ML20030D722

Application for Amend to License SNM-960,revising App a Re Criticality Safety Requirements

ML20030D722
Person / Time
Site:	07000754
Issue date:	08/14/1981
From:	Cunningham G GENERAL ELECTRIC CO.
To:	Rouse L NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
Shared Package
ML20030D721	List: ML20030D720 ML20030D722
References
19540, NUDOCS 8109160005
Download: ML20030D722 (13)

Text

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NUCLEAR ENERGY GENER AL 6 ELECTRIC

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oENERAL ELECTRIC C O M P A N Y. VALLECITOS NUCLEAR CENTER.

PLEASANTON. CALIFORNIA 94566 PHONE: (415) 362 2211 TWx:

910 548 8481 August 14, 1981

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f L. C. Rouse, Chief 8

Y.h Advanced Fuel and Spent Fuel Licensing Branch L/

7 WM,' Y Division of Fuel Cycle and Material Safety

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U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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Washington, D. C. 20555

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REFERENCE:

License SNM-960, Docket 70-754

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Dear Mr. Rouse:

Section 3.2 of Appendix A to License SNM-960 defines : criticality area as any physically identified area or location involving special nuclear materials in quantities exceeding 500 grams of U-235, 300 grams of U-233, or 300 grams of plutonium or a prorated combination of such materials under the direction of a single area manager. This definition 1s based ~ the fact that such areas contain more than a " safe batch' as defined in Section 3.7 and the potential exists, at least theoretically, for a criticality accident.

10CFR70.24(a) requires the use of critical:ty alarms in "each area in which such licensed special nuclear material is handled, used, ct stored" for licensees licensed to possess more than certain smounts of SNM. However, General Electric believes that arets in which the amount of SNM handled pre-cludes a criticality accident should be exempt from the criticality alarm requirement.

Accordingly, General Electric requests that the following changes be made in Appendix A to License SNM-960:

I.

A new Section 3.8 should be added to Appendix A which ren.;:

"Subcritical Area" means a physically identified area or location involving special nuclear materials in quantities of less than 500 grams of U-235, 300 grams of U-233, or 300 grams of plutonium or a prorated combination of such materials under the direction of a single area manager and which is urrelated to any other area when special nuclear materials are handled. A subcritical area fs considered unrelated when it meets the isolation requirement of Section 6.11(c) of this Appendix.

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GENER AL $ ELECTRIC L.

Rouse, Chief Au p t 14, 1981 Page 2 II. Section 6.12 should be amended to read:

6.12 Monitor Alarm Exemption Exemption from the requirements of Section 70.24 of 10CFR70 is granted for each area in which there is not more than:

a) one shipment of packaoes containing special nuclear materials licensed pursuant to 10 CFR Part 71 for transport outside the confines of the Vallecitos Nuclear Center; packages in any shipment which depend on special arrangeinent for nuclear safety sha* 1 be retained in that same arrange-ment durirg such stora;e; b) one safe batch of finished reactor fuel rods or assemblies, providing no activities could cause rearrangement of fuel-bearing portions into more reactive configurations; c) not more than 600 grams of plutonium as Pu-Be sources; or which r.ieets the requirements of a suberitical area as defined in Section 3.8 cf this Appendix.

The isolation requirement precludes the possibility of breaking down a production line into smaller units for the purpose of evading the criticality alarm requirement. This safeguard coupled with the restricted quantities of SNM permitted in the area, assumes that all requirements for criticality safety have been met.

Revised pages to both the current Appendix A and the proposed Appendix A for renewal of License SNM-960 are attached.

l As this amendment is minor in nature, a check for $1400.00 i!, enclosed.

Sincerely, f

Y a

G. E. Cunningham Sr. Licensing Engineer GEC:s1 a

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• h PROPOSED CHANGES TO APPENDIX A LICENSE SNM-960 i

3.8 "Subcritical Area" means a physically identified area or location involving special nuclear materials in quantities of less than 500 grams of U-235, 300 grams of U-233, or 300 grams of plutonium or a prorated combination of such materials under the direction of a single area manager and which is unrelated to any other area where special nuclear materials are handicti. A subcritical area is considered unrelated when it meets the isolation requirements of 4

Section 6.11.(c) of this Appendix.

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kj License No.,

SNM-960 Docket No.70-754 Sect. No.l8 Page 3.8 5-A APPENDIX A Date June. 1 1 1981 Annends Sect.(s)

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6.12 Monitor Alarm Exemption 1

Exemptien from the requirements of Section 70.24 of 10CFR70 is granted for each area in which there is not more than: (a) one ship-ment of packages containing special nuclear materiMs licensed pursuant to 10CFR Part 71 for transport outside the o;nfines of the Vallecitos Nuclear Center; packages in any shipment Wikh depend on special arrangement for nuclear safety shall be retainid tr that same arrangement during such storage; (b) one safe batch of fini@.*d reactor fuel rods or assemblies, providing no activities could cause rearrangement of fuel-bearing portions into more reactive configur-ations; (c) oot more than 600 crams of plutonium as Pu-Be sources; (d) or which meets the requirements of a subcritical area as defined in Section 3.8 of this Appendix.

6.12 Leones No.

SN M-960 Oc:* et No.70-754 Sect No.

p, Appendix APNNOlX A ost. Jun.e 19, 1981 m 5.ct.(d 6 19 L

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't PROPOSED CHANGES TO REVISED APPENDIX A LICENSE SNM-960

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DEFINITIONS As used in the p vposed license conditions set forth herein.

3.1 Area Manager means the lowest supervisory position fully responsible for the j

specific activity or function with which the term is associated. The generic term " Area Manager" does not necessarily refer to the title of Jny specific j

position +:r General Electric's system of organization and position nomen-clature.

3.2 Array _ means two or more interacting fissile material accumulations.

3.3 Criticality Area means any physically identified area or location wi',hin which fissile materials are handled under the direction of a single rea manager. A criticality area may include more than one criticality limit area.

3.4 Criticality Control means the administrative and technical requirements established to minimize the possibility of achieving inadvertent criticality in the environment analyzed.

3.5 Criticality Limit Area means a designated and physically identifiable local-

,i ity within which a specific set of criticality control limits govern the ij use of fissile materials.

o 3.6 Fissile Material Accumulation means any :, ingle accumulation of fissile

<j material; fc example, one can of U02 pcwder, one can of fuel pellets, or one fuel element.

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3.7 Full Reflection means that degrs of reflection equivalent to a tight-fitting

.j shell or greater than three inches of water.

3.8 Homogeneous System means e system containi.ng compounds of fissile materials i

in the form of uniformly distributed particles and fissile compounds in

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3.9 Normally Subtriticality Valuei means those minimum values which provide safety under normal conditions of operation.

Further adjustment of such values may be necessary to incorporate safety margins for the act1vity as it is conducted in the plant allowing for credible mishaps that could occur in I

the actual plant situation.

l 3.10 Safe Batch means an accumulation of fissile material which is 45% of the i

critical accumulation considerim enrichment, full reflection, and optimum I

water moderation consiste6t with the fors of the material.

3.11 Nuclear Energy Or mim means those components of the General Electric Company engaged in ine viricus aspects of nuclear energy and does not refer

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to a specific component by title.

3. P Nuclear Safety means that field of safety comprised or criticality safety and radiation safety.

Uconse No.

SNM-960 Dodet No.70-754 Sect. No.

3.13 Page A-3-1 APPL!NOlX A Does June 19,1981.

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3.13 Subcritical Area - means a physically identified area or location involving i

special nuclear materials in quantities of less than 500 grams of U-235, a

300 grams of U-233, or 300 grams of plutonium or a prorated combination of

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such materials under the direction of a single area manager and which is unrelated to any other area where special nuclear materials are handled.

A subcritical area is considered unrelated when it meets the isolation requirement of Section 6.10(2) of this Appendix.

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Licones No.

SNM-960 _

Dodet No.

70 -754 Sect. No.

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June 19, 1981 3.13 APPENDlX A pae L.._.-.:-.

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5.9.4 Exemption from the requirements of Section 70.24 of 10CFR70 is granted for each area in which there is not more 'than (a) one shipment of l

packages containing special nuclear materials licensed pursuant to 10CFR Part 71 for transport outside the confines of the Vallecitos Nuclear Center; packages in any shipment which depend on special arrangement for nuclear safety shall be retained in that same arrangement during such storage; (b) one safe batch of finished reactor fuel rods or assemblies, providing not activities could cause rearrangement of fuel-bearing portions into more reactive configurations; (c) not more than 600 grams of plutonium as Pu-Be sources, (d) or which meets the requirements of a subcritical area as defined in Section 3.13 of this Appendix.

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Litense No.

SN M-960 Docket No.70-754 Sect. No. 5. 9.4 p*9' A-5-3 ll APPENDIX A Date Jurte 19,1981 Amends Sect.(s) 5.9.4 a

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J, 3.O DEFINITIONS 0 *#

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9 As used in the proposed license conditions set forth herein.

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" Array" means two or more interacting fissile material i

accumulations.

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" Criticality area" means any physically identified area or

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location involving special nuclear materials in cuantities j@

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exceeding 500 grams of U-235, 300 grams of U-233, or 300 I

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grams of clutonium or a prorated combination of such materials

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u:. der the direction of a single area manager. A criticality

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32 area may include more than one criticality limit area.

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" Criticality control" means the administrative nd technical i

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1 recuire.nents established to minimize the pos sibility of A

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achieving inadvertent criticality in the environment analyzed.

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" Criticality limit area" means a designated and physically

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identifiable locality within which a specific set of criticality i: %

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c entr ol h.mits govern the use of fis sue materials.

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": s s:le material accumulation" means any single accumulatien YP

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of fissile material; for example, one can of UO7 powde r, on-k' tT iI e.3 tray of fuel rods, or one fuel element.

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3 "Normally suberiticality values" means those minimum values if f*)

3. 6 3h E.3 which previde safety under normal conditions of operation.

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s.r n-h acjustment of such values may be necessary to incorporate safe-MS 21 E

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credible mishaps that could occur in the actual plant situation. *

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" Safe batch" means an accumulation cf special nuclear material Q

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which is 45% of the critical accumulation conside-ir.g enrichment, 8

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full reficction and optimum H O moderation consistent 9 th the

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Appendix A EC

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-yt 6.9 C(ndition s of R eflec ticn Other Than Full R c'lection l$9 8

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Notwithstanding Sec tion 6. 7 above, c ritica11ty c ontrol limits h

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( ::' ) les s than full reflecticn when each of i @%

g the follcwing ccnditions 3i s t s a tis fi:d:

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(a) The fissile mate rial environment provides the unreflec ted 7:-c condition or a specific degree less than fully reflected.

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(b) The en.ircnment of the fissile material is such that more G.!

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The fis s'le material accurolation is within a s tructure that

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will preclude more effective refl etion by personnel or othe-I T-l~ Q. w k

obje c ts in th e environmen t.

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,v.4 6.10 Suoernormal Mcderators

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If special nuclear materials are to be stored, hancied or used

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... gr in the pres ence of heavy wa te r, beryllium or graphite, possible

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moderating and reflecting effects of those materials shall be LE' W

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Two accumulations or a rrays of accumulations may be ccr -

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sidered as being nucle' y isolated from each other only if an

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1967 Am nds Mt.(s) c.9 22 9

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scparstion exists which is not less tnan on: ot tha folicwing or its nuclear equivslent:

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(a) E'ght inches of water W

5 (b) Eight inches of concrete of a density not less than 140 lbs. :er 4

cubic foot. For slab-type accu ~.ulations with less than 6" of h;

.%h air spacing between the slab face and concrete, not less than 1, M 2

12" of concrete shall be required.

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(c) The larger of: 12 f t. or the greate st distance across an L;

orthographic projection of either accumulation or array l f*~

on a plane perpendicular to a line joining their centers.

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. ra Exemption f rom the recuirements cf Section 70.24 of 10CFR70 3

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is granted for each area in which there is not more than: a) ene

,l ww shipment of packages containing special nucicar materials licensed g

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,oursuant to 10 CFR Part 71 for transport outside the ccnfines of

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ym-the Vallecitos Nuclear Cente r; packa ges in any shipment which si x

depend on special arra ngement for.uclear safety shall be retaine.

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in that same arrangement during such stora ge; b) one safe batch of f

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finished reactor f uel rods or a s semblies, providing no activitie s

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could cause rearrangement of fuel-bearing portions into more

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,y reactive configurations; or c) not r. ore than 600 grams of plutonium t

W a s Pu-Be scurce s.

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SNM -9 60 D.cu N.,70-754

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6.12 r,e y

Appendix A A.

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6.12 23 t

A f-*

PART 70 0 DOMESTIC UCENSINl CF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIAL l progr:m provide inson*,"ble assurance such devics be (zrther than 120 feet from' I of protection against natural phenomena the special nuclear material bein; U and the consequences of potential acci.

handled used,or stored; lesser distances

. E dents.' Failure to obtain Corimission may be necessary to meet the require.

e approval prioc to beginning of wl con.

ments of this paragraph (a)(2) on ac.

• struction may be grounds for denial of a count of intervening shielding or othet i

E licenses to process and use special pertinent factors.

nuclear materialin a plutonium process. g (3) Emergency procedures for each gand fuel fabrication plant.

, g area in which such licensed specia!

3W D wh:

We nuclear material is handled, used or w stored shall be maintained to assure that

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• A all personnel s.iihdraw to an area of s

"" (a ) Each licensee authorized to safety upon the sounding of the alarm.

possess special nuclear material in a Thew procedures shall include the con.

quntity exceeding 700 grams of con.

duct of drills to familiarize personnel tained uranium 235, 520 grams of with the evacuation, plan, plans and uranium.233, 450 grams of plutontum.

designation of responsible individuals 1,500 grams of contained uranium.235 if for determining the cause of the alarm, no uranium enriched to more than 4 per.

and placement of radiation survey sn.

uruments in accessMe 1 cations for use cent by weight of uranium.235 is pre.

g sent, 450 grams of any combination jn such an emergency, g thereof, or one half such quantities if

~~(b) Each licensee'aithorized to pos-massive moderators or reflectors made seas special nuclear _znaterial in quanti.

E of graphite, heavy water or beryllium ties in excess of those specified in pers-g may be present, shall mair:tain in each graph ta) ahall:

t.r ea in which such licensed special

} (3 h 1*rovide the meana for identifying quieby which indiv1Juals have received nuclea manal.s handled, used, or Fe(8)

Where the PrcP'ed activity is doew of 10 rads or more..

stored, a monitoring system meeting the (2i Maintain facihties and supplies at g th operation of a plutonium processing requirements of either paragraph (e)(1) the site for decontamination-of person-g and fuel fabricat on plant, construction

,,e (a)(2), as appropriate,and using ga.n.

nel, arrangements for the'serview of a -

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- of the principal strue:ures, systems, and ma. or neut ron.se nsitive radiation physician and other Tnedical personnel Q component', approved pursuarit to' detectors which will energize c'carly quaMed to, handle radiation emergen.

eles, arrangementa for transportation of M Iragrapn (o) of this section has been audible alarm signals if accidental crl' N mjtired or contaminated individuals to

, ompieted.in accordance with the ap.

ticality occurs.

~ E ' treatment facilities, and arrangementa c

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",for t.reatment of individuals at treat-pl, cation.

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.This section is not intended, E 2rient f acihties outside the site, boundary.

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Q (9) Where the applicant is required ;; to requir'e.u'nderwater rnonttor'ng when "- (c).Itolders of licenses for.~construc-to submit a plan for physicd protectioa E special nuclear material is h4J2dled or tion or operation of a nuclear reactor 1s-of special nuclear materialin transit pur. " stored beneath water ' hieldins or to re -

sued pursuant to Part 50 of this chapter, s

E suant to { 70.22(g), of this chapter, the [ quire tnonitoring systems wl.en specia execpt crttleal asumbly rea g applicant s plan is adequate.

,,. nucl+ar. rnaterial. is being r,ranspor empt from the requiremen.ctors are ex_.

f,s o parm-when packaged in accordaSce with thy graph (b) of this section with respecti hequirements,offart 71 of this chapte$

to special nuclear material used or to be S

(13) Where the applicant is required used in the nactor

. k to submit a physical secu_rity plan _pur,.

- (1) The monitoring system shall be g

c 'suant to [7032(hCthe applicant's pro.-

capable of detecting a criticality that g g,g g

"' posed olan is adequate.

produces an abwebed dose in soft tinue

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of 20 rads of combined neutrcn and in exemption in whole or in part from the requirements of this section may ap.

gamma radiation at an unshielded das.

pie to the Commission for such exemp-h*(!!) Where the proposed act!?ity is tance yf 2 meters from the reajtM tion. Such application shall specify his g processing an$ fuel fabrication, scrap materraIwitiim one minute. Coverage o i

,, recovery,or conversion of uranium hexa

• reason for the relief requested' C fluoride, the applicant's proposed emer o 'all areas shall be provided by two detec.

IJCENSES L,gency plans are adequate.4 g "#'b N

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(2) Persons licensed prio; to Decem.

' '" E""'" 'E "i'i nuCI'8f i 70.31 Issuance of licenses, 7 (b) The Commission will approve e w maternal subject to this section may construction of the principal ructures, R maintain a monnoring systun espabk of utonium (a) Upon a determination that an ap !

O systems, and components of a E processing and fuel fabrication p! ant on ewcnns a cr t cality which generates

~ lication meets the requirements of the p

~ 'the basis ofinformation filed pursuant to radiation lesels of 300 rims per hour act, ad of the regulations of the Comy one foot fr m the source of the radiation,

( 70.22(f) when the Commission has minion, the Commission will issue a'I e nionH" S

• CC5 n SW'n' license in sud form and containing such C determined that the design bases of the sh*all have a preset alarm point of not less conditions and limitations as it deemsf principal structures, systems, and com.

than 5 milbrems per hour (,m order to appropriate or necessary to effectuate

• ponents, and the quality assurance avoid false alarms) nor more than 20 the purposes of the act.

millirems per hour. In no event may any 4 Etemente usted la section tv. content et Emersency Ptana."la 10 CFR Pars 80 or this atapter witt be uend t>y the comminalon in

'The stilersa en Appendes fl of Part So or sms' desermining the adequacy of such P!bna.

Thorner uil he used 49 tb Commsu,'n in determin-

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M'h'? 'eumf h' 9=*hu 'wu'n.e rmsram.

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October 3,1980 ceset) 70-8 V

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