ML20033F620

Requests That Encl Amend 5 to License SNM-21 Re TRUMP-S Code Be Served to Parties in Proceeding.W/Certificate of Svc. Served on 900315

ML20033F620
Person / Time
Site:	07000025
Issue date:	03/14/1990
From:	Mcdow J Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel
To:	Cater C NRC OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY (SECY)
References
CON-#190-10087 ML, NUDOCS 9003220241
Download: ML20033F620 (11)

Text

.I hf

.A spa %

' m g,15 en t

UNITED 5TATES

[.

'j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Uf[C l

ED E

e ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICEN$ LNG BOARD PANEL W ASHIN GToN, D.C. 20666

....+

% MR 15 P3 :47 March 14, 1990

@C:a :-t.'; r.; : y-!CE F EfC c

l Nt -

MEMORANDUM FOR:

Christine Williams Cater, Administrative and Litigation Assistant, Docketing nd Service ranch, SECY cT tary to Judge Peter B.

FROM:

c o h, ASLBP

SUBJECT:

ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION (ROCKETDYNE DIVISION), DOCKET NO.

70-25-ML This will confirm our telephone conversation of today wherein we discussed the enclosed document (License Amendment No. 5 (TRUMP-S) program) distribution.

Judge Bloch has asked me to initiate whatever action is needed to have this document served on all parties to the above-captioned proceeding.

Therefore, at your earliest convenience, I would appreciate it if your office would serve this document to all the parties.

If you have any questions, please call me on 492-7479.

Thank you.

%32g,yj h j{5 C

h

a

^

):,,

UNITED STATES F

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION e

o WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555

%' s...../

iAAR 131990 Peter B. Bloch Gu.tric A. Linenberger, Jr.

Administrative Judge Administrative Judge Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Atomic Safety and Licensing Board U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission U.S. Nuclear Reculatory Comission Washington, DC 20555 Washington, DC 20555 In the Matter of ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION Rocketdyne Division Docket No. 70-25-SNM-No. 21 ASLBP No. 89-594-01-ML

Dear Administrative Judges:

By this letter, we are transmitting to you a copy of the following background information for inclusion in your files:

03/09/90 License Amendment No. 5, CHaughney to Rocketdyne, Authorizing use of plutonium in the TRUMP-S program, j

Sincerely, Q'

k i

Virg' in Tharpe

\\

Uran um fuel Section fuel Cycle Safety Branch Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety, NMSS

Enclosure:

As stated cc: ASLAP(3)

LPDR SECY A44%{iflV

/ pa ucg$%,

UNITED STATES y ^

c.

_g NUCLE AR REGULATORY COMMISSION

g.

,j wash:No t oN. D. C. 20566 s%

e f

4,,. v MAR 0 91990 Docket No. 70-25 License No. SNM 21 Amendment No. 5 Rocketdyne Division Rockwell International Corporation ATTN: Mr. P. D. Rutherford, !!anager Nuclear Safety and Reliability Engineering Mail Code HB07 6633 Canoga Avenue Canoga Park, California 91303 Gentlemen:

In accordance with your application dated December 22, 1989, and pursuant to Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 70, Materials License tic. SNM-P1 is hereby amended to authorize the use of plutonium in the TRllMP-S program.

Condition 11 is revised as follows:

11.

Notwithstanding Section 1.5(1), Pu sha_11 be handled only for the purpose of decladding, removal of bonding material, examiration, repackaging, and the.TRIlMP-S program described in the letter dated December 22, 1989.

Authorization for the TRllMP-S program shall end October 30, 1990.

All other conditions of the license shall remain the same.

Revised License No. SNM-21 incorporating Amendment No. 5 and our Safety Evaluation Report are enclosed.

FOR THE NtlCLEAR REGillATORY tiMISSION

_ &nL un2 4_,

i FuelCycleSafetyn--[h Charles J. H hney, C f

Divisionofindustria1 Yid Medical Nuclear Safety, HMSS

Enclosures:

As stated l

1 l

l L

'em'---.-_-------_e---.__---._._______

.._[

WAC F orm 374

}

3 i

15 6n.

U.s. NUCLE A"17.EGuLATORY COMMISSION

'#C* E 0F PAGES !

t MATERIALS LICENSE Pursuant to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 amended, the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974(Public Law 93-438),and Title 10, i

Code of Federal Regulations. Chapter I, Pa a 30,31,32,33,34,35,40 and 70, and in reliance on statements and representations heretofore made by the licensee, a license is hereby issued authorizing the licensee to receive, acquire, possess, and transfer byproduct, source, and special nuclear material designated below; to use such material for the purpose (s) and at the place (s) designated below;to

. deliver or transfer such material to persons authorized to receive it in accordance with the regulations of the appbcable Part(st This license shall be deemed to contain the conditions specified in Section 183 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and 15' subject to all applicable rules regulations and orders of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission now or hereafter in effect and to any conditions specified below.

Licensee l

1 s

3, Rocketdyne Division SNM-21

3. Ucense number Rockwell International Corporation Amendment No. 5 2,

8900 DeSoto Avenue Canoga Park, CA 91304 June 30, 1989 I

6. ilyproduct, source,and/or

4. Expiration date

^

5. Docket or 70-25 Reference No.

7. Chemical and/or physical

8. Maximum amount that licensee special nuclear material form may possess at any one time under this license P

A.

Uranium enriched in A.

Contamination A 400 grams U-235*

U-235 isotope e

B.

Pu (principally Pu-239)

B.

Contamination B. 400 grams Pu*

C.

Pu (principally Pu-239)

C.

In process material C. 6 grams Pu*

< 9.

Authorized use:

For use in accordance with statements, representations, and conditions contained in Part I of the licensee's application dated August 20, 1982, and supplements dated October 29 and December 17,1982; March 2, March 7, May 29, and June 12, 1984; September 22, 1987; December 19, 1988; and January 26 and November 2,.1989.

10. Authorized place of use:

Building 020 and other authorized buildings at the licensee's Santa Susana Field Laboratory in Chatsworth, California, as described in the referenced application and supplements.

Notwithstanding the statements in Section 1.2, the Canoga Park facilities and Building 055 at the SSFL site are not authorized as places of use under this license.

I l

11. Notwithstanding Section 1.5(1), Pu shall be handled only for the purpose of I

decladding, removal of bonding material, examination, repackaging, and the TRUMP-S' l

program described in the letter dated December 22, 1989.

Authorization for the TRUMPS-S program shall end October 30, 1990.

y l

12. Notwithstanding the statements in Section 1.7, the manufact'ure of fuel element assemblies and related activities are not authorized by this license.

I

13. The minimum qualifications for the Criticality Safeguards Advisor and the Physicist U

on the Fuels Committee shall be a B.S. degree in one of the physical sciences and a l

minimum of 2 years' experience in outside-of-reactor criticality safety analyses.

l I

y

• Enriched uranium and plutonium in combination not to exceed 400 grams.

l L _ _....

l N4C F orm 3L'A U.s. NOC L E A* CE!ul.ATORY COMMIS&l0N 2

m 3

mn I

License numtier MATERIALS LICENSE SNM-21 Amendment No. 5 l

SUPPLEMENT ARY SHEET l

70-25 I

l MAR 0 91990

)

I i

I

14. All personnel, prior to unsupervised work with special nuclear materials, shall l

receive formal training in nuclear criticality and/or radiation safety.

The i

effectiveness of the training program shall be measured by written examination.

n I

15. Copies of nuclear safety analyses, criticality studies, and other reports prepared i

I by the Criticality Safeguards Coordinator or Criticality Safeguards Advisor regarding I

radiation or nuclear criticality safety shall be maintained for a period of at least l

2 years or for 6 months af ter a project is terminated, whichever is longer.

I i

16. Process designs shall incorporate sufficient factors of safety to require at least' I

two unlikely, independent, and concurrent changes in process conditions before a I

criticality accident is possible.

I l -17. Notwithstanding the use of alternative methods of calculation specified in i

Section 4.2.1 of Part I of the license application, only methods of analysis for i

calculating nuclear criticality safety parameters, satisfactorily demonstrated to the I

Commission and approved by it, shall be used in the evaluation of nuclear criticality I

safety.

I f 18. The licena.ee shall check the director of air flow in.the hot cell facility each' i

month.

When adverse air flows are detected, corrective action shall be taken and i

documented.

l 1

19. The licensee shall comply with the following regarding in plant airborne sampling I,

and monitoring.

l a.

Notwithstanding the statement in Section 3.2.4(1) of the application, the breathing I

zone air, in work areas where the dispersible form of radioactive material is I

handled, shall be sampled for airborne radioactive material during the normal l

operations.

l b.

The fixed air samplers shall be checked annually and whe'never any process or g

equipment changes are made to verify t. hat.the airborne concentration of radioactivity l l

collected at these locations are representative of the air being breathed by I

workers.

In addition, prior to the commencement of operation in an area that has I

been shutdown for more than 6 months, the location of air samplers shall be checked l

to verify the representativeness of the air sampling.

I q 20. The licensee's bioassay program for Pu shall comply with the following:

1I a.

Employees working in the area where there is unencapsulated Pu shall submit urine l

samples at least quarterly for routine plutonium analysis.

l b.

If an employee has been exposed to greater than 40 MPC-hours of plutonium in any I

consecutive 7-day period, or if urinalysis shows >0.2 dpm of Pu per day, then fecal i

I analysis shall be performed to evaluate exposure.

If fecal analysis indicates a i

I significant exposure to plutonium, then in-vivo lung counting shall also be performed, i

I I

l c.

If in-vivo lung counting indicates an individual has a MPLB, the employee shall be l

[

immediately removed from further exposure.

i I

if I

lI I.................................................... 1)

^l w r: rom ma u.s. NucteAn ts:ULATC2Y COlmHSSION 3

3

,.or y

, oci l

Ucenes number l

MATERIALS LICENSE SNM-21 Amendment No. 5 I

SUPPLEMENTARY SHEET 7

5 l

I l

MAR 0 91990 l

I

- d.

The dose commitment from Am shall also be considered in the above Pu bioassay l

program.

21.' The licensee shall comply with the following regarding the surface contamination:

1 I

a.

Prior to exiting a restricted area, all individuals must monitor hands, head, j

personal clothing, and shoes for radiation contamination.

l b.

The licensee shall not allow an individual whose skin, personal clothing, or shoes i

are found contaminated above background levels to-exit a restricted area without prior I

approval of the Radiation and Nuclear Safety-Unit.

I I

22. The licensee shall conduct leak testing of the encapsulated plutonium in accordance l

with Annex A, " License Condition for Leak Testing Sealed Plutonium Sources," dated November 1979.

i l

I

23. Release of equipment and packages from the plant site or to unrestricted areas onsite 1

shall be in accordance with Annex B, " Guidelines for Decontamination of Facilities I

and Equipment Prior to Release for Unrestricted Use or Termination of Licenses for l

Byproduct,, Source, or Special Nuclear Material,", dated August 1987.

I i

24. The licensee shall maintain and execute the response _ measures of his Radiological l

Contingency Plan dated July 25 1988 (submitted by-letter date& July 26, 1988) and 7

I revision dated May 19,1989; (submitted;by', letter ' dated May 24,~1989).

The licensee I

shall also maintain implementing procedures forc his Radiological Contingency Plan.

l The licensee shall make no change in his Rattiological Contingency Plan that would i

decrease the response effectiveness of: the Plan 1without prior Commission approval.

l The licensee may make changes to the Radiological Contingency Plan without prior l

Commission approval if the changes do not decrease;the response effectiveness of the 1

Plan.

Each change shall be submitted within 6 months of the change to the Chief, I

Fuel Cycle Safety Branch, Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety, NMSS, I

g U.S. Naclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555.

I I

25. At the end of plant life, the licensee ~ shall decontaminate the facility and site in I

accordance_ with the general decommissioning plan submitted in the enclosures to I

letter dated March 15, 1978, so that these facilities and grounds can be released for ;

{

unrestricted use. The financial plan, to assure that funds will be available for decommissioning, submitted by letter dated October 26, 1978, is hereby incorporated i

as a condition of the license.

i i

I I

l FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION I

h!

/y1-.

-uC1 y

a I Date: 9b Y

By:

Charies J. Hau ey, Chief s;

l Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety i

Washington, DC 20555

l I

ll l

1 L________________________

f

[

p unt.,

M

'o, UNITED STATES f 3 ) v.n 1

~ NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

.: j WASHING TON, D. C, 70555

\\Z,/

MAR 0 91990 DOCKET NO:

70-25 LICENSEE:

Rocketdyne Division Rockwell International Corporation Canoga Park, California

SUBJECT:

SAFETY EVALUATION REPORT, LICENSE AMENDHENT APPLICATION DATED DECEMBER 22, 1989, RE USE OF PLUTONIUM IN THE TRuttP-S PROGRAM L

Background

Rocketdyne is currently authorized to handle plutonium in irradiated or unirradiated fuel for the purpose of decladding, removal of bonding material, examination, and repackacing.

In the subject application, Rocketdyne requests authorization to conduct research and development activities with plutonium in the TRUMP-S Program, e

The safety review of this request included the subject application and telephone l

conversations with Rocketdyne's Messrs. P. D. Rutherford and M. E. Remley on March 6 and 8, 1990.

)

-Discussion i

In the subject application, Rocketdyne proposes to use 5 grams of plutonium metal (primarily Pu-239) in the first phase of the TRKiP-S program to develop fundamental thermodynamic and electrochemidal data on various actinide and

' lanthanide materials to support an electrorefining process design for spent nuclear tuel.

The cther actinide metals to be used in this program are licensed by the State of California and include neptunium-237, depleted uranium, i

and americium-241, In the existing license, the Rockwell International Hot Laboratory (RIHL) is an authorized place of use located at Rockwell's Santa Susana Field Laboratories (SSFL). Rocketdyne proposes to conduct the first phase of the TRUMP-S program at the RIHL.

However, the plutonium will be stored in the Source and Special Nuclear Material Vault located on a portion of the SSFL site contracted to the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) and will be transferred to the RIHL, as needed.

The plutonium along with the other actinide metals and non-radioactive lenthanides will be handled in a glove box and modified fume hood located in the Alpha Facility (Room 139) at the RIHL. The glove box and fume hood, which has been modified to simulate a glove box, are designed to provide containment of unencapsulated radioactive material. The Alpha Facility ventilation system maintains a negative pressure so that any air flow is directed from the work area into the glove box and fume hood.

The air from the glove box and fume hood passes through high efficiency filters and is monitored prior to release to the atmosphere.

MAR 0 91990 Rocketdyne Division 2

In the glove box, approximately 0.1 gram of plutonium metal along with the other actinide metals-and lanthanides will be dissolved in molten cadmium contained in a test-cell constructed of corrosion resistant ceramic and metal parts.

Following dissolution, lith 1um/ potassium chloride will be added, and stirrors and various electrodes will be placed in the cell.

The entire operation will be monitored end u>ntrolled with a computer.

Several experimental runs can be performed w Mh tne same test cell loading.

However, additional material will be added, as. w d &-

The licensee stated that most of Je analyses will be in-situ electrochemical measurements in the test cell; however, several samples of the cadmium and salt

.robstion will be taken and analyzed to confirm the measurements.

will be approximately 0.1 gram and dissolved with acid in the modified fumeEach sample hood.

An aliquot of each sample containing no more than 10 microcuries of plutonium will be prepared and analyzed for actinide content by gamma ray spectroscopy in the Alpha Facility or RIHL Health Physics Laboratory.

The licensee added that the analyses of the non-radioactive consituents will not be performed.

Liquid radioactive wastes generated by the TRUMP-S program will be solidified and combined with other solid radioactive waste produced during the project.

These wastes will be double sealed in plastic, loaded into a metal 55-gallon drum, and returned to the DOE contracted portion of the SSFL site.

For the purpose of this experiment, the glove box will contain an inert atmosphere of high purity argon, and no more than 1 gram of-plutonium will be allowed in the glove box.

performed for the TRUMP-S program.The licensee stated that a safety analysis was Based on the small quantity of pyrophoric materials (actinide metals) to be used, the presence of an inert atmosphere in the glove box, and the administrative controls to limit combustible materials in the glove box and Alpha Facility, the licensee concluded that the potential for a fire involving the plutonium is small.

The staff agrees with this conclusion.

In addition, the licensee stated that the proposed activity will be conducted in accordance with written operating procedures and Rocketdyne's radiation safety program.

Prior to implementation, the operating procedures will be submitted to the Radiation Safety Comittee and the Manager of Nuclear Operations for review and approval.

The staff believes that the licensee's existing organization and radiation safety program are adequate for the proposed activity.

Because of the small quantity of plutonium that will be involved with this project, nuclear criticality safety is not a concern.

Conclusion / Recommendation Based on the discussion, the staff concludes that the proposed activity will not adversely affect the protection provided for the health and safety of workers and the public or the environment.

Therefore, the staff recommends that the application be approved and that Condition 11 be revised as follows:

' f

'g m 09 m Rocketdyne Division 3

11.

Notwithstandin of decladding,g Section 1.5(1), Pu shall be handled only for the purpose removal of bonding material, examination, repackaging, and the TRt1MP-S program described in the letter dated December 22, 1989.

Authorization for the TRUMP-S program shall end October 30, 1990.

The Region V Branch Chief has no objection to this proposed action.

W.bhhM n.

W. Scott Pennington Uranium Fuel Section Fuel Cycle Safety Branch Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety, NMSS Approved by: ?] b t'v[/[,

d George H. Bidinger, Settion Leader F

l J

94, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR RESULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of i

I ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION I

Decket No.(s) 70-25-ML I

(Rocketdyne Division, Scecial I

Nuclear Materials License SNM-21)

I i

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that copies of the foregoing LB MEMO W/ LICENSE AMENDMENT #5 have been served upon the;following persons by U.S. mail, first class, except as otherwise noted and in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR Sec. 2.712.

Administrative Judge Administrative Judge Christine N. Kohl, Chairman G. Paul Bollwerk, 111 Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Board Board U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555 Washington, DC 20555 Administrative Judge Administrative Judge Howard A. Wilber Peter B. Bloch Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Presiding Officer Board Atomic Safety and Licensing Board U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555 Washington, DC 20555 Administrative Judge Gustave A. Linenberger, Jr.

Special Assistant.

Office of the General Counsel Atomic Safety and Licensing Board U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555 Washington, DC 20555

• Philip D. Rutherf ord

• Daniel Hirsch Manager President Nuclear Safety & Reliability Eng.

Committee to Bridge the Gap 6633 Canoga Avenue, Matt Code HB07 1637 Butler Avenue, Suite 203 Canoga Park, CA 91304 Los Angeles, CA 90025

• Jon Scott

• Estelle Lit 6 Roundup Road 16233 Bermuda Street Bell Canyon, CA 91307 Northridge, CA 91326

.4 1

Docket No.(s)70-25-ML LB MEMO W/ LICENSE AMENDMENT #5

• Sheldon C. Plotkin, Ph.D,. P. E.

Executive Board Representative Jerome E. Raskins, et. al.

Southern California Federation of c/o 18350 Los Alinos Scientists Northridge, CA 91326 331B Colbert Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90066

• Richard Saxon, M.D

• Barbara Johnson President President Los Angeles Physicians for Social Susana Knolls Homeowners Association Responsibility c/o 6714 Clear Springs Road 1431 Ocean Avenue, Suite B Susana Knolls, CA 93063 Santa Monica,, CA 90401 1'

• Cecelia Riddle Senior Librarian Chatsworth Branch Library 21052 Devanshire Street l

Chatsworth,-CA 91311 l

I Dated at Rockville, Md. this 15 day of March 1990 4.h l-Office o the Secretary of the Commission

• Copies sent by Federal Express.

l I

l l

l i

l I

L

.