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State Regulatory Compliance
The laws and regulations of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts apply to all
major aspects of the site closure process. Several state environmental and
health agencies will play a major role in site closure.
For example, state Department of Public Health regulations help to
establish the criteria for determining whether the site meets radiological
clean up standards. The Massachusetts
Contingency Plan, administered by
the state Department of Environmental
Protection, is the main program under
which non-radiological site investigation and remediation is being performed
at Yankee Rowe. The state contingency plan governs the safe clean up and
disposal of oil or other hazardous materials at the site.
Other state regulatory programs that may apply to the site closure process
include the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's Clean Waters Act and the Public Waterfront Act.
Under the Clean Water Act, Yankee Atomic was required to obtain a Section 401 Water Quality Certificate for any projects that have the potential to adversely impact water quality. Yankee Atomic determined that two sets of site closure activities required this Water Quality Certificate: removal of sediments from Sherman Reservoir and from the West Storm Drain and decommissioning of the circulating water intake and discharge system components located on the bank of Sherman Reservoir. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection issued its Water Quality Certificate in September 2004, imposing conditions on performance of the work. Yankee Atomic completed the permitted activities.
Also known as Chapter 91, the state's Public Waterfront Act requires Yankee Atomic to seek a permit for any anticipated disturbance to navigable waterways. Yankee’s was issued a permit for the removal of sediments from Sherman Reservoir, ensuring that public rights to fish and navigate were not unreasonably restricted and that all unsafe structures were removed. Yankee Atomic completed its permitted activities consistent with the conditions imposed by Chapter 91.
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