ML20040D081
| ML20040D081 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Lynchburg Research Center |
| Issue date: | 01/11/1982 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20040D079 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8201300106 | |
| Download: ML20040D081 (7) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES-(
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g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION n
aj WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
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SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION
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SUPPORTING' ORDER AUTHORIZING DISMANTLING OF FACILITY AND i
i DISPOSITION OF COMPONENT PARTS BABC0CK AND WILCOX COMPANY I
DOCKET NO. 50-99
' F. 0 Introduction r
By application dated July 23, 1981 as supplemented September 23, October 16, and November 23, 1981, the Babcock and Wilcox Company I
(B&W) requested authorization to dismantle the Lynchburg Pool Reactor Facility (LPR) and to dispose of its componer.t parts in accordance with a proposed dismantling plan. The reactor was shutdown on September 16, 1981 and all fuel has been removed and shipped off site.
The NRC Licensing Project Manager for decommissioning of the Lynchburg Pool Reactor Facility is Mr. Pete B. Erickson.
Mr. Erickson may be contacted by calling (301) 492-8213 or writing: Division of Licensing, U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555.
2.0 Discussion The LPR is a 1.0 Megawatt " swimming pool" type reactor (see Figures 1 and 2). ~ The fuel, now shipped cffsite, consisted of plate-type '
elements that were fully enriched with U-235. The fuel elements -
were held in a square grid plate attached to the pool floor. The
~
reactor core could be positioned in either of two grids,within the pool. Control was accomplished with three shim safety rods of aluminum-clad boron stainless steel and a regulating, rod of aluminum-clad stainless steel. The reactor pool structure has concrete walls 6 to 8 feet thick with penetrations for cooling lines and experimental facilities. LPR experimental facilities consists of two beam holes 3 inches in diameter, one beam hole 8 inches in diameter and a cylindrical autoclave 91/2 feet long, and 3 feet'in diameter.
1 8201300106 820111 PDR ADOCK 05000099 P
B Figure 3 shows the cooling system that was used when the reactor core was positioned in the Grid 2 location (Figure 1). Cooling water was drawn down through the core, then through a' pipe in the pool wall, through a pump and the shell side at a heat ex-changer. The cooled water was returned to the pool through a distribution header.
Secondary water flowed through the tube side of the heat exchanger and a redwood cooling tower that is located on the roof of the LPR building. Pool water was also circulated through a 25 gpm demineralizer located in the heat exchanger room (Figure 3).
The LPR has operated intermittently since September 19,1958, at power levels up to 1.0 MW thermal. A total of 35 MW days of thermal energy have been generated since 1958.
3.0 Evaluation B&W will dismantle the LPR in accordance with their dismantling plan. B&W intends to decontaminate the facility to levels specified on page 1 of the. July 23, 1981 Dismantling Plan.
If B&W is unable to obtain those levels with reasonable effort, they may request that the residual activity after dismantlement be included in the Research Centers Special Nuclear Materials License (SNM-778). License No. SNM-778 covers a number of other nuclear-related operations now continuing at the Lynchburg Researchg Center. In this Safety Evaluation (SE) we discus exposure control, disposal of radioactive materials and administrative controls.
3.1 Exposure Control Since all fuel has been removed from the facility, the remaining radioactivity consists of the activated and/or contaminated com-ponents, concrete, piping, heat exchangers, denineralizer resins, experiment capsules and startup sources. The pool water may also be slightly contaminated.
The radiation hazard of dismantling operations is expected to be minimal due to the low inventory of radioactive isotopes in the reactor structures ~.
In 1972 the LPR pool was emptied to repair j
l a leak and radiation levels were measured when the pool was empty.
The maximum radiation was from the control-rods which read about O
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+ -,
2 R/hr at 1 ft. The second highest level was from the beam ports which read about 100 mR/Hr at 1 ft. These low levels are expected because most of the reactor structures near the core are made of aluminum allofs which retain very little activation. The B&W Lynchburg Research Center employs experienced management, health physicsts and radiation workers in other operations of the Center. These experienced employees should manage and accomplish the dismantling without incident.
Administrative ~ controls are discussed in Section.3.3 of this Safety Evaluation.
Dismantling operations will consists of removal of the control rods and rod drives, experimental assemblies, graphite reflector elements and control rod poison elements prior to draining the pool. There-fore, the residual activity with the pool. drained is expected to result in exposure rates of no more than about 100 mR/hr. The remain-ing radioactivity represents exposure levels which are well within levels that occur frequently in routine work at nuclear facilities such as the Lynchburg Research Center. Dismantling may, however, involve the removal of significant quantities of activated concrete from the lower pool area to reduce the radiation to levels acceptable for unrestricted access.
If the concrete is to be chipped away B&W will use a canopy over the pool with a filtered exhaust system to remove any radioactive particles generated in the chipping operation.
If B&W determines the removal of all residual activated concrete is not cost beneficial, they will request NRC to authorize that the residual activity be included in the Research Center's SNM-778 license.
If B&W elects to request that the residual activity in the concrete structures be included in SNM-778, we will require that such radio-activity be described as to the isotopes involved, the curies quantity of each isotope and the depth of penetration of radioactivity in the structures. Also, the B&W Decommissioning Plan for the SNM-778 License
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of December 1978 must now be modified to include the above information and a plan for eventual removal of the radioactivity. We have informed B&W of these requirements and will terminate the LPR License No. R-47 only if these requirements are met.
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4 3.2 Disposal of Radioactive Material All fuel has been ship'ed to the Department of Energy's Savannah' River plant for reprocessing. Radioactive sources will be diposed of ~as radioactive waste at an authorized burial ground or trans-ferred to the B&W SNM-778 license.
The reactor water is contaminated to levels near or below that accept-able for release to uncontrolled areas (10 CFR Part 20). This water will-be transferred to the Research Center's liquid waste storage facility for further analysis, any required processing, and release under SNM-778 and 10 CFR Part 20 requirements. Radioactive and con-t=minated material produced during dismantling will be shipped to an authorized burial ground in accordance with U. S. Department of Transportation requirements.
3.3 Administrative Controls As a revision to the initial dismantling plan, B&W specified their administrative requirements in their letter dated October 16, 1981.
This revision specifies qualifications of key persons responsible for dismantling operations, responsibility of the line organization and review and approval authority of the Research Center's Safety Review Committee.
B&W will develop detailed dismantling procedures which are re-viewed and approved by the Safety Review Committee. The B&W Health Physics Group will provide surveillance for the work and all operations will be consistent with the Research Center's health and safety procedures. Therefore, adequate administrative controls are assured by the availability of qualified. health physicists, workers, management, and control by an organization that routinely deals with similar radiation problems.
4.0 Conclusion Based on the considerations discussed above, the conclusion has been made that dismantling the LPR and disposing of its compon-ent parts, as described in the dismantling plan, will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.
Dated: JAN 111982 t
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