ML20132E461

Responds to ,Asking Various Questions About Toxic, Hazardous & Radioactive Matls,That Will Be Used at or Reported by Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant After NRC Assumes Regulatory Jurisdiction

ML20132E461
Person / Time
Site:	Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant
Issue date:	12/19/1996
From:	Pierson R NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
To:	Shearer V AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
Shared Package
ML20132E463	List: ML20132E461 ML20132E503
References
NUDOCS 9612230295
Download: ML20132E461 (3)

Text

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,, yo A UNITED STATES

1. .)* E NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

.s' Ek 4I WASHINGTON. D.C. 20555-0001 December 19, 1996

% .%..../

Reverend Velma M. Shearer i 124 Chestnut Street, #210 Englewood, Ohio 45322 ,

i

Dear Reverend Shearer:

i l

I am responding to your letter of November 26,1996 which asks various questions about toxic, hazardous, and radioactive materials that will be used at, released by, or reported by the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant after the NRC assumes regulatory jurisdiction. l i

The NRC regulates radioactive material to protect public health and safety, worker safety, and the environment. However, the NRC is not authorized to regulate toxic materials or 1 hazardous substances, nor does it file reports on these materials. Regulation of these I materials is the responsibility of other agencies, such as the U. S. Environmental Protection l Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and various state agencies. j The U. S. Enrichment Corporation (USEC), which operates the Portsmouth plant, is <

required to file reports in accordance with the requirements of those agencies.  ;

With respect.to radioactive materials, the Portsmouth plant has a monitoring program for J air and other effluents. The program is summarized in Chapter 9 of the enclosed l Certification Evaluation Report (Enclosure 1). The NRC requires that radioactive effluents i must be kept as low as reasonably achievable but in any case below the limits specified in l l

NRC regulations. The NRC,in consultation with the U. S. Department of Energy and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, must report at least annually to Congress on the status of health, safety, and environmental conditions at the plant. The first report will be filed in about a year and will be available to the public. Effluents are further discussed in the USEC application for certification, which is available as Docket 70-7002 in the local public document room at the Portsmouth Public Library,1220 Gallia Street, Portsmouth, i Ohio 45662. Information on the effluent program will be updated in the first renewal application, which is scheduled to be filed with the NRC by April 15,1998.

Further, with respect to radioactivs materials, the plant will carry out an NRC approved emergency plan which addresses accidents and releases of uranium compounds ud l related reaction products, such as hydrogen fluoride. Chapter 12 of the enclosed )

Certification Evaluation Report summarizes the plan. The plan has been coordinated with I offsite response organizations as part of the USEC application for certification. Biennial J exercises will be conducted to test individual elements of the plan. The plan states that  !

the plant complies with the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act.  !

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. V. M. Shaarer , .

The plan explicitly provides for notification of releases which would affect persons offsite.

A public warning system will be used if plant personnel believe it necessary to warn of an incident at the plant, which could include a uranium hexafluoride or hydrogen fluoride release. The system consists of outdoor warning sirens and emergency broadcast system announcements. The plan further calls for plant personnel to recomrnend protective actions to appropriate offsite authorities. In turn, these offsite authorities are responsible for alerting and notifying persons living within the offsite impacted areas.

l We hope these answers will be helpful to you.

Sincerely, Ofiginal Signed By Robert C. Pierson, Chief Special Projects Branch Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, NMSS

Enclosure:

Portsmouth Certification Evaluation Report Docket 70-7002 w/o encl:

• i DISTRIBUTION:

Docket 70-7002 NSC.klFile' Center'l  !#c IC SPB r/f OFC (fjBPB SPB f \PB SJp g ,

SPB NAME CSawyer:ij MNo DFj ley /Nbr't n Rhson DATE /4 /4/96 /'2/2496 [/ /96k /74/7196 lLh/96 l'V r1 C = COVER E = COVER & ENCLOSURE N = NO COPY

• OFFICIAL RECCRD COPY

. V. M. Shearer *. -

The plan explicitly provides for notification of releases which would a ect persons offsite.

A public warning system will be used if plant personnel believe it cessary to warn of an incident at the plant, which would include a uranium hexafluorid or hydrogen fluoride release. The system consists of outdoor warning sirens and e ergency broadcast system l announcements. The plan further calls for plant personnel recommend protective '

actions to appropriate offsite authorities. In turn, these o site authorities are responsible for alerting and notifying persons living within the offsi impacted areas.

We hope these answers will be helpful to you.

Sinc ely, Robert C. Pierson, Chief Special Projects Branch Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, NMSS 1

Enclosures:

1. Certification Ev uation Report 2.10 CFR Part 2 .

1 I

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Docket 70-7002 DISTRIBUTION:

Docket 70-7002 NRC File Center PUBLIC SPB r/f OFC _JPB SPB JPB h SPB SPB NAME Nawyer:ij MHorn [DHoadley DMartin RPierson DATE /1 ////96 / /96 /1//l/96 / /96 / /96 C = COVER E = COVER & ENCLOSURE N = NO COPY OFFICIAL RECORD COPY