ML19242D086
| ML19242D086 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07001113 |
| Issue date: | 06/20/1979 |
| From: | Kaplan A GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. |
| To: | Crow W NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7908140486 | |
| Download: ML19242D086 (3) | |
Text
.: L PW gj-- / // 3 GEN ER AL h ELECTRIC NUCLEAR ENERGY PRODUCTS DIVISION
- n. q g WILMINGTON MANUFACTURING CASTt.E HAYNE ROAD A.P. O. 8,o(fSO. NIL ING ON, N. C. 28401. (319) 343-5000 June 20, 1979
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CCW M, 908 Director
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Office of Nuclear Mater".a1 Safety & Safeguards
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Attenticn: Mr. W. T. Crow, Section Imader p'~
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Fuel Processing & Fabricaticn Branch g,
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Dear Sir:
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References:
(1) NRC License 35M-1097, Docket #70-1113 (2) Letter, A. L. Kaplan to W. T. Crow, 5/24/79 (3) letter, A. L. Kaplan to W. T. Crow, 5/25/79 With mference to my letters of May 24 and 25, the following is the additional infot=ation which you requested concerning our intended transfer of lignid hychtgen fluoride solution to Ccnservation Chemical Cccpany.
Brush Wellman Inc., Conservation Chenical Cccpany's customer for our hydIrgen fluoride solution, has sent to us a letter describing where the very mn11 quantity of low-enriched uranium (less than 3-p;xn) from our liquid hydrogen fluoride (HF) solution is expected to go as a msult of their use of our HF in beryllium pebble production. A copy of this letter is attached for your infonnation.
As stated in their letter:
There are na liquid dischargas from the manu'acturing process leadg their e
plant site; thus, any uranium frcm our IT which might end up in their liquid waste or tailings will remain iq:cunded with these materials.
'Ibem is no airbone uranium as a gas or dust expected to be generated by e
their manufacturing process, either in the in-plant atmosphere or to surruunding areas.
Relative to the first point, the maximum amcunt of uranium atich would be ecn%!ned by the IT sent by us to Brush Welknn each year wculd be abcut 1200 grams af uranium including about 52 grams of U-235.
Only a small portien of this uranium follows the e te materials. That is, nest of the uranitm remains in the manufactured product since, as En:sh Welbnan has stated in their letter, the process for making ter/llium pebbles is nearly identical to that for rmtallic uranium. 'Ihus, centrols en the use of ter/llium,itself a very toxic material (relatively much nere so than uranium), shculd guarantee that no public hanard could result frcm the traces of uranium frce our HF which rrmains with the terfllium pebbles.
Even if all the uranium were to depesit in the inpcunded tailings pcnd, at a maxi. um rate of 13C0 grams of
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GENER AL @ ELECTRIC Director June 20, 1979 Page 2 uranian and 52 grams U-235 per year, the carrix in which this uraniun exists is such that no criticality safety problen exists.
Also, because of the chemical nature of the materials in this icrounded pond, protection of the public fIun potential hazards of these materials should guarantee public pIntsetion from the extremly mall amount of uraniun therein.
Relative to the second point, because of the extrenely hazardous nature of airborne beryllium, relatively mach greater than that fIun airborne uranium, contzul of the berylliun to protect workers and the public frce the potential bn7nrds of the airborne beryllium should guarantee no hazard fIun the extrecely snall amount of uranium involved.
Thus, there should be no hn7nrd to the public safety resulting frcm the transfer of our HF, contMnwg a maxmnn of 3-ppn (low-enriched) uranium at a max 1 mum enrichnent of 4%, to Brush Wellman Inc., via Ccnservation Chemical Carpany, for their use in manufacturing berylliun pebbles.
General Electric personnel would be pleased to discuss this matter further with you and your staff as you may dean necessary.
Very truly yours, NE URC COMPANY hur L. Kap an, Manager Licensing & Cccpliance Audits M/C J26 AIlt:hav Attachnent NSD-L+
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ISL L L.. L v b g su,. J e,.p A. L. I'v\\ PLAN BRUSHW[2LLMAR L"'feTo"2 ENGiNEE AEO MATEPI ALS Phone 419/862-2745 June 13,1979 Mr. A. L. Kaplan, J-26 General Electric Company P.O. Box 780 Wilmington, NC 28402
Dear Mr. Kaplan:
Confirming our conversation of June 5th, the hydrofluoric acid with the small amounts of enriched uranium procured from General Electric will be used exclusively in bery. l tum pebble production.
Brush con-suces about 7 pounds fluorine per pound of beryllium pebbles produc-ed.
Aqueous and solid wastes from the pebble production plant are irpounded in a tailings pond frcm which there are no discharges leaving the plantsite.
Therefore, the trace levels of uranium in the hydrofluoric acid are diluted by magnesium fluoride and aqueous fluoride-containing solutions in the tailings pond.
The aqueous portion of the pond is maintained at pH >8, so nearly all of any uranium reaching the pond should be precipitated sodium diuranate.
During the production of beryllium pebbles, there are no processes in which volatile uranium compounds might be produced.
The process for making beryllium pebbles is nearly identical to that for metal-lic uranium; as a result, any UF4 contaminant in the BeF2 inter-mediate is reduced to the metal by magnesium.
No transfer.of uranium to the in-plant atmosphere or to the surrounding areas as dust or gaseous species is believed to occur.
Very truly yours,
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0, hi Dr. K. A. Walsh Associate Director of Technolngy
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