ML19305D360
| ML19305D360 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Dresden  |
| Issue date: | 03/28/1980 |
| From: | Dircks W NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Yates S HOUSE OF REP. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19305D356 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8004140459 | |
| Download: ML19305D360 (4) | |
Text
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o UNITED STATES
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NUCLEAR REGULATOF1Y COMMISSION APR 3 lSSO "g
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WASHINGTON, D. C. is555
,ol Edwin R. McCullough M@, IMnong MAR 2 81980 Docket No. 50-10 The Honorable Sidney R. Yates United States liouse of Representatives Washington D. C.
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Dear Congressman Yates:
This is in response to your February 20, 1980 request for coments on statements by the Illinois Safe Energy Alliance (ISEA) concerning the proposed chemical decontamination of the Dresden Nuclear Power Station Unit No.1.
The Nuclear Regulatory Comission is fully comitted to satisfying all requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Our regulations which implement the NEPA requirements are contained in Title 10, Part 51.5, of the United States Code of Federal Regulations. These regulations are in conformance with guidelines issued by the President's Council on Environmental Quality which were in effect prior to July 30, 1979. They identify the types of actions for which NRC nust prepare an environmental impact statement..
The Comission is presently in the process of modifying our Environmental Protection regulations to take into account, voluntarily, the regulations promulgated by CEQ which became effective July 30, 1979.
We have concluded that this action is not one of these actions requiring an environ-mental igact statement under current Comission regulations.
While our regulations do not require the preparation of an environmental f@act statement, we are evaluating the environmental impact of the proposed action to determine whether an environmental igact statement should be prepared because of specific circumstances related to this particular action.
If it is determined that an environmental igact statement need not be prepared, a negative declaration and environmental impact appraisal will be prepared in accordance with Sections 51.7 and Sl.50(d) of our procedures for environmental protection. We will conplete our review and issue the appropriate statement or appraisal prior to the Dresden decontamination.
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he Honorable Sidney R. Yates -
7 ISEA has identified several specific concerns related to the Dresden decontami-nation. These concerns and our response to them are enclosed for your information.
I hope that this letter is responsive to your request.
'.s Sincerely, (S18 nod) E. Kevin Cornell
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William J. Dircks fe( Acting Executive Director for Operations
Enclosure:
As stated 4
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ENCLOSURE _.
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DISCUSSION OF THE CONCERNS
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EXPRESSED BY THE ILLINOIS SAFE ENERGY ALLIANCE L
RELATED TO TliE ORESDEN Ut41T 1 t
DECONTAMINATION "This experimental procedure is the first of its kind."
Concern 1.
Response 1.
The chemical decontamination of nuclear reactors is not an experimental Over the past twenty years, extensive experience has been obtained in the decontamination of reactor components such as pumps,This exp process.
valves, heat exchangers, and pipes.
that radioactive contamination can be removed from reactor components and significantly reduce the occupational radiation exposure to personnel who require access to these components for purposes of inspection or modification.
and returned to service without any evidence of damage caused by decon-tami nation.
In addition to the decontamination of reactor components, at least i
eighteen rasctor primary cooling systems or parts of those systems have Table been decon:aminated in the United States since the early 1960's.
1 identifies these and other major decontaminations that have taken place to date throughout the world:
TABLE 1 i
1962 Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor 1964 Shippingport PWR 1965 Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor 1964 to present Hanford, N Reactor 15 major decontam.
i 1967 SENA Power Plant Chooz, France 1
1968 Rheinsberg PWR Rheinsberg, Germany 470 Douglas Point Canada 19,3 NPD Canada 1973 Gentilly Canada 1975 Douglas Point Canada 1976 Dresden Unit 1 Test Loop using 00W NS-1 Solvent 1977 Peach Bottom Regenerative Heat Exchanger using 00W NS-1 "NRC has not conducted adequate studies of the environmental Concern 2.
consequences of this prototype decontamination project."
Response 2.
The NRC has reviewed all aspects of the environmental impact of the Dresden The decontamination will not result in any in-Unit No. I decontamination.
The solid waste that crease of gaseous or ifquid effluents from the plant.
will result from the decontamination will be disposed of in the same manner The radioacive content as other solid wastes generated at Dresden station.
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2 Re:ponse 2. Cont'd and chemical nature of the solid waste is similar to other waste that has been routinely packaged and shipped from Dresden Station since the first plant began operating in 1960.
Concern 3.
"NRC has not conducted any independent tests of the clean up process including waste transportation and disposal."
Response 3.
The NRC has contracted with the Brookhaven National Laboratory to carry out independent confirmatory research related to~ waste disposal ship-ping container integrity and the compatibility of the Dow solidification process with waste shipping containers. NRC's technical reviewers have evaluated the DOW solidification process and have concluded that the waste form produced by this process satisfies our requirements for ship-ping and disposing of low level waste.
The state of Washington has re-cently revised the license for the Hanford, Washington commercial waste burial site to explicitly authorize the disposal of waste soldified by the Dew Chemical solidification process.
Our review has concluded that the solidified waste is compatible with the shipping containers, and that the health and safety of the public will not be adversely impacted by the shipment of these solidified wastes to the burial site. All waste will be packaged and shipped in conformance with all applicable NRC and Department of Transportation requirements.
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