ML20134N190
| ML20134N190 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Millstone  |
| Issue date: | 11/21/1996 |
| From: | Miraglia F NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | Rebilowski L AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20134N193 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9611260213 | |
| Download: ML20134N190 (5) | |
Text
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION f
WASHINGTON, D.C. segeHest i
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November 21, 1996 Ms. Lynn Rebilowski 267 Roxbury Road l
Niantic, CT 06257 l
Dear Ms. Rebilowski:
l Thank you for your letter of October 12, 1996, to Chairman Jackson of the U.S.
l Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
It is always a pleasure to hear from t
people who formerly were associated with the NRC. We appreciate that you attended the public meeting held August 6,1996, in Waterford, Connecticut, at l
which Dr. Jackson discussed NRC activities related to Millstone Units 1, 2, j
and 3.
2 j
In y'our letter, you asked about the feasibility of vitrification of the radioactive waste water at Millstone.
Except for the spent fuel elements, i
the potentially contaminated waste material at a nuclear plant is normally i
i classified as low-level radioactive waste.
" Low-level waste" is a general.
term for a variety of contaminated wastes generated by nuclear power plants, t
hospitals, medical and educational research institutions, private and Government laboratories, and other governmental or commercial activities that use radioactive materials as part of their normal operations.
Compared to the high-level waste involving spent fuel, the low-level waste from a nuclear
)
plant has a very low level of radioactivity with a relatively shorter half-i life.
In most nuclear plants, the radioactive waste water that you mentioned l
1s processed through ion exchange resins that remove the soluble and insoluble radioactivity, as well as any chemical contaminants, so that the water can be l
reused in the plant. 'The specially designed ion exchange resins function j
similar to the ion exchange resins in a household water softener. The solid resin beads are dewatered and shipped as a solid material in high-integrity i
containers to one of the two approved low-level waste disposal facilities at i,
Barnwell, South Carolina, or Hanford, Washington.
i The vitrification process that is described in the two articles you sent primarily is being evaluated by the Department of Energy for processing the highly radioactive wastes from the solvent-extraction process used to separate plutonium and uranium for the nuclear weapons program. As the one article l
I stated, the process has "one catch--the cost" and notes that "it costs about
{
$800 a pound to process high-level nuclear waste." The ion exchange process used in most nuclear plants to remove the radioactive material from waste water creates a solid material acceptable for disposal at a fraction of the 1
j cost. Thus, vitrification has not been considered for this application, i
j In your letter, you also raised a question s. bout tl'e utilities considering i
natural gas as the fuel source for future power generating facilities. Any
]
decision by a utility as to whether they build their own generating facilities 9611260213 961121 P
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Lynn Rebilowski November 21, 1996 L
or purchase power from an independent producer or other utility is based, to a large extent, on economic considerations. The NRC is not involved in these 1
economic decisions.
I trust this information is responsive to'your comments.
Sincerely, Original signed by Frank J. Miraglia Frank J. Miraglia, Jr., Acting Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation l
DISTRIBUTION:
DocketLFile #50-245r 50-3360~ahdl50-423)V "i(w/origindincoming)f"~
PUBLIC (w/ incoming)-
.HMiller, RI ED0#96797 BSheron JTaylor TMartin JMilhoan WTravers.
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SVarga JZwolinski PMcKee PMilano OGC OPA OCA SECY # CRC-96-1085 NRR Mail Room (EDO# 96797 w/ incoming) (012/G/18)
N01 son CNorsworthy RClark w/ incoming LBerry JDurr, RI DOCUMENT NAME: G:\\GT96797 *SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCE
- CONCURRED W/ EDITS - SEE ATTACHED T3 receive a copy of tMe document,Indcate in the box: "C" = Copy without attachment / enclosure "E" = Copy withfg.aphment/ enclosure
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Lynn Rebilowski ;
or purchase power from an independent producer or other utility is based, to a large extent, on economic considerations. The NRC is not involved in these economic decisions.
I trust this information is responsive to your coments.
Sincerely,
(
4eaQW FrankJ.GragiaMr.,
ng Director l
Office of Nuclear Reactor R ulation
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EDO Principal Correspondence control FROM:
DUE: 11/01/96 EDO CONTROL: GT96797 DOC DT: 10/12/96 FINAL REPLY:
Lynn Rabilowski TOs Chnirman Jackson FOR SIGNATURE OF :
ROUTING:
-MILLSTONE ISSUES Taylor Milhoan Thompson
]
Blaha J
HMiller, RI DATE: 10/22/96 hSSIGNEDTO:
CONTACT:
NRR Miraglia I
<SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:
Put EDO and Chairman on for concurrence.
Chairman's Office to review response prior
-to dispatch.
- NRR RECEIVED:
OCTOBER 22, 1996 NRR ACTION:
DRPE:VARGA ACTION NRR ROUTING:
MIRAGLIA THADANI ZIMMERMAN DUE TO NRR DIRECTOR'S OFFICE SHERON
"$0" BY O c t. 2 9,. ] 9 %
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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
~~
CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET-PAPER NUMBER:
CRC-96-1085 LOGGING DATE: Oct 22'96 ACTION OFFICE:
EDO ua[L v
AUTHOR:-
LYNN REBELOWTH5' AFFILIATION: '
CONNECTICUT ADDRESSEE:
CHAIRMAN JACKSON i
LETTER DATE:
Oct 12 96 FILE CODE: IDR-5 MILLSTONE 4
SUBJECT:
EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY AND REF CHAIRMAN'S VISIT TO WATERFORD, CONN---MILLSTONE ISSUES ACTION:
Direct Reply I
DISTRIBUTION:
CHAIRMAN, COMRS SPECIAL HANDLING: SECY TO ACK i
l CONSTITUENT:
1-NOTES:
OCM #5634--CHAIRMAN SHOULD REVIEW RESPONSE PRIOR TO DISPATCH C
DATE DUE:
Nov 4 96 SIGNATURE:
DATE SIGNED:
AFFILIATION:
i w
l l
EDO -- GT96797