ML19327B318
| ML19327B318 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Framatome ANP Richland |
| Issue date: | 10/17/1989 |
| From: | Pennington W NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19327B315 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8910300170 | |
| Download: ML19327B318 (2) | |
Text
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OCT 171989 l
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70-1257 a
r LICENSEE:
' Advanced Nuclear Fuels Corporation (ANF) j Richland, WA
SUBJECT:
SAFETY EVALUATION REPORT, LICENSE ANENDMENT APPLICATION AND SUPPLEMENT DATED JUNE 1, 1989 (SUBMITTED BY LETTERS DATED MAY 31 AND SEPTEMBER 21,1989), RE RELOCATION OF PLUT0NIUM i
CONTAMINATED WASTE AND MAINTENANCE OF CRITICALITY MONITOR ALARM SYSTEM
Background
ANF'is currently authorized to store plutonium contaminated solid waste in sealed 55-gallon drums located in the Specialty Fuels (SF) Building storage vault.
In addition, ANF is required to maintain a criticality monitor alarm system in an operating condition per 10 CFR 70.24(a).
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In the subject application, ANF requests authorization to relocate the drummed plutonium waste and to shutdown sections of the criticality alarm system when performing system maintenance.
By letter dated September 11, 1989, the staff requested additional information. Accordingly, by letter dated September 21, 1989,' ANF submitted the supplement dated June 1,1989.
Discussion-l Relocation of Plutonium Waste i
In the existing license, ANF is authorized to store the drummed plutonium waste in the SF Building storage vault. Air passing over the drums is exhausted out j
of the vault through a HEPA' filter. A continuous air sample upstream of the HEPA filter is analyzed weekly for plutonium. Effluent air from the vault i
f continues to pass through two stages of HEPA filtration in the building exhaust p
system. Visual inspections and smear surveys are conducted on a semi-annual basis. Any evidence of plutonium alpha activity on the samples requires an i
investigation and corrective action. In the subject application, ANF proposes L"'
to' relocate the drummed plutonium waste in the autoclave pit located in the
. southwest corner of the SF Building Room 162. The pit is a below grade room j
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with dimensions of 12' wide, 20' long, and 20' 4.5" deep. The walls and floor are constructed of reinforced concrete and are keyed and sealed with a i
continuous water stop. The pit is covered with floor grating and overlayed with sheet steel. A hinged door section and vertical ladders provide access and egress to and from the pit.
.The drumed waste will be stored on steel grating to support the drums off the concrete floor and on a mezzanine of steel grating. The existing ventilation filtration, sampling, inspections, and surveys discussed above will be performed at the new location. The pit also contains a sump for liquid collection which is monitored by a liquid level alarm. Any liquid collecting in the sump will be removed by a manually activated sump pump which discharges to a waste retention tank.
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'ANF stn es that the pit will not be used for the storage of mater.ials other d:
than the plutonium waste drums. ANF adds that corrosive liquids are neither
' stored or used in the area (Room 102) nor routinely transported through the e
a rea. The staff agrees with ANF's conclusion that spillage of corrosive liquids into the pit is unlikely. The staff also finds.that the proposed P
' location and controls are adequate to detect and mitigate a release of i
plutonium from the stored waste drums.
Furthermore, because the quantity of s
plutonium will remain unchanged and is scattered in several drums, the staff L
concludes that the quantity is insufficient to form a critical mass. Accordingly, p
criticality safety criteria for plutonium is not needed in the license, c
Exemption to 10 CFR 70.24(a)-
In new Section 1.6.9, ANF requests authorization to shutdown sections of the criticality monitor alarm system when performing system maintenance. During the 1
maintenance activitics, all material movement and processing operations in the affected' areas will be shutdown.
Health physics personnel will conduct surveys in affected areas during the shutdowns. Tt.e staff. finds that the shutdown of operations minimizes the risk of accidental criticality. Area surveys provide a reasonable alternate measure during the alarm system shutdown. Therefore, to clearly state the exemptiou in the license, the staff recommends the following
- revision to Condition 11
The licensee is hereby granted the exemptions and special authorizations in Sections 1.6.1 through 1.6.9, Chapter 1, of the application.
Conclusion /Reconnendation The staff concludes that the proposed amendment to the license will have no adverse effect on public health and safety or on the environment. Approval of the application, as supplemented, is recommended subject to the staff's revision of Condition 11.
The Region V Principal Inspector has no objection to this proposed action.
i OriginalSiped Br W. Scott Pennington Uranium Fuel Section Fuel Cycle Safety Branch Division of Industrial and nignalS$ned By Medical Nuclear Safety, HMSS Approved by:
George H. Bidinger, Section Leader 0FC:IMUF:q/,
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DATE:10//Q89 10/W/89 10/10/89 10/10/89 10/10/89 0FFICIAL RECORD COPY
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