ML20040D933
| ML20040D933 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 01/22/1982 |
| From: | Kammerer C NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA) |
| To: | Rudd E HOUSE OF REP. |
| References | |
| FRN-45FR70874, FRN-46FR70874, RULE-PR-150, RULE-PR-30, RULE-PR-32, RULE-PR-70 46FR70874-3638, NUDOCS 8202020413 | |
| Download: ML20040D933 (2) | |
Text
EtTE: HWBER PK-30: 32; 70 gg IC?OSID RUI:I (45 TR 70874) #j 150 f
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AD The Honorable Eldon Rudd United States House of Representatives 1
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Dear Congressaan Rudd:
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'ch The following information is prwided in r trs y # nquiry of January 5,1982 concerning your constituent Charlotte * 'i 4, and her interest in the proposed amendnents to exempt frcn URC regulations snelted alloys containing residual contamination of certain radioactive materials.
The rulemaking in question was originally undertaken by the Commission at the request of the Department of Energy and pursuant to a 1974 amendment (P.L.93-377) to the Atomic Energy Act ( AEA) of 1954.
The rulemaking would permit the recycling of scrap metal from discarded equipment at DDE's uranina enrichment plants.
This scrap metal is sometimes contaminated with srall amounts of byproduct or special nuclear material resulting from the enrichment process.
This contamination cannot practically be removed but is considered too insignificant to constitute a radiation health or safety problen.
Until Congress amended the AEA in 1974, it was necessary for the Cccaission to issue a specific license for the possession of this type of radioactive material, no matter how small the quantity.
In amending the Act, Congress gave the Commission the authority to exempt minute quantities of special nuclear material from its licensing requirements if it finds that a licensing exemption "will not constitute an unreasonable risk to the comon defense and security and to the health and safety of the public."
We would like to emphasize that under the proposed amendments persons who snelt scrap contaminated with technetium-99 or low-enriched uranium or who are the first transferors of such smelted alloy would not be exempt from licensing requi rements.
Such persons would be under license and would be required to submit a description of the decontamination and scelting procedures and.
sampling and analytical procedures to be used.
This would assure that the scelted alloys ' subsequently to be used under the exemption meet the proposed maximum contamination liaits.
It also should be noted that the scope of the exemption is narrow pemitting only the technetiure-99 and low-enriched uranium as the contaninants.
Contami-nants such as plutonica, high-enriched uraniun or other transuranics are not included in the exemption.
The Tc-99 and low-enriched uranium would be ainor cons tituents (less than 5 parts-per aillion (ppa) and 17.5 ppa; respectively) of representative samples of scelted alloys.
QS/O The resulting levels of contamination would be at or below those of many
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products comonly in use which' contain traces of unenriched uranium. For i
example, nost building naterials contain some traces of uranium (granite,4.7 M y 7; camnt, 2.' y; by preuct ;yp_a,12.7 H
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PDR PR 30 4SFR70874 PDR RM 215 (946) N ACM 0240 D U.S. GOVE RNYCNT PRINTING OFFIC E: 19 7 9-2 8 9-3 C 9
e naking false teeth, has been found to contain from 10 to 990 ppm uranium.
The NRC upper limit for unimportant quantities of unenriched uraniun is 500 ppm.
There is essentially no difference in the nature of the radioactivity emitted from this unenriched uranium and the low-enriched uranium being considered for exemption.
Tne.NRC staff has prepared a Draf t Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in support of the proposed rule. Without the exemption, thousands of tons of gcvernment-owned nickel, copper, iron and steel scrap would have to be disposed of as radioactive waste at substantial cost to the taxpayers.
If exempted, this metal could be smelted down and resold for in ex. cess of $40 million.
Further, energy savings from recycle have been estimated at the equivalent of about 170,000 barrels of crude oil or 30,000 Mg of coal.
By comparison with these benefits, the risk of cancer from release and unrestricted use of the entire inventory of smelted alloy is estimated to be considerably less than one.
This means that it is highly unlikely that the recycled alloy would cause even one cancer in one person in the total U.S.
population.
Notice of the proposed rule was made in the Federal Register and the press on October 27, 1980.
The comment period expired December ll,1980. Over 3,300 public comments were received.
Comments will be reviewed and addressed in the Final EIS before any decision is made by the Commission on promulgation of a final rule.
l Ue hope this reply is r(sponsive to the concerns of your constituent. Should further information on the subject be required, please contact my office.
Sincerely,
.stephenK.Ke5t' Carlton Kammerer, Director Office of Congressional Affairs o m c q..............
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Representative Eldon Rudd 1110 Longworth House Office Bldg.
Washington, D. C.
20515
Dear Representative Rudd:
Like me, I know you are concerned about the health and welfare of yourself, family and friends.
In that regard I am writing to you about what I consider could possibly be a most serious health hazard for all life in the United States.
It has long been know that radiation, even at low levels, is a threat to heal th.
It has now cone to my attention that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which as of the First Quarter of 1981 has accumulated 31,000 tons of radioactive scrap metal as a byproduct of processing uranium for commercial reactors and weapons, plans to lift restrictions on re-using the radioactive iron, nickel, copper-and aluminnm. Thi s would allow comnercial scrap dealers to buy the metals and sell them to firms that would make them into consumer and industrial products.
Thus the metals emitting low levels of radiation could be used in making cooking pans, cans, water pipes and furniture.
I do not think neither you nor I, nor our families, would feel too confident about installing permanent water pipes in our homes which will release low level radiation continually into the water supply, nor eating food cooked in utensils which are continually emitting low level radiation, nor buying food in cans made of radioactive metals.
Once this plan has gone into effect, there is no doubt that all of us will be subjected to additional low levels of radiation every moment of every day.
You may already have this information and be acting on it, but in either case would you please let me know what action you are now taking or will be taking.
I shall be eagerly waiting to hear from you.
Sincerely, j
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Charlotte T. Pierce t
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