ML19341C317
| ML19341C317 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000984 |
| Issue date: | 02/11/1981 |
| From: | Cunningham R NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Battelle Memorial Institute, PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATION |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19341C316 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8103020719 | |
| Download: ML19341C317 (6) | |
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In ti. Matter of
)
-Docket No.70-984
)
Special Nuclear Mate-ials Battelle Memorial Institute
)
License No. SNM-942 Battelle Boulevard
)
Richland, Washington 99352
)
ORDER TO MODIFY LICENSE I
Battelle Memorial Institute of Richland, Washington ("the licensee") is the holder of Special Nuclear Materials License No. SNM-942 issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ("the Commission").
The license includes authori-zation for the possession and use of 1 effective kg of uranium and 200 gms of plutonium in unsealed form.
The license is currently active pursuant to the timely renewal provisions of 10 CFR 70.33(b), pending resolution of outstanding qucttions on the content of the renewal license.
II' Before issuance'of a license to operate, stati review of the application determined that the licensee can operate the facility in a safe manner.
Nonetheless, based on the' lessons learned from the accident at Three Mile Island and new perspectives on emergency preparedness and planning, the Commission
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has reevaluated the emerge.1cy preparedness requirements for its fuel cycle and
-materials licensees.
The Commissior, has decided that significant irrprovements nee'd to be made promptly to ensure that-adequate onsite emergency response actions will.be taken by licensees with major operations in cases where,.even 1
though unlikely,-potentially serious radiation accidents could occur. The operations licensed to be carried out pursuant to.Special Nuclear Materials p
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7 License No. SNM-942 appear to fall in this category and require the development of a comprehensive onsite radiological contingency plan.
Specifically, consider-ations are needed to ensure (1) that the plant contains adequate engineered safety features and is otherwise designed to limit releases of radioactive materials and radiation exposures in the event of an accident, (2) that a capability exists for measuring and assessing the significance of accidental releases of radioactive materials, (3) that appropriate emergency equipment and planning are provided onsite to protect workers agai t radiation hazards that might be encountered following an accident, (4) that notifications are made promptly to federal, state, and local government agencies, and (5) that necessary recovery actions are taken in a timely fashion to return the plant to a safe condition following an accident.
The information to be developed and documented is described in the enclosed
" Standard Format and Content for Radiological Contingency Plans for Fuel Cycle and Materials Facilities" (Enclosure 1).
In summary, the information to be si!bs,itted to NRC for review includes a (1) description of plant systems important to safety; (2) characterization of classes of credible emergencies that might occur; (3) description of radiological contingency measures for each class of emergency; (4) designation of authorities and responsibilities of key individuals and groups employed by the licensee; and (5) a description of equipment and facilities designated fcr use during radiation emergencies.
The plan is to be directed toward mitigating the consequences of radiological emergencies and providing reasonable assurance that appropriate measures will be taken during an emergency to assure protection of the public and minimize adverse environ-l mental impacts.
In preparing the plan, consideration should be given to a set
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3 of credible accidents ranging from almost everyday occurrences of small conse-quence through highly improbable, but not impossible, accidents such as those resulting from severe natural phenomena, human error, and multiple equipment failures, and sabotage.
.I III In addition to onsite radiological contingency planning, as discussed in Section II above, offsite emergency response planning is also highly important.
Offsite planning requirements for fuel cycle and materials facilities are being developed separately and will be considered in a proposed rulemaking to be published in the coming months. Within the framework of that rulemaking, NRC will. carry out extensive coordination with' stat'E governments and the Fedtral Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) concerning applicable requirements.
IV
- The Commission believes that it is prudent and necessary to require ~the
- licensee to develop and submit within 180 days.of the effective date of this Order, or before, an onsite radiological contingency plan, as discussed in
.Section II above, applicable to operations licensed pursuant to Special Nuclear Materials License No. SNM-942.
Such a plan can be. developed and effectively
-implemented apart from offsite emergency response' planning, which necessarily 1 involves state and local government emergency planning actions.
The onsite radiological contingency plan.is a necessary extension of protective actions taken by the licensee during normal operations.
Such planning.is essential to ensure that proper plans are made by the licensee to protect the public from caccidents that could result from the licensed operations. A lesson learned
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i from the Three Mile Island accident is that accidents tnought to be highly improbable can and will occur, and that proper emergency preparedness is required to mitigate radiological consequences.
I The reporting and record keeping part of this onsite radiological contin-gency plan is subject to clearance by the General Accounting Office.
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review and clearance will not stay the effective date of this Order as regards the requirement that the licensee develop the plan.
Unless advised to the contrary, GA0 clearance will be effective within 45 days from the date of this r
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Order.
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V J
Accordingly, pursuant to sections 161b and 161o of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, 6970.32(a)(8), 70.32(b)(2), and 70.32(b)(5) of 10 CFR Part 70,'and $2.204 of 10 CFR Part 2, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT within 180 i
days of the effective dato of this-Order, the licensee shall submit:
l l
1.
A radiological contingency plan in accorda.nce with Enclosure 1 of 1
l.
this Order, " Standard Format and Content for Radiological Contingency Plans for Fuel Cycle and Materials Facilities," and an application l
L for license amendment to incorporate such plan as approved as a condition of the license; or alternatively, 2.
An application'for license amendment to reduce the possession' limits for radioactive materials below those specified in Er. closure 2 of i-this Order.
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5 VI The licensee or any person whose interest may be affected by this Order may, within 20 days of the date of the Order, request a hearing with respect to all or part of the Order.
A request for a hearing shall be addressed to the Secretary of the Commission, U.S.N.R.C., Washington, D.C.
20555.
A copy of the hearing request shall also be sent to the Executive Legal Director, U.S.N.R.C., Washington, D.C.
20555. If a person other than the licensee requests a hearing, that person shall set forth with particularity the nature
.of his or her interest and the manner in which his or her interest may be j
affected by this Order in accordance with 10 CFR 62.714(a)(2) of the Commission's Rules of Practice.
If a hearing is requested by the licensee or a person who has an interest affected by this Order, the Commission will issue an order designating the time and place of the hearing.
If no hearing is requested, this 0rder will become effective 20 days from the date of the Order.
If a hearing is requested, this Order will become effective on.the date specified-in an order'made following the hearing.
VII
. If a hearing is-held, the issue to be considered at the hearing shall be whether the licensee (1) shall submit a radiological contingency plan which complies with Enclosure l _ of this Order, " Standard Format and Content for
~ Radiological Contingency. Plans for Fuel Cycle and Materials Facilities," or (2) if a plan is not submitted'as required in Section V (1) of the Order,
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6 should an application for a license amendment to reduce its possession limits for radioactive materials below those specified in Enclosure 2 of this Order be submitted.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION s
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Richard E. Cunningham, Director Division of Fuel Cycle and Material Safety Dated at Silver Spring, Maryland this 11 th day of February,1981
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