[Federal Register: September 29, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 188)]
[Notices]               
[Page 56019]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29se03-136]                         

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. 40-2253]

 
Removal of the GSA Watertown, MA, Property From the Site 
Decommissioning Management Plan

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of site release and finding of no significant impact.

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I. Introduction

    This notice is to inform the public that the United States Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is releasing the General 
Services Administration (GSA) Property in Watertown, MA, for 
unrestricted use and is removing the site from the Site Decommissioning 
Management Plan (SDMP) list. The site is managed by the U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers (USACE), New England District. The property was formerly a 
part of the Watertown Arsenal used by the U.S. Army for munitions 
operations. In 1990, the Commission developed the SDMP program for 
sites that warranted special attention to ensure timely 
decommissioning. This list included the GSA Watertown site. Since being 
placed on the SDMP, large amounts of contaminated soil have been 
removed from the site. The USACE has supplied, and the Commission has 
reviewed, site characterization and dose assessment information, and 
the Commission has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA).

II. EA Summary

    The purpose of the proposed action is to release the GSA property 
in Watertown, MA, for unrestricted use and remove it from the SDMP. The 
USACE provided a final radiological status survey and performed a site-
specific dose analysis to demonstrate the site meets the license 
termination criteria in subpart E of 10 CFR part 20. In addition, NRC 
staff conducted independent measurements of residual contamination 
remaining at the site.

III. Finding of No Significant Impact

    The NRC staff has evaluated the USACE request, has reviewed the 
results of the final radiological survey, has performed confirmatory 
measurements throughout the site property, and has determined that the 
unrestricted release dose criteria in 10 CFR 20.1402 have been met. On 
the basis of the Environmental Assessment, the Commission concludes 
that the site is suitable for release for unrestricted use, and the GSA 
Watertown, MA, property is being removed from the SDMP. The staff has 
prepared the attached EA to support the proposed action. The NRC staff 
has concluded that the environmental impacts from the decision are 
expected to be insignificant and has determined not to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed action.

IV. Further Information

    The EA and documents related to the proposed action are available 
for inspection at NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html
 (ADAMS Accession No. ML032601000). 
These documents are also available for inspection and copying for a fee 
at the USNRC Region I Office, 475 Allendale Rd., King of Prussia, PA 
19406. Any questions with respect to this action should be referred to 
Craig Z. Gordon, Decommissioning and Laboratory Branch, Division of 
Nuclear Material Safety, USNRC Region I, 475 Allendale Rd., King of 
Prussia, Pennsylvania 19406, telephone (610) 337-5216, fax (610) 337-
5269.

    Dated at King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, this 18th day of 
September, 2003.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ronald R. Bellamy,
Chief, Decommissioning & Laboratory Branch, Division of Nuclear 
Materials Safety, Region I.
[FR Doc. 03-24476 Filed 9-26-03; 8:45 am]

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