ML19269D931
| ML19269D931 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | West Valley Demonstration Project |
| Issue date: | 04/20/1979 |
| From: | Rouse L NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Eckerman M AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19269D932 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7906210261 | |
| Download: ML19269D931 (6) | |
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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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APR a0 8 Honor Society ATTN: Ms. Marge Eckerman President East Junior High School 1445 Center Road West Senaca, NY 14224
Dear Students:
Thank you for your letter, dated Manuary 24, 1979, concerning the nuclear plant in West Valley.* I will try to answer your questions questions you hav$ ability, but I must advise you that many of the to the best of my l
asked require either a very lcag response to do it justice or are questions which the nation itself hopes to answer over the next decade.
In the discussion below, I take each of your questions in turn'.
i 1.) "What are the' effects of radioactive wastes on bodies of i
water surrounding New York State?"
, f Assuming that Lakes Erie and Ontario are referred to here, the only effect from effluent discharges from the West Valley. site
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is that 6f low-level radiation. Most knowledgeable scienti.sts seem to agree that these effects are small. I A typical approach taken is to compare the radioactivity to the* naturally occurring radioactivitv from'which no one is immune. Another source of radioactivity to which we all are subjected is man-made fallout from nuclear bomb testing. Although the United States has stopped atmospheric testing for several years, other nations such as the People's Republic of China, have continued to the present. At any rate, the effects of these waste discharges are not directly observable or measurable and are small compared with these other sources.
2.) "What are the immediate effects and the long-range effects of stored radioactive waste on the environment anri people?"
Radioactive waste at West Valley is either buried as lcw-level waste or contained in a large (750,000 gallon) tank as high-level waste.
Seepage of water frcm the trenches of the low-level burial ground resulted in small releases during 1975 - 1973.
These trenches have been recapped and no longer seep. The inr.ediate effect of the seepage is as described in the resconse to your first question, i.e., it is small ccccared with other scurces.
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,y Honor Society It is expected that there will be no long-term effects frca stored wastes.
The technique for accomplishing this objective is now being discussed by the site owner (tiew York State) and Federal agencies, such as ours. An important component of the resolution of the long-term disposition of the high-level wastes is the environmental impact statement (EIS) required by the National Envircnmental Policy Act of the Federal Government.
An EIS is required for each and every " major" Federal action, which this action certainly is. Questions which need to be answered by this statement are:
Will the wastes be disposed at the site or elsewhere? What form should the wastes take? What technical and cost limitations are there for disposal schemes?
I am enclosing two documents which may give you some idea of the complications involved in answering these questions.
3.) "Are there any measurable effects in the immediate area of West Valley at the present time?"
i Radioactivity, well belcw safe concentrations, can be detected in Buttermilk Creek on the plant site in Cattaraugus Creek, and has been detected in very low concentrations in Lakes Erie and Gntario.
There are no measurable effects on the environment i
at these low concentrations.
4.) "What types of containers are the wastes stored in, and how long will these containers safely hold the wastes.?
The container for the low-level wastes is the glacial till (earth) itself in which the wastes are buried.
Most of these wastes were originally contained in wooden or cardboard boxes or in drums. The high-level wastes are contained in steel tanks inside reinforced concrete vaults buried about eight feet below the surface.
Follcuing final decommissioning, the low-level waste burial ground should contain the wastes indefinitely with no significant risk to humans. The high-level wastes can be safely contained until their final disposition is determined.
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5.) "What condition are the containers in at-present?"
The condition of the boxes discussed in response to Question 4 above is immaterial. The glacial till material is an excellent container when properly used.
The high-level waste tanks appear to be sound, but our agency is requesting further investigation of their condition. Recently, a defect was discovered in one of the catch pans beneath the tanks indicating a leakage path to the vault if a tank should leak. Although we consider the pan defect to be a serious matter, the tank contents can always be transferred to a spare i
tank if a significant leak develops. The pan under the spare l
tank has been tested and is sound.
6.) "How can these wastes be safely dealt with, not only for our generation, but for all future generations?"
This is one of the questions which I indicated the nation is now addressing. Many knowledgeable people believe the wastes can be safely disposed forever.
The general idea is to place the wastes, which could be dangerous for many years to come, hundreds to thousands of feet below the earth's surface in i
geologically stable formations.
These formations could be i
ancient salt beds, granites, or other rock types. Less hazardous wastes, such as low-level, can be disposed in near-surface burial i
grounds. Monitoring. of these wastes by man to assure their safe containment may be n&cessary for a century or two.
I 7.) "Why was West Valley chosen in the first place?"
The State of New York, through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, chose the West Valley site. A thorough discussion of this acquisition and subsequent events to the present, as seen through the eyes of the State, is contained in enclosure 3.
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I Honor Society 8.)
"At the time the containers were put in-the area did anyone realize the effects that might occur in the future?
Prior to using the site, both the New York State Geological Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey were consulted as to the appropriateness of the glacial till for burial and the containment of radioactivity. Even recent investigations continue to' support the initial conclusion that water migration is extremely slow in this material and it has excellent ion-exchange properties. The seepage problem resulted from poor capping techniques and was not originally expected to occur. However, the monitoring techniques of the trenches and of nearby surface streams were designed to detect such unforeseen events as the seepage.
The operation of the high-level waste containers, the tanks inside vaults, has been as expected. The pan defect was not expected, but was planned for in the sense that a spare tank has been provided.
9.)
"Are there any other similar waste dumps in the United States?"
Radioactive wastes are contained in several locations in the United States.
Most of the wastes resulted frca defense production activities and are now under the jurisdiction of the Department of Energy.
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there are five other commercial burial grounds similar to addition,f West Valley in South Carolina, Kentucky, Illinois, Nevada, the one a and Washington.
10.) "Are you or any'one else planning to reopen the Uest Valley dump site, and if you are, to what extent would the population 3
of New York State be endangered?"
The low-level burial ground at West Valley is licensed by the State of New York through the Department of Environmental Conservation.
It is operated by Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc. (NFS) for the State.
NFS voluntarily closed the burial ground in 1976. Any re-opening of the burial ground is subject to approval by the State.
There i
should be no danger to the population of the State of New Ycrk from operation of the burial ground.
A Si nce rely, g
Leland C. Rousq1cting Chief e,.
Fuel Reorocessing and Recycle Eranch Divisien of Fuel Cycle and Material Safe:y Encl osures:
See attached list.
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Enclosures:
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1.
Interim Safety Evaluation I A.
dtd August 1977, Docket 50-201 ma *. 2.
Alternative Processes for Managing it' Existing Commercial High-level ic Radioactive Wastes (i'UREG-0043) 3.
Report of the !lew York State Energy Research and Development Authority a
with Respect to Federal Acquisition 1
- t-of the West Valley Facility i
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