ML19295A595
| ML19295A595 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Maine Yankee |
| Issue date: | 09/12/1980 |
| From: | Dircks W NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Mitchell G SENATE |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8010020381 | |
| Download: ML19295A595 (2) | |
Text
UNITED STATES 76*U
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q P 10 B30 Docket No. 50-309 The Honorable George J. Mitchell United States Senator 8 Lisbon Street Lewiston, Maine 04240
Dear Senator Mitchell:
This letter is in response to your letter of July 30, 1980 to Mr. Carlton Kammerer wherein you requested an explanation of the contents of a July 3, 1980 letter to you from Mr. McVsie Wing Roth, Jr.
In his letter, Mr. Roth expressed concern that Central Maine Power (CMP) is planning an experimental high-level nuclear waste storage scheme in Wiscasset at tne Maine Yankee Atomic Power Plant.
By hfinition, all spent fuel is termed "high level nuclear waste." Mr. Roth further stated that the proposed scheme would allow the storage of five times as much spent wel as that allowed by the original operating license.
Because of the lack of availability of commercial fuel reprocessing, waste disposal at a repository, or storage at a government facility in the near future, Maine Yankee as well as many other nuclear power plants in the U. S. has found it mandatory to expand its spent fuel facilities.
Con-sequently, on March 9,1975 Maine Yankee forwarded to the NRC a proposed change under 10 CFR 50.59 to allow for the expansion of fuel storage capacity from 318 to 953 fuel assembl,ies.
This request was granted by the NRC in a license amendment in October.1975.
The expectation was, at that time, that the lack of sufficient commercial fuel reprocessing or off site storage facilities could be resolved during the 1980's.
Resolution of these matters is still pending.
Therefore, in September of 19'79 Maine Yankee requested a license amendment to further increase its storage capacity from 953 fuel assemblies to 1545 " equivalent" assemblies or a factor of about 1.6 over that already licensed in October 1975.
Maine Yankee fuel assemblies contain a maximum of 176 fuel pins.
The Maine Yankee fuel proposed consolidatics. concept takes advantage of " wasted space" in fuel assemblies where poison pins as well as control element guide tubes are located.
The consolidation takes advantage of these locations by replacing the spaces with spent fuel pins.
This space saving arrangement allows the 285 fuel pins to be acconmodated in the same space envelope of the present fuel assembly.
Thus, this compaction scheme would accoanodate the storage of the fuel rods of 1545 fuel assemblies in the existing 953 fuel assembly storage boxes. The space envelope must be maintained to fit the existing storage rack s.
The consolidation of the 176 to 285 spent fuel pins in the same envelope is accomplished remotely, as Mr. Roth points out.
Each fuel assembly is dismantled remotely and the spent fuel pins are reassembled remotely in a new fuel cage.
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. The remotely accomplished disassembly and reassembly is not an experimental process as Mr. Roth states.
Rather, it is a " state of the art" technique that is used by Maine Yankee during refueling.
This technique is presently utilized by Maine Yankee to " reconstitute" fuel aisemblies by remotely removing depleted or defective fuel pins and remotely installing other fuel pins.
Maine Yankee has submitted analyses to support the safety aspects of the augmented storage capacity of the spent fuel pool.
In addition, Maine Yankee has responded to Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) questions regarding these matters.
The Maine Yankee spent fuel pin consolidation request is being carefully re-viewed by the NRC to provide reasonable assurance that the health ano safety of the public would not be endangered by the requested increase in spent fuel pool capacity.
You are probably aware that on October 24, 1979 the NRC published notice of the proposed license amendment for the Maine Yankee Atomic Power spent fuel pool consolidation in the Federal Register (44 Fed. Red. 61273, October 24, 1970).
This notice, among other things, provided an opportunity for interested persons to request a hearing with respect to this proposed amendment.
A request for such a hearing was in fact timely filed by petitioner, Sensible Maine Power.
In addition, the State of Maine has requested the right to participate as an
" interested State" pursuant to the Comnission regulations.
These requests are presently before the NRC Atomic Safety and Licensing Board.
I trust this letter addresses Mr. Roth's concerns.
Sincerely, (Nexa) T.A, M uu William J. Dircks Acting Executive Director for Operations
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C EORGCJ. M ITCHELL hAA6ME
'2Cnifeb States Senate WASHINGTON. D.C. 20510 July 30, 1980 Carlton Kammerer, Director Office of Congressional Affairs Nuclear Regulatory Corrission 1717 H Street, N.W.
Washington, D. C.
20505
Dear Sir:
I wish to bring to your attention the enclosed letter which I have received from McKie W. Roth, Jr.
I would like to express my interest in this case and request an explanation of the contents so that I may further respond to this inquiry.
Your prompt attention will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely, ff.
George J. Mitchell United States Senator Enclosure Direct reply to:
8 Lisbon Street Lewiston, Maine 04240
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,)3 McKIE WING ROTH 1a.
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DESIGNfR P O lioX So 8^m. urim o m July 3, 1980
- lenator George Mitchell Machington, D.C.
Dear Senator I1itchell:
Perhapa you are aware that C ;P in planning an experimenbal high-level nuclear wante stora.co acheme in Wincannet, and fi r#
hearinga are to take place on thei.r proponal imnediately af' ' '
f.he l'uclaar *?nferendum in."ept.
If you arn not up on t h i., n here in a brief rundowns The apont fuel pool at T.iaine Yank u wna originally designed to hold a maximum of 159 metri.c ton or heavy metal (npent fuel).
They have now suggented sto rinl: up u 772 metric tonn (5 timca ac much an original speen.) in that nrn.
pool.
To do this, they plan to use an experimental means of com-pacting the rodn.
Each fuel ansembly (a fuel rod ancenbly weighc about h metric ton) will be dicaantled by remote control, c.M nch rod will be placed in new accomblien, in a tighter formation.
To quote CMP's 1979 10-K report:
"The modification o
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proposed by the Company differs from designs heretofore impleuw w at other nuclear facilities but is encentially the same bacic co e mpt of more compact storage in the existing spent fuel pool."
I don't think ihine should be decignated a proving groun1 for high-level nuclear experimento by the nuclear induntry, and I am appealing to you for help on 'thic matter.
I havo many reasonc to believe the NRC is an ally of Icnino Yanken firnt a nd a protector of the public safety cecond.
The inC will be making the decision on this matter.
I ur;;c you to look into the matter for the cake of all of your constituentn.
f,iont I?onpectfully,f
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McKie M.
Itoth, Jr.
s, 1:- Tc to31 you how pleaned I am that you were nelected to an t be our Senator, upon Sen. Muskie's appointment to Sec'ty of Stav.
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