ML19309G071
| ML19309G071 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Dresden  |
| Issue date: | 04/02/1980 |
| From: | Vollmer R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Mueller J AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19309G072 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8005020317 | |
| Download: ML19309G071 (5) | |
Text
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April 2,1980 Docket No. 50-10 Ms. Jan Mueller 6525 S. Komensky Chicago, Illinois 60629
Dear Ms. Mueller:
This is in response to your recent letter to Dr. Hendrie, which expressed your concern related to the chemical decontamination of Dresden Nuclear Power Station, Unit No.1.
We have been reviewing this project since Comonwealth Edison's initial decontamination proposal on December 12, 1974. On December 9,1975, we issued a conditional authorization which allowed Comonwealth Edison to initiate the chemical decontamination subject to the completion of three items which would be resolved as follows:
1.
The testing program will be completed and the results submitted for the review and approval of the NRC staff prior to performing the proposed chemical cleaning.
2.
A pre-service inspection program for the primary coolant boundary will be formulated and submitted for NRC review and approval prior to returning the reactor to service.
3.
A post-cleaning surveillance program which includes additional surveillance specimens and a specimen withdrawal and examination schedule will be submitted for NRC review and approval prior to returning the reactor to service.
A copy of our Safety Evaluation in support of these actions is enclosed for your information.
Since our 1975 authorization Comonwealth Edison has completed its materials test program and construction of the necessary support facilities to carry out the project in a safe and environmentally acceptable manner. Our review of the testing program and the facility construction is continuing and will be completed prior to the chemical cleaning that is currently scheduled for early 1980.
The decontamination process involves the circulation of a Dow Chemical Cocparty cleaning solvent through the reactor primary cooling system.
The solvent, identified as NS-1, has been developed to remove the thin, tightly adherent, layer of highly radioactive oxide that has formed on the inside surfaces of the Dresden 1 primary cooling system.
l 1
Ms. Jan Mueller
-2 April 2,1980 The solvent will preferentially dissolve the oxide without significantly attacking the underlying base metal of the primary cooling system piping.
After removal of the uranium fuel, the solvent will be circulated through the primary coolant system for approximately 100 hours0.00116 days <br />0.0278 hours <br />1.653439e-4 weeks <br />3.805e-5 months <br /> at about 250*F.
f After circulation the solvent and the dissolved oxides will be drained from the reactor to a waste treatment facility located adjacent to the reactor. Any remaining solvent will be cleaned from the reactor by rinsing with demineralized water. The rinse water and solvent will be stored in the waste trer.tment facility storage tanks until processed to concentrate and solidify the solvent and dissolved radioactive corrosion products.
The decontamination will be carried out entirely within a closed system and all waste processing will be accomplished within a specially designed, earthquake proof, leak tight, building. All transportation of radioactive wastes will be done in accordance w.ith all applicable NRC and Department of Transportation regulations.
Because of these precautions, there will be no increased hazard to the health and safety of the citizens of Illinois or ar.y degradation of the environment in Illinois.
After processing the concentrated waste solution will be solidified in 55 gallon drums using a process developed by the Dow Che;nical Company for the solidification of low level radioactive wastes. This solidification process has been tested on the NS-1 solvent and produced a solid waste form that contained no free liquids. The waste solidification procedures include a quality control process test on each barrel of waste to provide additional assurance that the liquid waste has been properly solidified.
After solidification the waste drums will be transported by a connercial radioactive waste carrier to a licensed solid waste burial ground such as Beatty, Nevada or Hanford, Washington. These arid, desert sites have been specifically selected for the disposal of the Dresden waste to further assure that there is no interaction of the waste with ground water.
Because the waste is in a solid form, the ground water level is approximately 300 feet below the surface, and the burial sites are located in remote, uninhabited locations, there is adequate assurance that the waste will remain isolated from potential pathways for exposure i
of the population.
The cost of the Dresden 1 decontamination has been estimated at 36 million dollars. Much of this cost represents one time development costs which would not be incurred in subsequent reactor decontamination at Dresden 1 or other nuclear facilities. At this time there are no plans to decoa-taminate the primary cooling system of other U. S. nuclear facilities, I
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Ms. Jan Mueller April 2, 1980 hcwever, preliminary estimates of the cost for decontamination currently operating U. S. reactors range from 1 million to 5 million dolltrs per reactor and would vary depending on the extent of modification required at a specific facility to perform the decontamination.
The decontamination of reactor primary cooling systems will reduce the radiation exposure levels in the areas of these systems, thereby permit-ting greater access to the system for inspection, modifications, and repairs. These activities provide greater assurance of the continued safe operation of the reactor and are therefore in the best interest of the health and safety of the public. Furthermore, the decontamination will reduce the occupational exposure of the individuals employed at Dresden.
With respect to requests for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for the Dresden Unit 1 decontamination, 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 following types of actions for which NRC must prepare an environmental impact statement:
"(1) Issuance of a permit to construct a nuclear power reactor, testing f acility, or fuel reprocessing plant pursuant to Part 50 of this chapter; (2) Issuance of a full power or design capa:ity license to operate a nuclear power reactor, testing facility, or fuel reprocessing plant pursuant to Part 50 of this chapter; (3) Issuance of a permit to construct or a design capacity license to operate an isotopic enrichment plant pursuant to 50.22 of this chapter; (4) Issuance of a license to possess and use special nuclear material for processing and fuel fabrication, scrap recovery, or conversion of uranium hexafluoride pursuant to Part 70 of this chapter; (5) Issuance of a license to possess and use source material for uranium milling or production of uranium hexafluoride parsuart to Part 40 of this-chapter; (6) Issuance of a license authorizing commerical radioactive waste disposal by land burial pursuant to Parts 30, 40, and/or 70 of this chapter; I
~
Ms. Jan Mueller
-4 April 2,1980 (7) Conversion of a provisional operating license for a nuclear power reactor, testing f acility or fuel reprocessing plant to a full power or design capacity license pursuant to Part 50 of this chapter where no final environmental impact statement has been previously prepared; (8) Issuance of a license to manufacture pursuant to Appendix M of Part 50 of this Chapter; (9) Amendments of Parts 30 and 40 of this chapter concerning the.
exegtion from licensing and regulatory requirements of any equip-ment, device, commodity or other product containing byproduct material or source material; and (10) Any other action which the Comission determines is a major Comission action significantly affecting the quality of the human envi ronme nt. "
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 haw '- 'uded that this action is not one of these actions requiring an environ: :.al impact statement under current Comission regulations.
While our regulations do not require the preparation of an environmental impact statement, we are evaluating the environmental igact of the proposed action to determine whether an environmental impact statement should be prepared because of specific circumstances related to this particular action.
If it is determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared, a negative declaration and environmental impact appraisal will be prepared in accordance with Sections 51.7 and 51.50(d) of our pro-cedures for environmental protection. We will complete our review and issue the appropriate statement or appraisal prior to the Dresden decontamination.
The chemical decontamination of nuclear reactors is not an experimental process. Over the past twenty years, extensive experience has been obtained in the decontamination of reactor components such as pumps, valves, heat exchangers, and pipes. This experience has demonstrated i
that radioactive contamination can be removed from reactor cogonents and significantly reduce the occupational radiation exposure to personnel who require access to these components for purposes of repair, inspection or modification.
Such cog onents have been cleaned, inspected, and returned to service without any evidence of damage caused by decon-tamination.
l In addition to the decontam1.'ation of reactor components, at least eighteen reactor primary cooling systems or parts of those systems have been decontaminated in the United States since the early 1960's. Table 1 identifies these and other major decantaminations that have taken place to date throughout the world:
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Ms. Jan Mueller April 2, 1980 TABLE 1 Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor 1962 Shippingport PWR 1964 Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor 1965 Hanford, N Reactor 15 major decontam.
1964 to present SENA Power Plant Chooz, France 1967 Rheinsberg PWR Rheinsberg, Germany 1968 Douglas Point Canada 1970 NPD Canada 1973 Gentilly Canada 1973 Douglas Point Canada 1975 Dresden Unit 1 Test Loop using 1976 Dow NS-1 Solvent Peach Bottom Regenerative Heat 1977 Exchanger using DOW NS-1 In summary, the Dresden decontamination has been carefully planned to improve the safety of the reactor and reduce the exposure of plant personnel to radiation. The waste produced by the process is similar in type and quantity to the waste routinely produced at Dresden and its processing, transportation, and disposal will not cause any new hazards not previously evaluated and deemed acceptable.
Sincerely, hysh/
ichard H. Vollmer, Acting Assistant Director for Systematic Evaluation P rogram Division of Operating Reactors
Enclosure:
Safety Evaluation 1