News Release No. 297

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES SEEKING COMMENTS ON A CONSENT DECREE SIGNED BY WESTINGHOUSE

Volume 33-297

Contact: Renee Bungart

(For immediate release)

573-751-4465

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, JULY 26, 2005 -- The Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Attorney General's Office have entered into a consent decree with Westinghouse Electric Company LLC. This consent decree pertains to the Hematite Radioactive Site. The site is a former nuclear fuel manufacturing facility currently owned by Westinghouse, but previously owned and operated by other parties. The Hematite Radioactive Site is located at 3330 State Road P, Hematite in Jefferson County.

The consent decree states Westinghouse will reimburse the state for past and future costs of oversight of response actions at the Hematite Radioactive Site. Westinghouse will also perform studies and response work consistent with the National Contingency Plan, 40 C.F.R. Part 300, including a remedial investigation and feasibility study, with a baseline human health risk assessment and ecological risk assessment.

The Department of Natural Resources invites the public to review and offer written comments on the consent decree from now until the end of the 30-day public comment period that ends August 29, 2005. Send comments to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Federal Facilities Section, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176.

The consent decree is available on the department's Web site at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/hwp/news/news.htm. The public can review the consent decree on the Web site or at the local document repository located at the Festus Public Library located at 222 North Mill St. in Festus. The document is also available by appointment at the department's Hazardous Waste Program located at 1738 East Elm St. in Jefferson City and at the Westinghouse Plant located in Hematite.

Plant operations at the Hematite Radioactive Site began in 1956. Primary functions at the facility throughout its history have included the processing of uranium metal and uranium compounds from natural and enriched uranium for use as nuclear fuel. These products were manufactured for use by the federal government and government contractors, commercial power plants and research reactors. During the time that these manufacturing operations were ongoing, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, and then the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulated plant operations. Currently, the site is subject to regulation primarily by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Natural Resources.

Upon acquiring the Hematite Radioactive Site operating facility in 2000, Westinghouse began the process of completing any work in progress, shutting down operations at the site, and starting an environmental remediation and plant decommissioning. Westinghouse is conducting these activities with oversight by the Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

For additional information on those locations or for more information on this site, contact the department's Federal Facilities Section at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-3907.

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

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