. Uranium contamination in excess of release criteria is in the groundwater at Burial Area 1 and around Well 1319. Technetium (Tc)-99 exceeding release criteria is in the groundwater in the vicinity of Waste Pond 1 and 2. Concentrations of Tc-99 within applicable release criteria have also been found in Burial Area 1. The site is also licensed for onsite disposal of up to 500,000 cubic feet of Option 2 [of the 1981 Branch Technical Position (BTP)] contaminated soil in Subarea N. NRC staff reviewed Cimarron's Subarea N Report (submitted in January 2002) and performed its independent confirmatory survey in June 2002. Due to an occurrence of groundwater exceeding the 180 pCi/l release limit in a nearby portion of Subarea K, NRC is delaying release of Subarea N until the groundwater issue is resolved. There are no immediate radiological hazards at the site. The licensee estimates the cost of decommissioning to be approximately $3.6 million. No financial assurance issues have been identified at this time.

The Kerr-McGee Corporation (KMC) operated two plants at the Cimarron facility between 1965 and 1975, each under its own separate Atomic Energy Commission license. Radioactive Materials License SNM-928 was issued under 10 CFR Part 70 for the Uranium Fuel Fabrication Facility, and Radioactive Materials License SNM-1174 was issued for the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication (MOFF) Facility. Subsequently, in 1988, Cimarron Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of KMC, became responsible for the Cimarron Facility. NRC terminated Radioactive Materials License SNM-1174 by letter dated February 5, 1993. Although Radioactive Materials License SNM-1174 was terminated, the MOFF plant building exterior surfaces and grounds were retained under Radioactive Materials License SNM-928. Cimarron began decommissioning in 1977 and has completed most of the decommissioning activities needed for NRC to release the Cimarron site for unrestricted use and to terminate Radioactive Materials License SNM-928. The primary remaining activity to be completed is groundwater remediation. Cimarron considered several alternatives for groundwater remediation including natural attenuation, excavation, and the use of institutional controls. Cimarron submitted its proposal to use bioremediation to NRC in December 2006. The NRC staff conducted an expanded acceptance review of the proposal. In March 2007, the NRC rejected the proposal because of deficiencies in the information provided for the staff to conduct a detailed technical review. NRC and Cimarron met on April 20, 2007 at NRC headquarters to discuss the deficiencies. By letter dated May 18, 2007, the NRC staff transmitted, to Cimarron, a summary of the meeting and the staff's recommendations for a path forward. In response to the staff's recommendations, Cimarron is developing its path forward. NRC and Cimarron staff held a telephone conference on September 5, 2007 and December 19, 2007 to discuss issues pertaining to Cimarron's development of its path forward. Staff from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality participated in these calls. Although the Cimarron facility poses no immediate threat to public health and safety, it is listed in the Complex Site list to ensure timely decommissioning.

3.0 Major Technical or Regulatory Issues

One significant regulatory issue that was resolved was whether NRC will allow Cimarron to remediate the groundwater under SDMP criteria or if Cimarron's choice of remediation technique will require the use of criteria from the License Termination Rule. OGC reviewed the issue and by letter dated November 10, 2005 stated that Cimarrons preferred technologies of "pump and treat" or excavation could be performed under SDMP criteria. However, subsequent technical staff and OGC interpretation will allow for the use of other technologies under SDMP criteria provided that there is no change in the criteria for remediation. Depending on the groundwater remediation technique that Cimarron proposes,the ODEQ may raise concerns regarding the disposal of soils or effluent discharges.

4.0 Estimated Date For Closure

01/01/2017

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