ML082401748
| ML082401748 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vallecitos File:GEH Hitachi icon.png |
| Issue date: | 09/09/2008 |
| From: | Buckley J NRC/FSME/DWMEP/DURLD/RDB |
| To: | NRC/FSME/DWMEP/DURLD/RDB |
| References | |
| Download: ML082401748 (4) | |
Text
September 9, 2008 MEMORANDUM TO: Biweekly Notice Coordinator FROM: John T. Buckley, Senior Project Manager/RA/
Decommissioning and Uranium Recovery Licensing Directorate Division of Waste Management and Environmental Protection Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs
SUBJECT:
REQUEST FOR PUBLICATION IN BIWEEKLY FRN - NOTICE OF CONSIDERATION OF ISSUANCE OF AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DR-10, PROPOSED NO SIGNIFICANT HAZARDS CONSIDERATION DETERMINATION, AND OPPORTUNITY FOR A HEARING GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), License No. DR-10, Docket No. 50-183, ESADA Vallecitos Experimental Superheat Reactor (EVESR)
Date of amendment request: June 23, 2008 Description of amendment request:
The proposed license amendment would modify the Technical Specification (TS) requirements to revise the scope of dismantling activities that GEH can perform under The Vallecitos Nuclear Center Liabilities Reduction Project and specify radiological control requirements of 10 CFR Part 20. Two TS changes are proposed. The proposed changes to the TS:
- Allow GEH to conduct dismantling activities below the 549-ft elevation level within the containment building; and
- Revise the physical security requirements for access to areas below the 549-ft elevation level within the containment building.
The application for license amendment is available electronically at the NRCs Electronic
2 Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. From this site, you can access the NRCs Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS), which provides text and image files of NRCs public documents. The ADAMS accession number for the June 23, 2008, request is ML081780099.
If you do not have access to ADAMS, or if there are problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC Public Document Room (PDR) Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by email to pdr@nrc.gov. These documents may also be viewed electronically on the public computers located at the NRCs PDR, O 1 F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. The PDR reproduction contractor will copy documents for a fee.
Basis for proposed no significant hazards consideration determination: As required by 10 CFR 50.91(a), the licensee has provided its analysis of the issue of no significant hazards consideration, which is presented below:
- 1) Does the change involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated?
Response: No.
Proposed change one is an administrative change submitted to clarify the area where dismantling activities will occur as authorized by the facility license. The majority of the component removal activities will occur in areas below the 549-ft. elevation. Proposed change two removes the specific shielding and covering requirements for the reactor vessel, shield plug storage pit and the empty spent fuel storage pit and modifies the access control requirements to be consistent with 10CFR20. The EVESR reactor was shutdown in 1967 and has remained in a Possess Only status. All fuel bundles were removed from the facility and the radiation and contamination levels have been reduced by the removal of radioactive material and natural decay. No aspect of the proposed changes will involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated.
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- 2) Does the change create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident evaluated?
Response: No.
Proposed change one is an administrative, therefore there it cannot create a new or different kind of accident. Removal of the specific shielding and covering requirements for the reactor vessel, shield plug storage pit and the empty spent fuel storage pit and modification of the access control requirements as described in proposed change two will not impact the function or integrity of the reactor pressure vessel, which is the primary safety system required to be maintained by the license. The proposed changes do not create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident evaluated.
- 3) Does the change involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety?
Response: No.
Removal of the specific shielding, covering and access control requirements will not result in a reduction of the margin of the safety for the EVESR facility. These controls were implemented to provide shielding and access controls to High Radiation Areas. Since the reactor is no longer operating and the radiological conditions have been significantly reduced, the specific controls specified in the current technical specifications are not required. All areas in the EVESR containment will be controlled in accordance with 10 CFR
- 20. High Radiation areas will be controlled in a manner consistent with the requirements of 10CFR20.1601. The proposed changes do not affect the margins of safety.
The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's analysis and, based upon the staffs review of the licensees analysis, as well as the staffs own evaluation, the staff concludes that the three standards of 10 CFR 50.92(c) are satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff proposes to determine that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration.
GEH, Manager, Regulatory Compliance & EHS: LaTonya L. Mahlahla NRC Branch Chief: Andrew Persinko
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- 2) Does the change create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident evaluated?
Response: No.
Proposed change one is an administrative, therefore there it cannot create a new or different kind of accident. Removal of the specific shielding and covering requirements for the reactor vessel, shield plug storage pit and the empty spent fuel storage pit and modification of the access control requirements as described in proposed change two will not impact the function or integrity of the reactor pressure vessel, which is the primary safety system required to be maintained by the license. The proposed changes do not create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident evaluated.
- 3) Does the change involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety?
Response: No.
Removal of the specific shielding, covering and access control requirements will not result in a reduction of the margin of the safety for the EVESR facility.These controls were implemented to provide shielding and access controls to High Radiation Areas. Since the reactor is no longer operating and the radiological conditions have been significantly reduced, the specific controls specified in the current technical specifications are not required. All areas in the EVESR containment will be controlled in accordance with 10 CFR
- 20. High Radiation areas will be controlled in a manner consistent with the requirements of 10CFR20.1601. The proposed changes do not affect the margins of safety.
The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's analysis and, based upon the staffs review of the licensees analysis, as well as the staffs own evaluation, the staff concludes that the three standards of 10 CFR 50.92(c) are satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff proposes to determine that the amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration.
GEH, Manager, Regulatory Compliance & EHS: LaTonya L. Mahlahla NRC Branch Chief: Andrew Persinko DISTRIBUTION:
DURLD r/f RidsRgn4MailCenter GE Vallecitos List ML082401748 OFFICE DURLD/PM DURLD/LA OGC DURLD/BC DURLD/PM NAME JBuckley SMichonski JHull APersinko JBuckley DATE 08/27/08 08/29/08 09/3/08 09/9 /08 09/9/08 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY