ML20104B330

Forwards Response to NRC 920716 Meeting Request Re Decommissioning Plan Changes,Consisting of Current Status of Decommissioning Preparations

ML20104B330
Person / Time
Site:	Fort Saint Vrain
Issue date:	09/04/1992
From:	Warembourg D PUBLIC SERVICE CO. OF COLORADO
To:	Weiss S NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM), Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
P-92274, NUDOCS 9209150257
Download: ML20104B330 (6)

Text

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Public Service- - s.,*.

Company of Colorado

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16805 WCRT19-1/2 Platteville, CO 80651 September 4, 1992 m

Fort-St. Vrain

Unit No. 1 i P-92274

{. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk

Washington, D.C. 20555

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1 ATTN: Dr.-Seymour H. Weiss, Director ,.

j Non-Power Reactor, Decommissioning and

! Environmental Project Directorate l

! DOCKET NO: 50-267

SUBJECT:

. Status of Preparations for Decommissioning i .

Dear Dr.-Weiss:

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'This letter is being submitted in response to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC's) r e q u e s t .. m a d e at the July 16th meeting at Fort St. Vrain (FSV) to identify FSV decommissioning l plan changes. While significant changes to the overall plan for

, decommissioning have not occurred, decommissioning preparations.

i have been underway consistent with the Proposed Decommissioning Plan.

i The attachment to this letter summarizes the current -status o'f i these decommissioning preparations. The-actual status of the plant at the initiation of. decommissioning, activities.will be dependent-on the timing of.the NRC's issuance of the Decommissioning-Order.

Should you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact ;

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Mr. M. H. Holmes at (303) 620-1701.

] Sincerely, d  !(.M E Donald'W.'Warembourg-Manager, Nuclear Operations DWW/JRJ:dh

- Attachment e

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{ 9209150257-920904 DR ADOCK 05000267 l PDR J 3

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1 P-92274 Page 2 of 2 cc: Regional Administrator h..gion IV

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Mr. J. B. Baird Senior Resident Inspector Fort St. Vrain Mr. Robert M. Quillin, Director Radiation Control Division Colorado Department of Health

Attachment P-92274 Status of Prenarations for Dop_ommissioniD9 The purpose of this Attachment is to summarize the status of preparations for decommissioning at the FSV Nuclear Station.

Section 1.5.2 of the Proposed Decommissionirg Plan (PDP) states:

" Prior to the initiation of actuel decommissioning activities, PSC may complete the removal of numerous components from the '

PCRV, including the helium circulators, control rod drive and orifice assemblias (CRDOAs), metal clad reflector blocks (MCRBs) and the region constraint devices (RCDs)."

Since the completion of defueling on June 10, 1992, significant progress has been made in preparing for actual decommissioning, as described 'a subsequent paragraphs. The changes that have been made to the TSV facility in these preparations have been evaluated and determined to meet the following criteria from section 4.0 of-the NRC's Safety Evaluation to the FSV Possession only License (NRC letter, Erickson to Crawford, dated May 21, 19911 G-91106):

"The NRC staff has determined that this license amendment to a POL allows the licensee to make changes to the facility provided that (1) changes comply with the requirements of 10 CFR 50.59 (that is, no Technical Specification change or unreviewed safety question for the defueled status of the facility),

change does not fe'enlose the options or (2) the materially affect th cvst of decommissioning, and (3) the change does not involve major structural changes to radioactive components of the facilit*' (although the licensee may proceed with some activities such as decontamination, minor component disassembly, and shipment and storage of spent fuel if these activities are permitted by the liconce and 10 CFR 50.59)."

The following paragraphs provide a general status of progruss made-

.n preparing for the decommissioning of FSV.

Attachment P-92274  ;

Control Rod Drive and Qritiqp_,2ssemblies (CRDOAs)

CRDOAs were removed from the core during defueling, since control rods were unnecessary to control reactivity in defueled regions filled with boronated defueling elements and orifice valves were not needed to control helium flow through these regions. All CRDOAs have been shipped off site for processing, and all the  ;

control rods have been shipped off site to a low level wasto (LLW) disposal facility.

Helium circulator Removal .

I The innp 1 helium circulators were removed from the PCRV prior to I defueling. The Loop 2 helium circulators were recently removed from the PCRV, following completion of defueling on June 10, 1992.

All helium circulators have been shipped off site to a low level '

waste disposal facility.

Removal of Comoonents from the Core Areg The region constraint devices (RCDs) were removed from the top of the core during defueling, and approximately one-half have been shipped off site to a low levd waste dispcsal facility, while the renelnder are in equipment storage wells i:. waiting shipment in the near future. Approximately 50 metnl c1&d reflector blocks- (MCRBs) ,

which comprised the top layer of the core, have been removed from the core area-and are being stored in the fuel storage wells. The remaining MCRBs (about 285) will be removed from the core area as the removal of core components with the Fuel Handling Machine (FHM) progresses.

The FHM is currently being used to remove hexagonal graphite reflector elements, defueling elements and MCRBs from the_ core arca, as described in Section 2.3. 3.8.1 of the PDP. Core area components are being removed in several layers. The blocks in the upper half of a region are removed, then the FHM is transferred to a different region, until hexagonal components in the entire upper half of the core area have been removed. - Next the FHM will renove all hexagonal components in the lower portion of the core area, down to the hastelloy can blocks. Finally, the FHM will remove the hante11oy can blocks and bottom transition elements.

Attachment P-92274 The defueling elements and hexagonal graphite reflector elements are being transferred from the FHM into the Regeneration Pit, onto the same conveyor assembly that was used to load defueling elements into the FHM during core defueling. This conveyor then transports the elements to either end of the Regeneration Pit, where they are loaded into Low Specific Activity (LSA) containers, which can then be shipped off site. Out of a total of approximately 3100 hexagonal components that can be removed from the core area with the Film (not including the MCRBs), about 5% have been removed to date.

PCRV Prestressina Tendon DetensionlN___and Removal Sectjon 2.3.3.5 of the PDP det. 4 7.s planr, for detensioning selected PCRV tendons, and removal n 7 scra of these, to permit PCRV concrete cutting operations. Juttantly, PCRV top cross-head tendons and some of the circumferentici tendons in the top head area are being detensioned. Some of the detensioned tendons are being removed from the PCRV. Selected tendon c'ubes are being plugged to prevent the spread of contamination during future PCRV concrete cutting operations, as discussed in PDP Section 2.3.3.6.1.

This task is progressing in accordance with the PDP description.

PCRV Liner Coolina Sysj;ga Reactor vessel and fuel storage well liner cooling is not necessary since all nuclear fuel has been removed from the FSV Reactor Building. Work is in progress on System 46, the PCRV liner coaling system, to cut and remove piping whose location interferes with PCRV prestressing tendon detensioning and remova: or with the installation of scaffolding. PCRV liner cooling tubes that supplied the PCRV top head 1iner have been cut and plugged to prevent diamond wire cutting slurry from spreading contamination through System 46, as described in PDP Section 2.3.3.6.1.

Contamination will be produced by diamond wire cutting of activated concrete located at the lower end of the PCRV top head during actual decommissioning. In addition, radiological characterization of System 46 will require the cutting of a substantial number of PCRV liner cooling tubes to obtain samples for analysis of contamination levels, as described in PDP Section 2.3.4.8, and some of this work is expected to take place during the decommissioning preparation period.

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Attachment P-92274 Radio baical Characterization In addition to the radiological characterization of System 46, noted above, characterization work is being performed on numerous systems throughout the Reactor Building. This is consistent with Section 3.1.G.3 of the PDP, which indicates that the FSV radiological site characterization program will be ongoing and the results of this program will be used for " radioactive waste management, assessing potential hazards,during the decontamination and _ decommissioning work, for determining safety controls, and accurately scheduling the decommissioning activities."

Agb33tos Removal Asbestos insulation hel been completely removed from the piping in the area under the PCRV (" snubber deck") , as described in PDP Section 2. 3. 3. 3.1. Preparations are being made to begin removal of asbestos insulation from System 23, the helium purification system, and from System 61, the decontamination system, to enable piping and components in these systems to be dismantled at a later time.

Removal of asbestos from System 23 and System 61 should be completed by mid-October, 1992.

The asbestos is being removed by a licensed vendor. To date, none of the asbestos has been contaminated. The asbestos that has been removed is being shipped off site to a licensed facility.

Ereparation for Removal of Steam Generator Secondary Moduleg Some of the main, hot reheat and cold reheat piping in the area of the snubber deck will be cut, as described in PDP Section 2.3.3.3.1, to facilitate removal of the steam generator secondary modules, which will be lowered into the area below the PCRV. In addition, some cf the electrical cables and conduit in this area, which could interfere with secondary module removal, will be remove d.

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