Timeline
Oct. 8, 2009 - NJDEP informs SMC by letter that Rev. 1b does not meet the NJDEP’s regulations and that SMC has until January 31, 2010 to submit a revised decommissioning plan.
Sept. 30, 2009 - Regulatory authority over certain USNRC-licensed facilities within the State of New Jersey (including SMC) is transferred to the State.
Sept. 25, 2009 - USNRC informs SMC that no further review of Rev. 1b of the Decommissioning Plan will take place in light of the pending transfer of regulatory authority over SMC to the State of New Jersey.
Aug. 28, 2009 - SMC finalizes and submits Rev. 1b of the “Decommissioning Plan for the Newfield Facility” to the USNRC.
May 7 and 14, 2009 - SMC participated in a conference call with representatives of the USNRC to resolve outstanding technical issues and address RAIs.
April 16, 2009 - SMC participated in a conference call with representatives of the USNRC to resolve outstanding technical issues and address RAIs.
March 17, 2009 – SMC submits its response to the February 17, 2009 Request for Additional Information.
March 16 and 30, 2009 - SMC participated in a conference call with representatives of the USNRC to resolve outstanding technical issues and address RAIs.
March 11, 2009 – SMC submits to USNRC a draft Executive Summary addressing USNRC verbal comments on the “Slag Characterization Memo.”
March 2, 5, 16 and 30, 2009 - SMC participated in conference calls with representatives of the USNRC to resolve outstanding technical issues and address RAIs.
Feb. 17, 2009 – USNRC issues a Request for Additional Information involving Engineered Barrier Design, Mixed Waste and ALARA Issues.
Feb. 4, 2009 – SMC submits an addendum to the “Slag Characterization Memo” to the USNRC.
Feb. 2, 5, 17 and 18, 2009 - SMC participated in conference calls with representatives of the USNRC to resolve outstanding technical issues and address RAIs.
Jan. 27-30, 2009 – SMC conducts subsurface geotechnical investigations in Storage Yard area.
Jan. 28, 2009 - SMC finalizes and forwards its “Derived Concentration Guideline Levels for the Newfield Site” to the USNRC.
Jan. 19, 2009 - SMC submits its February, March and April 2008 groundwater monitoring results and its “Prospective dose Assessment for Members of the Public” to the USNRC in response to a request made during the
January 15, 2009 technical teleconference
Jan. 16, 2009 – SMC submits the “Characterization of Slag and Related Materials in the Storage Yard” report (hereafter referred to as the “Slag Characterization Memo”) to the USNRC.
Jan. 14, 2009 - SMC submits its response to the December 5, 2008 Request for Additional Information from the USNRC.
Jan. 5 and 15, 2009 - SMC participated in a conference call with representatives of the USNRC to resolve outstanding technical issues and address RAIs.
2008
Dec. 17, 2008 – SMC submitted to the USNRC the “Storage Yard Geotechnical Investigation Work Plan” for informational purposes.
Dec. 16, 2008 - SMC received a listing of viable alternative disposal options for the contents of the Storage Yard from the NJDEP. (All options contacted by representatives of SMC and a summary of findings was prepared on January 9, 2009.)
Dec. 5, 2008
- SMC submits “Ground Water Impacts Analysis Based on Subsurface Soil Sampling And Ground Water Monitoring” report to USNRC.
- USNRC issues a request for Additional Information on Rev. 1a of the “Decommissioning Plan for the Newfield Facility”.
Dec. 1 and 15, 2008 - SMC participated in conference calls with representatives of the USNRC to resolve outstanding technical issues and address RAIs.
Nov. 19-20, 2008 - The USNRC held a site tour, RAI discussion and public meeting at the Newfield facility.
Nov. 5, 2008 - SMC finalizes its “Focused Radiological Characterization of the Newfield Facility” and submits the same to the USNRC.
Oct. 27, 2008 - SMC participated in a conference call with representatives of the USNRC to resolve outstanding technical issues and address RAIs.
Sept. 30, 2008 – USNRC holds a public meeting at Edgarton Memorial Elementary School to discuss the status of the Decommissioning Plan.
Sept. 8, 11, 18 and 25, 2008 - SMC participated in conference calls with representatives of the USNRC to resolve outstanding technical issues and address RAIs.
Aug. 21, 2008 - SMC finalized and submitted its “Engineered Barrier Design” package to the USNRC.
Aug. 14 and 18, 2008 - SMC participated in conference calls with representatives of the USNRC to resolve outstanding technical issues and address RAIs.
June 16-20, 2008 – SMC’s consultants conduct extensive sampling of materials contained in the Storage Yard area and submit samples for testing to resolve outstanding technical issues and address RAIs.
June 13, 30, 2008 - SMC participated in conference calls with representatives of the USNRC to resolve outstanding technical issues and address RAIs.
June 2-3, 2008 - SMC hosted a site tour for representatives of the USNRC and NJDEP.
May 22, 2008 - SMC participated in a conference call with representatives of the USNRC to resolve outstanding technical issues and address RAIs.
May 7, 2008 – SMC submits its proposal for sampling and leachability testing of slag and baghouse dust samples to the USNRC.
April 24, 2008 - SMC participated in a conference call with representatives of the USNRC to resolve outstanding technical issues and address RAIs.
April 24, 2008 - SMC’s consultant conducts a visit to Dyer Quarry, a potential source of rock suggested by the USNRC that would satisfy USNRC requirements for cover material.
March 27, 2008 – SMC and USNRC visit three quarries to evaluate potential rock sources for use as cover material at the Newfield site.
March 3, 4, 10, 13 and 19, 2008 - SMC participated in conference calls with representatives of the USNRC to resolve outstanding technical issues and address RAIs.
March 13, 2008 – SMC collects initial slag samples from Storage Yard for testing to resolve outstanding technical issues and address
Feb. 26, 2008 - SMC participated in a conference call with representatives of the USNRC to resolve outstanding technical issues and address RAIs.
Jan. 24, 2008 – SMC submits to the USNRC additional information regarding remedial investigations requested by the USNRC during the January 9, 2008 conference call.
Jan. 3 and 9, 2008 - SMC participated in conference calls with representatives of the USNRC to resolve outstanding technical issues and address RAIs.
Nov. 9, 2007 -- SMC provided written responses to the July 5, 2007, RAI to the USNRC, along with a commitment to submit Rev. 1b of the Decommissioning Plan by May 16, 2008.
Aug. 29, 2007; Sept. 11, 2007 and Oct. 4, 2007 -- Conference calls were held on these dates between representatives of the USNRC, the USNRC's EIS consultant, SMC and SMC's consultants and NJDEP regarding theJuly 5, 2007, Request for Additional Information.
July 24, 2007 -- NRC staff members conducted a site visit of the Newfield facility.
July 5, 2007 -- The USNRC issued to SMCa "Request for Additional Information (RAI) for Safey Review of Proposed Decommissioning Plan for Shieldalloy Metallurgical Corporation, Newfield, New Jersey." This RAI focused on safety factors.
April 25, 2007 -- SMC provided written responses to the March 19, 2007, USNRC RAI for Environmental Review.
March 28, 2007 -- An Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB), appointed by the USNRC to review requests for hearing on the Decommissioning Plan submitted by SMC, issued a Memorandum and Order on various hearing requests as they pertained to SMC’s request to implement the Decommissioning Plan, once approved. The ASLB denied all hearing requests except that submitted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Further action on the proceeding was placed on hold until the USNRC Staff’s safety and environmental reviews were complete. When proceedings resume, local governments (Gloucester and Cumberland Counties and the Borough of Newfield), will be able to participate as “interested states,” as discussed in the ASLB Memorandum and Order.
March 19, 2007 -- The USNRC issued to SMC a “Request for Additional Information (RAI) for Environmental Review of Proposed Decommissioning Plan for Shieldalloy Metallurgical Corporation, Newfield, New Jersey.” This RAI focused on environmental factors. Included in the RAI were requests for copies of documents to facilitate the EIS process, as well as technical review comments from the safety assessment of the Decommissioning Plan.
March 6, 2007 – The USNRC issued a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to initiate discussions on the SMC Decommissioning Plan.
Dec. 28, 2006 - The USNRC filed in the Federal Register a notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the decommissioning of the SMC facility in Newfield (71 FR 78232). The notice initiated the public scoping process, which was extended until January 31, 2007.
Dec. 21, 2006 – The State of New Jersey files the first of three connected review petitions in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit challenging the validity of the guidance issued by the NRC in NUREG-1757, which is followed by SMC in the Decommissioning Plan. These review petitions are pending before the Third Circuit.
Dec. 13, 2006 – A meeting was held at the SMC Newfield facility between representatives of the USNRC, the USNRC’s EIS consultant, SMC and SMC’s consultants to initiate work on the EIS for the USNRC.
Dec. 5 and 12, 2006 – The USNRC held public meetings in Newfield to solicit public comments on the Decommissioning Plan and the proposed scope and content of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) being prepared for the decommissioning.
Nov. 17, 2006
– The USNRC filed a notice in the Federal Register of its intent to issue a license amendment to authorize the decommissioning of the SMC facility in Newfield in accordance with the Decommissioning Plan submitted by SMC (71 FR 66986), once approved. The notice allowed interested parties to file a written request for a hearing on the Decommissioning Plan and to specify the contentions the party would seek to have litigated at the hearing.
– Local and State officials visited the Newfield site for a presentation by SMC and tour to gather information.
Oct. 18, 2006 - The USNRC indicated by letter to SMC that the Decommissioning Plan (as updated through Rev. 1a) had been accepted for a detailed technical review.
June 30, 2006 – SMC provided a written response to the issues raised by the USNRC in the January 26, 2006 letter and during the March 9, 2006 and April 11, 2006 meetings. In addition, Rev. 1a of the “Decommissioning Plan for the Newfield Facility” was issued. Rev. 1a of the DP, containing information that would allow the USNRC to docket the Decommissioning Plan and to proceed into technical review, was included in the June 30, 2006 submission to the USNRC.
May 12, 2006 – The USNRC documented the general content of the March 9, 2006 meeting in a letter to SMC and provided supplemental information for use in revising Rev. 1 of the DP.
April 11, 2006 – A technical meeting was held between USNRC, SMC and SMC’s environmental consultant and representatives of NJDEP at the Newfield site to discuss issues related to the demonstration of the robustness of the proposed engineered barrier within the Decommissioning Plan.
March 23, 2006 – SMC documented the information exchanged during the March 9, 2006 meeting, summarizing the technical discussions and the agreed-upon resolution to outstanding items.
March 9, 2006 – A public meeting was held between USNRC and SMC at USNRC Headquarters to discuss USNRC’s perceived deficiencies with Rev. 1 of the Decommissioning Plan.
Jan. 26, 2006 – The USNRC issued a letter to SMC indicating that Rev. 1 of the Decommissioning Plan did not pass its “expanded technical review”, and recommending that SMC management meet with the USNRC to discuss the path forward. While SMC believed that Rev. 1 of the Decommissioning Plan met all of the USNRC’s criteria for acceptability for technical review, SMC agreed to meet with USNRC to discuss the issue further.
Oct. 31, 2005 – The USNRC began its expanded acceptance review of Rev. 1 of the Decommissioning Plan in accordance with NUREG-1757 (Consolidated NMSS Decommissioning Guidance), Vol. 1, Section 5.3. The purpose of the expanded acceptance review was to determine if there was enough information in the Decommissioning Plan to permit a detailed technical/safety/environmental review.
October 2005 – Rev. 1 of the "Decommissioning Plan for the Newfield Facility" was placed onto this website for public review. Interested parties were encouraged to send their comments, concerns and suggestions to SMC using the e-mail link provided. In addition, hard copies of the Plan were also placed into document repositories in Newfield’s Borough Hall and the Newfield Public Library.
Oct. 24, 2005 – Rev. 1 of the "Decommissioning Plan for the Newfield Facility" was sent to the USNRC for acceptability review.
Sept. 21, 2005 – As of September 15, 2005, SMC had received formal USNRC comments on one of the three draft chapters. A response to those comments was prepared and sent to the USNRC on August 29, 2005.