Global Tungsten & Powders Corporation

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1.0 Site Identification

Type of Site:	Complex Materials
Location:	Towanda, PA
License No.:	PA-1127A
Docket No.:
License Status:	Active License

2.0 Site Status Summary

Global Tungsten & Powders Corporation (GTP) is currently licensed for using thorium dioxide to produce tungsten-thorium alloys. Their products that contain thorium include: filament wire for electric lamps and electronic tubes, welding electrodes for arc welding, and fabricated parts for use in aerospace applications. The licensing history of the company dates back to January 4, 1957 to possess thorium nitrate. Thorium is the only contaminant of concern.

GTP is a large industrial site with the buildings alone covering nearly 40 acres. Licensed activities took place in 8 buildings, encompassing approximately 45,000 m2 of floor space.

GTP submitted a Decommissioning Funding Plan in June 2011. In February, 2013 GTP submitted Notification of Intent to Decommission, followed by a Decommissioning Plan in June 2013. The DP includes a request for an alternate release criteria based on adjustment of re-suspension fractions used for the screening criteria. The DP was approved in September of 2013. GTP is currently performing free-release surveys in anticipation of their Final Status surveys. A bulk of their inventory is large, functional machines that can either be sold for re-purposing or sold as valued scrap metal.

Contamination issues will impact the disposition of these machines.

3.0 Major Technical or Regulatory Issues

The licensee has to date followed all of the current regulations and guidance for notifications and production of their D-Plan. The alternate release criteria presented some technical challenge. The remaining challenges include the proper execution of the DP given the difficult to detect isotope. The sheer size of the facility also presents some technical difficulty as well.