DOE, Bettis officials address questions on unused buildings

Public input is being sought regarding the West Mifflin campus.

Officials from the Department of Energy and Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory made a presentation and answered questions about a potential project concerning two unused buildings on their campus during a public hearing Thursday.

The primary purpose of the meeting was to address questions, provide information and offer residents resources to offer feedback to the DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (EM), which is investigating options for the two buildings. The representatives emphasized that they haven’t decided exactly what to do with the buildings, and they are in the process of gathering community feedback.

Manager Matthew Young, Office of Naval Reactors (NR) Field Officer David Harper, and Lesley Cusick, a community engagement specialist with RSI (an environmental cleanup organization), all detailed the steps of the project. They explained that EM and NR are partnering to determine alternatives for the disposition of the two buildings on the C-Area of the Bettis campus in West Mifflin.

The buildings, which they referred to as CX and CY, are on the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory campus, which conducts research for the U.S. Navy on nuclear reactors that provide propulsion for military aircraft carriers and submarines. CX and CY were built between 1953 and 1956 to help with research projects and to house research test reactors.

They explained that CX has four test reactors and CY has one; both have been defueled. A historical assessment of the buildings found that radiation and chemical contamination, such as asbestos, cadmium, lead, and mercury, can be found throughout the buildings.

The buildings are mostly unused, but the CY building does house the Bettis Reactor Engineering School and some offices. Young stated that the school is looking to relocate somewhere else.

Cusick explained that EM is going through the CERCLA Process to determine what to do with the buildings, which involves getting input from the surrounding community and producing a historical assessment with an engineering evaluation/ cost analysis.

Through the EE/CA, three potential outcomes were possible:

• No action, which would involve continued maintenance and upkeep of the buildings. This would cost $32.4 million over the next 30 years before they’re assessed again.

• A cleanout, which would involve removing some equipment and the decontamination of radiation throughout the properties. Maintenance and upkeep of the buildings would continue. This would cost $45.3 million over the next 30 years.

• Demolition, which would involve tearing down the CX and CY buildings, except for the shock and vibration test facility next to the CX building. The cost would be $79 million over four years.

The office of Environmental Management and the EE/CA both recommended the demolition option. Although it’s more expensive, it would eliminate the cost of keeping and maintaining the buildings.

The historical assessment stated that chances of any of the toxic contaminants escaping from the buildings are low and that the buildings currently present no risks to human health. However, it did add that the situation could change.

“While C-Area buildings are well-managed and under tight controls, changed conditions, such as continuing structural degradation or an event that exposes the interior contamination to the environment create an increased potential for contaminant migration and exposure to the environment, the public, and Bettis Laboratory site workers,” read the historical assessment. “As a result, these potential risks pose a risk to human health or the environment and present a need for an EE/CA to evaluate removal action alternatives to address those risks.”

Cusick explained that they’ve also been interacting with local officials regarding the project. He said they had a meeting in January with West Mifflin officials.

“There’s been email communications, and also teams meetings with the regulators, that they were communicated with about the project,” Cusick said. “We’ve had communications with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, either locally or in Harrisburg, the Bureau of Radiation Protection and the Allegheny County itself.”

Young said if they go forward with the demolition, rail and trucks will be used to transport waste from the Bettis Laboratory. Their main goal is to use railways to decrease traffic as well.

Harper said that if the project moves forward, work could start as soon as next year.

“West Mifflin council member Karen Santoro, one of the borough officials present at the meeting, said the borough is fortunate to have Bettis as an asset in the community.

Cusick said they’re in the phase of the project where they’re looking for input from community members. EM is accepting public comments through Oct. 4. They can be emailed to Mr. Matthew Young, Program Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, 550 Main Street, Suite 7-010, Cincinnati, OH 45202-7100.

Local residents can also email comments to BettisCERCLAcomments@ emcbc.doe.gov.

All material regarding the project can be found at https://www.energy.gov/em/ EMCBC-NY/bettis-c-area.