ML20031F492
| ML20031F492 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07001113 |
| Issue date: | 09/30/1981 |
| From: | Bidinger G, Crow W NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20031F489 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8110190969 | |
| Download: ML20031F492 (5) | |
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N S'r/f SEP3 0. 1981 FCUF r/f FCUP r/f GHBidinger BMKosla EYShum LTyson WTCrow a lock DOCKET NO: 70-1113 JRobertson LICENSEE:
General Electric Company FACILITY:
Uraniurn Fuel Fabrication Plant Uilmington, North Carolina
SUBJECT:
REVIEW 0F LICENSE AMENDMENT APPLICATION DATED DECEMBER 21, 1979, AS SUPPLEMENTED NOVEMBER 17, 1980, AND JUNE 1,1981 FOR EXPANSION OF PLANT CONVFRSION CAPACITY, 0700lll3A03S I.
Background
By application dated December 21, 1979, General Electric Company (GE) requested an amendment to License No. SNM-1097 to authorize operation of two new dry conversion process lines (GECO) for converting the UF6 to UO2 and to modify one existing line. The two new lines are in the Fuel Manu-facturing Operation-Expansion (FM0X) area of Building D.
The ap also included revised pages for license conditions (Appendix A) plication of the license. The application did not include nuclear criticality safety demon-strations or radiological safety demonstrations for the process lines.
The process lines will increase conversion capacity by about 40%.
Additional infor.,ation concerning the environmental effects of the expansion was requested by NRC letter dated August 24, 1980. GE transmitted additional information by letter dated November 17, 1980. The radiological and nuclear safety demonstrations were transmitted by GE letter dated June 1, 1981.
On June 1,1981, GE requested authorization to operate the new conversion lines, one at a time, in the FM0X area, provided that one GEC0 line in the Fuel Manufacturing Operation (FM0) crea was not operating.
License Amendment No.19, authorizing this activity, was issued on June 1,1981.
After GE has completed all of the changes requested in the December 21, 1979, application, GE would have two GEC0 lines in FM0X, one GEC0 line in FMO, three wet conversion process ADU lines in FMO, one Uranium Purification System (UPS) line in FMO, and one line in FM0 which could be used for ADU, GEC0, or UPS processing.
l The current license was renewed on May 24, 1976. The NRC review effort for the renewal incluhd both safety and environmental evaluations. A safety evaluation meaorandum for the renewal effort was issued on May 24, 1976.
i Because the standards for safety for this amenderent are essentially the saw as during the license renewal evaluation, this SER is intended to supplement-the original ~ safety evaluation.. The NRC staff's Environmental Impact Appraisal (EIA), prepared in support of the renewal, was issued in June 1975
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and resulted in a Negative Declaration being issued on June 19, 1977. The EIA was based on a plant throughput of 1500 metric tons per year. Because of the proposed increase in plant conversion capacity and a separate -
application, dated December 27, 1979, to replace the original incinerator with an incinerator of improved design, a staff Environmental Impact Assess-ment (EIA) is being prepared. Unresolved issues concerning environental monitoring have developed during preparation of the EIA.
i II. Jiscussior.
A.
Scope of Review Besides reviewing the amendment application, the safety of expanded plant operations was discussed on several occasions with Mr. G. P.
Coryell, Region II Inspector, including a meeting ih the Region II office on August 11, 1981. Also,a site visit was made on August la, 1981, to evaluate the new installation,and no new safety issues were identificd.
(A copy of the trip report dated September 4,1981 is in the docket files.)
B.
Radiation Safety The GECO system is a contained system which greatly minimizes personnel hazard. The area is surveyed at 26 air sampling points. Action levels i
and the frequency of collecting and evaluating the sa:nplers are not specified, but the procedures presently governing the radiation safety i
monitoring system in effect in the balance of the plant will be imple-l mented for this system.
The radiation safety record for the system as it is conducted under the current license is good; both external and Internal exposure records
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demonstrate minimal exposure. The staff has concluded that GE has effective procedures to conduct a safe and effective ' radiological safety program in the new GECO conversion area.
C.
Nuclear Criticality Safety The safety evaluation memorandum, dated May 24, 1976, for the license renewal for the GE plant reported a satisfactory review of nuclear crit-icality safety controls and analyses. These same basic controls and analytical methods were used to establish nuclear criticality safety for the newly designed equipment, for additional equipment of previously approved design, for equipment modification, and for the SNM handling procedures. The newly desinged equipmert includes the UF6 vaporization system, the GEC0 reactor, the reactor rdf-gas filters and cleaning station, and the hydrogen fluoride (HF) recovery system. Previously approved equipment, some of which was already installed and operating, includes defluorinators, powder preparation (mill, slug, granulate, blend) equipment, and conveyor and elevator system. The criticality cafety hacee for the now siminment ara
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(1) UFg Vaporization System The vaporization system for each Une consists of two steam autoclaves, associated valves and piping, instrumentation, and cylinder handling equipment.
Nuclear criticality safety is assured by prompt detection of a UF6 leak by redundant conductivity analyzers and flow switches. An alarm condition would result in steam supply shut off and UF6 cylinder valve closure. Criticality safety of the UF6 cylinder is based on moderation control, i.e., no intrusion of moderating material into the cylinder.
(2) GEC0 Reactor UF6 is converted to U 038 in a hydrogen-air atmosphere inside the GEC0 radctor. The criticality safety of the reactors in the two new lines ir based on faverable geometry for 4% enricted uranium oxide under optimum moderation and reflection. The NRC effort included review of GE calculations and independent checks on k-effective for simpliffed mockups of the reactor. Tiie NRC results duplicated the GE values,
very closely.
(3) Powder Fi?^ers The primary filter is 20-ir::h OD pipe section which is 48.5 inches long.
Insice the housing there are 31 monel cartridges which are 2 inches ID by 48 inches.
Criticality safety is based on favorable geometry for optimumly moderated U308 enriched to a maximum 4% U-235.
NRC's k-effective calculation closely duplicated the GE reactivity calculation.
(4) HP Recovery System The recovery system consists of an acid absorber assembly, a rebo11er, a condensor, and collection tanks. Nuclear criticality safety is based on faarable geometry for infinite cylinders of optImumly moderated U 03 8 enriched to 5%.
Other equipment to be used in the two process lirwt is identical to equipment in other process lines. Array safety of the two new conversion lines and the conveyor and elevator systems was demonstrated using analytical methods approved in the previous safety evaluation. NRC staff review verified that unit interaction was properly evaluated by GE and that results were safety subcritical.
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Process Safety The basis for the process safety of the equipment in the two new lines (except for the autoclaves) and the modification of one existing line is the same as that for the existing GEC0 line. Modifications to the GEC0 reactors in the tw new lines represent design improvements. The GEC0 process, however, has been used since 1972. Multiple and redundant instrumentation for pressure, temperature, air flow, and firme sensors provides process control and process safety. Fail-safe valves for loss of power situations and nitrogen purges prior to flame initiation and following extinguishing of the flame provide additional process safety controls.
Steam-heated autoclaves, rather than electrically-heated autoclaves, will be used to provide better temperature contred on the vaporization process.
Process safety is assured by pressure and temperature monitor-ing instrumentation which can lead to process shutdown by an emergency cool-down system, steam condensate flow monitors, and by rupture discs in the autoclave shall. Condensate from the autoclaves is discharged to the..F area sump, which has favorable gecnetry.
E.
Environmental Impact of the Proposed Expansion An unresolved issue developed during preparation of the EIA. As a result, the sta/f is awaiting the applicant's documentation of the revised rmnitering program. Under the proposed operation, however, the staff doet not expect any significant environmental impact due to operation of tne new conversion lines.
In addition, Amenineet No.11 to Stim-1097, dated January 28, 1980, limits the air effluent concentration on a quarterly basis to ensure compliance with 40 CFR 190. Accordingly, until the EIA is completed, plant throughput must be limited to 1500 metric tons in accordance with the EIA prepared by the NRC staff in 1975, as required by 10 CFR 51. Until the issue is resolved, the following license condition is proposed:
Plant throughput, oased on the conversion of UF6 to UO, shall not exceed 1500 metric tons of UO2 in any 2
consecutive twelve-month period.
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III. Conclusion and Recommendation It is the staff's conclusion that the proposed plant expansion will not have any adverse effects on the public health and safety or on the environ-ment.
It is recommerded that plant expansion be authorized, subject to the license condition in the preceding section.
Original Signed Ef.
G. H. Bidinger Uranium Process Licensing Section Uranitsa Fuel Licensing Branch Division of Fuel Cycle and Origir:al e en dsy:
Material Safety W. A. k ga Approved by:
L W. T. Cr i,... Section Leader
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