ML20129J556
| ML20129J556 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Claiborne |
| Issue date: | 10/24/1996 |
| From: | Mcgarry J LOUISIANA ENERGY SERVICES, WINSTON & STRAWN |
| To: | Cole R, Moore T, Shon F Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel |
| References | |
| CON-#496-18018 ML, NUDOCS 9611070008 | |
| Download: ML20129J556 (65) | |
Text
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' / golf WINSTON & STRAgg0 i
35 WEST WACKER DRIVE 1400 L STREET, N W CHICAGO, ILLINOl$ 60601-9703
- 6. RUE DU CIROUE WASHINGTON. O C 20005-3502
- 96 0CT 25 P 4 :36 " ""*" '"^~ '
200 PARK AVENUE NEW YORK, NY 10166 4193 (202) 371 5700 SULAYMANIYAH CENTER RlYADH 11495. 6AUDI ARABIA FACSIMILE (202) 371-5950
- 43. RUE DU RHONE 1204 GENEVA, SWITZERt.AND 202-371-5733
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October 24, 1996 i
Thomas S. Moore Richard F.
Cole j
Administrative Judge Administrative Judge 1
Chairman, Atomic Safety Atomic Safety and Licensing Board 4
and Licensing Board U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission i
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Washington, D.C.
20555 l
Commission Washington, D.C.
20555 i
Frederick J.
Shon Administrative Judge l
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20555 In the Matter of Louisiana Energy Services, L.P.
1 (Claiborne Enrichment Center)
Docket No. 70-3 070- M (-
Dear Administrative Judges:
)
It has been brought to our attention that one of the Written exhibits received in evidence in the captioned proceeding, 1
namely LES Exhibit 7, suffers from a duplication error.
The official record copy of LES Exhibit 7 and the copies furnished to the Licensing Board are single-sided copies of a double-sided document.l' 1/
We have confirmed that the copies of LES Exhibit 7 served on each of the parties do not suffer from the duplication error and are true copies of the document as offered in evidence in this proceeding.
(Note:
even the true copies have no pages numbered viii, 6,
20, 23-24, 30-32, 42-44, 47-48, 52-54, although it is clear from the text of the document that there is no missing text and that those pages should be blank.
Accordingly, the enclosed true copies do not contain (continued...)
9611070008 961024 PDR ADOCK 07003070 PDR 3SD D
4 WINSTON & STRMVN-t October 24, 1996 Page 2 The parties have agreed to stipulate that the enclosed copies of LES Exhibit 7 are true copies of the document as offered in evidence in this proceeding.
The parties respectfully request that a true copy of LES Exhibit 7 be substituted for the deficient copy in the official record.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Very truly yours,
,hl~
[ Robert L.. Michael /cGarp9 Draper WINSTON & STRAWN, ATTORNEYS FOR LOUISIANA ENERGY j
SERVICES, L.P.
Enclosures cc:
Service List I
/
l'(... continued) pages with the numbers listed above.)
9 6
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION DOCKETED ggqqg BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD
- % OCT 25 P4 36
)
In the Matter of
)
0FFICE r.
c 7RE TARY
)
DOCKENG 2 MICE LOUISIANA ENERGY SERVICES, L.P.
)
Docket No. 70 3070i 3
)
(Claiborne Enrichment Center)
)
)
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that copies of the foregoing were served upon the following by hand delivery or by deposit in the United States mail, first class, this 24th day of October, 1996:
- Administrative Judge
- Administrative Judge Thomas S. Moore, Chairman Richard F. Cole Atomic Safety and Licensing Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Board U.S. Nuclear Regulatory U.S: Nuclear Regulatory commission Commission Washington, D.C.
20555 Washington, D.C.
20555 (2 copies)
- Administrative Judge
- Secretary of the commission Frederick J. Shon U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Atomic Safety and Licensing Commission Board Washington, D.C.
20555 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Attention: Chief, Docketing and Commission Service Section Washington, D.C.
20555 (Original plus 2 copies)
Office of Commission Appellate Eugene Holler, Esq.
Adjudication Office of the General Counsel U.S. Nuclear Regulatory U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Commission Washington, D.C.
20555 Washington, D.C.
20555 Ronald Wascom, Deputy Assistant Joseph DiStefano, Esq.
Secretary Quinn, Racusin & Gazzola Office of Air Quality &
1401 H Street, N.W.
Radiation Protection Suite 510 P.O.
Box 82135 Washington, D.C.
20005 Baton Rouge, LA 70884-2135
-2 6
Robert G.
Morgan Marcus A. Rowden Licensing Manager Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver &
Duke Engineering & Services, Jacobsen Inc.
1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
230 South Tryon Street Suite 900 South 1
P.O.
Box 1004 Washington, D.C.
20004 Charlotte, NC 28201-1004 Diane Curran Nathalie Walker Harmon, Curran, Gallagher &
Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund Spielberg 400 Magazine St.
2001 S Street, N.W.
Suite 401 Suite 430 New Orleans, LA 70130 Washington,D.C.
20009-1125
- Adjudicatory File Roland J.
Jensen Atomic Safety and Licensing Louisiana Energy Services, L.P.
Board Panel 2600 Virginia Avenue, N.W.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Suite 608 i
Commission Washington D.C.
20037 l
Washington, D.C.
20555 Thomas J. Henderson, Esq.
David S.
Bailey, Esq.
Lawyers' Commmittee for Civil Rights Under Law 1450 G Street, N.W.
Suite 400 Washington, D.C.
20555 f
LOUISIANA ENERGY SERVICES, L.P.
1 Robert L. Dfk6ef 1
WINSTON & STRAWN, ATTORNEYS FOR LOUISIANA ENERGY
- SERVICES, L.P.
J Hand Delivery i
e LES Exhibit 7 i
?'a :LylE^.GAEE=NG y :. :c~ ACE 5 :C
- sco w st 3 em icos u.7x 2,:cs l
- wmeeoc sansoas
.a.tw vains May 21, 1991 i
Mr. W. H. Arnold LES-91-067 Lowsiana Energy Services 600 New Hampshire Ave.. NW Suite 404 1
Wasnington, DC 20037 4
Re: Louisiana Energy Services Claiborne Entschment Center The Ultimate Disposition of Depleted Uranium File: MTS-6046-00-2002.02
Dear Mr. Arnold:
Attached for your informadan is a report entitled "The Ultimate Disposition of Depleted Urunium." This is a report by Martin Marietta on plans and ultimata disposition of depleted urunium at Department of Energy (DOE) famlities.
Please call Peenr LaRoy at (704) 373-8466 if there are any queadons concern 2ng 4
this.
Sincerely, i
1
/
J. N. Underwood. Fa-ia==rmg.hnager Engineering P1vjects JNUIPGL/gbh/052191 Attachment e
ec:
V. M. Anthony R. S. Poulter (FDI)
J. Distafano (UrencoJ M. T. Boyd R. B. Priory E. Kraska (Urenco)
C. A. Andrews (Urenco)
P. Jelinek (Urencm)
J. B. Swords (LES)
R. G. Snipes J. M. McGarry (WhS)
Central Records L
l D E 91 - 00 6 414 I
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_usa pow, MAmrrine mAMsETTA RECggygc C WOA MAY 141991 f
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The Ultimate Disposition of j
Depleted Uranium TASK TEAM 1
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T. R.* Lemons. Chairman l
C. R. Barlow J. D. McGaugh l
J. M. Begovich J. H. Pashley l
- 3 F. C. Huffman J. J. Staley P. M. Kannan (Legal Advisor)
W.J. Spetnaget 4
L D. Tis.u,e e v
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OTHER CONTRIBUTORS j
N. M. Baldwin F. W. Stout R. L Pearson M. S. Taylor R. W. Schmidt J. P. Voumazes i
Marun Manetta Energy Systems. Inc.
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W. A. Pryor i
PAICarporsoon K. T. Ziehike ALIB Technocal Associates. Inc.
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MAllAGED BY f
MAlmE MARIETTA ENERGY SYSTEMI.INC.
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Dist. Category L*C.!!!
Ennenment Technical Operations i
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s THE ULTIMATE DISPOSITION OF DEPLETED URANIUM
?
TASK "1EAM a
T. R. Lemons. Chairman C. R. Barlow i
J. D. McGaugh J. M. Begonch J. H. Pashlev j
F. C. Hurrmaa J. J. Stalev P. M. Kannan (I.4 gal Adwsor)
W. J. Spe:nagel L D. Trowbndge 4
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i N. M. Baldwm F. W. Stout R. L Poemon M. S. Taylor R. W. Schandt J. F. Yournazos Maran Manaan Energy Synaamt, Inc.
i W. A. Pryor i
M Carrersman 1
4 K. T. Zistdka 1
MiB Tschacel e== lac.
I 1
Data?>" O ---
W 1990 i
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.:. by tbe URANIUM ENRIODGNT ORGANIZATION Oak Ridge, Taa-37831 7605 1
managed by i
i MARTIN MARIETTA ENERGY SYSTEMS INC.
for the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY under contract DE AC054 DOR 21400 l
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CONTENTS ACRONYMS AND TECHNICAL TERMS v
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS....................................... vsi EXECUITVE
SUMMARY
i A.
INTR ODUCITON..........................................
1 A.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION..........................
1 A.2 CURRENT STATUS................................
1 A.3 FUTURE PROSPECTS................................
2 A.4 PURPOSE OF REPORT.............................
2 B.
LEGALREGULATORY REVIEW.........................
3 B.1 DEPLETED URANIUM REGUI.ATORY STATUS 3
B.2 FOREIGN. ORIGIN ACCOUNTABILITY.....................
4 C DISPOSITION OPTIONS ANALYSIS...........................
7 C1 BASIS FOR DEPLETED URANIUM MANAGEMENT 5TRATEGIES...........................
7 C2 WORKING INVENTORY MANAGEMENT...................
8 C2.1 Storage As UF,..................................
8 C.2.1.1 Current status............................
8 C2.1.2 Upgraded cyheder :sorags requareasons 9
l C2.1J UF. storage coss.........................
10 i
C2.1.4 Indoor ssorags............................
11 C.2.2 F7 Stransgy............................
12 C2.2.1 Break <!ven tails assays for natural uranmai.....
- 2 C2.2.2 Parnauy depissed feed reevens
- 2 C2.2.3 Docusos cruana for ultimate d=
3 ULTIMATE DISPOSITTON...............pa===
C3 14 C3.1 Optuman Fans of Uraansa for Ultimais Disposal......
- 4 C3.2 Other Cheamcal Converson O Commeraal Fookties......poons................
- 4 C.3.3
'.5 C3.4 Permasses Disposal Venus Imag-Terms Storags.........
17 C3J Ukimass Dispasman Plas........................
- 8 D. CONCI.USIONS........................................
- 9 E.
RECOMMENDATIONS.................................
APPENDDC L REGUTATORY ANALYSIS OF DEPLETED URANIUM.
21 APPENDDC II. RISK CHARACTERIZATION OF ALTERNATE CHEMICAL PORMS OF URANIUM...............
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APPENDDC IIL. INDOOR STOKAGE OF UF.........................
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APPENDDC IV. BREAK.EVEN TAILS ASSAYS....................
i 47 APPENDDC V. CONVERSION PROCESSES........................,
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ACRONYMS AND TECHNICAL 1ERMS 9
ACGDI Amencan Conference of Governmental Industnal Hygiensts AEA Atonne EnerEy Act of 1954, as amended AEC U1 Atomic Energy Cornrninaian i
ANSI Amencan National Standards Institute Assay "U content as a percent or fracnon of total uransum i
AVLIS Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation l
BETA 1 Economic kreak gven tails assay for gaseous ddfusion process BETA-2 Economic breaksven tails assay for AVLIS process CFR Code of Federal Regulations CRADA Cooperauve Research and Devebpment Agreement j
l DOE U1 Depanment of Energy DOT U1 Deparanent of Transportation l
DU Dephied uraama EPA U1 Envuoamental Prosecuan Apocy ES&H Envuomeental. safety, and her.iti PDU Fully depleted urammes (La. all of the -any recoverable "U has been omracted by the manctuneet process)
GDP Gaseous ddfussoo plaat LLW Iow levet radioacave wassa LSA Low speedic acemty MTU Meanc teos of uranssi (1000 kg U)
NRC U1 Nuclear Regulatosy ("-
NTS Nevada Test $he NU Natural urnasset, contamag about 0.71% "U
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ORO Oak Ridge C;_== Of5cs of DOE PDF Parnally depissed (in the "U isotope) feed masenal RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as -ded SWU
- ns-. work unis TCIJ Tommay Charactarnac Imackag Procedure (a test spec Sed by the EPA for idanufymg hasardous matanal)
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TLV Threshold limit value UE Uramum ennchment. as in uramum ennenment program. etc.
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l ACKNOWEDGMENTS We wuh to extend our apprecation to the numerous components of Marun Manetta Energy Systems who contnbuted to this report and also to the management and staff of other DOE pnme contractors and vanous commercial uranium processag compames for their assatance in prtmding much of the data on which the study is based. Special thras are extended to Cara Y. White for typmg the initial draft of this report and to Jamce M.
Asher for technical editing and preparation of the final report.
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EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
Sigmficant amounts of the depleted uranium (DU) created by past uramum ennchmen actmties have been sold. disposed of commermally. or utshzed by defense program
- s recent years, however the demand for DU has become quhe small compared to qua available. and w thin the U.S. Deparunent of Energy (DOE) there is concern for a and/or cost liabilities that rmght be associated with the ever-growmg inventory of t matenal. As a result. Martin Manetta Energy Systems. Inc. (Energy Systemst, was asica to review options and to develop a comprehensive plan for inventory management and the ultimate dispossuon of DU accumulated at the gaseous ddfusaon planta (GD Systems task team, under the chairmanship of T. R. Iemons. was formed in late 198 patmde advice and guidance for this task.
The first milestone objecuve was to comnussion a thorough review oflaws and pertaining to DU. Eminently cualified outside counsel was retained for the legallreg It was concluded that the management of DU mriang inventones at the DOE review.
sites is not constramed by current regulauons of other govermnent agenews. In addition.
DOE Oak Ridge Operanons (DOE /ORO) has formally advised the Ohio Envuonmenta Protection Agency (EPA) that DU is " source ----ini? winch is exempt from Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) rer 8a*"
The pnnapal objecove for both i -
y managanent and the ultimate disposition of DU is to protect the health and safety of wrkers and the public and to maamaze degrad of the environment. The most important aspect of this is the channcal form of the uramu in storage. Our <=^=-=1 analyms uubcates that it is acceptabis and daarable to maatam DU worinng inventories as UE as long as they ressam possatial feed resources for the GDPs and as long as cyhnders and storage facslities are adequately monitored ana maintained. Some. perhaps all of the DU inventones may be recycled through the Atomic Vapor Laser Isotops Separanos (AVUS) process before they become fully depletec (cateria to be.de6ned) and ready for uhimate d& Whether DU is reevcied througn AVUS or declared surphas to DOE needs, chasucal convernon will be required at some time in the future.
Integrated plasmag for ennchment processing and the ultimate disposition of DU will be necessary to munmuse cons and riska.
The ultimate dq==ieiaa of DU relative to the urastum sanctunent program could be transfer / sales to other govenument programs (e.g., dedenes programs), comunercial sales. or long tens storage or esposal It appears that consnercial and governament demands wsil use only a small fracuos of the DU avadable in the foreseeabia future: so a plan for permanent diyaneian will be requued for the vast bulk of the DU.
'R. O. Huhgren. DOEORO. Oak Ridge. Tennesses, letter to K. W. Sommerfeld.
Marun Manetta Energy Systems. Inc., Oak Ridge, Tennesses. "Disposinon of Tails Matenas at the GDPs." dated July 12. 1909.
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l This report revwws opuons and recommends actions and objecuves in the management of woriang inventones of parusily depleted feed (PDF) matenals and for the ultimate j
disposition of fully depleted uranium (FDU). Acuens that should be considered are as follows:
4 1.
Inspect UF. cyhnders on a semaannual basis.
2.
Upgrade evhnder maintenance and storage yards.
Conven FDU to U,0, for long-term storage or disposal This will include provuons 3.
for parual.wwi of costs to offset those associated with DU inventory management and the ultimate disposal of FDU.
4 Another recommendation is to drop the term ' tails' in favor of ' depleted uranium
- or 'DU' because the " tails' label implici that it is " waste.' N=*at with this recommendation, the DU termmology is used throughout this report. Other recommendations are gwen in the text.
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l-A. INTRODUCHON j
A.1 BACKGROUND INIORMATION i
j Natural uramum ensts prunanly as the stable isotope "U.
Only 0.71% of naturally l
occumng uramum is the fissile isotope "U. For most nulitary or commercial purposes. the j
uramum must be canched-chat is, the conantranon of the "U isotope must be increased.
'Ibe U.S. uranium enrichment (UE) program began during World War II. as a p i
Manharran Project. to prende highly ennched uramum for military needs. N I
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to use the gaseous diffusion process began opersoon at Oak IUdge in the nud.1940s. The i
Portsmouth and Paducah Oaseous Diffusion Plants (GDPs) were increase the United States' capacity to ennch uramust. In the 1960s and 1970s, the i
i etaphase shifted from producuon for mditary needs to providing fuel for nuclear pow
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plants. The three GDPs operated continuousiv unal 1985, when the Oak Ridge plan i
shut down for econonne reasons. The Portsmouth and Paducah plants contmus to ennc uramum for the nuclear power industry, supplying about one-half of worldwule UE producuan. According to an article in Saenade Anisrecen. ancieer power now suppd appronunately 16% of the world's :
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The Portsmouth plant aho provides highly ennched uranium to fuel some research ramens and to supply U.S. defense progr requiremens. '"- those for the Navy's nueimar fleet.
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F=-'
- uramum novokes splitting a feed stream into a product stream ennched is "U and a by product sumas depleted is "U. The sanched product is used for comunercial and i
nuhtary nuclear appwh
%-8~- quaannes of the DU have been used in a few military and commeraal appbcations, but the demand has beenne quite snail is recent years. mar==== of the low concentration of "U is natural uransus. 5 to 10 kg of DU are produced for every kilogram of uranium ennched for commeraal appbcanons. while about j
200 kg of DU are produced for each kilogram of highly enruhad urannua.
Thee proporaces hold true regardless of the prosses used for eenchment (geneous diffusen 1
cantnfuge. AVLIS. etc.). Since uranms ennetuneet actmuss produce atuch more DU than j
is requtred by ensang apphemanas the esses DU respares deposal or storage.
J A.2 CURRElff STATUS 1
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h-anany all of the DU currently stored at the GDPs is in the form of solid UF# in 14 ton cyhnders. By the end of FY 1990, the enrehment enterpnse had i
accumulated about 320 aullion kgU of depleted UF. in storage. The "U assavs of the stockpded DU generally range from 0.2% to 0.5% "U.
The depleted UF. is stored in about 40,000 cyhadora, mostly at the Paducah sita. (Because Paducah was designed to produce low.essey feed for the other ennchment plaats. most of the DU is produced there.
Current pines call for the GDPs to comunus to produce a total of about 20 mdlion kgU per year of depleted UF. reganng about 250014 ton cyhoders per year for storage.
- Wolf Hafels.
- Energy from Nuclear Pomer.' Saenstle Annsnces 2El(3).137-144 (September 1990).
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A.3 FUTURE PROSFECTS Some, perhaps all, of the DU inventory may be reeveled through UE facilities in the future.
Here have been several major reevchag campaigns in the past when there was a perceived shortage of DOE. owned natural uranium. and thus the internal DOE cost of feed was high relauve to the cost of separsuve work. However. recychag (senppag additional "U from parually depleted uranium) can reduce the total quantity of DU by only a few percent.
Other means must be found to use or depose of the bulk of the material De invensory of DU is a highly refined resounz that coukt be of sigencent use to future generances.
The most promaing long. tens use for DU is as feed for an advanced breeder or other type of reactor when other saarty sources have been deplased. Foranga breeder reactor programs have demonstrated the potential for energy producaos frasi DU.
Nonanclear uses for DU are currently limited to adisary applicassoas and a very few speciahaed cmhan appbcations. requirms very deans masenais (uranaam is 1.6 times as dense as lead). In the past. a substantial amount of the DU stockpGs has been used by the military, p eiGy to produce penetration protocules. De E, _
t of Defense Appropnations Act for FY 1991 reqmres that an additional 16 amilion kgU be placed in the national defensa stockpds over the next 10 years. Recent sandnes of akernauwe uses for DU have failed to reveal any aganficant new uses in the i===di=*= future. The most prosumag new long-tens use suggested is to replans the sand and aspegens in concrees with depissed UO,, This would produas concrets with a demony greener than that of cast iron.
Such a concrets aught be useful as ballast or in radiados shiebhag. although d_. ', n and naa=pe-of this masenal could taks yeesa.
M FURPOgg gr REPORT Sinos no and uns is currently foreseesbis for most of tbs'fmily depissed uranium (FDU) that has been and will be creased by the U.S. uraamm==rW====r programs, the U.S.
Deparument of Emprgy (DOE) requessed an anaives of samengement opuaes and L '- ; m of a plea for the uhimais d& of this masenal(ses Ret 1). An Energy Syssens tachacal task seems was fonned in lass 1909 to presuls gudsace for the DU deposition suady. De purpose of this report is to present the W management plan to DOE. As report also daaaa-a*= decads and M-from the legal remsw and technwalleconosuc analyes on which the r=aa=====d=aa== in tis report are basesL e
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B. LEGAUREGULATORY REVIEW i
Regulatory comptiance concerns in the management of depleted uramum have been ram by changes in federal law, which created the US Nuclear Regulatory ec - 4 (NRC) i and the DOE (which superseded the US Atoauc Energy F^
M or AEC) and wtuch established envtrenmental laws such as the Resource Conservation and Reanery Ac (RCRAh The state of Ohio recently questioned whether DU storage might hav with RCRA hazardous waste regulations.' The concern ramed by the state of Ohio was answered in a letter to the Director of the Ohio EPA by the manager of the Oak Rid Operanons O!Ece.
Prior to this letter. and at the suggestion of DOE. expert ousade i
counsel was retamed to review and evaluate present laws and regulations as they appi the DU inventory.
B.1 DEPLEIED URANIUM REGULA~IORY STATUS Current regulations do not impair DOE's inventory management prerogauves for DU i
material In the review of applicable laws and regulations, omads counsei concluded' that
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DU is " source material
- as de6aed by the Atoaue Energy Act' (AEA) and thus that U.S.
i Environmental La Agency (EPA) regulances do not apply. " Source, special nuclear and by-product matenant' as dedoed in the AEA ass specideauy escluded in the RCRA statute.' In the opmann of outade counsel, the eaciumon essepa DU from the segulatorv l
jurmhcnon of both the federal EPA and state agencies. 'Ilisse legal Endags were ven5ed by DOE in the letter from the manager of Oak Ridge & to the Ohio EPA' (see I
A==--* I). However, it is unparatne to mantasm sais====aae of DU so that no i
environmental insult occurs. Loss of==e-of this masenal in in present form. UF.,
j M generats a hazardous matenal hydtogen Suonds (HF); and a agm5 cant release would be of great concern to DOE and Easr of the risks and hazards of uramum==pr===gy Systems (ses Appends II for ta). "lluss, the pnacapal near-term objecuve j
of the proposed DU management plan is to implamane acacos that will assure that no hazardous releases of UF. occur.
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i Other legal and regulasory asues are related to the proposed management plans for stora of partially depleted feed (PDF) as UF, and for converson of PDU to an cuide. Fmpm j
include U1 Ep of Transportation (DOT) sluppas regulanons and DOE orders i
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' Donna Goodman. Inspector. Divmon of Solids & Hazardous Wests u...
. Ohio EPA lesser to E. W. GGlaspee. Site Manager, U1 DOE, Ponsmouth. Ohio, dassa
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September 27,1990.
'R. J. Stydahar: varys, Sater. Seymour, and Pease. Attoracys-at. Law. Columbus. Ohio:
i letter to P. M. F aa - Marun Manetta Energy Systems. Inc., Oak Ridge. Tesammen.
'Ursame HexaGuonde (UF.) Tails.* dated May 9,1990.
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'42 UIC Sect. 2014 (z),1982.
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'42 UIC Sect. 6903 (27), 1982.
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'Jos La Greas. Manager. DOE Oak Ridge Operanons, lanar to Richard Shema.
Director. Ohio EPA. dated October 29.1990.
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on hanaling UF DOE. in ORO 651. requires a mmunum wall thh of 1/4 in. for the thin. wall storage evhnders in order to liquefy UF. and transfer it from the evhnder External corrosion to the extent that the wall thickness wedd be less than this mmunum wtu require an ahernate. more costly truisfer method. DOT. by af
, to ANSI N14.1, also requuss a mumnum wall thirl=*== of 1/4 in, when DU is transponed in thin.wau cyhnders.' Appronunately two. thirds of the DU inventory is raar==ad in cy;; / 7 that are approved as DOT Speci5 canon 7A. Type A. packages for oEsite transpon. The remammg l
DU cylinders that have not been evaluated by DOT wouki regare similar apptwal. or the l
costents would have to be transferred to approved c ; /.e. if oEsite transport are y
necessary.
R2 FOREIGN. ORIGIN ACCOUNTABE.1TY DOE also requested' that this DU disposition study consider how most c5scuvely to handle accountability for foreign.onga depleted uranmm. Agreements with Austraha and Canada require mamtenance of a DU physicalinventory co..A to the amount of feed used from those coungnes. An appropnate quanuty of DU at any assay would sausfy the ca=====at siens DU is comedered to be fungibts by all panies to the agreements. The cumulative total amount of Austrahan. and Canadian <msm DU arma==ead for by DOE at this point amounts to Isas than 20% of the cunent depleted UF. invuonary. There should be no ':-- ' y in ea=amnar to account for the A
- -; masenalin the
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future. Even when PDU is convened to U,0, and pissed in long tens storags, an amouanng procedue can be set up that wiu physicaDy account for the requesd amount of DU masenal in ons location.
The suggeseed prosedure is to identdy an appropness amount of 0.205 DU in storage at Paducah as the asockpale of Austraban#-- "
'j DU. This is the DU inventory category least likely to be moved and abound be undisarbed for many yenes. The c/ /.e.
l tachaded in the Australiaa#"-- " 4 account can be ideanded by cylinder number and can be phyncany segregased by maply raping of thans cyHnde from the rest of the 0.20%
inventory. A DOE odBas or individual would need to be made r==pa==h for nonfvtag Paducah Matenal N+-
' T:7 of quannaies to be added to this amount. In turn.
Paducah would be respoembis for notdying DOE of which cylindes were added for
- " y and for moving the raps or other boundary marker for phyncal segregauon.
=
No change in the procedure would be naeemary until 0.205 DU is other recycled or convened for long tens saorage. If convermon of FDU to U,0,is W the non and last step would be to trender phyncal -
' T y to the long-term storage facihrv i
Tbs trender of ^====8==d'a==d'==
'~
should begin as soon as agnificant
-7 quenanas of PDU are convened and passed in long-term storage. When a quanuey of FDU is convened, a liks amount of 0.20% UF. could be transferred or operationally used.
~
'49 CFR 173.420.
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'f W. Parks. DOEORO. Oak Ridge, T-letter to T. R. Ymaaan Marts Marmua Energy Symans. Inc Oak Ridge, Tennmass. Tails rv.pa a= Study,' dases Febnsary 28,1990.
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If U,0, conversion is not implemented and 0.20% DU is recycled. the Australian /Canaman-ongm account would have to be tracked through the reeveling facility.
Both the woricing inventory management plan for PDF and the long term storage plan for 1
FDU should address the above legal and regulatory issues in order to mamman their Ocobility. Since regulauons contmually change, it is also essenual that the legala-uve/ regulatory developments be monitored for any new or revised requirements that could aHect DOE inventory management plans for the future.
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C DISPOSTITON OFTIONS ANALYSIS i
I
.j C1 BASIS FOR DEPLEIED URANIUM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES 1
A complete DU disposition plan must address both near. term DU inventory management i
objecuves and the uhimate disposition of surplus DU. The scope of the ultimate disposuon l
program wdl be of the same maganude as the near. term inventory management program j
because quanuties of DU wel be reduced only slightly by presently foreseeable use. Just a small fracuon of the current depleted UF. inventones and future DU producaos =di be needed to fill know i d-==ada for DU metat Some or all of the excess DU may be i
processed through AVIlS. but this cannot be considered as an opuon for permanent i
disposttion. Even if all of the DU is recycled through the GDPs and/or AVLIS for further i
stnppmg of the 88U isotope, the quanuty of DU wd! be reduced by only a few percent.
1 Woricing inventory management issues-that is. management of DU as a resource for ensung government programs-wdl be considered first. DOE is free to manage DU I
inventones for the benest of its programs untd the matanal is declared a wassa, h legal /hi-hp review and the assessment of envire====+=1 safety, and haakh (ES&H) i risks did not reveal any rease a to depart front the current strasegy of maintasmag the j
W inventones as UF. for as long as they may be needed for future recycle and other goverammet uses. There is no ensting basis in law for other govenument assames to j
regulate or connot DOE inventones of DU, and the risks head with cyhnder :sorage of UF. are manageable.
The purpass in managag the DU woridag evensonas is to =ame== high ES&H standards while using the inventones for the grossest economme benedt to the enricleases encarpnse and other government programL The working investory managemeest issue of the greatest unmedasse concern is upgradag current UF. storage precoces to achieve high standads of
---il-ar= for presary mae===-ar and for maastonag of the storage yants. This will involve upgradag cyheder===em==an= and inspecnon programs and cyhoder storage facdities. Cass esanates are given for the r====== dad upgrahag program. N
- of FDF recychag are also add 6 is. how to deseranne (1) when and what to refood to the ddEsmaa or AVIl3 processes and (2) when depleted urname can no longer be==-:- =ny used in uramum ennetueent and should be classdied as FDU.
Opnons for the ultimass d=pr==a= of PDU and associased coms are the final topics covered in this secnos (see Sect. C3).
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i C.2 WORKING INVENIlORY MANAGEMENT i
C31 Storage As UF.
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C.2.1.1 Current stans i
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De present pracuce for retention of PDF rnatenals is to store them as UF. in 48.in. steel
{
cylinders of 10 and 14-ton capactry." most of which are coded pressure vessels. These cyhnders currently qualify as ' strong. tight contamers' for transport of low specs 5c-ac
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(I.SA) radioacuve materials under DOT regulanons. De term of storage has never been
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Gaed or defined but corrosen observauons on the nommally unpantacted steel evhnders a outdoor storage mdscate a ran=ining semce life of at least 30 years for cyhnders now in i
storage before the cylinder want thicirnman decreases to the tuinianuun allowable value for j
present liquid transfer procedures." Based on these observations new cyhnders could have a semce life of as much as 70 years. He inventory management program must prtmde for monitormg the progress of corrosion in order to schedule transfers of UF. to new cyhnders i
on a safe and timely basas.
t.
i The storage cyhnder inventory at the end of FY 1990 inchulari 34,400 standard 14-ton j
cylinders at the three diffusion plant sites, with 22.300 at Paducak 8.900 at Portsmouth.
l and 3.200 at Oak Ridge. In =Meiaa a few thousand cylindes of other types were included in the inventory. De total PDF inventory contened 322.100 metric tons of uranium l
(MTU). Most of the cyhnders are stacked in two-ingh arrays, in double rows, with the plug ends of the cyhnders separated by about 1 ft and the valve ends by 3 to 4 ft. In this arrey, the singis47 nder space requiremens are about 38 ft* of storage surface. The ti
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geometne arrangement was 4saadad only to facilita:s insensory and assountability requaemems, with little canadersoon for other monnonag or inspectaan needs. Storage expencoce with 48in. cyhnders since the lass 1950s has shows the necesuty for stable j
storage surfaces, and. at present. nearly all of the PDF cyhedare are stored on enher i
concrete-peved or cosspacted-gravel yards. Ahn. neariy all are in the stacked (two tier;
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De noeur tier of cyhnders utaines creosote-tressed wooden saddies for above. ground support. (In the Paducah storage facdines, cast concrets saddles have been 1
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- Be pnesspel UF. storage contamer is a 4.in.. diameter cylinder of 14 ton capacity dengassel as a thm wall cylinder (woridag pressure rating of 100 psig, with a wall theirnais j
of 5/16 in.) and produced in several nunor demgn variations as Models 48 H and 48 HX.
Model O. Model OM and Model 48 G. More than 51.000 of these cylinders have been procerad since 1958. Approsanately 34.400 of these are curready in DU storage service.
i Over 7.000 cylindens of other types are also being used for DU storage. His includes thin-i well and heavy.asil 10-ton cyiinders and Ma==a= cyander types.
In addition, the Paducah plant fabncated a omnbar of DU storage contamers from i
surplus convener shells 142 of 19-ton capecuy and 130 of 12.8 ton capacuy.
$5J. H. Alderson. AsmesungLife of Uransum #enstiuoride Teilr.sacrage c%sndsrr. KY/L-i 1482. Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Apnl 1988, i;
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a used for the past several years, but the wood saddles have not been replaced with concret Spacmg between adjacent rows of stacked cylinders is variable. both among tte ones.)
three storage sites and within the individual sites. Since cylinder inventories depended otuv on the cylinder serial numbers, the valve-end spacmg was controlled to allow for walk.
througn observauen of the cylinder name plates. Plug end spaang was not controiled to the same degree and was often targeted at a noannal 1.ft separataos. However. many of the stacking atravs permit walk-through access to the plug end for inspecuen.
C2.L2 Upgraded cyhnder storage rapareason Storage area requirennens are incressmg at a rate of about 2.2 acres per year if pre stacking con 5guranons continue to be used.
This Sgwe is derrved from the eartier described doubic-tier a:Tangement, with the 33g.ft separence between valve ends and 1-ft separance between plug ends of doubis rows of cyhnders. "!bs cyhnders are nommally spaced on 62-in. centers. In an infimte arrav (i.e Ignormg dead space at the edges). this gives an area requirement of 38 ft per cvhoder. esclusive of the area for mamputauon of 2
the evhader handhng equipment. The==='ad yearly sacrease of 2500 cylinders thus requires 2.2 acres of new storage space.
The PDF storage facdities at the thres ddhsion plant sises have been scruunand closelv in the past several mooshs. and a nuesbar of situations have been idsonSeri as preideas that rogues m is any 1:eg-term storags menstion. Evidases (or suspinos) of valve leaks: the possibaisy of plug leMs: the promanon of conomos by, and decanoranon oC wooden support saddles: and genipal corrosina of the sacraga cylinder wous all indicate the need for a forssal
,== and sursuiEsans program for PDF senrage.
Ahhough cytiasler procurement el-Ama-over the past several yees have requend a panned surtnee. the pains used has not hand up wee la ammide morage and is not very reestant to steam in the sanocieve escia. Thus, the nos e5est of the immally W paint consag is to amend the cyhnder lifs by a few years at bens. not a agm6 cant amount in the storage sarnos life of a thin weil saast sylinder. Propenug the new steel c,; : e for amended sacrags is order to essannaDy elisuasse====ph== conomon would regare cinemag a8 surfaces by abrasne blasang and then prumag and pumang them. Presensk, avadable paim syssess have life - p-- is oundoor sernos that any esseed 25 years.
and with spot reper and e5 scene mammenag, uns of such systems could reduce s' ph-nc corramos lames ao amm.
The asw cylindses are sacked for sacrage; this should be does using durable. long-hfe support andent The seasksag should includs quehty comuni of ansk cylinder's placement to avoid the seammuu and poembly usosabes stacidag condgeranens seemd in recent suvevs.
Pleanly, the seasidag should pnmde the fus. cylinder acoms assessary to assure adequase survedissa.-easses to both ends and some menswa of visual ames so the support poimis for each cyhoder.
cylinder hammag cames with it the risk of damage throagh assidemai contaa with adjacent cyheders or rough placement on support surfenet 1hase aandsmaal somssess are respaambis for doom, and if impace are strategically located and of sudBuisat forum. they can crack the 9
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l cylinder wall. leading to loss of internal vacuum and eventual release of a pornon of the cviinder contents. The accidental contacts can also damage valves (or pluss), with tumlar consequences. In the two Imown instances m which hanaling damage apparentiv cracicea i
a eviinder wall. material loss and rescuon with atmosphene moisture were so slow that the breaches were not detected until years later. The UF, rescuon products tended to self-seal these mmor breaches.
t C.2.1.3 UF. storage cosas 1
To assure safe. long-term storage (i.e storage for penods that exceed the anticipated life s
of an unpainted thia-wall cyhader in off-ground outdoor storage), it is necessary to consider
- naMie=uons in the present storage philosophy and methodology. At the outset, the corrosen process that detenenes the present cylinder life cycle must be slowed or i
chamated.
For example, one of the simpiast ways to merasaptish this is by surface prosecuan through painung. Although painting is presently specified (one coat of anc j
chromate pnmer plus one enamel topcoat) for new cvhaders. the pamt is not protecuve for cztended time penods: and damage incurred from in-plant handling operanons is generally not repaired before the cyhnders are deployed in storage. Corremon problems could be l
avoided if the passmg were ap=e Had to aciude a sinc rich topcoat that can pecmde
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galvame protecnon for stest e pa==d to scuffs and scratches, and cyhnder -N'g.: in i
storage yards should also be fouowed by inaparna= and touch up of handling damage.
Ziec rich paints used on a few doesa cylinders placed in K 1066 K (Oak Ridge) in 1900 are still in==r-ele =< coadnion and, with proper substrate preparanos would probably chamate 3
j annaaphme conomon for sacrage penods of 25 years or more. Preparanos and painting j
with this level of quaissy should be obemmable for new cyliad== at a mahan acremental cost and should be made standard for ad newly procured cylinders.
i Pamung or other durable protecove coesmas can be med to amend the service life of sasung cyhoders adsdekely. Cost elemana of such a program would include moving the j
evhnder to a properamon facility, abramve bissmag to rannove -=3====8 ouxie scale.
i appbcanon and cunng of the prosecuve coenng. and rotunang the cyhnder to the storage yard. The pmaang cycle, as as asumissed cost of $300-1500 per cylinder, could be repeased j
at apprn== nan =ny 25 year intervate for amended storage, as the ased is indicated by annual visual inspecimas for rust and pirymcal condinon of the protecave comung.
i Nearty all of the cylinders are pressatly stored ein stable surfaces, that is, other concrete
+
l pavement or compacted gravel 'Ilis cylinders at Ponsmouth and Oalc Ridge and many of l
, those at Paducah are stacked on wooden saddles and may not be fully accessible for visual inspernaa in their present con 6guranos. A cos 4eoedt analysis should be made for restackmg these cylinders ce concrets or : eel saddles and in a manner that prendes easy taspecoon acuses.
i Maastormg acuvines related to cylinder storage are currently estimated to reqmre annually
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i about one fourth man-hour per stored cyhader to (a) naspecs in decad for valve and plug leaks and perfona repous as nessesary, (b) perform occomonal cold pressure checks. and (c) detenene cyimder wall thire=== and assess corramos rases. There is also some neeo for W g and weed control, for runoff monnonag, and for inventory and 10 i
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accountability actrvities. While the distnbution of effort may vary from year to year. the overad rate of time investment is expected to remam constant: and this should be considered to be an annual cost of cylinder storage and maintenance. If the cylinders are not paanted. as the storage system matures and c iswis.s approach the sad of their sernce r
Efe. pronssons must be made for transfer of consents to new cyhnders and for deposal of the g=d=A scrap cylinders. The necessary M=aae rate could exceed 1000 cylinders per year and would require new transfer facilities for the ennchment comples: therefore. the cylinder transfer actmties would have to begm in advancs to area==ad=e* the reqared i
transfers. Initial transfer acuvities should target the nonstandard contamers (see footnote 10 in Sect. C.2.1.1) and a group of older c/u t ; of noncernfied volume. as weG as some storage cylinders that are known to have been overfDied. All of these will reqare special handling to primde for safe removal of the caa*=nes The painung of asw cylindars before
';'y t for long. term storage would -13====== the need for penodic transfer to new cylinders. This would also preserve the liquid transfer capabihty for an inder ii p,,g og m
time unal the UF. is removed for convermon.
Facility expansion at Portsmouth and Paducah to =eea==ad==* the yeativ growitt of 2!00 stot age cvhaders is asumated to cost $6 to $8 1.g if desagasd to meet reca== aded IAl% standards.
Cylinder and facdity naspondon and -- (includir.g the terimoement of any lesiong valves and plugs) are esmessed at "nn nnn to 31 4-j, Total storags cosa for upgradag, expension, and===*===va= of the morage facahties are thus 36J to 39.0 anDioatyear. It should be nosed that thans cost figures represses very prelimenery esmaases that are intended only to develop osder.of.maguseds cosa.
r'a==ahdada= of snarage facilities for DU was not considered is the avainanno of snarage cases. Withis the UE compier ths Paducah ODP psoduces most of tbs DU is the sue 2
where most of the DU is corready scored, and is designed to mopeis large quaannes of PDF. r*a==ahdae== of the DU at the Paducah ODP would reduce the total capstal and annual operaung cassa of storags. The duplissues of=====rav= facilines and eqmpment and the number of operanag,===a====== and other support p==aa==i could be opaeused by this canaderanoa: however, there womed be sagadcast cons associased with the transport of the depassed UF. to aa==al i=== snarage. Whas aa==alid=*== of DU storage could result in agedsent cost sawmps, funhar evaimenos is rogamd in onier to deserases the opomum storage sus (s) and the prohobis maganade of onet sewegs.
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DU storags facdities must also be pleased for AVU5 and for chancal conversma of FDU to U,0,, W of ths===ag====e pies for DU ssorage ces be finaliasd only after the siens for AVUI and chsencal convasion have basa==i=en=d C2.L4 Indane senrags There are ao current reqmrements for indoor ssorags of FDF; however. since reqmruments are subpen to changes in the future this opnam was revissed (see Appender IID. The need to pnmde uniities, temperanus and haandity comuoi, the i."
-t ano peocureensat of spemakend cylinder handling apapsenas, and storage denney M-sa would combes a drive the cost of indoor morags is meang famihies far above that of upgraded ousdoor facdinism.
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t Prelimmary estunates for indoor storage in new buildings at the Portsmouth plant capital costs exceedmg 5300 million to accommodate the present total inventory of stored UF.. Indoor storage would require new building construction for the Paducah inventerv
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whether the other sites utthred ex2stmg buildings or new ouildings. since there is no presen't capacity for indoor storage at Paducah. Upgraded outdoor storage appears to be adequate
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for the retenuon of DU for an inde6 nite penod of time. at a fracuon of the cost of indoor storage. Indoor storage would only marginally improve the quality of storage of the UFg therefore. the additional cost is not presently justiSed.
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nis secuon addresses PDF recycle economics and how to determme when depleted uranium is of no further value to the uranium enrwhawat program. The relevant decision cntena are related to the optimum, or break even, tads assay, which hal=== the costs of separative work and nonnat feed so as to num=== the total cost of the ennched product.
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C.211 Break even tails assys for natural urannan f
l ne economic ob}ecuve for tads assay opri==rina is to mananas the overall cost of ennched uraams penduerma by striking an opumum balance between feed and separative i
work costa. His balance is quanti 5ed as the optunum, or break swon, tails assay. De
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break even tails assey (BETA) is a fuocuan of the ratio of feed case to separatne work j
costs and is completely independear of the ennched product assay. De ongen and form i
of the break sven tails assey equanon, as well as a plot of break even tails assays versus cost j
ratio. are given in Appendix IV.
i Parnally depleted urname at any assay greater thau a given BETA is a candulate for recycle. Hat is, it may be econommic to use it as pernally depissed feed to the sanchment i
facihnas to produce ennched product and depleted urannan at ten BETA. Depleted i
urname at an assay less than or equal to the BETA cannot be -ily refad. He PDF assey must be a annusua increment above the BETA to makn p.+i ---- costs for PDF attracuve when compared to producnon cosa for nonnat feed.
i C.2.2.2 Parna5y 4spissed feed recynie ennenmun i.
.. When calculaang the current BETA the feed and separatne work unit (SWU) costs used
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should be ince===rmi costs that apply to the specine em
= For example, if j
separatne work con is $10WSWU and feed cost is $3&kgU as UF. the apaan== tails assay
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is 0.30%. If the cost of feed chabs to $75/kgU as UF, the opname tails assay becomes j
0.265. However. DOE can currently produce SWUs at a marsmal cost of about $4&SWU.
i For DOE opersang at the marsmal SWU cost and payag SS&kgU as UF. for feed, then j
BETA is 0.205. In the long tena. it is concervable that feed cost will escalate relatrve to i
SWU cost and will reduce BETA even further. For exampia, if feed cost is $75/kgU and i
SWU cost is 54&SWU. the BETA would be reduced to 0.165.
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l C.O.2.3 Decessos ensena for ulomass dW A Gnal requirement for the DU management plan will be to deternune a decmon BETA to use for designaung when DU bemawm FDU and is ready to be coaverted for Snal disposition. Since a BETA can easily be deteramed at any point in time from current feed
)
and SWU costs, the ddliculty lies in deternunang how the BETA will change wnh time.
The decnion BETA must reGect changes anticipated in SWU production costs as weH as feed costs over the operating lifetime of the enrichment enterpnse. C
,.-atly, selecoon
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of a decmon BETA for UE is complicated by the expectation that AVUS wdl replace i
gaseous ddusion as the DOE UE pineses. The AVUI program will have sigm5cantly different economics than gaseous diffusion: so BETA for AVUS will be dderent. and presuanably lower, than BETA for diffusion. This clouds the desman on when to convert DU from UF. and also afEscas the deasaan about what form the UF. should be converted to. At present, it is not imown whsch channent form of uranmm will be required by the AVUS program. If, as vad the AVUS BETA (BETA 2) is lower than the difhsaan BETA (BETA-1), then the decision tree would look like this:
For DU above BETA 1 mamtain the DU as UF., refsed to the GDPs and senp to BETA 1.
For DU above BETA 2 but at or below BETA-1. deserenas if it is desrabis to feed it to AVU5. If so convert to the deemed chaemeal form for AVUS feed reised to AVUI. and scrip to BETA 2.
For DU at or below BETA-2 convest to UA for ukimana d3=ra=ia=
e The AVUI process uses mannan metal as the process madmar however, other cheencal fanns of uraniums, includag U,0. are being comedered for feed to the AVUS sins. The other forms would have to be convened to uransom metal at the AVU5 siis for use in the process. It UA is asseptabis for PDF delivery to AVUS, then BETA-1 wiB be the ondr 6-:"== factor to comeder for desenmuung the assey at whink to convert DU to U,0, However if UA is not =- --* for PDF delivered no AVU5. then propecung the value i
of BETA 2 will be annual in deternumag the amey at whisk to convert to UA for long-tenn storage or deposal It would be desemble to convert any DU that will be reevcied to AVUS directly from UF. to the AVUS feed==pa==d o avoul doubis converson cassa.
t A decinom BETA can be dessnmned for gaseous di5heses sensommes in the near teret.
However. a smessagoni sh of a BETA for the AVUS puossa enamot be made anal that prosses asas commermalisanon. PDF invessonas held for GDP rosycis should be managed as UF. to aseid the cose of chemismi consumans as UA and them back to UF.
fior ODP respute. Therefors,it fauces that a mapor campaign of converung DU from UF.
to UA should not be inmated until other UA is danernmed to be as acospiabis feed sauros for AVUS or a decanos BETA is avadabis based as AVUS =aaaa==
This may not impact the start of the convermos campega, however, simos it wiB tahs several years to estsidisk and inspismaat the convernos program.
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4 C3 ULTIMATE DISPOSmON uhimate disposioon. Other topics addressed r
long term storage as disposition options and a basns for cost recove s
disposition of FDU.
unate 1
i C3.1 Opamus Form of Uramma for Ultimate Disposal i
term storage or daspasal of DU. U,0, is the teost j
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stored safely, and has the lowest potential tapact on people and the e ram um,can be event storage or daspasal facilities are =haadaaad in the future. Major ad are the relauvely low chenucal reactmty, solubility, and risks compare forms.
U,0, is insoluble even in weak acids and bases typically found in j
groundwaters. A literature search has indicated that studies dammaared support the conclusaon that U,0, is the i,.J.1 form for long-term deposition
{
detada concermng risk cha i.on of ahernate chesucal focuss of uram 2 More j
in Appenda H.
1 rer.ycle the duonne. This is important both for eA mapr objecov i
i and for annamang waste for the the Duonne, pnmanly as aqueous RF. Howeve
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j mnenemmend with urnasus and may not be markesable in tis country Tbs amo t l
e slightly way to utikas recovered EF would be in the acommnn of namoral uransam s essent l
to the ddfussoa plaats. Ursemat =aea-aaaa would not be a concern in this
, r ee However, this concernos prosses requuss anhydrous HF proces.
9, there is an imament need to start de@e on a converman process.
for recovered aqueous HF.of Duarme as anhydrous HF. As backu C.M Other Chemmuni Comousson Opmans Other chsaucal forms of uransum can certanly be handled and stored safe environment and were evalueesd as possibis opaans. Thoes fones which were man in addition to U,0, are urnomma tetraGuands (UF.), urnammi diends (UOJ, tnands (UO,), and urannan metal.
The advantages that UF, offers are that it is se intennediate in sesmag prossenes for the production of urannes metal the frac recovered HFis easily recycled in the UF, producaos process. ensnag comuneraal fa "M. F. Michalist, "A New Approach to Uraanna Cbsenstry Complenng the N Fuel Cvele,' Canadian Nuclear Society, "E - ' ;
uc ear and Electncuy, Dw campissa Naciser Fual Cycir, hr**=ha-Internanomal Sy Canada. K. H. Tannot and V. L T*1=h===== eds., ISBN 0 91978416.X.1M1,1908, Saskatoon 14
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are readily expandable to meet the current GDP production rate of depleted uranium. and the cost of conversion (apprommatelv 52&gU) is relatively low. A fully developed i
producuan process is already in use. and commercial facdities for convertmg UF to UF, with capacities more than 4.000 MTU/ year are in operanon: so the implementanon of this opuon could begm >===d'essly.
This capacity could readDv be W to more than i
25.000 MTU/ year. Contamers for the storage of the UF are cunentky in use, so i
czperunentation and development of new containers would not be required. ban i
frota the elements is essential for proper storsgs, however, since UF, resca slowty with moist air. formmg ondes and releasing corrosive HF.
4 h
Conversion of the DU to airarnauwe oside fonas (UO or UO) was another possibility coasmiered. This opuon would permit recovery of virtuaHy aH of the Guonne content of the UF. and would decrease the volume about 25% compared to UF '!his would reeuce tbs regarement and cost for enaramars and storags specs. The ondes are relauvely stable chasucaDy, noncorrosne, and ressaant to leaching by yi _'
-- (see Appender II). UO, l
is enore difBeult to produce in the pure form and wiu hydrolyas in air at ameient temperatures. UO, is the chenucal form used for power resciar fuel. but powdered UO, i
must be stabiliand to prevent reacuon wish intygen in air, which will cause U,0, to form.
UO, pellets sintered for reactor fuel show *ak-=d stahGisy to further omdation.
.i The final conversica fann cat =lared was uraansa metal. Ursensa metal is vominu i
==ah.has in water, requaes less asorage spess than the other ihres (about 80% lean than UF.), and is the cair fans of DU with as med use at the peesset time. Commercial conversson facilities are already in ansesans for prossumag UF Isso estat However.
known demands for maal will use only a must drassion of the DU being =*ady lad and i
the conset commsemal UF so eramiemi ammi consuados pressa requires UF. as an 4
innermediata sosp. This doubts conwanna (UF. to UF. than UF to uraamm metal) i requess incessmed headling coms over the mass dkust convesmos opuans. It also evolves I
a beach thanens bomb process that gemorases large quamusies of enar===='ad MgF slag.
winch regeres deposal as now.isvol wens (LLW). This prosses does nos auow recovery of l
the maporny of the Gunnes in the depissed product and the uraama metai "derov' proouct readGy undergoes safans omdanos to U,0 To prevent or sunnuss this omdauon.
urnasunt assai placed in long-tens sacrags would have to be given a protecuve comung.
j Ewa urassum metal ingus consusuas a hasard in a samsmand fire. Cunent U.S. metal i
capacuy is more than 8,000 MTU/ pear, winsk is p d.ha to 12.000 MTU/ year. 'Ihe j
presset cost of amnesson to escal is grasser than $10fkgU, insinding the cost to conven to UF., The tusweep psossa, along with the LLW tNaposal cams, are reoscsad in this convermos cost. '!he ask som would be substammaEy redused by a large.volumns coeversion program but wound likely remost unassrasave for dispondon of the aanre DU stocapde.
' ' ~
A dessiisd desenpoos of the processes for convening UF. to other fanns of urassum can be found in Appsods V.
'4 l
C3.3 '*a====.a Fantidas l
Thors are ensung domssac commeraal facdnies for converung depissed UF. to UF, and UF to uraamai metal (ongmany==mhNah.d for nBlisary apphCBuonst.
Ishia C.'
}
l l
)
I 4
.m
, e - - - - - -, - -,r
l i
i 3
summanzes the capacines of the three domesuc facdities that are currently produemg l
i depicted UF. and/or uramum metal and include current mditary commutments.
The capacities are readily expandable. as indicated by facdity management.
1 i
Domestic nuclear fuel fabricators also operate conversion facilities that use ennched UF.
to produce uramum dionde. However, these are small-scale and expensrve operauons: and i
these companies have not expressed any interest in DU conversion. COGEMA. the French 4
I uramurn processor with extensive expenence with large. scale depleted UF. conversion to U,0., has expressed interest in doing conversion work for DOE.
I i
Table C.1. ca=== mal ar=hE==
l a
UF. to UF.
UF. to U metal i
'I Current Espandabis Current M--Mie i
(hfrUF./yeart (MTUF./yeart (MTU6eer)
(MTUheari i
Aerojet ordnance.
3,000' i
Jonesboro,TN Carchna Metals. In::
2,700 22,700 4,500 9.000
{
Barnwell, SC l
Sequoyah Fuels 3,400 6.800 i.
Corp, Gore, OK Total 6.100 29.500 7,500 9.000 j
'Capecuy in amass of current========
i i
j A connaumg program for converung depleted UF. to UF, or maal snuid amatan ensung U.S. commercial fandities in a viable state and in a posman to supond capacuy quickly to j
meet future needs. Overall some wesse reduccan for the uranium adustry is currently beng achieved through recovery of HF for reevels to the natural Sned convuonos promas.
{
However. HF resovery is not fasable from the thenmie promes acer in use for reducag j
UF. to maal Digest converman of UF. to oxide would perunt recovery of essentially a!!
of the Duonne as aqueous HF. but no commeraal process or facdities have been===hh=had i
in the United Stassa. While AVIJS is based on urnamn metal (med, current plans are to j
transport the assanal as aside and then convert to and front the assal at the AVIJS plant
.._. sana.
1 i
j There are no asissing sommeraal f=Em in this beamphers for the convuemon of depleted i
UF. to made. Cuneet AVIJS planung is based on transponanon of the feed masenal as l
oxide and converson to metal at the AVIl5 site. The AVIJS site may also include facilities for convermon of the sanched product from metal to ande. Since sindar facilities i
}
wdl be regered for smovermon of DU for ultimate storage, consruenon and operanon of the disposanon facahues should be integrated with construcuan and operanon of.-ht facilities to the extent feasible.
j s
16
(
4 i
1
~..
i i
i C3.4 Permanent Dsposal Versis Leag-tens Storage
~!
The major DU management quesuon remaming is whether the ultimate disposition of FDU should be permanent disposal or long. term retrievable storage. He cost of disposal versus that oflong. term retnevable storage and philosophical consideradoes will form the bass for making that decision. His secuan addresses the cost for permanent disposal compared to that of long. term storage, including the cost of converung to U,0, By far the greatest cost associated with ultimate disposition of DU is the conversion of UF.
l from the GDPs or of uramum metal from AVLIS to U,0, Since the French process is the only available commercial process for UF, conversion to U,0,, the best eensats of conversion cost is primded by their informanon. A cost of 22 French framoukgU 4
(54.20/kgU) for this conversion. assuming sw y and credit for the fluonne, has reasotiv been quoted by Frerch sources." An earlier commaa=== had iadic='ad a conversion cost of 17 French francatkgU, which is equrvaient to 13.30/kgU." ne differenes between the two values could represent profit margm. cost==c=l=eiaa rate of exchange anomahaa. or a comoinauon of all these factors. The higher number (54.20/kgU) is aaa=via ed more sound as the bass for esumaung disposal costs since it was obtaaned more receedy.
The second largest cost for ultimate dispossaca is espected to be for disposal or pensament storage. This cost is estunated utihang the wasse deposal fees at the two government deposal sites, the Nevada Test Site (NTS) near Las Vegas and ths Headoni she in Weslungsam. Indonnanos front a weses acceptaans saanmar at Kaade=d and discusmans with p=====8 at Hanford and at NTS pumded wasse disposal cruana and cons. Pesoemet at both siens n wed that UF. is not asseptabis for panameses disposal siens it is ressass if e
raisased to the envronment. It was also agtsed that U,0, is as assep;ahle uramaan desposal forat. NTS cuneedy charges SMt' for disposal of LLW. whils Hanford's fas is
$35/tt'. ness fees are for aaa*==== sand disposal and ass caisuleend for the total vahame of the weses package. Derefore, even widt adEsases packassag,louMiamany U,0,(Appeeds II) wauk! cost about 30.25/kgU for N15 disposal and about stootgU for deposal at i
Hanford. Panonnel at both sius cannomed. however, that rapany changmg regulanons and deposal reqaramens made it ' ara==ihie to propoet disposal fees, svam for the near fusse.
a
%s lugbar cost disposal opoon ($1.0QkgU) is thsesfoss seen as a pnaiset basis for cuneat osamistes of disposal cons.
Other case assomased with the ulaisisse dispomuna of FDU ass headling, peningag.
transponsoon, and snarage coma. Faskasms and handMag cons should be suailar whaber the ultisanes da=ra=aaa is permanent deposal or long tasm snaraga. Transponanos coms would he very dependent on the locanos of the AVL 25 plaat. comesenos facdities, and the undmass disposal or storses titas with respea to the Padasak ODP siaa. Sinos the sites for thans new fasaties have not been seiscted, a presse assuants of transponacos cosa is not "R. H. Dyer. DOE /ORO. Oak Ridge, Tennessen. lessor to J. W. Parks, *Flaat Veit to French Talk DeGunnaanos Facdity," dated May 1.1990.
"R. L. Hoglund. Manas Manetta Internanomat. Iar. Bressels. Beignus, letter to F. C Huftmaa. 'Ennetusent Tails Fanas.' dated January 10. 1990.
" October 10. 1990. forega exchange rass.
17
i 4
l
- i..
possible at this tune. Rail transport cost estunates are based on a present cost of about i
55.500 for moving a flat car from Paducah to a west coast location. With a capacity of four l
or five storage cylinders per car. transportanon costs therefore amount to about 50.15 when transported as UF. to the conversion plant / disposal site. Transportanon costs are thus i
seen to add only a small increment to the total cost of permanent storage or disposal of l
DU. Without a deta:le.d enginecrmg analysis, there is no basis for esumaung storage cos as being sigmscantly different from those for permanent disposal. Therefore, the same i
51.00!kgU should be applied to the cost of long. term retnevable storage as U,0 Total costs for disposal or storage of DU. therefore, amount to appramnately $6.00/kgU.
I 1
C.3.5 Ultinnate D=pa=riaa Plan i
i Since there are no existing domestic facilities and no spare capacity irt existing Frenen facilities for conversion of UF,/ uranium metal to U,0,, eventuauy a plan will have to provide for the establishment of these facdities. Either a suitable process will have to be developed, or the technology will have to be purchased. There are several options for the development and operanon of a government DU disposition program. The viable opuons i
are as follows:
l Develop an in. house conversion process that permits fluonne recovery as anhydrous HF:
j construct govermnent owned. contractor-operated convermon and storage facilitima Same as above, but use joint DOE / private industry process c-Mt. This would avolve the
.hl=h-,at of a cooperatrve research and C. (-
--t agreement
)
I (CRADA) with an interested pnvase industry partner.
i Contract with pnvase industry for UF/uranam metal to U,0 conversion service:
,i construct government owned. contractor-operated storage facGities.
e Utilize the French conversion process: construct government owned. contractor operated j
conversion and storage facilities.
Contract with the French uranium processor (COGEMA) for DU conversma service:
3 e
i construe government owned. contractor operated storage facila==
i j
All of these opuans should be pursued with the ainscove of selecemg the most cost.
effscuve opuon for a complete long-tenn DU d=pr=maa program. DOE should also
.. promote the sais of DU to help reduce the el=pa=rir= cost habilsty.
Several support asuvines would also facilitate management decanon mainng on the structure of the deposman program. Process development would be===== mary to obtain cost infonnanon for compenson with the licensmg and contracung opuans. Since transportanon and inventory - ~ ~. - case wGl be a signdirmat but consollable cootnbutor to the overall cost. the early site selecuan for AVLIS, the converson facdities. and the perinanent DU storage site would penmt optimum piaraanat of inventories to nunsanze costs. The advanced completion of the conceptual design of retnevable storage facGisies for the permanent d=pameiaa of the U,0, would also aid the site selecaos process.
18
D. CONCLUSIONS The most tmportant conclusions that are apparent from the 'egauregulatory review anc from i
the technical /econorme study are as follows:
Under ensting laws and regulations. DOE is free to manage the DU resource (PDF) e for the bene 6t of iu uramum ennchment program until it becomes fully depleted of econonucally recoverable "U.
A DU inventory management plan is needed which prtmdes for penodic cytinder e
inspecuans and staps for upgrading UE cylinders and storage yards.
Indoor storage of DU cylinders could be costly and is u-~~a y.
1 e
The ultimate disposition form of FDU which is determmed to be surplus to UE and e
j defense needs should be as U,0, in long. term, retnevnele storage as a nauonal FDU reserve for the potential benest of future generations.
Stewardship of a national FDU reserve transcends the ausson of DOE as presentiv e
de6aed and has not been addressed in the FW4egulauve arena.
i 1
l
?
J e.
19
t
[t E. RECOMMENDATIONS j
Our DU management recommendatices are given below in categones of ge eral. worcng inventory management. and long term disposition.
I. GENERAL i
1 Use
- depleted uranium' or "DU" terminology in preference to ' rails' or %aste' e
l whenever possible.
o Support ongoing commerctal and muitary uses of DU, for example, the stockpding of DU for nauonal defense applicauona.
1 Promote and support the development of new and innovauve uses of DU.
e t
IL DU WORKING INVENTORY MANAGEMENT PLAN e
Immediately implement a cylinder inspection program. This program should provide for camiannual jaspecuan of cyitaders.
a Evaluate protectne coating opaons for new cyhoders as well as old cyheders e
currently in storage and upgrade protectrue contag reqmrements for new cyhnders.
Establish entena for upgraded cyhnder storage facdiales. This should include an i
e j
evaluation of cass savegs for DU inventory Maeiaa at one or two sites.
Design and construct improved storage facilities when entena are completed.
l I
Evaluate the economm breakeen tails asasy for gaseous daffuuon (BETA 1) ana o
2 consolidate inventories above this assay at Paducah for future reevcie. Evaluate BETA 2 for the AVLIS process as a y.Q guadehne on FDU inventones.
Penodically update the breakeen tails assay evaluations (BETA 1 and BETA-D e
for operanonal and envisioned future caryh=*=e famiitian==mtam inventerv t
Sgures for the respectne casesones of DU.
j e
Reevaluate the DU inventory management program when process economics anc i
chemucal convernos steps for AVLIS are detenened.
Conunus rnonttoring legniative/ regulatory d.A, is for possible implicauons e
related to DOE inventory management pescuces.
i e
Consolidate. revww, and update all safety assessments to primde a single document j
that applies to all storage facilities.
t 0
)
21 l
l
On each of the above recommendations, perform a benefit /rislucost anaipu to e
develop an appropnate schedule of implementauon.
IIL ULTIMATE DISPOSITION PLAN Initiate long range planning for converting FDU to U,0, and for retnevaele e
storage. This includes the following:
- Dw 4g when to start development work on full fluorine recovery from the conversion process and explanng the possibility of using the CRADA joint venture approach for process development.
- Exploring possibilities of unhang the French process and for contractmg for chemni convenion of DU 'Oy pnvase industry.
- Conceptual design study of a retnevable storage facility, including an evaluanon of single. site versus multi-site facilities.
- Explanng the parameters for a site selecuan process for a UF/U,0, convernon facihry and retnevable storage facility.
t=Wt FDU converson program when faahri== are readaed.
e Design and i=W' FDF feed opuans that will recover DU storage and e
d=pasman costs. Opuans meiude the f* 4
- GDP recyees at marsmal SWU cost for unen==iread (last 30%) commeraal raimrements.
- Recsele as feed for military demands.
- Alternative feed source for AVLIS sanciument.
Explore the poembdity of a new. P;-
$ funded government program for e
long tena, retnevable saorage of PDU as a backup opaan.
9 l
a h
8 4
i Appenda L REGUIAICRY ANALYSIS OF DEPLETED URAPmJM
-Mes E
?
D:pertm:nt cf Encrcy E
Oak Ridge Operanons S 5.j J/
P.O. Sor 2001
'r Oak Ridge. rennessee 37:31 3510 October 29,1990 Dr. Richard Shank Director, Ohio Environmental Protecuan Agency 1800 Watermark Drive Post Of5cc Bor 1049 Columbus. Ohio 43266 1049 Cear Dr. Shank:
Representatives of the Department of Energy (DOE) and your staff met in Columbus on October 12, 1990, to discuss a number of issues involving the P.,.... th Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) in Piketon, Ohio. I understand that progress was made toward resolution of a number of issues confronting our agencies.
A most impormat issue was ramed by your staff in a recent letter from the Southeast t
Distnet Of5ce of Ohio Enven====ral Protecnon Agency (OEFA) to the effect that cylinders of depleted uraamm at PORTS were no longer esempt from regulation as a hazardous waste under OAC 3745-51-04. The cylinders of depleted uranam hczafluonde are exempt from ter*h because uraamm hemsduonde is " source matenal" under the Atonne EnerEy Act of 1954, as==W (68 Stat. 923) (42 U.S.C.
6 2011 et_1ca.). Your staff r-M that we prtmde our posmon in a letter so that you could give it full and due consideration. The enclosed analyus is prended in response to that request.
In order for you to become more fannliar with the safssy pracnces followed by us in stonng depleted urannan at POR13, we would welcome you and any of your
.. representanvas to the facdity to mspect the cy'inders and discuss storage pracuces with PORTS pennansL We would also prende a bnefing concenung the snubes we have undertaken to revesw our storage pracoces !=9 ; the expenmental and analyncal work ~w, to evaluate the remainmg useful life of the 74. and the invesugation concernag the two cylinders found to have holes. We want to demonstrate to you our conanang concern that the depleted uranum is safely stored and handled.
Dr. Richard Shank 2-Octocer 29.1990 Finally. I understand that you expressed an interest in the funding status for the actmties planned for PORTS. We are evaluatmg opcons to transfer funds from other work to PORTS for the completion of the actmties planned for fiscal year 1991. This evaluanon of funding alternauves is based on closure options submitted to and approved by OEPA.
It does not include the additional cost if more expensive options are unlized. If j
problems anse. we will be in touch with you or your staff as soon as we idennfy them.
i l
Sincerely, h
Joe La Grone i
Manager
Enclosure:
i
" Regulatory Analysis of l
Depleted Uranium Stored at DOE POR13 Facility" cc wienclosure:
William Young, NE-1, Forst Richard A Qaytor, DP-1 Forst Leo Duffy, EM 1. Forst Paul Ziemer EH-1, Forst l
Stephen Wakefield. GC-1, Forst Steven Blush. NS-1, Forst
h i
i REGUI ATORY ANALYSIS OF DEPLETED URANTUM EORED AT DOE PORTS FACILITY Depleted uramum is generated by the gaseous diffusion process used to enrich uramum. The gaseous diffusion process uses uranium hexafluonde (UF.) contammg 0.7 i
i percent U 235 as feed material. De feed matenal which arnves in cylinders in solid form, is heated in its cylinder to a gaseous state and fed into a cascade, which consisu of a senes of compressors and separation barners. By physical separanon only, the cascade increases the percent of U 235 in the UF. product stream typically from 0.7 to i
3-4% No chermcal substances are added or used in this process. While a poruon of the UF. feed matenal is ennched in U 235. the remamder becomes depleted in U 235 to a concentranon less than 0.7 percent. This matenal consists solely of UF., and no chemicals or other substances are added to it pnor to storage. He solid depletec uramum is stored in steel cylinders and mamtamed by DOE as inventory, because it is capable of bemg used as feed matenal to yu ennched uranmm. De depleted uranium is not corroswe to the steel cyhnders used for storage.
t Depleted uranmm is a " source material" subject to m.d.ai-under the Atomac Energy e
Act of 1954 (AEA), as==wndad Secnon 11(z) of the AEA, as==== dad (42 U.S.C i 2014(z)) de5nes " source matenal" as follows:
The term " source matenal" means (1) urannan, thonum, or any other=====m1 which is '- - - - =- by the Men====-
F=- - I F- -- -- " = a -== to the _
= af = * = 61 to be source matenal: or (2) ores comammg one or more of the L..H matenals. in such concentration as the 1
Fanun===iaa may by regulation deterame from time to time.
(F=' " added.)
Section 61 of the AEA, as a=*adad authonsed the Atonne Energy Comsmssion to define the term " source matenal." '!he Ascene Energy ca=======aa promulgated the followmg regulatory A.a==iaa at 10 C.F.R. 40.4:
%-ee n.=
m1" r==_
(1) a;--
- or thornan, or any
nh=anaa thereof, in any pinacal or channent form or (2) cres which contam by wespht one twentie:h of one percent (0.5%) or more of: (i) uramum; (h) thormm; or (iii) any combmation thereof. Source material does not actude speaal nuclear ratanal (F-=h=
added.)
De Atomic Energy raann==ian further defined the term " depleted uramum" at ;0 C.F.R. 6 40.4(o) as fouows:
27 j
l
"Deeleted uramum' means the source matenal urariium m which the isotoee uramum 235 is less than 0.711 ;ciaht nercent total uramum cresent. Depleted uratuum does not include special nuclear matenal. (Emphasis added.)
Consistent with these definitions. DOE treats depleted uramum as source matenal.
Matenals defined as " source material" under the AEA are not hazardous wastes.
Under the federal system of regulation of hazardous waste, a matenal must Srst be defined as a " solid waste" before it may be regulated as a " hazardous waste." 42 U.S.C. i 6903(5). Secuon 1004(27) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of l
1976 (RCR.A), as amended [42 U.S.C i 6903(27)], excludes source matenal from the definition of " solid waste":
The term " solid waste"... does not include.
. source, special tiuclear or byproduct matenal as defined by the Atonne Energy Act of 1954, as amended (68 Stat. 923) [42 U.S.C i 2001 suse.).
In regulations (40 CF.R. I 261.4) implementing the RCRA. the U.S. Enytronmemal Protecuan Agency (USEPA) states the exclusion as follows:
The followmg matenals are not solid wastes for the purpose of this part:
(4) Source, special nuclear or 1,yp.vd ct material as defined by the Atoauc Energy Act of 1954, as amerided. 42 U.S.C 2011 auss.
Consistent with the federal framework, the Ohio Legislature has excluded source matenal from the defianon of hazardous waste. Secnon 3734.01(J)(2) of the Ohio Revised Code provides:
Hazardous waste aciudas any substance idenafled by regulanon as hazardous waste under the " Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976," 90 Stat. 2806, 42 U.S.C. 6921, as amended, and d= not inM any
-d.-.--= thee is _.2 E_
to the An.;c F - me Act of 1954."
6: Star 919. 42 UIC 2011. (Emphasis added.)
Source material clearly is a substance that is subject to the AEA. Therefore, depleted uramum. havmg been defined by the Atomic Enr.cy &----- =an as a source matenal.
- not a hazardous waste under Ohio law.
I l
=
=
The depleted urantum stored at PORTS also is not a maed waste subject to regulauen as a hazardous waste. because the depleted uranium is not mand with a RCRA hazardous waste. There is no other matenal waste or otherwise, in the storage cylinders of uramum hexaduonde.
USEPA announced its mmed waste policy in the Federal Reninter on July 3,1986 (51 FR 24504). That policy and subsequent clari6 cations issued by USEPA mchcate that USEPA intended to regulated as "mmed wastes" those rade=ve matenals that become mmed with a non AEA matenal that is a hazardous waste. P=dS=~ve matenals, such as the depleted uramum stored at our Portsmouth facility, that have not been mmed with a non AEA matenal that is a hazardous waste are not considered "mmed wastes" regulated by RCRA. Sag "Gtudance on Idenuncation of I.ow-Leel Radioacuve and Hazardous Waste," 52 FR 11147.
In summary, the UF, tails qualify as " source material" under the AEA. Source matenals are exempt from regulation under RCRA and Ohio law by statute. USEPA's "mmed waste" policy does not apply to depleted uranmm, because this material has not been maad with a listed hazardous waste or non-AEA matenal which exhibits a hazardous waste charactensuc.
O
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a
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a
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M IL REK GARACDDUZATION OF ALTERNATE GEnGCAL ICRMS OF URANIUM i
1 1
I l
1 J
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1
~
A,W6 II. RISK CHARACIIRIZA110N OF ALTERNATE CHEMICAL FORMS OF URANIUM Depleted uranium is presently contained as solid UF. in thin walled steel cyhnders that are stored outdoors exposed to the elements. Although UF. can be handled and stored safelv in a well. managed industnal environment. other uramum compounds or uramum metal may be more appropriate for long. term storage or permanent disposal in a less structured enviscament. Other potential storage forms besides UF. include UF., UO,,
U,0,, UO, and uramum metal It is the purpose of this appenda to discuss the risks associated with each of these storage forms.
l l
A. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES j
Those physical properties of interest for nsk assessment of the perunent depleted uranmm storage optens are shown in Table II.1."
A.1 Uranium HexaGuande" Solid UF. is readGy transfonned imo the gaseous or liquid staus by applicanon of hast.
At thras F
+ liged. and gas-.<menst at 64'C (the snple postL Only the gaseous phans ames ahose 230'C (the misioni temperature) at wenich the enacal pressure is 4.61 MPs. Tbs vapor premurs above the solid reache 1 atm (0.1 MPs) as Sa'C, the subheamos temperature.
A large decrease in UF. deessy occurs hi ehmagirig front the solid to the lio.uid stats. which results in a largs morasse in vahams The thennal **p= atma of the liquid with increasing temperamre is also high, It is always sesennal to maataan comuni of ths total mass and phyncal sets of UF. thnmghout an opersuon evels.
l When remnaed volumes such as traps and - are fried with UF., full j
allowance must be made for the volums changes thas will anse over the wornng temperature range to winch the vessels will be subgested in order to avoid
~~ ~~
Simca ths =hli=== temperatus lies below the tripis point. the presswe must be is ammes of 0.15 MPs (1.5 am), and ths temperames umst be abows 6cc for l
UF. to be bandled as a liged. Thus, any peoness using liquid UF. is above l
=*=a=phanc pressure and wel be subpect to a potential leakage of UF to the environment, with vapor loss and coohng occurnag -de===a==hr. Sohd:Scauon occurs mothersucauy when the premurs fa8s below 1.5 x atmosphene. Thus, if a sykeder heated above the tripis poet is breached. a rapid outSow of the UF.
occurs unul the pressure drops sn8Eciantiv to start tha =lidifle= nan process. The rata of outflow then decreases but coonnues uncil the contenu cool to about 56'C.
33 i
i
.. - = _ -. --
l which is the atmospoene sublimanon temperature. Some release of matenal stav conunue, dependmg on the type and locanon of the breach.
TalJe IL1. Ptnmeal propernes of peruneet uraasum compounds Density, ga2 Comoound Melting point (*Q Crystal Bulk' Solubility in H O*
t i
UF, 64.1 4.6B 4.6 Decomposes to UOf UF.
960 a 5 6.7 2.0 -4.5 Very slightly soluble UO Dam tw== to U 0, 7.29 1.5-4.5 Insoluble 3
3 when heated l
U 0, Decomposes to UO:
8.30 1.5-4.0 Insoluble 3
at 1300 UO.
2878 a 20 10.96 2.0-5.0 Insoluble U
1132 19.05 19 Insoluble Sull. deamuss of UF., UO, U 0,, and UO: are highly vanabis, dependa 3
the protocuan prosses and the propernes of the starting urnamm va g on
- At unbient temperatura.
UF. is bygroscops and will hpa-to UOf: inueediately when in contact with 50. When hensed to daeampnamna UF. suuss sonic Suonde fueses.
A2 Uranyl Fluonde UOy, is very soluble in H,0. When hamnad o "= _, --- - UOf: coin tone i
t Duonde immes.
A.3 Uranium letraduonde UF, is very slightly soluble in 50.
A4 Urannan Triende When heated in air. UO, decomposes and conve:.1 to U,0,.
l A.5 Uramum Onde When heated to 1300C, U,0, dam =pa=== ani convens to UO,.
34 4
t i
y I
l A.6 Uramum Dionde Here are no har.ardous physical propernes that are significant.
A.7 Uranium Metal Here are no hazardous physical properties that are sigm6 cant.
I B. CHEMICAL PROPER"nES B.1 Uramum HexaGuonde
UF. is a highly reactne material. It reacts with H:0 to form the soluble rescuen products uraavi Duonde (UO F) and hydrogen Guands (HF). both of which are very toxic. Aqueous hydrogen fluonde is also an extremehr corrosive acid.
When released to the atmosphere. gaseous UF reacts with humatiry to form a cloud of paruculate UO,F: and HF fumes. %s rescuan is very fast and is W' on the avadabdity of water. Fouowing a large.acals reisase of UF. in as open area. the deperson is governed by 2-
! condinons. and the phans could still contam - ",Jr 4 material even after traveuing a distance of several hundred assers. After hydrolyms, urasyt Suonds (UO,F) can be deposued i
as a Easty divided solid. whns HF russmas as part of the gas plass. Emeraal consacs wish HF resuhs in chenecal burns of the sklu, whes esposure to amborne HF causes chsaucal burusarrs==== of the eyes, name, and throat. C&--
abalanos can result in pulmonary edman. Individuais can small HF at isweis of
&G2-0.2 agW. De threshold limit vains ("ITV) of HFis 2.5 mgW. No person can solarms sa ambores coassesranon of 10 mgW. Esposure for as little as 15 sein to an arborns coassersdom of 26 30 ager' may prove fatal (puhnonary edema).
In enclosed situanoes, the rescoos produca form a deans fog, serii.usly reduems vaihdisv for==Ta== of the arms and hindanag evacuanos and emergency responsa. Fog can occur in -8==d areas if tbs husadity is high.
i In a Sun, the rescuan of UF. with weser is aansierased because of the increased UF. vapor premure and the largs quemadas of H O fn==d in combusuon of I
orgaans mansnais or hydrocarbons. Ramadas of liquid UF. with h4%e vapors is omreesty vigorous in flames wkk formanna of UF. and low-molecular.
unght Sunnmund==5=a More hast is gamernay reisesed in these hydreamrton inseracunas widi UF. than in the conosponding rescuans of hydrocartoss widi 0, 8.2 Uranyi Fluonds'
~
UO,F: is a youow hygroscopic solid that is very solubis in weser.
35 1
l l
=
1 1
i s
In accidental releases of UF UO.F, as a solid paruculate compound may deposit i
i on the ground over a large area. There are no internauonally accepten values for uramum contaanauon levels for uncontrolled residence. However. the value of 0.33 Bq/cm; (104 uCI/cm;) is accepted in many countnes for unimited occupancy of uncontrolled areas.
This is equivalent to a ground concentrauon of
{
appronmately 0.1 ga: for natural uramum.
}
B.3 Uramum Tetrafluoride UF, reacts slowly with moisture at ambient temperature. formmg UO: and HF.
t I
l B.4 Uranium Triende j
There are no hazardous ch*=r=1 properties that are signi5 cant.
)
B.5 Uramum Onde a
There are no hazardous chenucal propernes that are sigmacant.
B.6 Uramum Dionde i
UO will ignite spontaneously in heated air and burn bnliiantly. It will slowly j
convert to U,0,in air at ambient temperature. Ita stability in air can be unproved 1
i by setenng the powder in hydrogen.
i l
B.7 Uramust Metal
- l i
)
i Uranma powder or chips wiB ignite spontaneously in air at ambient temperature.
Dunng storage, uranium ingots can form a pyrophone surface became of rescuon j
with air and inesture. It wiB aho react with weser at aminent temperature.
fannag UO: and UH,. The testal sweils and disintegrases. Hydrogen gas can ce
)
- reisased, j
Solid uransus, other as chips or dust, is a very dangerous fire hasard when j
exposed to best or Game, i
Uranum can react violently with O. F. HNO,, Se. S. NE,, BrF,, tnchlorethylene.
i or nitryl Suonde and samlar compounds.
3 C. CHEh0 CAL CONVERSION a
The risks upolved in convertag UF. to other chesucal forms for storage or disposal are relauvely small The processes involved in cheaucal conversson include transporung the cyheders of solid UF. to the conversion facility. empeyeg the UF. cyhnders, perforsung the chesacal conversson, packagmg the Saal product. transporna ' to the s
storage or deposal locanon, and inomsonag of this locanon.
36
e Aside from nuclear consideranons. UF can be safely handled in essenually the same manner as any other conosrve and/or toinc industrial chaad With good procedures and careful. attentrve operations. hradling depleted UF is a comparauvery low.nsk operanon. Safe h=adhag procedures have been developed and evaluated in DOE ana commercial facilities during the more than 40 years of exponence in handimg vast quanuties of UF, Risks due to transporting solid UF, are small. Transportag cylinders of depleted UF.
for conversion or disposal encads a slightly increased risk of release because of the possbdity of a vehicle accident /However. a rapid release of UF. is not likely uniens an accident is accompanied by a saa'aiad fire engulflag the cyheder. Risks for cheaucal conversico are also liksiy to be small, although they depend heavily on the ch==== al coeverssos routs and speedic process being considered, as well as the design and operanon of the convermon facility. Several compames, both in the United States and abroad. routinely convert depleted UF to a venety of other ch==neal forcas. Some special precauuons are required when emptying UF. cyisaders that have been in storage for maav years. Us74 storage cylinders and valves must be cassfully inspected for
{
corramon or damage pnor to transport or hasung. In some old cyhaders. a slight pasabdity easts that hydrocarbons may have==-mead the cyheder. Some i
hydrocarbons react violently with liquid UF.,
As shocussed above all of the shernauwe fonos of uransus hated, amept for the ondes.
exhibst some hasardous charassenstas. Bemess of their stabGity, noncorroewesens. and ressmamos to leechag, the andes. U,0, in perucular, are the mest daarable chamacal forms for long. tens storsgs or deposal frees an savuommensat and safssy point of view.
D. RADIOACTIV1"1Y Depissed uramaan diffsta frass nasaral urasian only in that it coatmos less "U and "U than amoural urseman. The spendic answiey of any given not of DU will be dependens on the isonops makeup of that masenal: for exampia. the speedic acervuv of DU with 0.45 wt 5 "'U is only '10.8% the spendic acavny of antarat urname (see Tahis 173.434 in CPR 49). DU widi les U would have an even loeur spendic asuvay. Tbs radianos esposure venes greedy depending on is phyncal form but not sigeficantly das to the ch==emi fona. The radianos esposure also vanes dependag on whether the uramum is encioned in a coasmeer.
It is the policy of DOE to unpl====r radiosion pensecnan standants cosastsat with prendemaal gedance to federal agennes. Amanhas to DOE Order 5400.11. Radiamon Prossoman for C -
" Workoia.' the homag vales of the anamel efEectne dose equesisms is 5 rum for -:-, -- _1' workass and 0.1 resa for the public.
Thoes who have worked with depiered urname for long panods of time have had no dillicuky mosang DOE pohcies as laag as the deptonad ursaiam is stored is a connelled ares and the operating porsommel lisait their residenes thas in the comuound area. At OeoCorp's Aerope Ordnance Tsaaemos faceiry in Janseborn. Tennessee.
- l thces handhag large quantities of na==can.=d deptesad uramum have espeneamed pensemag radiasion exposures of 60 to 2A10 naam/ year.' '!he average for the 37
l 1
i i
4 appronunately 100 occupauonal workers is 115 mrem /vear. Surface surveys of several 48.in. storage cylinders 611cd with depleted UF, (0.2% "U) at DOE's gaseous diffusen plant in Paducah. Kentucky, gave dose ratse of 10.5-12.25 remeyear." Measuremenu of filled 48.in. shippmg cyhnden contamang depleted UF. (0.2% "U) at NUKEM in Hanau. Germany, gave dose rates of 12.25-30.6 rem / year, dependtag on the wall thickness of the eviinden." For a large UF. storage facility, these surface dose rates would require a controlled area of about 3 m around the cyhnden in order to mest DOE's limiting value of radiation for occupanonal workers.
Sequoyah Fuels Ccrporation of Gore. Oklahoma. czpenenced surface radiation readags as high as 1000 mRA after emptymg Paducah GDP UF. tails cyhnders." These high readings were due to the "U decay products. **Th and "Pa. which enut more penetrating beta and gasuna radiauon. When UF. is vaponzad from a vessel or transport cyhnder, these nonvolatile decay j,. 4.ss renam and can concentrate at surfaces. Without the shukhag and absorption of the bulk UF., the gamma radiation levels are much higher immediateiv after emptymg than for the filled vessel.11.,_..
4 the radiation level decreases with tima relative to the half-lives of a*!1 and *Pa. which are 24.1 days and 1.17 min. respecuvely. Acceptable done rates are reached in a few months.
E. TOXICITY Uranium is a highly tosis element on an acute basis.' It is chaunca :y toxic to kadneys, and high exposure to soluble (transportable) -W can resuk in renal inpary. In addition, intake of uranium must not exceed the radmingual limia docussed in Sea.
II.C. The
, = N'_ - of an inhaled or ingested masenal deterammes its fate within the body and therefore the resulong internal radiologmal dose or chemmcal admet. Table II.2 lism twwanaal inhaled depleted uraansa storage fones and their amigned i.
, : ri classes? Airborne concentranon limits for transpanable uranium have been set by the NRC and the Amancan Conference of Govenumental Industnal Hygensis (ACGIID at 0.2 mg/m. At this arborne concentration. all inhaled a 2
ingested storage fanns of depleted uramam sucept high-fired UO, reach the threshold lisut of cheaucal toncuy before they reach the threshold limit of rhaw=y.
F. CRITICAIJIY Depleted uramum in any form will be criticality safe in any w.
8 G.
SUMMARY
Both the possive and negative features of potential storage fanns of uranium are summanand in Table II.3. The forms of uranium are listed in preferred order in regard to storage hasards.
l 38 i
f 1
1
1 Table U.2. Tahmiarian e1===Ne=aa= for clepissed urannum storage forma Inhalanon Storage form Abbreviation solubGitv classa Uramum hexaGuonde UFs Cass "D*
Uranyl Duonde UO F:
Cass"D*
Uramum tnande UO Cass "D*
3 Uranium tetrafluonde UF.
Cass v Uramum ande6 Us s C ass T o
Uranium shoude*
UO:
Cass W" High fired uramum dionde*
UO.
C ass T "D.* *W," and Y are ahalasian solubility cisses estabished s
by the Internanonal t'a===== on P"'
7
- Prossonoa. *D*
class matenal is very soluble; lung resannom ties is dg5 T class matenal is moderately solubia: lung reasenna time is 3saks.
T clam masenal is ratsavely asolubia:lums numanon time a 35E'
' Tbs solubility of urname osmiss is very depsmosat on heat unnamens.
.\\
39
i k
t F
Talde II.3 "' --, of punisive and negative feasmes hir elecrasse womium senrage*
Feaswe ll,O, UO,*
UO.
IIF.
Il tlF.
w Reactive
+i*
++
++d i
+
Ignilabic
++
+
++
4t tt Corrosive
++
++
++
+4'
+
4 i' Soluble
++
++
++
4 4+
NA' R "- --W NA NA NA NA NA i
Che==iral oneschy' NA Consanunens*
++
+
++
" Symbols used: + +, strong posisive festwe; +, pochive fesswe;, negative featwe; -, strong negative fesswe; NA, not ap,4 h
'Sensered as high temperaswe.
t T+
= to UOyas 13nrC T--
= to Up,when hensed.
' Reaction wish Ilp reb==e= IIF, widch is very corrosive.
i t- -
- so UOA and HF when exposed to Hg.
8 Depleted waaims formes are dependent upon TLV (thresheid limit value) and are either radiosonic or hany sonic best not Insk.
'Conseiner inaegrisy r 7
- - is cessidered to be a negative feetme.
j f
i
[
t
i j
H. REFERENCES I
1.
Chenucal Rubber Company. CRC Hanabook of Chamuov and Phvncr. 67th Ed i
Robert C. Weast. Editor in. Chief. CRC Press. Inc., Boca Raton. Fla 1986.
4 4
i j
Lang's Handbook of Chemuoy,13th Ed J. A. Dean. Ed., McGraw.iG1 Book Company. New York.1985.
i 3.
S. M. I.aone et al Long. Term Dhposal of Er.ru.a.; Plant Tail.r. KMT.131.
Martm Manetta Energy Systems. Inc., ORGDP. WW 1978.
i 4
U.S. Department of Energy, Urenam Herafluonde: Handhng Procanseur and Contamar Desenpaont. ORO.651. Rev. 5. U.S. DOE. Oak Ridge Operanons OtEce.
2 September 1987.
1 a
i 5.
Internauonal Atoauc Energy Agencv. A Gah to Safe Proaucson, j
Trentponacon. Handhng, and Storop of UF,,2nd Draft. Proposed. IAEA. Vienna.
Austna, to be issued.
4 6.
N. L Sax and R. J. I.awis. Sr Dangerous Auperust ofladuanal Mannsfr. Vol i
III,7th Ed Van Nostrand Ranhold New York.1989.
4 a
7.
U.S. Department of Eastgy, Hasisk #Annar Manual ofGood Macacer for Genean Eacdsner. EGG.2530, Idaho Faus. Idaho June 1905.
1 l
1 8.
U.S. Deparnosat of Energy, "Radmana Protecnon for C
,_ - - 2 Werbers.'
DOE Order 5400.11, Washington, D.C., Dec. 21, 1905.
i.
G. V. Bowbag, GeoCarp Aeropst, Jonesboro Tena lesser to T. R. Lamass.
9.
Marum Maneeta Enery Systems. Inc Oak Ridge, Tema deesnbeg hannhng of I
depleted uranaam at Aeropet Ordnance Toonasses plaar. reserved May 1990.
- 10. C. D. Eciduad. Marna Manetta Emery Systems. Paducah, Ky., hi* to Ray l
Peerana. Marun Manesta Emery Systema. Inc., Oak Ridge Na:L Lab., Oak Ridge.
Tenn " Nuclear Masenais TaDy.out Shoses." dased May 16, 1990.
I
- 11. L Anuneuer and J. Honessa..'=
'-M Uas, Saoregr, and Elmel Dnpassi of Dipised fhanaan. NUxEM.292, November 19U.
j
- 12. D. R. ABen Marna Marietta Emery Symous. Ph Ky, to J. R. Story, Marna l
Mensas Enery Symous. Paducah. Ky., Onasiones Report. MOCES.90 58. PAD.
j 963, sensied "UF. Taas Cylinder High Radianca." July 26,1990.
1
- 13. J. L Feuerbacher. Nucisse Safsry Guide for the #brunsoudi Geasons Di#hann Mant. GAT-225. Rev. 4. Goodyear Ascens Corp, Phosom. Ohin. March 1981.
1 i
i 41 4
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l 1
I
e
--_a-e 9
1 l
9 s
t I
J t
E DR STORAGE OF UF, e9El' Elm
l i
j Appenda DL INDOOR SIDRAGE OF UF, i
l The principal advantage ofindoor storage of cylinders contaming UF. is the prevennon of conunuous crposure to the elements, which could reduce the corrosion rate or extend the i
tunes between repamung cyimders and thus reduce overall handhng asd maintenance casu.
Two types of indoor storage were bricoy===M-currensky available facdities and new buddings. With the limitations inherent in the use of enstag budding space and the sophisucation required in atmosphere control in new buskhags, indoor storage of DU appears to be considerably more cosdy than upgraded outdoor storage.
EXIS'11NG BUILDINGS 4
I Large areas are avadable for development of alternase uses in no longer.used proce 3
buildings at Portsmouth and Oak Ridge. These buddings present possibly attracuve sites for long term storage of PDF cylinders. The K 31 and K 33 buddag basements at Oak Ridge and the Portsmouth centnfuge facahay buddings contam enough area for all (O Ridge) or nearly all (Ponsmouth) current storage cyhader apensonas. A rather dataded engmeenng evaluanos would have to be condussed to doesraums whether these areas are actually suited to e tador storage. This evaluesson would include the development and s
Procurement of spacinhand handling eqmpment for cylinder transport our ansnag Soors and piacement in close quenas. -i r of bueding vemannom symmes so caps with possibis leaks as well as for ~. ~ - oflow reistas humudity to aansmise corroman, and emergency plans to deal wkh aandson in transport and pienament of cyhnders in storage.
1 h-of building drawags shows that the storags dessay is sonously reduced by the pressoas of support columns, pernsularly in the K 25 didEsmos process buildings.
These cohamas also limit the --
m
"_' - of any cylinder handling equipment employed in the sacrase task. Furthermore ground floor loading lieniss womid be severefy tammt, if not caseded. by ensang handhog egiapment. Imad lisies om espapment Goors of the K 25 buddings would not appear to penna sacrags of ibil cylind=, in desse single tier arrows.
Iass danos arrays aught be foambia, however, paracularly if the building creams, which were i
used for innalling and repieang the ongeal process apapment, are stig avadabic. It should
]
be noted that some of the K 25 procas areas are peessady being used for morage of wasses generated locally and at other DOE anos and are not pressady avodsbis for UF. cyhnder storaga.
An additional reputessant for mdoor storags is that of hummiity coeucl. Seasonal temperanus change, and even a wide range in the diurnal sysis, can resuk in condensanon of highly amygomased (and the higidy correspe) mossone on the cylinder surfaces, resulung in higher corraene races than those -===ed is ousade snarags wish freer air enchange.
For efEscene reducuan in the overnil corramos rates. a rcianus huanduy level of less than 5091, must be==='a=d and this would probably regars some level of temperature control as wetL
Thus, whde many of these adverse factors may be overcome through engineered design it is evident that utdizauon of ensung indoor space for DU storage t.: UE would be very
~
ereensive. The need to provide ventdation facuities for management of matenal releases and for temperature and humidity control, the development and procurement of specialized cvhnder handling equipment, and the decreased storage density requarement would appear to combine to dnvc the cost of indoor storage in exasung facilities above that of upgraded outocor facdities.
NEW BUILDINGS Storage in new buddmp would appear to be more viable than use of exisung buddiny since the new buddiny maid be engmeered to be compatible with the approved storage arrangements and the handhog and mamtenance opersuons. As envisioned, the building would be a " Butler. type ' which would provide protecuan from the elements and would have humidity control. The buildiny could be designed and engineered to opmmze budding saae with the storage arrangement. A detaded cost evaluation would be recuired for a comparison with the use of casung building and with the present system of outdoor storage. A rough esumate of the cost of housmg the Portsmouth DU inventory in Butler.
type building is about $100 adhon: scahng this up to -wae-the total three. site inventory of stored cyhnders grves a capital cost of about 5360 nullion.
e i
)
-am.m-.
k
<m m<
^
sm nawa~
-- w A
aaa a+
8 a
f EVENTARs gy I
9 D
1 i
4 Ara IV. BREAK-EVEN TAILS ASSAYS i
The econonue objecuve of both DOE and its customers is to.... ' the overall cost of ennched uranium production by stnking an optimum balance between feed and i
work costs. This pomt is idenuSed as the opumum or break <ven tails assay (BETA). BE is de5aed as the tails assay at which the cost of ennched product is mim=n=d j
ennched product comes prunanly from two components: the cost of feed and the cost o The cost of separauve worir. If the denvauve of the total cost of ennched product with respect to t tads assay is set equal to zero, the resulting equation defines the break even tai
{
equation is 4
c y'". v(,3 - v(1.) - (1, - 1.)
vts.),
I i
i l
where 1
C% = cost of feed in dollan per kilogram of uranium.
C,.y = cost of SWU in dollars per kilogram SWU, i
f = feed assay in weght fracuan "U.
s
{
- x. = tails assay (BETA) in weght fracnon "U, i
1 and whors i
f
- 1 VW) = (2 z - 1) la 1
l - x; i
j yg, ' 2 r - l '
2 la f
j
,2-(1 -El 1 - K) 6 i
This set of equanons ea-d=== to i
1 l
C
'z - (1 - z.)'
1-z'l 2
1, - l i u
f 1
- = (2 z - 1) la f
C,,
s, - {1 s),
z,,
1 - s, s
i Naas that, for a given fand assy, the breakavam tails assy is a fansaan of the rano of feed 4
coms to asparanse work cosa and is compisasiv independsat of the ennched product assay.
Simms the normal urannes fand assey (0.71196 % is ausmusily a coastaat of nature. BETA bosomes a direct fumanon of the feed to SWU cons ratin. Therefore. the absolute valu 4
the imod and SWU cases are not L, - ~-- - 4 the cost ratio. This means that BETA is the sans for any product assay and that, if both feed and SWU cosas increase by the same paresstage (e.g., due to inflation), the BETA is==" M Figurs IV.1 is a plot of BETA j
voraus the cost rano.
t 49 1
i i
COST RATIO = (FEED COST, S/kgU OF UF.)/(SWU COST,3/SWU) 1.3 l
1.2 l
1.1 1.0 OP 0.9
<% 0.8 5o 0.7 U
0.8 0.5 0.4 0.3 O.20% 0.22% 0.24% 0.20% 0.28% 0.30% 0.32% 0.34% 0.38%
OPTD4UM TAILS ASSAY (% 8"U) l Fig.IV.L Emskevan esils muy(BETA).
l
-l The fand and SWU cases used should be the maressanal ensis that apply to the speciSc Tharsdors, sanctusent customers with di5srsat feed cosas wGl have daEarsat opumum transecuan tails assays. Libswas. DOE's inersussatal pmdunnon cost and the valus of fand to DOE are d:Serent than abs noms to our cussommer ao DOE's opuman operaung taus assay (BETA-1) will be dismaat than our cassomers' opumum transecuan tails assys.
Tbs nature of the breakeven tails squanon unpbes that depissed urasmus at any assey grosser than the curtums BETA som be -ny gaged. That is. the depisand urannan can
__. be used as pernally depisand imod (PDF) to the canade to prodnes h peduct and depissed urammet at the BETA assy. The cost of addidonal SWU sequhad to sanch FDF rather them mammi urassum is aihet by the saviny is normal feed pasahases. Depisted urname at an assy tem them or squal to tem BETA cannot be senaammaDy refed.
50
._ =. -
4 i
e N above aucussion does not include the cost of storage or other disposal of the dep uramum. If the disposal cost u considered. the only change is to add the cost of deposal the feed cost in calculaung the cost rano. The break-even tads equation then becomes (C.
- Cm)
'z, 11 - 1.)'
. f1 - 1.i f2 1,.p f
1
= (2 zf - 1) In C
z, - (1 - zg x,j 1 - 1, m
4 i
where C is the cost of disposalin dollars per kilogram of uramuni. Note that the nght sula u
of the equauon a uriehanged. Therefore. Fig. IV.1 is stdl applicabhniy the calculanon of the cost reno has changed. Note also that, as va increased deposal cosa wdl reduce the optimum tads asssNereby reducing the amouns of depleted uramum to be disposed of.
N umu on the disposal cost must. of course. match the units on the feed and SWU costs.
l 1
W 4
i e
4 5
i 1
1 1
1 i
2 4
e 4
e 51
m--
-w_.
.m a
,_.g..-
h m--_u.s.-
A.
umm.A
.a m
a A__
I I
9 l
l l
1 l
l l
l l
Appsoda v. coNVEasoN FROCE5Eis G
G l
l l
1 4
. _.. -. - ~ _ -. -. - -. _ -
i i
i q
Appenda V. CONVERSION PROCESSES Several routes est for converung UF. to UF., uranium metal. or the ondes. & UF.
UF. reduction process reacts hydrogen (H.,) with UF in a tower (verucal pipe) reactor j
according to the equation i
UF. + H: - UF. + 2HF.
His rescuan becomes self.sostammg at apptr====*iy 800"F. which is achieved I
beating tbs reactor wall or by injecung fluonne with the UF Occa igaued. the reacnon i
proceeds vigorously and requires considerable coohng to mamaain a wall temperanus below 1000*F. the upper temperature limit for Monal (a common matenal of consaucnon for fluonds -.
... - - - ). h produces are densa. Ensiy divided UF. powder and anhydrous HF. This is the process used by Sequoyah Fuels Corporation and Carchna Metals, Inc., to produce UF. for later convenson to uranium metal for the nu! story.
Any of the urannun omdes (UO, UO, or U 0s) can be formed from UF saber by vapor.
3 3
phans (dry) ry.d, '.-2 __.
-*- or by d=aw in weser fogowed by pescapitanon wah I.
a venety of reagens su,ch as ammonia, asumoama carbonese, or hydrogna peran subsequest cancmanos of the connesed pr=ap e===
The Somehmet and eqmpment seinesed depend on the product charactensucs deared and den sysemen. Phadmed beds, rosary kass, and amew rammes =ga of the RF by produ
= used in the vapor phans ymmen.
In the wet process. Stars and aantnfuges causet pesapaates, which may then he dried and
{
calcaned in screw or rotary kils eqmpment.
l In the dry - ihe uF a fed to ths menor in ihe - of =,achaamd seem a i
j 300*C to SOO*C cammag the UF. to react to fann urasyi Sunnds (UO F). The uresyi 2
Suonds is then reassed with more 5, ' - ~ " steem, & augsmessed with hydrogen.
j at about 750*C to produce the deared onds. These two saeps ces occur enhor in two 4
separass ressacrs or in a single multianos reactor, dependag on the design selected. N dry processes typicaDy recover most of the Suonds as aqueous (70%) HF which can be said or recycled to co svert nasural.assey U 0, feed to.UF. for sanciumeos. The basic resanoes 3
involved in converung UF. to oxids in the vapor phens are s
UF. + 2E 0 - UO F: + 4HF, I
suo,F, + sH 0 - 2U,0s + 12aF + O,
z
~ ~~
3UO F + 2H 0 + R: - U 0, + sRF, 2
I and UO:F: + H: - UO + 2HF.
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UF can be converted to onde m a similar fashion. However, the UF..to onde reacuan u reversible: so operstmg conditions must be carefully controlled to pnmde good yields:
i UF. +2H:0 - UO + 4HF.
J The wet conversion processes result in the generation of cowie Guande wasta. which 1
introduces extra processtag costs. Thee processes start by dassolving gaseous UF,in water.
{
The uranium hexaGuonde and water quicidy react as above to form uranyl Suonde, which is i
highly soluble in water. A precipitaung aget,t is then added to the soludon to recover the uranium product, which is cocvened to onde by calcamag (roasung) in the pruence of j
sunable reducing agents (typically, hydrogen or steam).
The current standard method of reducing UF, to urnamm metal. the thennite process, is to i
reduce the UF, to UF, as desenbed above and then react the Gaely powdered UF. wuh j
magnesium in a batch reactor:
.i 4
j UF, + 2Mg - U + 2MgF:.
l The reactor and its contents are heated to herwenn 550'C and 700*C to inmate the rescuen When the rescuan is en-plete and da contents are cooled the urnamat derby and MgF are i
removed. The uranium yield is apprommately 965. Of the runnemag 45, about half can be recovered as crude metal product by M=-8 means (snmiing, acreenag). Exhausuve leaciung of the MgF: can then reduce the rendual uremum consent. In this proces, all of the Suonde from the UF, is lost as MgF: weste.
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1 Dist. Category UC.515 t
l INTERNAL D15TRIBI:ITON MAR 71N MARETTA ENERGY SYSTEMS ENERGY SYSTEMS
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(W)
Oak Ridae
- 24. J. K Keith 3
- 1. J. R Asher 25 44. T. R. Immons. Jr.
- 2. N. R Baldwin i
- 45. D. C I.andguth
- 3. C R. Barlow
- 46. J. D. McGaugh. Jr.
- 4. J. R Bestmch
- 47. D. L Mason j
- 5. C R. Bieber
- 48. J. R. Marrunan 1
- 6. D. J. Bostock
- 49. K E. Mitchell
- 7. J. T. Bradbury III
- 50. E K Oakas t
- 8. T. M. Butler SL J.E Pashley l
- 9. J.E Devan
$1 R. L Penace j
- 10. R. S. Eby
$3. R. C Risps it R. L Fannmer
- 54. J. E. Rushion i
11 G. G. Fee
- 55. R. W. Schandt
- 13. J. E Googn
- 56. K. W. Sommerfeld
- 14. C A. Hall
- 57. D. L Stansberry
- 15. L E. Hall SL F. W. Stout 4
1
- 16. E K Hemana
- 59. E S. Taylor
- 17. R. L Higguns
- 60. L D. Trow 6ndge l
- 18. C C Hopians 6L R.L Walker
- 19. F. C Hudhnas
- 62. E D. Whitehead. Jr.
I
- 20. J. D.Jamses
- 63. R. E. Upchurch j
l 2L P.S. Johnson
- 22. M. L Jones P.adusah j
- 23. P. K Kanaan
- 64. J. E N da m i i
1 t
57 t
i 1
~
a i
n f
l i
ENERGY SYSTEMS DOE (conanned)
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(comanued)
- 65. S. C Blue 4
- 88. E. C Schaudt
- 66. C D. Ecklund
- 89. P. G. Sewell
)
- 67. R. A Green 1
90 93. D. C Thomas
- 68. S. A. Polston
- 69. H. Pulley DOE 4RO j
- 70. J. J. Staley Qajdidgg a
3' 7175. W. E. Sykes
- 94. W. R. Bibb l
i
- 76. C W. Walter i
l
- 95. D. C Booher 4
- 96. R. H. Dyer i
?c....auch i
- 97. J. C Hall
- 77. R. A. Boeiens
- 98. M. M. Haskell
- 78. D. E. Boyd i
- 99. D. B. Howard Jr.
- 79. J. G. Crawford f
100. R. O. Hultgren
- 80. R. G. DonneDy 101 101. J. W. Parks i
- 81. R. E. Donung 104. R. R. Nelson
- 82. R. D. McDonnott 105. J. R. pumann l
- 83. W. D. Netaar i
1
- 84. J. E. Shnemaker. Jr.
Paducah l
- 85. W. J. Spetnaget 106. D. R. Allen
- 86. J. P. Vournames 4
j DOE 107. E. W. GiDespes j
Headananen C7. J. W. Bennett 4
I 1
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4 58 l
1 i
4 4
1 1
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CONSULTANTS i
MJB Technical Awviates l
108. K. T. Ziehike 4
5 PAI Comoration 109. W. A. Pryor i
i vom. he. s....oa and P.,
110. R. J. Styduhar EXIERNAL DtrT10BUTION 111302. Given 6.J,en as shown in DOEOSTT-4500.R75 under Category 515. Nuclear l
Matenals Securuy and Management.
edu.m e e O
9