ML20028E470
| ML20028E470 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/29/1982 |
| From: | Menczer W NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | David Williams ILLINOIS, STATE OF |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8301270003 | |
| Download: ML20028E470 (6) | |
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,4, GLEN ELLYN, ILUNOIS 60137 December 29, 1982 Mr. Dan Williams, Executive Director i
Illinois Commission on Atomic d
I GINE Lin Tower Plaza
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524 S. Second Street, Room 415
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4 Springfield, IL 62706
Dear Dan:
This is in response to your letter dated December 21, 1982, in which you requested a report of activities of the NRC for your Commission's 1983 Diennial Report.
Attached is a synopsis I prepared of major NRC activities affecting Licensees in the State of Illinois for 1981 and 1982.
I will be pleased to provide further details on any item if so requested.
We appreciate the opportunity to provide information for use by the Governor and the Members of the General assembly regarding nuclear issues.
sincerely, 1
Williar.; B. Menezer
,i Regional State Liaison Officer
Attachment:
As stated l
cc w/ attachment:
J. D. Saltzman, OSP 8301270003 G21229 FDR STPRQ ECOIL PDR
h db AGREEMENT STATES
'In January 1981, the NRC revised its Policy Statement on State Agreements permitting states to enter into A.greements for a single category of radioactive material. This change now permits states to enter into limited Agreements for the regulation of low-level radioactive waste in permanent disposal facilities.
In December 1981, revised guidelines were issued to be used in evaluating radiation control programs of Agreement States. Significant changes include:
a.
States must have statutes establishing authority to carry out the requirements of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978; b.
the public s1ould be provided the opportunity to comment on proposed regulation changes; c.
arrangements should be mcde for the availability of legal staff to radiation rr:3 rams; and d.
periodic drilt.s should be performed to test eme gency plans regarding spills, overexposures, transportation accidents, and theft of radioactive material.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS In March 1981, licensees operating major fuel cycle facilities or users of.
Large quantities of nuclear material were ordered to submit information needed to assure that there is adequate onsite planning to protect against and to i
respond to nuclear accidents. After approval by NRC, the information was incorporated as amendments to individual Licenses and constituted that facility's onsite emergency plan.
In September 1981, the NRC extended the implementation date to February 1,.1982 for owners of licensed nuclear power plants to have in place a prompt public l
notification capability to alert residents living within 10 miles of these facilities in an emergency situation.
An amendment to Part 50 provided that for issuance of operating licenses authorizing only fuel loading and low power operation, there would be no requirement for NRC or FEMA review, findings, and determinations concerning the state of or adequacy of offsite preparedness.
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-~ LOW-LEVEL WASTE In March 1981, the NRC changed Part 20 to eliminate tha requirements that licensed biomedical research laboratories and hospitals send animal carcasses and vials containing tracer amounts of H-3 and C-14 to radioactive waste burial grounds. Licensees are now permitted to dispose of these materials without regard to their radioactivity in concentrations less than 0.05 microcuries per gram.
In October 1981, the NRC issued a policy statement favoring the reduction of volume of low level radioactive waste generated in the U.S.
In May 1982, the NRC issued a Draft Environmental Statement on the environmental considerations related to the decommissioning of Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation's Rare Earths Facility in West Chicago, Illinois. In December 1982, an NRC contractor began conducting a radiological survey along the banks and in the bed of Kress Creek near the Kerr-McGee facility.
In November 1982, the NRC issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement on requirements for the land disposal of low-level radioactive waste. On October 28, 1982, the NRC approved regulations in Part 61 on licensing requirements for land disposal of such vastes.
HIGH-LEVEL WASTE In February 1981, the NRC adopted new regulations on procedures for reviewing applications from the U.S. Department of Energy for a license to receive and dispose of high-level nuclear wastes at a geologic repository.
Part 60 was later promulgated which established technical criteris for regulating the geclogic disposal of high-level radioactive wastes and for use in reviewing DOE's application.
On November 12, 1982, a Site Characterization Report was received from DOE for a candidate high level waste repository on the Hanford Reservation in Washington State.
POWER PLANT LICENSING IN ILLINOIS The Final Environmental Statement for the Byron Station (Ogle County) was issued in 1982. The Safety Evaluation Report was published in February 1982.
The Safety Evaluation Report for the Clinton Station (DeWitt County) was published in February 1982. The Final Environmental Statement was issued in June 1982.
. The Safety Evaluation Report for the LaSalle County Station was issued in March 1981.
On April 17, 1982, the NRC issued an operating license to Commonwealth Edison Company authorizing fuel loading and low power testing of the LaSalle County Station (Brookfield Township). On August 13, 1982, NRC amended the. operating license to permit full power operation of Unit 1.
In September 1982, the NRC amended the operating License of CECO which authorized an increased storage capacity in the Dresden Plant spent fuel pool associated with Units 2 and 3.
In June 1982, the NRC amended the operating license of CECO which authorized an increase in the combined spent fuel storage capacity for Quad Cities Nuclear Station Units 1 and 2.
In May 1982, the NRC renewed the license of General Electric Company to receive and store spent nuclear fuel at its facility near Morris, Illinois.
The new 20 year license is the first to be issued under Part 72, a new regulation for independent spent fuel storage installations.
ESCALATED ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS IN ILLINOIS A revised policy governing enforcement actions for violation of NRC regulations and license conditions was instituted in March 1982. The policy was based on NRC's new authority to impose fines as high as $100,000 for each violation of NRC requirements.
In August 1981, the NRC proposed a $80,000 civil penalty against Commonwealth Edison Company for two radiation overexposures which occurred in March 1981, at the Dresden Station near Morris, Illinois. Payment in the full amount was received in October 1981.
In July 1982, the NRC proposed a $100,000 civil penalty against Commonwealth Edison Company for a radiation exposure above NRC limits which was received i
in March 1982 by an employee at the Zion Station in Zion, Illinois. Payment in the full amount was received on August 9,1982.
l In October 1982, the NRC proposed a $90,000 civil penalty against Illinois Power Company for alleged violations of NRC's quality assurance requirements in electrical construction at the Clinton Station. Payment in the full amount was received on November 3,1982.
In June 1981, the NRC proposed an $8,000 civil penalty against the Magnaflux Corporation of Chicago, Illinois for a radiation overexposure received by a radiographer. Payment in the full amount was received on July 9,1981.
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CHANGES TO REACTOR LICENSING PROCESS TheNRChasmadenumerouschangestoitslicensingproceNsoverthe'Last two years in an effort to shorten the time required to license power reactors. Changes have included. decreasing the time'between.the completion, of construction and operation when the applicable safety and, environmental' reviews and evidentiary hearings have been completed, eliminating the ASLB effectiveness review previously required thereb'y saving two months, expediting the conduct of public hearings on construction and-operation applications, eliminating consideration of need for pow (< and alternative energy source.
issues from NRC review of applications, and eliminating financial qualifications reviews of utility applicants. -
TRANSPORTfTION.
In April 1981, the NRC concluded that its present regulations governing the transportation of radioactive material are adequate and that no immediate changes were needed to improve safety. The conclusion was reached as the result of a public rulemaking proceeding initiated in 1975..
On July 6, 1982, amendments to Parts 71 and 73 took effect requiring shippers to provide advance notice to Governors of shipments through their ctate of spent nuclear fuel and large quantities of low level waste._
SAFEGUARDS REQUIREMENTS In October 1981, amendments to Parts 70 and 73 were promulgated which required that transient shipments of formula quantities of strategic special nuclear.
l material be protected from theft or sabotage during transit through U.S. ~ sea or air ports.
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f In April 1981, amendments to Part 70 were promulgated to extend present safeguard requirements for NRC Licensees that ship irradiated-reactor fuel to cover carriers, freight forwarders, warehouses, and shippers' agents.
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In July 1981, amendments to Part 73 were promulgated which improved licensee capabilities for early detection of attempted theft'of. nuclear material'of I
moderate strategic significance while it is being transported..
I'n June 1982, amendments to Part 73_took effect which improved licensee capabilities for early detection of attempted theft of nuclear material of moderate-strategic significance while in transit.
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SAFETY GOALS
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The NRC conducted several workshops across the U.S. as part of its effort to develop a safety goal for the agency. A safety goal would define more w
clearly the level of protection for.the public health and safety that the Commission believes is adequate and would deal primarily with the-licensing s.
of nuclear power plants. One such workshop was held in Chicago on May 5, 1982.
The Proposed Policy Statement on Safety Goals for Nuclear Power Plants was published for public comment in February 1982. The Commission is expected
.w to finalize the safety goal in January 1983.
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