ML20008E626
| ML20008E626 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000398 |
| Issue date: | 02/11/1981 |
| From: | Cunningham R NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS & TECHNOLOGY (FORMERL |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20008E620 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8103090289 | |
| Download: ML20008E626 (6) | |
Text
O UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY CCMMISSION In the Matter of
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Cocket No.70-398
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Special Nuclear Materials Department of Commerce
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License No. SNM-362 National Bureau of Standards
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Washington, DC 20234
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ORDER TO MODIFY LICENSE I
The National Bureau of Standards, of the Department of Commerce, located in Gaithersburg, Maryland ("the licensee") is the holder of Soecial Nuclear Materials License No. SNM-362 issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The license incluces authorization for the possession and use of 25 grams of
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'U contained in fission chamcers; 250 grams of -~~U in any form; 4,999 grams 23'5 of U as Standard Reference Materials (SRM); 1,000 grams as SRM (< 20*. enricned);
j 1,999 grams of Pu as SRM; 10 grams of Pu in any form; and 300 grams as " item-countable" materials. The license is currently active and is due to be renewed on July 31, 1984.
.l II Sefore issuance of a license to operate, staff review of the poolication cetermined that the licensee can operate the facility in a safe manner.
Nonetheless, cased on the lessons learned from the accicent at Three Mile Island and new perspectives on emergency preparecness and planning, the Commission t
has reevaluated the emergency creparedness requirements for its fuel cycle and materials licensees.
The Commission has decided that significant imorovements need to be made promptly to ensure that adequate onsite emergency response actions will be taken by licensees with major operations in cases where, even
$10809 0M
2 thougn unlikely, potentially serious raciation accicents could occur.
The operations licensed to be carried out pursuant to Special Nuclear Materials License No. SNM-362 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 ar.d is otherwise designed to limit releases of radioactive materials and radiation excesures 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 approcriate emergency equipment and planning are provided onsite to protect workers against radiation hazards that mignt 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.
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The information to be developed and documented is described in the enclosed i
" Standard Format and Content for Radiological Contingency Plans for Fuel Cycle
- t and Materials Facilities" (Enclosure 1).
In summary, the information to be i
submitted to NRC for review includes a (1) description of plant systems important to safety; (2) characterization of classes of credible emergencies that mignt occur; (3) description of radiological contingency measures for eaca class of emergency; (4) designation of authorities and responsibilities of key individuals and groups emcloyed by the licensee; and (5) a description of equipment and facilities designated for use during radiation emergencies. The plan is to be directed toward mitigating the consequences of radiological emergencies and providing reasonable assurance that accrocriate measures will be taken during
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an emergency to assure protection of tne public and minimize adverse environ-mental impacts.
In preparing the plan, consideration should be given to a set of credible accidents ranging from almost everyday occurrences of small conse-quence through highly imorocable, but not impossible, accidents such as those resulting from severe natural phenomena, human error, and multiple equipment failures, and sabotage.
III In addition to onsite radiological contingency planning, as discussed in Section II above, offsite emergency response planning is also highly imcortant.
Offsite planning requirements for fuel cycle and materials facilities are 4
being develooed separately and will be, considered in a proposed rulemaking to be published in the coming months. Wilhin the framework of that rulemaking, NRC will carry out extensive coordination with state governments and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FENA) concerning applicable requirements.
IV The Commission believes that it is prudent and necessary to require the licensee to develoo and submit within 120 days of the effective date of this Order, or before, an onsite radiological contingency plan, as discussed in Section II acove, applicable to operations licensed pursuant to Special Nuclear Materials License No. SNM-362. Such a, plan can be develooed and effectively imolemented aoart from offsite emergency response planning, which necessarily involves state and local government emergency planning actions. The cosite r3diological contingency plan is a necessary extension of protective actions taken by the licensee during normal operations.
Such planning is essential to 4
4 ensure that proper plans are made by the licensee to protect the puolic from accidents that could result from tne licensed operations. A lesson learned from the Three Mile Island accident is that accidents thougnt to be hignly improbable can and will occur, and that proper emergency precareaness is required to mitigata radiologic 31 consequences.
The reporting and record keeping part of this onsite radiological contingency plan is subject to clearance by the General Accounting Office. GAO review and clearance will not stay the effective date of this Order as regarcs the require-ment that the licensee develop the plan. Unless advised to the contrary, GAO clearance will be effective within 45 days from the date of this Order.
V Accordingly, pursuant to sections 161b and 161o of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, $$70.32(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 HERE3Y ORDERED THAT within 120 days of the effective date of this Order, the licensee shall submit:
1.
A radiological contingency plan in accordance witn Enclosure 1 of this Orcer, " Standard Format and Content for Radiological Contingency Plans for Fuel Cycle and Materials Facilities," and an acclication for license amencment to incorporate such plan as acproved as a condition of the license; or alternatively,
5 2.
An application for ifcense amencment to recuce the possession limits for radioactive materials below those specified in Enclosure 2 of this Order.
VI The licensee or any person wnose 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 ant 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 affected by this Orcer in accordance with 10 CFR $2.714(a)(2) of the Commission's Rules of Practice.
I 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 Order 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.
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6 VII If a hearing is held, the issue to be considered at the hearing snall be wnether the licensee (1) shall submit a radiological contingen:y plan wnich complies with Enclosure 1 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 Orcer, should an application for a license amencment to reduce its possession limits for radioactive materials below those specified in Enclosure 2 of this Order be submitted.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSICN
, i)... _., di
[._
Richard E. Cunningham, Director Division of Fuel Cycle anc Material Safety I I h day of February,1981 Dated at Silver Spring, Maryland this t
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