ML17174A221

Discusses 791113 & 14 Site Visit Re Solid Radwaste Processing & Temporary Storage.Facilities Have Instituted Improved Waste Minimization Programs

ML17174A221
Person / Time
Site:	Dresden, Zion
Issue date:	11/23/1979
From:	Grant P, Lo R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Barrett L, Knighton G Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 7912050322
Download: ML17174A221 (2)

Text

G.* Knighton: Cbref;~, Enviromrientil P~ G~a~t. Environfue~tal E~aluat'ion Branch. DOR R.-. Lo. Environmental &a:luat1ori Branch. DOR

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\\ TRIP REPORT:

SOLID RODl~ASTE PROCESSING AND TtMP-0 ARY

• STORAGE AT DRESDEN ~D~ ZIO

- - _On Noveinber 13. J4, Messrs R.H. Lo and P.--J. Grant.visited the 'Zton* and,

Dresden Nuclear Stations. -

The. ob~ectives. of the triP. *were to:

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1.._.Review the facilities I wast-e-SOl id.if1cation *program 'in regard-to the revised burial s.ites acceptance crit_er-ia.

Discuss site storage capabil~ties and 'the associated

~oth.rad_1ological and ~ env1.ronmer:it~1 safety *..

While ijoth Zion andDresden 'have had to. tenninate shipmen.ts to burial sites'

• becau~e of -.repeated dfsc~pencies, both_ facilities have approximately six*

montns* of existing storage' ~~p~oicy. All high actitity waste-is s-ol.idified * -

. by cement,(J.e., spent.resins and.evaporator bottoms) in DOT approved 0

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• shipping

• containers,.

Visual 1nspections ~re _ made.for *no fr.ee _ water.

Zion

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• currently uses portable (175.ft.3) H1,ttman demineralfzers*-for mfsc. *waste

. *and ~ycl_ eS 100%*.Of their boric add.bleed-evaporator wllste. *Dresden util fies thef r new Stock cement. sol fdif4ca.tfon system "to proc~ss all.

ev~9rator *bottoms. sp~nt resins. and filter* sludge warte.

Both.facilities '

• have~ instituted improved waste minim zatio an segruation progra,ms which..

.,,......... _,..'"""_ **have signfffcant'y reduced the volume of \\'Jaste shipments.

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• ..,operation of the new Stock cement sol.idifkati:otk ys

.. * - sl!en-. s atsO:

• ~ realizin.9 substan~ial savings of* ma'n-rem* exposure due.to_ remote n~ -automation features~ 'shielding provis1o11s and tile eas~

• of equipment mafotenance *~

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• In J:_e_Qard -to on-site stora_ge-safety,..neither - pl~nt has instituted any special-

• ~-"'-='"'-' *.monitoring. programs* to insure.existing container integritY, and radiation; protection. S1nce..££CO solidifies a_ll waste. the licensee. asswnes that shtppfng eontafner criteria are sufficfent-for extended on-site storage.

~ A CC!_Se at l>resd~n however flagged our concern when a 55 gallon drum of dewatered resin., wlt1Ch-was partially solidiffed by a GE cement system and stored for..

• : two years; f.,_11ed -due to extensive-. internal corrosion. "-Although Dresden *has

. -abandoned.the usage of the GE solidi.ficat1on system and expects complete

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ld.. 1nflu~nce our.. fut'u~*-P

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.r.es.f n_..stor.a e *.. especialJ.for....... :

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.. facitities where temporary storage -of dewatered resins without solidification

~:, ~ fs intended. Current long range plans at--Zion have been initiated for t~e construction of a new was-te storage fac11_ity _wti1ch contains ~uffici*;mt shieldfn_g.

and protection from the outside environment.

~Site boundry dose considerations _

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have ~eo _.-addressed as wetl as *containment.o radioait1vity-willh a potential

- :... breach.of contatner.integrity. *.H"owever-it*.is unclear *as ~O hoW thDrpu_9fi

,. CECO -~a~ adcfressed radiological *an<l *environmental safety-factors sucll-as fl re

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.-~ protection, a*ir. particulate release, *container corrosion, survefllarice monitoring

'" occupational exposure, -'prob1ems with. additional handling. of-~waste container and :

assocfat~d susceptability to accidents, and vulnerab11~ty to-na~ural occurances *.

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?"; ~ It was mentloned that NUS has been-'under. n>ntract to conduct site-specffic a~alys1s for on-site waste storage *-at 'five (5) CECO_ plants and

_that~ this work

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would significantly dir.ect the L1censee's,long range plans for waste processing

-*.and storage (We are.plannfrigto* have ~folfow'.. up discussions with NUS).- Personnel

, at both Zion and Dresden have requested _9uidance in *regard to precessing and. *

• disposal of very slightly contamfnated--waste so as to substantially relluce

, volume of shipments to burial sites. We mentioned* the current.Waste Classificati

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_ Program that NMSS is develQping..CECO apparently is considering an;-Aerojet:

Incineration facility at Braidwood -which ls proposed for completion 1n 1983. ~

The licensee asked for addit1on_al NRC guidance on temporary on-site waste.

storage and \\r!f! mentioned. ~ha~ 1t is our intention to devel_op-s_ome guidan~e criter~a which. addresses radioa*ctivity confinement 9 -radjat1on protection, - '" ~ -:-

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............ _. __ environmental r.eleases-and.safety -analys1s:.. _

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