ML19259C474
| ML19259C474 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | West Valley Demonstration Project |
| Issue date: | 05/04/1979 |
| From: | Haughney C NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Pyles J WEST VALLEY NUCLEAR WASTES |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7906220142 | |
| Download: ML19259C474 (3) | |
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wiu Docket No. 50-201
!1s. Janne L. Pyles Coordinator Coalition on West Valley Nuclear Wastes Whitney Road Holland, i:ew York 14080
Dear Ils. Pyles:
Subject:
Letter, dated tiarch 9, 1979, Concerning West Valley site as an AFR (Away from Reactor)
Thank you for your letter of I4 arch 9,1979 and for your telephone call of flarch 26, 1979. As I conveyed to you during our telephon conversation, you are welcome to call me at (301) 427-4205.
If I cannot be reached, please feel free to call Dr. A. Thomas Clark at the same number.
Both Dr. Clark and I are as >igned to the West Valley case.
Information in my possession indicates that ils. Carol flongerson is Coordinator for the Coalition on West Valley Nuclear Wastes.
fis. idongerson has for some time been receiving copies of meeting summaries, meeting announcenents and nany other documents issued by the !!RC in connection with the !!FS West Valley case.
I would hore that other renbers of the Coalition on West Valley Nuclear Wastes have the opportunity to examine these documents.
I suggest that you coordinate with lis. Mongerson to exanine documents related to the NFS West Valley case.
I also suggest that you consider using the Local Public Docur.ent Rooms (LPDR's) to obtain infornation on the case.
For your convenience, I have attached some infornation concerning the locations and hours of operation of the LPDR's.
2281 013 7906220)4%
Ms. Janne L. Pyles.
If you would like to cttend and observe meetings between NFS and the NRC staff, you are, of course, welcome to do so.
Meetings between the NRC technical staff and NFS that involve discussions pertaining to licensing actions are open to the public and are announced in advance vi a memoranda.
As I mentioned before, Ms. Mongerson has been routinely sent copies of these meeting announcements.
Please feel free to contact either Dr. Clark or myself if you plan to attend any of these future meetings so that we can make arrangements for your attendance.
URC licensing hearings are mandatory only for issuing Construction Pernits for " production and utilization facilities." These facilities are nuclear reactors and fuel reprocessing plants, not AFRs. Heari ngs are often held upon request if there are concerns related to the subject of the licensing action and the requestor night be directly affected by the action.
I an enclosing two documents which would help answer your questions on licensing of AFRs.
By the way, the term usec in the regulations for these facilities is " Independent Spent Fuel Storuge Installation" (ISFSI), rather than AFR (Away Fron Reactor).
An ISFSI would presently be licensed under 10 CFR Part 70, the government regulation for Special Nuclear Material, i.e., material which can sustain fission.
The dccunent published in the Federal Register.10 CFR Part 72, is proposed to take the place of Part 10 for licensing ISFSIs. The second document, Regulatory Guide 3.44, covers the type of infornation to be included in a safety analysis report which must accompany an application for an ISFSI.
Both documents have been distributed for comment; neither has yet been adopted.
We cannot speculate on possible future actions by the Federal e vernment or others on the storage of spent fuel at West Valley.
The NRC staff re-considered the Fuel Receipt and Storage (FRS) Area of the West Valley facility in its Interim Safety Evaluation I, dated August 1977.
I an enclosing a copy of the saf ety evaluation for your information.
The NRC staff has not compared the FRS Area with any recent criteria contained in the Regulatory Guide or the proposed Part 72. With 2281 014
e Ms. Janne L. Pyles respect to regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency pertaining to the storage of spent fuel, the proposed 10 CFR Part 72 mentioned i
above endorses 40 CFR Part 190 - Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Nuclear Power Operations.
This EPA regulation sets limits to annual offsite doses which could result from normal uranium fuel cycle operations (i.ncluding storage of spent fuel) at 25 milliren whole body, 75 nillirem to the thyroid, and 25 millirem to any other organ.
f our letter to the NRC dated March 3,1979 has been forwarded to ma for response.
I will answer that letter separately.
Please da not hesitate to contact me again, if I can be of further assistance.
Si nce rely, i
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" anch Charles J. Haughney Fuel Reprocessing and Recyc u Division of Fuel Cycle and Material Safety E ncl osu res :
- 1. Public Docket Rooms Information
- 2. Federal Register Motice dtd 10/6/70 3.
'eculatory Guide 3.44
- 4. NRC Staff Interin Safety Evaluation I dated August 1977 (Docket 50-201) 2281 015