ML13337A199

NRC Presentation - U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Technical Evaluation for the U.S. Department of Energy West Valley Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Determination

ML13337A199
Person / Time
Site:	West Valley Demonstration Project, P00M-032
Issue date:	12/03/2013
From:	Crandall T, Nishka Devaser, Leah Parks NRC/FSME/DWMEP/EPPAD/PAB, Univ of Notre Dame, US Dept of Energy (DOE)
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Download: ML13337A199 (20)

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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Technical Evaluation for the U.S. Department of Energy West Valley Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Determination Nishka Devaser, Leah Parks (NRC)

A Amy Hixon Hi (N (Notre D Dame))

Thomas Crandall (DOE)

ANS 2013 Winter Meeting, Meeting Washington, Washington DC (not presented)

Overview

• West Valley Operations

• Waste Incidental to Reprocessing

• NRC Review Approach

• Conclusions 2

West Valley Site

Background

• 3,340-acre site located approximately 30 miles south off Buffalo, ff NY

• Owned by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on behalf of the State of New York

• Established in the 1960s as a nuclear complex that would include spent nuclear l ffuell reprocessing i andd waste t

disposal facilities

• Reprocessed spent nuclear fuel, recovering approximately 620 metric tons of uranium and approximately 1,926 kilograms of uranium The WVDP Area of the Center in 2006 (WVDP photo)

• Used the PUREX (plutonium uranium extraction) t ti ) and d THOREX processes 3

West Valley Operations Processing of HLW Pretreatment Process Vitrification Process

• In 1988, DOE constructed the

• The high activity waste was integrated radioactive waste vitrified into borosilicate glass.

t t treatment t system t to t remove most of the radioactivity in the liquid supernatant from the underground HLW tanks tanks, concentrate the liquid, and blend it with cement.

• This separated the low activity stream from the high activity stream.

Vitrification Process Flo Flow Diagram (for information, information not to scale) 4

West Valley Operations Concentrator Feed Makeup Tank and Melter Feed Hold Tank

• Vessels are used in the vitrification process to prepare and temporarily store, respectively, slurry consisting of pre-treated t t d HLW and d glass l

formers that was supplied to the vitrification melter.

• Have H b been ddetermined t i d to t have h

radionuclide concentrations that do not exceed limits for Class C LLWLLW, and packaged for shipment to an offsite LLW The Concentrator Feed Makeup Tank (left) and the Melter Feed disposal facility.

Hold Tank Installed in the Vitrification Cell (WVDP photo) 5

West Valley Operations Residual Inventory Inventory as Percentage of the §61.55

• The vessels contain both W t Classification Waste Cl ifi ti Li it Limits short-lived fission products, Table 1 Table 2 Vessel Nuclide as well as long-lived Percent Percent transuranic isotopes isotopes. Cs 137 Cs-137 1 93%

1.93%

CFMT Am-241 4.34%

• The predominant radionuclides are Cs-137 Total 6.50% 2.00%

and Am-241. Cs-137 1.58%

MFHT Am-241 4.01%

• Inventories are well within Total 6.30% 1.60%

the limit of the §61.55

§61 55 Table 1 and Table 2 Waste Classification Limits.

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Waste Incidental to Reprocessing DOE Waste Determination Process

• The Waste Incidental to Reprocessing p g ((WIR)) Evaluation assesses whether the vitrification components meet the WIR criteria of DOE Order 435.1* to dispose of the components at a facility offsite as LLW

- such as the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS, formerly the Nevada Test Site) in Nevada or the Waste Control Specialists (WCS) facility in Texas for disposal. disposal

• DOE made the final determination after consideration of NRC, state, and public comments on the WIR Evaluation

• West Valley originally operated under an NRC license to the State of New York York, (currently in abeyance). Under the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) Act, DOE will manage the WVDP until the NYSERDA license is reinstated at the end of the WVDP.

• NRC serves as a consultant to DOE with respect to DOE's incidental WIR Determinations

• DOE Order 435.1 is the DOE directive under its Atomic Energy Act authorities for the management of radioactive waste.

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Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Criteria in DOE Manual 435 435.1-1, 1 1 Chapter 2 (B)(2)

Waste [determined to be] incidental to reprocessing [...] [ ] [w]ill be managed as LLW and meet the following criteria:

1. Have been processed, or will be processed, to remove key radionuclides to the maximum extent that is technically and economically practical; and

2. Will be managed to meet safety requirements comparable to the performance objectives set out in 10 CFR Part 61, Subpart C, Performance Objectives; and

3. Are to be managed, pursuant to DOEs authority under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended provided the waste will be incorporated in a solid physical form at a concentration that does not exceed the applicable concentration limits for Class C LLW as set out in 10 CFR 61.55, Waste Classification; or will meet alternative requirements for waste classification and characterization as DOE may authorize.

8

Waste Incidental to Reprocessing NRC Review Process

• Review for technical adequacy to demonstrate criteria in 435.1 are met applying relevant review procedures in NUREG1854*.

• NRC review included:

- Assessment as to whether methodology has sound technical assumptions, analysis, projections, and conclusions and

- The following general topics as they relate to the criteria in 435.1

• Waste characterization, form stability, classification;

• Removal of radionuclides;

• O Operational ti l radiation di ti protection; t ti and d

• Quality assurance.

• NRC review did not include:

- The long-term performance or long-term stability of the disposal site

- Sufficiency of the waste acceptance criteria for the disposal site

- Sufficiency of the performance assessment for the disposal site, including adequacy of the estimated dose values

- Other matters covered by other sections of 435.1

• The NRC publication NUREG-1854, "NRC Staff Guidance for Activities Related to U.S. Department of Energy Waste Determinations, Draft Final for Interim Use" dated August 2007 9

Waste Incidental to Reprocessing NRC Review Process - NUREG 1854 435.1 Review Topic p NUREG-1854 Chapter p Criterion Waste Chapter 3: Radionuclide Removal and Concentration Limits 1 characterization Waste form Chapter 7: Site Stability, Waste Stability, and Facility 2, 3 stability Stability Waste Ch t 3:

Chapter 3 Radionuclide R di lid RRemovall anddC Concentration t ti LiLimits it 3 classification Removal of Chapter 3: Radionuclide Removal and Concentration Limits 3 radionuclides Operational radiation Chapter 6: Protection of Individuals During Operations 2 protection 10

Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Removal of the Key Radionuclides

• DOE fullyy evaluated the following cleaning options for technical and economical practicality:

• flushing vessel internals with water using high-pressure spray;

• mechanical removal through ball milling; and

• chemical Evacuated Canister Removing Residual Glass from the decontamination.

Vitrification Melter (DOE, 2011 Melter WD) 11

Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Removal of the Key Radionuclides CFMT MFHT MFHT CFMT Remaining Condition Decontamination Remaining Decontamination Inventory (Ci)

Factor Inventory (Ci) Factor Before Flushing 630 NA 540 NA After All Flushes 95.3 6.6 97.1 5.6 The activity in each vessel before flushing began was estimated in the following manner:

a) the residual material (dried slurry) coating observed on the vessel interior surfaces before flushing was assumed to average 0.64-cm (0.250-inch) thickness over the upper one one-third third of the vessels, vessels based on pre pre-flush flush visual inspection results; and b) the Cs-137 concentration in this material was assumed to be a representative, decay corrected concentration of 5.0x103 Ci/cm3.

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Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Removal of the Key Radionuclides

• DOE evaluated a reasonable range

• Additional radionuclide removal of technologies that included would have negligible impact on the methods to remove volumes of long-term dose in comparison to waste; the social costs.

• DOE has appropriately considered the impacts of uncertainty in the inventory as it relates to the radionuclide removal demonstration,

• Ceasing removal activities for the MFHT and CFMT after the direct and indirect flushing activities that The Concentrator Feed Makeup Tank,Tank the Melter Feed Hold Tank ,

and the Melter in preparation for shipment (WVDP photo) .

were carried out was reasonable.

• Further radionuclide removal would ot significantly not s g ca t y reduce educe worker o e doses at the disposal facility 13

Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Requirements Comparable to 10 CFR Part 61

• The NRC considers the DOEs DOE s conclusions to be adequate and reasonable such that the DOE can meet the NRC-reviewed portions of Criterion 2 of DOE Manual 435.1-1 related to safety requirements associated with the Performance Objectives of 10 CFR 61, Subpart C. This is based on the following specific topical conclusions.

• The NRC staff agrees with DOEs DOE s assessment that the residual wastes remaining in the CFMT and MFHT meet the applicable safety requirements for protection of individuals during operations.

operations

• As specified in the Interagency Agreement, the NRC staffs review focuses on waste form stability and does not include a review of the disposal site stability.

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Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Requirements Comparable to 10 CFR Part 61 Crosswalk Topics DOE NRC Texas Rule Annual Air Emission Limit for Individual Member 10 mrem 10 mrem 10 mrem Annual TEDE for Adult Workers 5 rem 5 rem 5 rem Any Individual Organ or Tissue Annual Dose Limit for Adult Workers 50 rem 50 rem 50 rem Annual Dose Limit to the Lens of the Eye y for Adult Workers 15 rem 15 rem 15 rem Annual Dose Limit to the Skin of the Whole Body and to the Skin of the Extremities for Adult 50 rem 50 rem 50 rem Workers Limit on Soluble Sol ble Uranium Urani m Intake 2 4 mg/week 2.4 10 mg/week 10 mg/week Dose Equivalent to Embryo/Fetus 0.5 rem 0.5 rem 0.5 rem Dose Limit for Individual Member of the Public (Total Annual Dose) 100 mrem 100 mrem 100 mrem Dose Limit for Individual Members of the Public (Dose Rates in Unrestricted Areas) 0.05 mrem/hr 2 mrem/hr 2 mrem/hr Dose Limits for Members of the Public with Access to Controlled Areas 0.1 rem 0.1 rem 0.1 rem As Low As Reasonably Achievable §835 2

§835.2 §20 1003

§20.1003 §336 2

§336.2 15

Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Not to Exceed Class C Concentration Limits

• DOE averaged over the weight of the vessels and the volume not including voids.

• The NRC C staff ff concludes that the DOEs O assessment that the CFMT and MFHT is Cl Class C, C considering id i uncertainty t i t ini th the volume of the vessels and uncertainty in the i

inventory t estimates ti t therein, th i ttechnically h i ll sufficient.

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Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Not to Exceed Class C Concentration Limits CFMT MFHT CFMT MFHT Activity y Class C Limit Percent Activityy Class C Limit Percent Nuclide Concentration C t ti Concentration C t ti (Ci) (Ci/m3) (nCi/g) (Ci/m3) (nCi/g) Table 1 Table 2 (Ci) (Ci/m3) (nCi/g) (Ci/m3) (nCi/g) Table 1 Table 2 C-14 NA 8 0.000398 8 0.000297 0.004%

K-40 NA 0.00154 0.00115 Mn-54 NA 0.00167 0.00125 Co-60 0.0041 0.00173 0.00158 0.00118 Ni-63 NA 700 0.0189 700 0.0141 0.002%

Sr-90 3.9 7,000 1.05 0.052% 5.34 7,000 3.99 0.057%

Zr-95 NA 0.0372 0.0278 Tc-99 0.0018 3 0.0039 0.060% 0.000834 3 0.000622 0.021%

Cs-137 95 4,600 89.1 1.936% 97.1 4,600 72.5 1.575%

Eu-154 0.056 0.0483 0.0318 Np-237 0.000056 100 0.00781 0.007% 0.0000726 100 0.00672 0.007%

Pu-238 0.0069 100 0.608 0.809% 0.00919 100 0.851 0.851%

Pu-239 0.0015 100 0.164 0.176% 0.00228 100 0.211 0.211%

Pu-240 0.0015 100 0.125 0.176% 0.00174 100 0.161 0.161%

Pu-241 0.014 3,500 1.81 0.047% 0.0588 3,500 5.44 0.156%

Pu-242 NA 100 NA 100 Am-241 0.037 100 2.91 4.338% 0.0433 100 4.01 4.009%

Am-242m NA 100 NA 100 Am-243 0.00033 100 0.0299 0.039% 0.000393 100 0.0364 0.036%

Cm-242 0.00039 20,000 0.0115 0.000% 0.000342 20,000 0.0317 0.000%

Cm-243 0.0032 100 0.0182 0.375% 0.000284 100 0.0263 0.026%

Cm-244 0.0032 100 0.471 0.375% 0.00736 100 0.681 0.681%

Cm-245 NA 100 NA 100 Sum of Fractions 6.5% 2.0% Sum of Fractions 6.3% 1.6%

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Conclusions

• On February 2, 2 2013 the Director of the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) signed the WIR Determination for the WVDP CFMT and MFHT.

• Accordingly, pursuant to Section II.B of DOE Manual 435.1-1, Radioactive Waste Management Manual, the CFMT and the MFHT are not HLW and may be disposed of as LLW either the Nevada National Security Site Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site or the Waste Control Specialists (WCS) radioactive waste disposal facility in Texas.

• DOE is considering the WCS Site in Texas for the disposal site for the CFMT and MFHT.

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Backup Slide 1 19

Backup Slide 2 Requirements Comparable to 10 CFR Part 61 Crosswalk Topics DOE NRC TX (Texas Rule)

DOE Order 5400.5 §20.1101(d) §336.304 Annual Air Emission Limit for Individual Member 10 mrem 10 mrem 10 mrem

§835.202(a)(1) §20.1201(a) §336.305 Annual TEDE for Adult Workers 5 rem 5 rem 5 rem Any Individual Organ or Tissue Annual Dose Limit for §835.202(a)(2) §20.1201(a) §336.305 Adult Workers 50 rem 50 rem 50 rem Annual Dose Limit to the Lens of the Eye y for Adult §835.202(a)(3)

§ ( )( ) §20.1201(a)

§ ( ) §

§336.305 Workers 15 rem 15 rem 15 rem Annual Dose Limit to the Skin of the Whole Body and §835.202(a)(4) §20.1201(a) §336.305 to the Skin of the Extremities for Adult Workers 50 rem 50 rem 50 rem DOE Order 440.1A §20.1201(e) §336.305 Limit on Soluble Uranium Intake 2.4 mg/week 10 mg/week 10 mg/week

§835.206(a) §20.1208(a) §336.312 Dose Equivalent to Embryo/Fetus 0.5 rem 0.5 rem 0.5 rem Dose Limit for Individual Member of the Public (Total DOE Order 5400.5 §20.1301(a) §336.313 Annual Dose) 100 mrem 100 mrem 100 mrem

§835.602 Dose Limit for Individual Members of the Public (Dose §20.1301(a) §336.313 0.005 0 005 mSv/hr Rates in Unrestricted Areas) 2 mrem/hr 2 mrem/hr (0.05 mrem/hr)

Dose Limits for Members of the Public with Access to §835.208 §20.1301(b) §336.313 Controlled Areas 0.1 rem 0.1 rem 0.1 rem As Low As Reasonably Achievable §835.2 §20.1003 §336.2 20