ML19209C484
| ML19209C484 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | La Crosse File:Dairyland Power Cooperative icon.png |
| Issue date: | 07/24/1979 |
| From: | Wohl M Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19209C479 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7910150639 | |
| Download: ML19209C484 (6) | |
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY C0fEISSION BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD In the Matter of
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DAIRYLAND POWER COOPERATIVE
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Docket No. 50-409
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(SFP License Amendment)
(La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor)
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AFFIDAVIT OF MILLnT.3 L. WOHL REGARDING INTERVENORS' CONTENTION l(f)
My name is Millard L. Wohl.
I am employed by the Nuclear Regulatory Comission
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in the Environmental Evaluation Branch of the Division of Operating Reactors.
'I have been employed in this position since 1975. My professional qualifications are attached to this affidavit.
This affidavit was prepared by me or under my supervision.
The purpose of this affidavit is to present written testimony addressing Contention 1(f) admitted for l#tigation in this proceeding.
Contention 1(f) reads as follows:
It is CREC's contention that the application to amend submitted by Dairyland Power is incomplete, as it daes not address the following issues: Applicant has not discussed the long-term integrity of the various com-ponents of and in the spent fuel storage pool in light of the proposed compaction and increased amount of spent fuel at LACBWR.
The health, safety, environmental and economic impact of the loss of integrity of these com-ponents due to more dense and increased storage of spent fuel must be evaluated.
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(f) Applicant should analyze problems in handling spent fuel (e.g., including but not limited to transfer from one pool to another or within one pool during re-racking, repositioning upon removal from the nuclear core and placement in spent fuel pocls, encapsulation of defective spent fuel elements, placement in or removal from shipping casks), resulting from loss of integrity of spent fuel and its cladding as well as other components of and in the spent fuel storage pool due to more dense and increased storage of spent fuel as proposed by applicant.
Response
The procedures used in handling damaged fuel at LACBWR are the same as those used for handling normal fuel. Operational experience has shown these to be satisfactory.
Damaged fuel has been handled without any safety-related problems or risk to the public health and safety. With respect to the possible desirability of encapsulation of damaged fuel, the experience to date does not indicate any necessity #se it, and modification of the pool will not change tnis. Also, the newer fuel to be used in the LACBWR core will be much less prone to damage because of fuel pellet redesign.
In the case of a small partial module of fuel loosened and separated from a fuel assembly in the transfer canal area following Cycle 4, the separated fuel was removed from the canal by use of tongs, placed in a bucket, and transferred to storage in the spent fuel pool, anere it was allowed to decay. There were no adverse impacts to the public health and safety.
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Intervenors have stated a concern in connection with this contention that the pre'ssure from the increased water level necessary to cover the two-tier rack might adversely affect the canal transfer gate or gate seal.
They also stated that corrosion might damage the canal gate, racks, baron plates or control rods.
The improbability of damage to spent fuel pool components and contents from
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corrosion has been explained by tne Affidavit of Dr. Weeks in response to Contention 1(b).
The fuel transfer gate and seal were designed to fully withstand and contain water pressures due to water in the spent fuel pool at the operating deck level (700 ft elevation). The gate and seal have successfully operated on numerous occasions throughout the plant operating history, and no gate or seal failu*es have occurred.
This canal gate was designed to function with water in the toent fuel pool at the 700 foot level.
It was designed with strength equivalent to that of the other walls of the spent fuel pool.
In June 1966, the canal gate was tested with water at the 700 ft level in the spent fuel pool. Similar tes '.s were performed in November 1978.
Ia neither case was leakage through tha gate observed. The two-tiered configuration modification of the spent fuel pool storage array will in no way change ~or alter the operating characteristics of the gate or seal which would result in a new safety-related problem or a risk to the public health and safety.
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For the reasons explained above, it is my opinion that no fuel handling problems will result from the proposed spent fuel pool modification because of transfer of failed fuel or water pressure on the canal gate and seal, or from the design itself.
I have read the foregoing affidavit and swear that it is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Okb Milldrd L. Wohl Subscribed and sworn to before me this 24th day of July,1979.
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g MILLARD L. WOHL PROFESSIONAL OVALIFICATIONS ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION BRANCH DIVISION OF OPERATING REACTORS I am employed as a nuclear engineer in the Environmental Evaluation Branch, Division of Operating Reactors, U. S. Nuclecr Regulatory Commission, Washing-ton, D. C.
My duties are to conduct site and accident analyses and vcrious other safety-related studies for nuclear power and non-power reactor facilities.
I attended Case Western Reserve University (formerly Case Institute of Technology) and received a B.S. degree in Physics in 1956.
I received an M. S. degree in Physics from Indiana University in 1958.
I did graduate work in Nuclear Engineering at Columbia University and Case Western Reserve University from 1962 through 1964.
I was a teaching assistant in Physics at Indiana University from 1956 - 1958.
I have taught physics and mathematics in the evening divisions of Baldwin-Wallace College, the Ohio State University and Cuyahoga Community College from 1958 - 1973.
In 1958, I joined the NASA Lewis Research Center l' Cleveland, Ohio.
My initial duties involved the writing of Monte Carlo computer codes for the determination of radiation shielding requirements and propellant heating for proposed nuclear-powered rocket designs.
Other assignments involved ?ethods development and shielding and nuclear safety analyses for numerous proposed mobile nuclear vehicle applications.
Numerous technical publications evolved I134 289
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2-in the course of this work.
Additionally, during the period 1958 - 1973, I had substantial research contract management responsibilities.
In 1973, I joined the General Atomic Company in La Jolla, California, as a nuclear engineer. At General Atomic I performed a variety of nuclear safety-related analyses for the High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR).
These included the analysis of depressurization accidents and containment integrity studies, as well as computer code upgrading and modification.
In 1975, I joined the Accident Analysis Branch in the Division of Technical Review, U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
My responsibilities involved site characteristic studies and accident analyses. Presently, I have similar but expanded responsibilities.
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