Welcome to the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) Non-Time Critical Removal Action (NTCRA) page for the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory (Bettis Laboratory) C-Area Project.
EM is in a partnership with Naval Reactors (NR) to evaluate and address legacy facilities at the Bettis Laboratory in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.
EM has been engaged in the cleanup of the Department’s assets across the U.S. for over 35 years and is committed to its mission, sound stewardship, and community involvement.
C-Area
EM evaluated removal action alternatives for two buildings located in the northern portion of the Bettis Laboratory, known as the C-Area. The buildings, CX and CY, are currently maintained by NR and were used in operations that supported design and development of nuclear propulsion systems for the U.S. Navy. Built between 1953 and 1956, the multi-story facilities house defueled research reactors, also known as test reactors.
Alternatives were outlined in the C-Area Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA), which was issued for a 30-day public review and comment period on September 4, 2025. A public meeting was held to discuss the project and its alternatives on September 18, 2025.
The EE/CA's preferred alternative, Alternative 3 - Demolition, is EM’s selected action and involves the removal of Buildings CX and CY in their entirety and addresses potentially contaminated soil in the project footprint.
Demolition is the most effective and protective alternative that is permanent, eliminates risks, and allows NR to meet and adapt to changing mission needs at the Bettis Laboratory.
The Action Memorandum, or the decision document for the CERCLA Non-Time-Critical Removal Action, is now available along with all project documents and details in the Information Repository.
EM is honored to assist NR with transforming these legacy facilities into opportunities in support of NR's critical national security mission.
Regulatory Process
EM used the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) Non-Time-Critical Removal Action (NTCRA) process to evaluate removal action alternatives for the CX and CY buildings. The NTCRA process is a well-established and consistent approach to regulatory decision-making that can be used at non-CERCLA sites.
EM, working in partnership with NR, initiated community involvement activities early in the CERCLA process; which will continue until the C-Area project is complete.
Project Updates
- November 18, 2025 - EM executed the Action Memorandum (AM) for the C-Area Project. The AM is the decision document for the CERCLA Non-Time-Critical Removal Action.
- October 30, 2025 - EM updated the project website and Information Repository with public meeting materials.
- September 18, 2025 - EM hosted a public meeting to support information sharing and give the public the opportunity to share feedback that will help EM select an alternative to address legacy facilities in the C-Area.
- September 4, 2025 - EM published a Historical Site Assessment (HSA) to document the history and the use of the C-Area buildings.
- September 4, 2025 - EM published an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) to document removal action alternatives based on information in the HSA and issued the EE/CA for a 30-day public review comment period, September 4 - October 4, 2025.
- September 4, 2025 - EM published a Notice of Availability for the EE/CA and HSA and announced the public meeting in local media.
- August 7, 2025 - EM published a Notice of Availability for the Community Involvement Plan in local media.
Project documents are available in the Information Repository.
The Information Repository is a collection of C-Area documents and materials that are available to the public to help inform and support community involvement.
Documents are added as they become available.
- September 18, 2025, Public Meeting
- Fact Sheets
- Notice(s) of Availability
- December 4, 2025 - Action Memorandum (NOA)
- September 4, 2025 - EE/CA, HSA, Public Comment Period and Public Meeting (NOA)
- August 7, 2025 - Community Involvement Plan (NOA)
- Community Involvement Plan (CIP)
- Historical Site Assessment (HSA)
- Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA)
- Action Memorandum (AM)
Hard copies of the documents are available for review by inquiring at the Circulation Desk of the Carnegie Library of Homestead.
The Carnegie Library of Homestead
510 East 10th Avenue
Munhall, PA 15120
Telephone: (412) 462-3444
The Administrative Record File, or“AR File,” is a collection of key project documents that are actively compiled during the CERCLA process and support and project decision-making. EM used the information in the AR file to make the project decision. Now that the AM is executed, the AR file becomes the Administrative Record for the project.The AR includes:
Materials in the AR file are also available in the Information Repository.
EM held a public meeting at the West Mifflin Borough Administration Building on September 18, 2025.
EM thanks the community for participating in a 30-day public review of the EE/CA (September 4, 2025-October 4, 2025) and appreciates the feedback on EM's proposed removal action alternatives.
Copies of the meeting summary, presentation, and video can be found in the Information Repository.
The public can access hard copies of the Administrative Record and Information Repository at:
- The Carnegie Library of Homestead, 510 East 10th Avenue, Munhall, PA 15120
The 30-day public comment period for the EE/CA (September 4, 2025 – October 4, 2025) is closed.
During the comment period, the public could submit comments through the following:
- Email: BettisCERCLAcomments@EMCBC.doe.gov, subject line ‘C-Area Comment’.
- Verbally or in writing at the public meeting on September 18, 2025.
By mail:
c/o Mr. Matthew Young
U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management
Program Manager
550 Main Street, Room 7-010
Cincinnati, OH 45202-7100
Contact Us
Program Manager
Matthew Young
U.S. Department of Energy
550 Main Street, Room 7-010
Cincinnati, OH 45202-7100