ML20054C861
| ML20054C861 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000754 |
| Issue date: | 01/31/1982 |
| From: | GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20054C856 | List: |
| References | |
| 20434, NUDOCS 8204220036 | |
| Download: ML20054C861 (14) | |
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. j DECOMMISSIONING PLAN GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY Vallecitos Nuclear Center License SNM-960
- January, 1982
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Purcose and Scoce of Plan This plan describes the method selected by GE for the decommissioning of facilities operated under License SNM-960 at the Vallecitos Nuclear Center (VNC):
o The plan covers the sequence of tasks from the time that a decision is made to terminate licensed operations to the USNRC decision that licensing is no longer required, o The plan applies to VNC site activities conducted under License SNM-960 and is Independent of cubsequent utilization of the property, o The plan is based on current technically feasible procedures and assumes current regulations and conditions.
o The plan permits the use of more advanced techniques as more experience is obtair,ed and improved technologies are developed.
1.2 History of Ooerations 1.2.1 Historv of the Facility l
In the early 1950's General Electric began developing plans for a " Nuclear Park" that would include a test reactor and laboratory f acilities for res'earch and development work on commercial atomic power.
A nationwide search for an 8204220036 820217 PDR ADOCK 07000754 l
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appropriate site was conducted and resulted in final selection of the present site in Vallecitos Valley, Alameda County. The significant milestones in the history of the f acillry are summarized in Table 1.0.
1.2.2 Licensing History The original licensing of operations that involved Special Nuclear Material (SNM) was done on a case-by-case basis as each new facility was constructed or activity was planned. On September 14, 1966, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission granted License SNM-960 to cover all activities involving SNM. This license authorized the possession of certain maximum quantitles of U-233, U-235, and plutonium for use at the Vallecitos Atomic Laboratory.
(The name was changed in 1967 to Vallecitos Nuclear Center.) During the years of operation under this license several amendments have been made to revise specific possession limits.
The last such amendment (No. 20) significantly decreased the possession limits, particularly for operations involving Pu, and fuel fabrication was eliminated as a licensed activity. A timely application for renewal of this license was made and is currently pending before the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Certain VNC activities thai utilize source and by-product material are covered by California State License Number 0017-59.
This license is defined as a
" Radioactive Material License of Broad Scope - Type A" and was originally granted in December, 1962. The by-product materials authorized by this license consist predominantly of fission products contained in irradiated fuels and isotopes repackaged for medical use or incorporated into sealed sources.
For the purposes of this plan, no ef fort has been made to separate these particular activities for the purpose of decommissioning.
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Table 1.0 H I STORY OF VNC May 1955 Commenced search for California site August 1955 Purchased option on present site property February 1956 Purchased property March 1956 Started construction October 1956 Started Environmental Surveillance Program June 1957 Radioactive Materials Laboratory (RML) commenced operation August 1957 Vallecitos Bolling Water Reactor (VBWR) commenced operation November 1957 Physics Building commenced operation (Critical Experiment Facility and Nuclear Test Reactor)
December 1958 General Electric Test Reactor startup December 1960 Metallurgy and Chemistry Laboratory commenced operation April 1962 UF t 0 Conversion Pilot Plant commenced operation 6
2 July 1962 Plutonium Laboratory commenced operation November 1963 Vallecitos Experimental Superheat Reactor (EVESR) achieved criticality December 1963 VBWR shutdown February 1964 Waste Evaporator commenced operation June 1964 Isotopes Laboratory commenced operation Mid 1966 Critical Experiment Facility shutdown and disassembled February 1967 EVESR shutdown December 1969 Termination of License CX-4 (Critical Experiment Facility)
October 1977 Order to Show Cause placing GETR in a cold shutdown condition June 1981 Revision of License SNM-960 sharply reducing SNM possession limits for VNC and discontinuance of Pu f uels activities j
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2.0 PLANT ASSUMPTIONS AND BASES 2.1 Site Status This decommissioning plan is based on the f ollowing assumptions regarding the site as they appear to be the most realistic ones at this time:
o Of f-site shipments of radioactive materials will be completed using current operating procedures.
o The decision to term nate SNM-960 operations at the site wil I be made in the course of normal business considerations.
o There will be no plans for subsequent utilization of the site for fuel cycle material activities requiring USNRC licensing.
2.2 Performance Objectives and Criteria The primary objective of the plan is to decontaminate the site SNM-960 f acilities to a point where continued USNRC licensing is no longer required.
The following are supporting objectives:
o Reduce levels of residual contamination on exposed surfaces of structures and components to permit unrestricted use or:
a.
Remove the contaminated surf ace f rom the site f or authorized disposition.
b.
Entomb on-site or apply surf ace covering if such action is sup-ported by evaluation of potential risk exposure and accepted by regulatory authority.
o Remove piping, ducting and equipment for authorized salvage or disposal if their interior surfaces cannot be assured of meeting unrestricted release limits.
_5 o Dispose of scrap, rubble and other waste materials from clean-up operations in accordance with applicable provisions of the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, Chapter 1.
3.0 PLANNED TASKS l
3.1 RadIntion Survev The first step in the decommissioning plan will be to prepare a comprehensive contamination survey of all SNM-960 facilities, including the following:
o Buildings o Waste storage facilities o Grounds - walkways, roads, gravel areas and retention basins The survey will determine the presence or absence of contamination from SNM, source material and by product material and, where present, the level of smearable and fixed contamination f or comparison to unrestricted release i
limits. The results of this survey will be analyzed to detennine those structures, equipment, and soll that are contaminated above unrestricted release limits and will establish the basis for preparing the final details of the decommissioning procedures.
The types of equipment needed for decontamination and consolidation will be determined at the time of decommissioning.
3.2 Waste MaterInl Removal All liquid radioactive wastes will be either solidified in situ or concentrated and solidified at the site liquid waste evaporator f acility. All solid wastes will be packaged in accordance with regulatory requirements and s, hipped to an approved facility.
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3.3 Contaminated Eautoment Preparation of equipment for removal may include vacuum clecning and rinsing with liquids. Cutting (with equipment such as a plasma torch) in a controlled area after removal will be done as needed to facilitate fitting the components into containers for shipping to an off-site disposal facility.
VNC has had past experience in applying the methods such as the above in the dismantling of the site Critical Experiment Facility (License CX-4), the periodic decontamination of hot cell facilities, and the deactivation of Pu fuel processing facilities.
3.4 Hot Cells The plan for the Hot Colls is to:
o Remove and dispose of all contaminated equipment and materials.
o Remove all fixed piping (other than imbedded).
o Decontaminate all surfaces.
Remove any cell liners if the performance objectives (Section 2.2) cannot be met with them in place, o Decontaminate Imbedded piping and fill with grout.
o Removo instrument and electric cables.
o Remove material handling equipment (e.g. manipulators, cranes).
o Leave the main building structure in place af ter decontamination.
o Package and ship any remaining contaminated waste to off-site disposal facilities.
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3.5 other Buildings Other site buildings licensed under SNM-960 have contamination levels expected with laboratory-type operations.
These buildings will be decontaminated or dismantled in a sequence consistent with decommissioning needs (e.g.,
it is expected the liquid waste evaporator f acility will be among the last buildings to be dismantled). The plan for these areas is to:
o Remove contaminated equipment.
o Remove and package other contaminated items such as instruments, piping ducts, services.
o Decontaminate area surfaces.
o Package and ship contaminated materials to of f-site disposal facilities.
3.6 Outside Facilities Outside f acIIItles such as site industrial IIquid waste retention basins and the Hillside Storage (waste storage area) will be decontaminated and structures removed as necessary.
3.7 Final Survey A comprehensive final survey similar to the initial one described in Section 3.1 will be performed.
The survey report will include:
o Description of scope and general procedures used in the survey.
o Description of any remaining contamination.
o Results of survey for comparison with performance objectives.
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o Surveillance recommendations and any future use restrictions.
3.8 laspection and Accentance The final survey report will be submitted to the USNRC.
It is anticipated that the USNRC will terminate License SNM-960 and release the f acilities for unrestricted use following their review and inspection.
4.0 PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS 4.1 Balancing of Effects The decommissioning plan described in this document presents what is believed to be the most balanced approach to limiting environmental effects as they relate to potential risks to the public and site personnel.
In summary, the approach involves evaluating each task of the plan at the time of implementation, and making the final decision for disposition based on a comparison of the alternatives below:
o Decontamination to unrestricted limits o Removal to off-site disposal facilities o Fixation and isolation This approach assures an optimization of effects.
4.2 Conclusions Dispersal of significant radioactivity as a result of the implementation of this plan is not possible. The building ventilation systems will be operated to provide normal filtration of particulate and aerosol matter.
There are no radioactive IIquid effluents from the site during normal licensed operations and there will be none during decommissioning activities.
Radioactive wastes wil l be disposed of by transporting to approved repositories in appropriate containers, following approved shipping practices and thereby creating no significant impact on the environment.
Af ter the perf ormance objectives of the plan have been attained, the f acilities will be available f or unrestricted use with no impact on the environment.
5.0 DECOMMISSIONING COSTS 5.1 Cost Estimate Assumntions Cost estimates for the decommissioning of the SNM-960 f acilities are based on the following assumptions:
o Facilities will have had normal operations in the interim prior to decommissioning 1.e., no unplanned events have occurred to perturbate the condition of the f acilities at the time of decommissioning.
o All in-process radioactive materials will have been removed from any f acility prior to the Initiation of decommissioning activities.
o Of f-site low level radioactive waste burial f acilities will be available.
o Decommissioning activities wil l be perfonned by personnel f amiliar with plant operations and radiation protection procedures.
o Safety control practices in place for plant operations will be utilized for decommissioning activities.
i o Non-contaminated equipment and facilities will be disposed of by standard corporate practices prior to initiation of decommissioning.
4 o All hazardous waste will be removed to eliminate the need for long term monitoring.
o Decommissioning and closure activities will result in NRC approval to use the f acilities f or non-nuclear purposes.
5.2 Estimated DecnmmissionIno Costs The decommissicning costs for General Electric's YNC site, estimated to be
$25 million, are small compared to the total assets of the General Electric Company. Theref ore, it is unlikely that General Electric would be unable to meet the financial commitments generally associated with the decommissioning activities as outlined and estimated.
A letter dated May 14, 1979 f rom Dr. R. H. Beaton, Vice President and Group Executive, Nuclear Energy Group to Mr. William J. Dircks, Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is attached.
in that letter Dr. Beaton stated that " General Electric Company will have available, at the time of decommissioning, the resources deemed necessary to satisfy its obligation to decommission its SNM-960 facilities.".
An estimate of the decommissioning costs are given in Table 2.0 in terms of 1982 dollars.
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TABLE 2.0 ESTIMATED VALLECITOS DECOMMISSIONING COST BASE DATE 1-1-82 Cost to Decontaminate the Balance of the Valle-
.s Site, License SNM 960. to an Unrestricted Use C _;, tion AREA DESCRIPTION DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS RML
$ 3,784 100 Area 946 Outside VBWR 330 Outside EVESR 319 Turbine Bldg., Cooling Towers, Misc. Bldgs.
198 Building 103 Cobalt Pit 44 Tank Room 99 Second Floor 1,540 First Floor 1,892 Building 300,1st and 2nd Floor 1,628 Building 400, Shop and Lab 275 Building 401, Lab 13 Building 349, Liquid Waste Evaporator 66 Hillside Storage Area 286 Red Monitors, Body Count, Training 1,375 Special Tools 232 Project Mgmt. and Supervision 692 Plans, Schedules, Licensing, Procedures 2,518 increased Burial Cost 3,157 Additional Decontamination Facility 130 Guard Costs 386 Subtotal
$19,910 Contingency 9 25%
4.977 Total 124.887 l
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SENERALhELECTRIC GENEMAL ELLCTHsC COMPANY ePS Cuat han Awkhut
&Ase JOSE.CAurOesetA steds mov se e L Af oes 2
May 14, 1979 t
Mr. Williani J. Dircks Director Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D. C.
20555 Attention:
R. T. Kratzke Fuel Reprocessing and Recycle Branch
Reference:
NRC License SNM-960, Docket 70-754 Gentlemen:
This letter is to infonn you that General Electric I. '
Company will have available, at the time of deconrnissioning.
the resources deemed necessary to satisfy its obligation to decommission its SNM-960 facilities located at the Vallecitos Nuclear Center, Pleasanton, California.
Sincerely,
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R. H. Beaton i
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H. C. Burgess
- .i R. E. Butler E. F. Kurtz R. W. Darmitzel H. E. Stone
. E. Cunningham i
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