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UNC Naval Products

1.0 Site Identification

2.0 Site Status Summary

This site had been used by United Nuclear Corporation (UNC) to fabricate nuclear fuel components for the U.S. Government, was decommissioned in 1976, and removed from NRC License No. SNM-368 on April 22, 1976. As part of the ORNL review of Terminated Licenses, NRC conducted independent measurements in May 1996, and additional measurements on September 1996. Results indicated residual enriched uranium exceeding 30 pCi/g in soil or sediments in two buildings and a connected inactive sewer system. The site is on the edge of an industrial redevelopment area, and the buildings are enclosed by a chain link fence. The contaminated areas were documented in a July 1996 NRC Inspection Report. In June 1998, the licensee agreed to characterize and remediate the facility in accordance with Option 1 delineated in the NRC BTP for Disposal or Onsite Storage of Thorium or Uranium Wastes from Past Operations. The licensee submitted a characterization plan and DP in August 1999, and conducted sampling activities in 2003.

The UNC facility was operated by Olin Matheson Chemical Corporation (April 1956 to May 31, 1961) and United Nuclear Corporation (June 8, 1961 to April 22, 1976) in New Haven, CT. The licensee?s were authorized by NRC from April, 1956, to use radioactive materials for manufacturing fuel for the naval reactor program at the site. In 1974, UNC announced the closing of the facility and transferred the inventory from this site to the Montville, CT location on their NRC license. Final surveys of the New Haven facility were performed and the report submitted on February 26, 1976. NRC performed confirmatory surveys in March and October, 1976. On April 22, 1976, NRC amended SNM-368 to remove the New Haven, CT facility from the license. Finally on June 8, 1994 SNM-368 was terminated and UNC ceased operations with licensed materials at the Montvile, CT site and the NRC released the facility for unrestricted use.

3.0 Major Technical or Regulatory Issues

The radioactive material on-site is not readily available and the dose consequence to the public is very low. After a review of existing contracts, DOE accepted financial responsibility for site cleanup. Site radiological activities have to be contracted through a competitive contract process that has caused some delays. UNC is not an NRC licensee and is not the current owner of the site and therefore is not required to comply with the Decommissioning Timeliness Rule, however, UNC, has agreed to undertake the remediation. The State of Connecticut and the City of New Haven have some interest in the site, as it is part of a redevelopment area and recently, the City of New Haven became the site owner through a foreclosure action. The sewer authority has cooperated with NRC and UNC in collection of sewer samples. UNC will need to obtain an access agreement with the City of New Haven before additional remediation work can be completed. The NRC published a Notice of Consideration of Approval and Acceptance of the Decommissioning Plan for the former UNC site in the Federal Register on October 10, 2007 and is waiting to hear if there are any public comments before proceeding.

4.0 Estimated Date For Closure

09/30/2008

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Monday, April 14, 2008