ML19308B186

Reports Unusual Event Re Processing of Greater Vols of Fluids by Liquid & Gas Waste Mgt Sys than Estimated in FSAR, Chapter 11.Radioactive Releases Remain within Tech Spec Limits

ML19308B186
Person / Time
Site:	Oconee
Issue date:	10/26/1973
From:	Thies A DUKE POWER CO.
To:	Giambusso A US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC)
Shared Package
ML19308B182	List: ML19308B186
References
NUDOCS 7912130985
Download: ML19308B186 (4)

Text

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A. C. THIES

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Peoovcssoas ano Tmansmissio e l October 26, 1973 t- Mr. Angelo Giambusso .

Deputy Director for Reacter Projects ., o f il j i', D, Dire.ctorate of Licensing

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U. S. Atomic Energy Commission Washington, D. C. 20545 p'

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Re: Oconce !!uclear Station 'L C' Docket ilos. 50-269, -270, and -287 h~r(rr..

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Dear Mr. Giambusso:

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u rsuant to Technical Specificatiens 6.2 and 19(b) attached to Operating

'- - Licenses OPR-38 and CPR-47, we are reporting as an unusual event a situation which exists at Oconee !!uclear Station. The unusual event

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concerns the fact that liquid and gas waste management systems are y p'rocessing larger volumes of fluids than were estimated in Chapter 11 f of the Final Safety Analysis Report.

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The basig. wast'e management prob'lems are briefly summarized as follows:

1. Due to mixing of volumes of water containing no radioactivity frem miscellaneous scurces with the small quantities of Icw level waste

. water, composite volumes of' liquid to be treated as radicactive waste are greater than that identified in Table 11-la of the Final Safety Analysis Report.

• "* .. 2. Volumes of gaseous waste, due "e n.itrogen cyerblanket on.certain

. tanks'[ ares'ubstdntiallyhis' nan those predicted in Table ll-la of the Final Safety Analysis 4 art.

3 Boron and other chemicals sometimes present in the liquid waste complicate the ability to discharge those wastes that are othentise within Technical Specification limits. .

4. The existing , waste management systems are not operating at their full expected capacities. .

In order to assess the extent of t ie waste handling problems and determine solutions, a waste r.anagement task force was appointed censisting of engineering, prcduction, and station personnel. The task force has made recommendations concerning the liquid waste handling, and Duke is pro-12,1 Y

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. 'Mr. Angnlo Giu%sso

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October 26, 1973 -

ceedi,ng concurrently with efforts in the four following areas: .

l. Provide interim Vaste Management Facilities We are proceeding to design, procure and ins' tall interim waste manage-ment facilities to give us reasonable assurance that Oconee 3 can be

, operated satisfacto ily. The interim facilities may include a 15 gpm evaporator, a deminera'll:er tank and associated piping. The estimated date for ccmpletion of the interim facilities is May 1,1974. Based on this schedule and the fact that these are interim facilities, the des,ign of the system may not be in accordance with all design criteria and code requirements which would be provided in a permanent facill ty.

However, piping, valves, and associated ccmponents will be procured j and installed consistent with the pcwer piping code ANSI ,831.1-1973 t

j 2. Provide Additional Permanent Vaste Management Facilities Preliminary plans indicate that two evaporators of 25 gpm capacity each, a gas stripper, two demineralizer's, a drumming station,

/. tankage, and associated piping and centrols may be necessary to completely solve the waste management problems and give us adequate margins to cope with all conditions. A separate building will be required to house these facilities. This facility would be designed

'In accordance with criteria censistent with ,that for the existing waste management system. The estimated date for ccmpletion is January 1, 1976. -

,3. , improve Operation of the Existino Svstem Studies and tests will be continuing in order to improve the operation '

. of the exis ting ins talled sys tems. We estimate that a majority of this work can be completed by January 1, 1974.

. *( 4'.". .S'eparatlon of Ncn-Radioac~t ive Vaste Water from Contaminated Areas- *

.. l Studies will continue to attempt to isolate non-radioactive waste from ,

, . contaminated waste. .

While the waste management problems' at the station caused by handling larger volumes of fluids have been significant at times, improvement in the operatien of the waste management systcm has been acccmplished.

For instance, icw level liquid waste volumes were being generated at rates as high as 14,000 gallons per day during Augus t and Septemoer of 1973. Due to successful efforts to decrease seceneary side Icakage,  ;

liquid wastes are currently being generated at the rate of 7,000 gallens  !

per day for Units 1 and 2 (7,000 gallons per day is equivalent to approxis mately 5 gallons per minute).

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Mr. Angslo Giambusso

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• O'ctober 26, 1973 .

It should be emphastied that although unexpected quantities of liquid and gaseous wastes have been collected and processed, the radioactive

, releases have been low and well within the limits of Technical Specifi-cations 3 9 and 3.10. We will advise you of our progress in solving this problem.. .

Very truly yours, W.

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.- A. C. Thies -

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cc: Mr. Norman C.~Moseley e

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PROPOSED REPLY TO CONGRESSIONAL LETTER ON CENTRIFUGE ACCIDENT The accident at Oakridge Tennessee. which your constituent asked about, occurred, at an AEC facility rather than a privately owned, AEC licensed facility under the jurisidction of the Regulatory side of the AEC. We have enclosed the Commission's public announcement on the incident which involved the classified development program on the gas centrifuge method of inriching uranium. No nuclear reactor was involved. The small amount of uranium hexafloride released was essentially natural uranium and therefore, a very low level of radioactivity. Nobody was hurt. Full details of the incident could not be made public at the time because of the classified nature of the program. But a decision was eventually made to issue a public announce-ment in view of the industrial interest in the gas certrifuge development program.

The gas centrifuge process has been under development %f*r a number of years and it is a potential competitor to the process currently being used for

- the separation of uranium isotopes. The gas centrifuge unit that failed was undergoing test operations in a facility at Oakridge. One of the purposes of this test facility is to screen the design for defects before the unit undergoes further investigations. Design modifications will be made to eliminate future occurrence of this type. The Commission specialAECteamtoinvestigatetheincidentforthepurpo/ppointeda se of recomending design changes as appropriate.

Taken by dictation from Gemantown to RCPaulus DAS /t.n. 73 f?/ '^4 g- YW

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