ML19281A700
| ML19281A700 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Westinghouse |
| Issue date: | 02/13/1979 |
| From: | Crow W, Stevenson R NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7904020060 | |
| Download: ML19281A700 (5) | |
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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMiss!ON 3e f
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WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 o
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DOCKET NO.:
70-1151 LICENSEE:
Westinghouse Electric Corporation (WEC)
FACILITIES:
Fuel Fabrication Plant Columbia, South Carolina
SUBJECT:
REVIEW 0F El'ERGENCY PLAN, " SITE EMERGENCY PLAN -
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA", AS SUBMITTED MAY 5,1978, AND JANUARY 22, 1979, AND SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION TRANSMITTED BY LETTER DATED JANUARY 23, 1979, PC NO. 78125A Backaround By letter dated May 5,1978, Westinghouse Electric Corporation (WEC) submitted the plan for handling emergencies at the Columbia site.
In response to the NRC letter of November 3,1978, WEC transmitted a revised version of the plan on January 22,1979 (plan still dated May 5,1978), and also answered the questions with the WEC letter of January 23, 1979. Most of the NRC questions on the plan as first submitted arose because of the omission of the appendices (i.e., agreements with other organizations, dose evaluation curves, etc.), but othentise the format and content accorded with Regulatory Guide 3.42,
" Emergency Planning for Fuel Cycle Facilities and Plants Licensed Under 10 CFR Parts 50 and 70", August 1977.
In addition to the subject emergency plan as revised, this review encompassed information on the possible effects of accidents prescnted in "NR-Fli-013, Environmental Impact Appraisal of the Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel Cr'umbia Site", April 1977, and in paragraph 1.10 of the safety demonstration (Section 1) of the Westinghouse license renewal application for SNM-1107, December 30, 1976.
The emergency plan as revised was reviewed using the criteria in Appendix E of Part 50, particularly Section IV, and Regulatory Guide 3.42, mentioned above.
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_2 Discussion The discussion which follows summarizes the content of the WEC emergency plan under the same general subjects listed in Section IV of Appendix E of Part 50, " Content of Emergency Plans".
A.
Organization - Motification The licensee has established an emergency organization for coping with incidents such as accidental criticality, fire, personnel injuries, or UF6 release. The emergency organization is headed by the Manager, Columbia Plant, as Emergency Director, aided by a staff disaster evaluation team consisting of the staff managers responsible for each of the major staff functions on site. Responsibility for specific activities such as conduct of emergency drills, leadership of the Emergency Brigade and maintenance of emergency procedures is assigned to specific positions in the organization, with provision for alternates.
The functional areas of emergency activity are divided between the Emergency Director, the Emergency Coordinator (ranking operations manager of the affected area), the Emergency Brigade, and the plant staff.
There ere a variety of communication systems to notify onsite personnel and off-site agencies of emergency situations. These include the plant telephone system, two-way radios at the entrance guardhouse and in the medical emergency vehicle, battery-powered megaphones, a fire alarm buzzer system, criticality alarms, and an emergency warning light system with message panel installed at various entrances and exits in the Controlled Area.
B.
Special Personnel In addition to the onsite operations managers, staff managers, and technical staff who have identified responsibilities in event of an emergency, the en.ergnncy plan identifies positions in the Westinghouse Nuclear Energy Systems (NES) organization designated for back-up assistance.
Furthermore, the onsite Medical Department immediately adjacent to the manufacturing area is staffed by registered nurses capable of administering emergency treatment and the Emergency Brigade members have been trained in first aid.
C.
Release Measurement Cacability and Notification Criteria The radiation protection component at the Columbia Plant has the necessary capability - trained personnel, and equipment in the emergency supplies - to determine the magnitude of the release of radioactive materials.
A The Westinghouse emergency plan divides incidents into five categories and gives specific dose ranges as criteria for activation of the emercency organization and determining the need for notification and participation of outside agencies.
D.
Outside Agencies The emergency procedures provide directions to the emergency organization to request participation by those offsite agencies whose services may be needed. Agreements have been reached with the following organizations:
Department of Energy, Savannah River Operations Office (radiological assistance)
State of South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control' (DHEC), Bureau of Radiological Health (direction and control of supporting offsite groups when activated in a radiological incident)
City of Columbia Fire Department Sheriff of the County of Richland, S. C.
Carolina Ambulance, Inc.
Richland Memorial Hospital (hospitalization of injured or contaminated persons), Columbia, S. C.
E.
Maintenance of Organization and Procedures The licensee will maintain the emergency organization and review and update the emergency plan and procedures for the site at least annually.
F.
First Aid and Decontamination Facilitics (Sae also para. B)
In addition to identifying required onsite first aid, decontamination and personnel monitoring equipment and supplies, the emergency plan includes provisions for medical assistance for incidents involving excessive expocure to penetrating radiation and/or airborne radioactivity and contaminated wounds or body areas.
Provisions have also been made for obtaining ambulance service as a backup for the onsite emergency vehicle.
G.
Offsite Treatment of Personnel As summarized in caragraphs F and D, Westinghouse has arrangements with the Richalnd Memcrial Hcspital in Columbia, S.
C.,
for the hospitalization and treatment of arscns who are injured, contaminated, or have been exposed to excess-ive doses of radiation. Hospital staff personnel include doctors knowledgeable in nuclear medicine.
The contract with the hospital inc?vdes a commitment by the hospital to participate in d rills to test the effectiveness of the radiation emergency plan.
H.
Personnel Training The plan commits Westinghouse to maintain emergency preparedness through a continuing program in which Westinghouse personnel receive training in the emergency procedures. The capability of outside agencies is maintained by their routine activities and their required special training.
Condition No. 32 of the license (SNM-1107) imposes an annual periodicity for general refresher training, which is understood to include the emergency procedures.
I.
Practice Drills Drills are held at least annually as follows:
a.
simulated fire control emergency involving the Emergency Brigade for each shift (3), and b.
announced drills simulating a radiation emergency (involving Richland Memorial Hospital support group).
The latter drills have the purposes of testing procedures, emergency equipment and ccanunications, in addition to their training objective.
J.
Reentry Criteria The Westinghouse plan includes a listing of the basic recovery criteria.
The technical support for olanning and reentry recovery operations provided to the Emergency Director includes advice from specialists in radiological and criticality safety on the staff of the radiation protection compcnent.
Conclusion The emergency plar.ning for the Westinghouse Columbia 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 Westinghouse license is recommended subject to the requirement that the licensee make no changes to the cmergency plan
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. as transmitted January 22 and supplemented January 23, 1979, which would decrease the effectiveness of the plan without the prior approval of the Commission.
Furthermore, changes to the emergency plan without Commission approval should be promptly submitted, for information purposes, to the Region II Office of Inspection and Enforcement and the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
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- p. yr a,j..; : at, o -w Robert L. Stevenson Uranium Fuel Fabrication Section Fuel Processing & Fabrication Branch Division of Fuel Cycle and Material Safety A
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'.LN Approved by:
W. T. Crow, Section Leader
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