ML19260B160

Requests 2-yr Deferral for Nonpower Reactor Licensees to Comply W/Upgrade Rule.Training Reactor Will Not Operate as Category 1 Safeguards Facility.Description & Functions of Training Reactor & Upgrade Rule Options Encl

ML19260B160
Person / Time
Site:	05000087
Issue date:	11/19/1979
From:	Roth J WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY, DIV OF CBS CORP.
To:	Hendrie J NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
References
NUDOCS 7912070341
Download: ML19260B160 (5)

Text

. J~ 7 Westinghouse weamam cew Electric Corporation ses sucn ewe.r:

2 cec s 60C99 312 872 4555 November 19, 1979 Dr. Joseph M. Hendrie, Chairman U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of the Ccmmissioners "H" Street, Room H-il4 Washington, D. C. 20555

Dear Chairman Hendrie:

This letter is sent to you to directly inform the NRC Commissioners of Westinghouse's position regarding the new security upgrade proposal for our training reactor facility at Zion, Illinois. The Westinghause Nuclear Training Reactor (WNTR), NRC License R-119, is a non-power,10 kilowatt reactor used exclusively for the training of electric utility operators in fundamental reactor operations. The reactor facility currently possesses appr;ximately 8.0 kilograms of highly enriched U-235 in 40 fuel elements.

The fuel elements contain a very low fission product inventory and are con-sidered essentially unirradiated.

Westinghouse has made the decision that the WNTC will not be operated as a Category I safeguards facility. This decision is made for both philosophi-cal and economic reasons. pn armed guard, high security environment in such a small facility would not be conducive to the training of private citizens. It is estimated that the annual cost of operating such a facility would increase, by multiples, the facility's present operating budget.

Twenty-two research/ training reactor facilities can be adversely affected when the new upgrade is applied to non-power reactors. A number of these facilities would benefit immeasurably if the Category I specification was increased to a higher value such as 10 kilograms for unirradiated fuel.

Westinghouse suggests that the Commissioners consider establishing this higher value. The current value of 5.0 kilograms or more appears to be a somewhat arbitrary standard based on a study which has not been made known to the non-power reactor community.

Westinghouse is currently studying the various options available if the pro-posed upgrade rule is applied to non-power reactors without the above suggested Category I specification increase. Three options appear to be possible, all of which will reduce our training capability or add a high financial burden.

~

These options are.

I. Reauce the U-235 SNM inventory to below the 5.0 kilograms #

Category I specification.

g II. Replace the reactor fuel with low enrichment U-235 (less 5\ g than 20%). I v g III. Shut down and decommission the facility.

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Uncertainties are involved in all three options at this time and therefore no one option represents the best solution. Our time table for selecting the option calls for a decision during mid-1980. Completion of any of the options would not be scheduled before the end of 1981. Therefore, it is important to Westinghouse and their customers that total compliance with the upgrade rule for non-power reactors be deferred for a period of at least two years.

Attached are two short write-ups describing the WNTR and its functiens, and some details of our options regarding the upgrade rule. If you desire more information or details, please contact the WNTR Facility Manager (312-872-4585). Thank you vary much for your consideration.

Sincerely, John M. Roth, Manager WNTR Facility Att. ,

/srm 1511 322

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Attachment 1 WNTR DESCRIPTION AND FUNCTIONS The Westinghouse Nuclear Training Reactor (WNTR) is a highly enriched uranium,10 kilowatt, light water moderated, reflected and shielded reactor. The aluminum-uranium alloyed fuel is contained in aluminum clad fuel. tubes. A standard fuel element is an array of three conc.cntric fuel tubes. The normal reactor core consists of 28 standard fuel ele-ments and nine cadmium control rods with fuel element followers. This represents 92% of the total fuel inventory. The reactor initially was developed as a critical facility located at Waltz Mill, Pennsylvania.

It began operation in 1958. Major system modifications have taken place to achieve more flexible operation specifically for training. The reactor was relocated to the Westinghouse Nuclear Training Center in Zion, Illinois in 1972 and relicensed (NRC License R-119 Docket 50-87).

The WNTR is utilized to train nuclear power plant operator candidates.

Phase I of the six-phase Initial Reactor Operator Training Program provides 11 weeks of nuclear power fundamentals training. The Reactor Facility is an integral part of this fundamental training course. The first eight weeks of Phase I are devoted to classroom lectures and demonstra tions. The final three weeks of Phase I are conducted in the Reactor Facility. The fundamentals training is extremely important since it has been determined through experience that the typical elec-trical utility trainee cannot do well in the later parts of the training program or with the NRC license examination if a comprehensive fundamen-tals course is not provided and successfully completed. The thrust of the three-week " hands-on" effort is to reinforce the classroom-acquired information into operational knowledge and experience directly applicable

.to light water power reactor operations.

To our knowledge, the WNTR is the only reactor facility fully dedicated to the training of nuclear power plant operators. The Facility systems and layout were designed over the years specifically for reactor operator training and offers the flexibility required to conduct such training. In 1977 and 1978, approximately 175 nuclear power plant opera-tor candidates were trained at this Facility. Approximately 88 and 65 candidates will be trained in 1979 and 1980 respectively. The reactor is not only an extremely good training tool but it is also used to yield the ten reactor startups presently required of a utility cold license candidate as part of the eligibility requirements for NRC operator licensing. Future plans call for incorporating this " hands-on" type fundamentals training for hot license candidates and requalification tra ining. .

Along with reactor operations, the trainee receives training and experi-ence by actively participating in radiation safety practices, handling of radioactive material and fuel, reactor instrumentation and system check-outs and tests, control interlock and protection system operability tests, and administrative controls for a reactor facility.

Attachment 2 UPGRADE RULE OPTIONS Option I The SNM material under License R-119 would be decreased below the five kilogram Category I value. A 24-fuel element arrangement would be utilized as the new nonnal WNTR core. The core will be surrounded by a special reflector of the required thickness (graphite or beryllium). The excess 15 fuel elements would be reprocessed and/or sold to the proper authority, or stored properly at another facility. Storing of this fuel is attrac-tive since spare assemblies would be available from storage. The uncer-tainty here is finding a licensee who will accept the fuel for storage.

The major uncertainty is if the new core arrangement for the reactor would be able to produce a high enough reproduction factor to allow for adequate training operations and experiments. Our ability to conduct a fundamental operator training program that will properly meet the needs of the nuclear power industry is of concern. It is worth noting that there exists a risk that a future security incident would require still greater restrictions on highly enriched uranium in the public sector of our society.

Option II The existing NTR fuel elements would be replaced with new elements posses-sing a fuel enrichment below 20 percer.t. Initial investigations indicate that the lower enrichment uranium-aluminum fuel material is available and that identical fuel elements in terms of size and configuration can be produced. The existing 40 fuel elements would be reprocessed and sold.

Discussions have taken place with the Department of Energy regarding both the manufacture of new fuel and the reprocessing of the old. The major uncertainty involves the ability to acquire and manufacture fuel elements for a reasonable cost and the relicensing of the facility.

Option III The WNTR would be shut down and decommissioned. The fuel and components would be disposed of and the facility would be decontaminateo and delicensed.

If practical, the reactor hardware and instrumentation could be sold to another party and essentially relocated. A major uncertainty is the impact on the nuclear power industry when this nuclear operator training facility is retired. It is also difficult to evaluate the total cost of decommis-sioning.

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DISTRIBUTION LIST U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission USNRC Commissioners: J. M. Hendrie, Chairman J. F. Ahearne

~ R. T. Kennedy .

P. A. Bradford V. Galensky Mr. L. V. Gossick, Executive Director, Operations Mr. R. W. Reid, Chief, Operating Reactors, Branch 4 . .

Mr. S. D. Ramos, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulations Mr. D. M. Carlson, Reactor Safeguards Analyst, Nuclear Material Safety & Safeguards Mr. J. A. Hind, Chief, Safeguards Branch, Region III Westinghouse Electric Corporation Mr. J. K. Rayburn, Asst. to Executive Vice-President Mr. E. A. Connors, Director Corporate Security Mr. R. P. DiPiazza, Mar.ager, NES Licensing Administration Mr. K. C. Ruzich, Assistant to NSD General Manager Mr. R. A. Matheny, Manager, Startup and Training Service Mr. J. J. Evans, Manager, Nuclear Training Service Mr. G. W. Scholand, Manager, Nuclear Training Center Commonwealth Edison Company Mr. J. J. Gamutto, Supervisor of Training Mr. L. E. Davis, Training Supervisor, Braidwood Nuclear Station Mr. J. H. Harris, Training Supervisor, LaSalle Nuclear Station WNTR Safeguards Committee Mr. A. T. Sabo, Chairman Dr. F. J. Jankowski, Wright State University, Department of Engineering Dr. H. G. Cofer, Westinghouse Manager, Services & Auxiliary Systems Sales Mr. G. P. Pack, University of Illinois, Supervisor, Nuclear Rx Laboratory Mr. J. R. Hill, Westinghouse Manager, Special Projects Mr. E. G. Taylor, Westinghouse Senior Engineer, Nuclear Technology Division t