Shieldalloy Metallurgical Corporation

1.0 Site Identification

2.0 Site Status Summary

The Shieldalloy Metallurgical Corporation (SMC) is a complex decommissioning site located in Newfield, New Jersey. Accumulated materials at the site consist of facility-generated slag and baghouse dust containing natural uranium and natural thorium. The site is on the National Priorities List under CERCLA, because of chromium contamination in groundwater resulting from the release of process wastewater to an unlined lagoon. In August 2001, SMC notified NRC that it had ceased production activities using source material. On August 27, 2001, the licensee provided notification and intent to decommission. The license is in timely renewal, and was amended on November 4, 2002, to authorize only decommissioning activities that were previously permitted. The licensee submitted a revised license renewal application on May 1, 2003. The licensee estimates the cost of decommissioning ranges from approximately 5 million dollars, if the accumulated material is left on site in a restricted use decommissioning, to 63 million dollars, if the accumulated material is transported to a licensed low-level radioactive waste facility. The SMC facility manufactures or has manufactured specialty steel and super alloy additives, primary aluminum master alloys, metal carbides, powdered metals, and optical surfacing products. One of the raw materials that was used in its manufacturing processes from 1955 to 1998 is classified as source material under 10 CFR Part 40. This material, called pyrochlore, is a concentrated niobium ore containing greater than 0.05 percent natural uranium and natural thorium. SMC was licensed by the NRC to ship, receive, possess, use and store source material under SMB-743. During the manufacturing process, the facility generated slag, and baghouse dust. Currently, there is approximately 18,000 m3 (635,580 ft3) of slag and approximately 15,000 m3 (529,650 ft3) of baghouse dust containing natural uranium, thorium, and daughters stored on-site.

3.0 Major Technical or Regulatory Issues

On August 28, 2009, Shieldalloy submitted Revision 1b of the Shieldalloy Decommissioning Plan. On September 30, 2009, the NRC entered into an agreement with the State of New Jersey for the transfer of regulatory authority over the state's materials sites, including the Shieldalloy site, to New Jersey. On November 9, 2010, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, concluded that the NRC provided an insufficient response to Shieldalloy's comment asking NRC to retain jurisdiction over its site, vacated the NRC’s transfer of authority to New Jersey and remanded the proceedings back to the NRC. On January 3, 2011, Shieldalloy once again became an NRC licensee. The NRC is assessing the Court of Appeals decision with respect to future actions regarding New Jersey and its authority as an Agreement State Licensing Body for Shieldalloy.

4.0 Estimated Date For Closure

TBD