ML19305E033

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Requests NRC Guidance Re Processing & Decontamination of Lagoons to Release Limits by 820701 Per 790115 Amend 6, Condition 26 to License SNM-777.Unable to Meet Deadline. Possible Alternatives Are Beyond Power of Facility
ML19305E033
Person / Time
Site: Wood River Junction
Issue date: 02/19/1980
From: Bowers C
UNC RECOVERY SYSTEMS, UNITED NUCLEAR CORP. (SUBS. OF UNC, INC.)
To: Crow W
NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
References
15612, NUDOCS 8004220177
Download: ML19305E033 (1)


Text

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PbfL To-fr1 o UDC RECOVERY SYSTEMS February 19, 1980

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UnC A unC RESOURCES Company Wood River Junction, Rhode Island 02894 U.

S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mr. W. T. Crow, Section Leader Uranium Fuel Fabrication Section 500 FuelProcessingandFabricationBrpnch..?)hgg Division of Fuel Cycle and Materiah,Safet Washington, DC 20555 Gentlemen:

A situation has arisen which we feel warrants guidance from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Special Nuclear Material License No. SNM-777, Amendment No.

6, Condition 26, as im-posed in your letter of January 15, 1979, requires that existing lagoons be processed and decontaminated to re-lease limits by July 1, 1982.

Current social and political actions have combined to make our ability to meet that July 1, 1982 deadline questionable.

As you are aware (per your copy of the letter from C. E.

Bowers to T. J. McCord of Chem-Nuclear Systems, Inc.,

dated July 11, 1980), Chem-Nuclear Systems, Inc. has re-duced our radioactive waste burial allocation burial site of our lagoons.

Recent events indicdte the potential for the same type of allocation cut-back in both Nevada and Washing-ton; in fact, despite our attempts, we have not been able to procure a commitment for disposal from either site.

Thus we are faced with the real potential of having no com-mercial sites at which to complete the processing of the residues as required.

Accordingly, our inability to pro-cess the residues would be the result of actions over which we have no control, to wit, actions of the governments of the three states in which commercial disposal sites are currently situated.

The assistance and guidance of NRC is requested.

There are possible alternatives, such as an exemption from the allo-cation plans, the licensing of additional commercial sites, or the burial of our waste at government sites.

Unfortu-nately, such alternatives are all beyond our power to unilaterally effectuate.

Failing all of these, we have no apparent option but to stabilize the lagoons in situ.

Although the situation is not critical at this time, NRC guidance is needed before the situation does become cri-tical.

Your early reply will be appreciated.

Very truly yours, UNC RECOVERY SYSTEMS h-4.+

l C.

E.

Bowers I

gMS y p President 8004220 t/ '77