ML20132E599

Responds to Portsmouth & Paducah Certificate Amend Requests Re Extension of Scheduled Completion Dates for Compliances Plan,Heu Related Issues & Date for Fire Pump Refurbishment

ML20132E599
Person / Time
Site:	Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, 07007001
Issue date:	12/18/1996
From:	Ten Eyck E NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
To:	John Miller UNITED STATES ENRICHMENT CORP. (USEC)
References
TAC-L32002, TAC-L32004, TAC-L32005, NUDOCS 9612230343
Download: ML20132E599 (3)

Text

,

70 ~7Co(~7002-f.* '% $

,y* UNITED STATES g g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

• WASHINGTON. D.C. 20555-0001 49

• * * * * ,o December 18, 1996 Mr. James H. Miller Vice President, Production U. S. Enrichment Corporation 2 Democracy Center 6903 Rockledge Drive Bethesda, Maryland 20817 SUB4CT: CHANGES TO PORTSMOUTH COMPLIANCE PLAN DUE DATES FOR NCS RELATED ISSUES (TAC NO. L32004) AND AN HEU RELATED ISSUE (TAC NO. L32005); CHANGE TO PADUCAH COMPLlANCE PLAN DUE DATE FOR FIRE PUMP REFURBISHMENT (TAC NO. L32002)

Dear Mr. Miller:

This letter is in response to your Portsmouth certificate amendment requests dated October 31,1996 (GDP 96-0190) and November 4,1996 (GDP 96-0192), and your Paducah amendment request dated October 31,1996 (GDP 96-0191). We have also reviewed your letter of December 13,1996, responding to our letter to you of December 10,1996,in which we requested additional information concerning the Portsmouth amendment requests.

In your October 31,1996, Portsmouth certificate amendment request, you propose to l extend the scheduled completion date for Compliance Plan issue 8, involving completion of formal nuclear criticality safety approvals (NCSAs) and nuclear criticality safety evaluations (NCSEs), from November 30,1996, to January 31,1997. Related completion dates in i Compliance Plan issues 9,23,24,30 and 32, which are dependent on completion of the i NCSAs and NCSEs, would be extended to February 28,1997.  ;

The high-enriched uranium (HEU) issue at Portsmouth involves extension of the required  !

date for disposition of all discrete items of HEU materials (except for a de minimis quantity across allleased areas not to exceed 999 grams of U-235), not associated with the ,

suspension and refeed programs, from November 15,1996, to February 28,1997. The extension is required to enable transfer of DOE-owned HEU standards material (now contained in 2S cylinders stored in DOE-controlled space in the X-345 Building) into Russian sample cylinders, which have not yet arrived, in support of the Russian Transparency Program.

Under your proposal, the DOE standards material would first be transferred into smaller Hoke tubes, and then returned to DOE-controlled space; subsequently, the Russian sample i cylinders could be filled by transferring material from the Hoke tubes. All transfers would occur in the X-710 Building, which is USEC-teased space. The Hoke tubes would be g h

moved into the X-710 Building and transferred into the Russian cylinders at a rate which j would maintain compliance with USEC's future NRC-allowed HEU limit of 999 grams U-235 (safeguards Category lit limits).

9612230343 961218 "

g

.). dbV I PDR ADOCK 07007001 I C PDR g ,g . i me

l l

U! S. Enrichmcnt Corporation l it is our understanding that USEC has ceased performing transfer work and intends not to resume transfers until NRC takes action on the requested amendment because the current i November 15 deadline has passed, and because rnoving a filled DOE 2S cylinder into USEC {

leased space would cause USEC to exceed its future HEU limit. As discussed below, we  !

do not believe this delay is necessary. '

2 4

The Paducah amendment request asks for approval to extend the' Compliance plan completion date for certain fire pump refurbishment work from October 31 1996, to ,  !

November 22,1996. Since this date has passed, we see no reason to act on this request. I i

The NRC, DOE, and USEC agreed to a transition period extending to March 3,1997, before the certificates of compliance become effective, in order to allow an orderly transition to NRC re0ulatory requirements. During this transition period, USEC operations remain under the oversight of DOE. Therefore, we have no objection to your proceeding with your plans concerning both Portsmouth issues described here, provided you do so in j accordance with all applicable DOE requirements. Accordingly, we have determined that i no action on the part of NRC is necessary with respect to these amendment requests at '

this time. However, since greater than Category lli amounts of HEU will not be permitted ,

. in leased space after March 2,1997, we strongly encourage you to schedule associated  !

transfer of HEU so that it will be completed no later than February 15,1997, to provide a contingency against unforeseen schedule slippage.

The certificates of compliance for the GDPs will become effective March 3,1997, when  !

NRC assumes regulatory jurisdiction. At that time, any Compliance Plan action item that has become due, but has not been completed, will constitute a non-compliance subject to NRC enforcement action.

Should you have any question concerning these matters, please contact Mr. Dan E. Martin of my staff at (301) 415-7254.

Sincerely, Odginal Signed By Elizabeth O. Ten Eyck, Director Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, NMSS DISTRIBUTION:

Dockets 70-7001 & 70-7002 LNRCfilEConfeQ PUBLIC NMSS r/f FCSS r/f SPB r/f GShear, Rill CCox, Rill KO'Brien, Rill DAHoadley P:\USEC.DEM W S P%'m d,ww.e OFC SPB ( SPB _C OGC FCSF/f NAME artin hkefshn $(~ ETen Ey k DATE /2 h [ /8 [ ] b C = COVER E = COVER & ENCLOSURE N = NO COPY OFFICIAL RECORD COPY a

J 1

Y vt

'\*

O. 5. Enrichm: t Corporation It is our understa ing that USEC has ceased performing transfer work and intends not to resume transfers until NRC takes action on the requested amendment because the current November 15 deadl e has passed, and because moving a filled DOE 2S cylinder into USEC leased space would use USEC to exceed its future HEU limit. As discussed below, we do not believe this deth is necessary.

The Paducah amendment equest asks for approval to extend the Compliance plan completion date for certai fire pump refurbishment work from October 31,1996, to November 22,1996. Since this date has passed, we see no reason to act on this request.

The NRC, DOE, and USEC agr ed to a transition period extending to March 3,1997, before the certificates of compli nce become effective,in order to allow an orderly transition to NRC regulatory requ ements. During this transition period, USEC operations remain under the oversight of DO Therefore, we have no objection to your proceeding with your plans concerning both Po smouth issues described here, provided you do so in accordance with all applicable DOE r quirements. Accordingly, we have determined that no action on the part of NRC is neces ry with respect to these amendment requests at this time. However, in order to ensure n orderly transition as of March 3,1997, we strongly encourage you to schedule tran er work involving greater than Category 111 amounts of HEU so that it will be complet d no later than about February 15,1997, to provide some contingency against unforese n schedule slippage.

The certificates of compliance for the GDPs w become effective March 3,1997, when NRC assumes regulatory jurisdiction. At that ti , any Compliance Pian action item that has become due, but has not been completed, wi constitute a non-compliance subject to NRC enforcement action.

Should you have any question concerning these matters, lease contact Mr. Dan E. Martin of my staff at (301) 415-7254.

Sincerely, Elizabeth O. Ten Eyck, Director Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, NMSS DISTRIBUTION:

Dockets 70-7001 & 70-7002 NRC File Center PUBLIC NMSS r/f FCSS r/f SPB r/f GShear, Rlli CCox, Rill KO'Brien, Rlli DAHoadley PAUSEC.DEM OFC SPL C SPB , d OGC [ FCSS NAME hkrtin hr r) hf)$h ETen Eyck DATE /2[/7fh [Z[/7[% [h

8

/

C = COVER E = COVER & ENCLOSURE N = NO COPY OFFICIAL RECORD COPY