ML19276F204
| ML19276F204 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Framatome ANP Richland |
| Issue date: | 02/05/1979 |
| From: | Stevenson R NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7903270649 | |
| Download: ML19276F204 (5) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES f
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3 'i NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION f ;h(;'m j
W ASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 o
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- ..8 DOCKET NO.: 70-1257 LICENSEE:
Exxon Nuclear Company, Inc. (Exxon)
FACILITIES: Richland Fuel Fabrication Facilities Richland, Washington
SUBJECT:
REVIEW OF EMERGENCY PLAN, XN-NF-32, REVISION 9, "RICHLAND FUEL FABRICATION PLANTS, EMERGENCY PLAN, PART 1, SEPTEMBER 1978," AS SUPPLEMENTED JANUARY 4 AND 16,1979, PC N0. 78133A
Background
By letter dated September 13, 1978, Exxon submitted the plan for handling eniergencies at the Richland site. At the request of NRC, Exxon provided further infomation on emergency planning with the letter of January 4, 1979. The substantive responses in the January 4 letter were incorporated in revised pages for the emergency plan transmitted by letter of January 16, 1979.
In addition to the subject emorgency plan as supplemented, this review encompassed relevant information in the final environmental statements for the two main plants on the Exxon site (uranium oxide fuel plant and mixed oxide fabrication plant) issued by the Director of Licensing of the USAEC under Docket No. 70-1257 in March and June 1974, respectively.
The emergency plan as supplemented was reviewed using the criteria in Appendix E of Part 50, particularly Section IV, and Regulatory Guide 3.42,
" Emergency Planning for Fuel Cycle Facilities and Plants Licensed Under 10 CFR Parts 50 and 70," August 1977 (RG 3.42).
Questions on the plan as initially submitted were transmitted to Exxon in the NRC letter of November 3,1978, and responses provided by Exxon's letters of January 4 and 16,1979.
The adequacy of the overall emergency planning at the Exxon site was discussed with Mr. W. J. Cooley, Region V, I&E principal inspector for the Exxon site, in telecons on November 7,1978, and January 29, 1979.
In the telecon on January 29, 1979, Mr. Cooley saw no objection to issuance of an authorizing amendment based on the plan as supplemented.
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2 Discussion In evaluating Exxon's arrangements for emergencias, recognition was given to the unique location of the site near the Hanford project.
Thus, the facilities are within four miles of the fire stations of both the city of Richland and the 300 Area of the Hanford project, and conveniently located with respect to specialists in radiological safety from outside of the Exxon organization.
A.
Organization-Notification The licensee has established an emergency organization for coping with incidents such as accidental criticality, fire, or personnel injury. The emergency crganization is headed by the Manager, Manufacturing, as Emergency Director, aided by an Emergency Cadre consisting mainly of plant and staff managers. Responsibility for specific activities such as conduct of emergency drills, leadership of the Emergency Crew, and maintenance of emergency procedures is assigned to specific positions in the organization.
The functional areas of emergency activity are divided between an Energency Crew directly assisting the Plant Energency Director and elements of the normal plant organization.
Onsite personnel are notified of certain types of emergencies through the plant public address system. There are criticality alarms, fixed area monitors throughout the plants including both neutron flux integrators and criticality dosimeters, and a general zoned fire detection system using heat detectors. There is a special telephone system (" Plant Crash Alarm Telephone System")
for notification of the Plant Energency Director, alternate directors, and key emergency staff at their residences. There are portable radios at the site which can communicate on the frequency assigned to Exxon and on the Richland police frequency.
The plan identifies the local, state, and federal agencies that would provide support in the event of emergency and the means of notifying these agencies. The responsibili;y for declaring and taking charge during an emergency is clearly assigned for both normal and off-shift hours.
B.
Special Personnel In addition to the operations managers on the Energency Cadre, there are also specialists from the staff (other than operating staff) knowledgable in criticality safety and radiological safety.
Exxon has made arrangements for the services, on demand, of outside medical and radiological safety specialists from Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories and from the Northwest Health Services.
In accordance with the laws of the state of Washington, the licensee's managers and supervisors receive basic first aid training.
3 C.
Notification Criteria The Exxcn emergency plan divides incidents into five categories and gives specific off-site release quantities as basic criteria for determining the need for notification and participation of outside agencies. However, procedures to cope with the category of General Emergency are not provided since the events in this category are judged not to be credible during the lifetime of the facilities.
D.
Outside Agencies The procedures provide direction to the energency organization to request participation by those off-site agencies whose services may be needed. Agreements have been reached with the following organizations:
- City of Richland Fire Department
- City of Richland Police Department
- Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories (for radiological assistance, including personnel dosimetry, meteorolngy, special laboratory services, and environmental monitoring)
- Northwest He?lth Services, Richland (for medical services involving care of victims of radiation-contamination incidents, including use of a personnel decontamination facility)
- Benton County Department of Emergency Services, Kennewick, Washington (disaster planning, coordination with other governmental agencies, including DOE, and warning of unusual weather or flooding conditions)
- Nuclear Engineering Co., Richland (waste disposal)
- Rockwell Intarnational, Richland (protective clothing and laundry services)
- United States Testing Co., Richland (analytical services)
E.
Maintenance of Organization and Procedures' The licensee will maintain the emergency organization and review and update the energency procedures for the site at least annually.
F.
_First Aid and Decontamination Facilities In addition to identifying required on-site first aid, decontamination and personnel monitoring equipment and supplies, the emergency plan includes provisions for medical assistance for incidents involving excessive exposure to penetrating radiation and/or airborne radioactivity and contaminated wounds or body areas.
Provisions have also been made for obtaining ambulance service.
4 G.
Off-site Treatment of Personnel As noted in C, foregoing, the Northwest Health Services have a personnel decontamination facility and trained medical specialists for handling radiation cases. Back-up assistance for injured persons not contaminated with radioactive materials is available at the Kadlec Hospital, Richland, and hospitals in Kennewick and Pasco.
H.
Personnel Training The licensee has committed to maintain emergency preparedness through a continuing program in which Exxon personnel receive training in the emergency procedures.
The capability of outside agencies is maintained by their routine activities and by special training.
I.
Practice Drills Drills are held at least annually as follows:
a.
Plant evacuation (at least semiannually),
b.
Mass casualty simulation (Emergency Crew),
c.
Fire fighting (in conjunction with the Richland Fire Department),
d.
Air pack rescue simulation (Emergency Crew).
There is also a major off-site release exercise held at least annually but involving only the Emergency Cadre. State and local government agencies are invited to participate in the annual exercise.
It should be noted that Exxon depends on the Richland Fire Department (which is qualified for fire fighting and rescue within radiation danger zones) for fire protection and expects the plant forces to act only in a "first-aid" capacity as regards fires.
J.
_R_e-entry Criteria
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The Exxon plan includes a listing of the basic recovery criteria.
Technical support for planning and re-entry recovery operations is provided to the Plant Emergency Director by the Licensing Departnent, which includes trained and experienced specialists in both radiological and criticality safety.
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5 Conclusion The emergency planning for the Exxon site meets the requirements of 10 CFR 50, Appendix E, and provides a basis for an acceptable state of emergency preparedness.
Issuance of an authorizing amendment to the Exxon license is reconinended subject to the requirement that the licensee make no changes to the Emergency Plan, Part 1, Revision 9, XN-NF-32, dated September 1978, as supplemented January 16, 1979, which would decrease the effectiveness of the plan without the prior approval of the Commission.
Changes made to the Emergency Plan without prior Commission approval shall be promptly submitted, for infomation purposes, to the Region V Office of Inspection and Enforcement and the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
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CMm Robert L. Stevenson Uranium Fuel Fabrication Section Division of Fuel Cycle and Approved by:
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I W. T. Crow, Section Leader Uranium Fuel Fabrication Section
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