ML20135F677

Requests Technical Assistance in Review of Certificate Amend Request for Hypothetical Criticality Accident Scenario Dose at Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant

ML20135F677
Person / Time
Site:	Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant
Issue date:	03/11/1997
From:	Pierson R NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
To:	Weber M NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
References
TAC-L32014, NUDOCS 9703130268
Download: ML20135F677 (2)

Text

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MEMORANDUM T0:

March 11, 1997 Michael F. Weber, Chief Licensing Branch Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards FROM: Robert C. Pierson, Chief Special Projects Branch M* b(c)- '

Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards

SUBJECT:

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE REQUEST - REVIEW 0F CERTIFICATE AMENDMENT REQUEST FOR HYP0THETICAL CRITICALITY ACCIDENT SCENARIO 00SE AT PORTSMOUTH GASE0US DIFFUSION PLANT (PORTS)

The Special Projects Branch requests technical assistance in reviewing the following project:

1 Pro.iect: USEC certificate amendment request (CAR), dated February 25,1997, to revise the radiological doses from a hypothetical criticality event described in the application Safety Analysis Report (SAR).

Casework /RITS/ TAC Nos: 70-7002060S/212A/L32014 Reauested Action: The accident analysis section (Chapter 4) of the USEC application Safety Analysis Report (SAR), which is similar to the DOE 1985 FSAR, describes several hypothetical accident scenarios, including criticality events and their estimated impacts. The NRC-approved certificate authorizes PORTS a maximum enrichment of 3.0% in the cascade building, X-333. It should be noted that, on November 8,1996, DOE authorized this enrichment level for X-333.

USEC has now determined that the impacts from a hypothetical criticality event in X-333, as reflected in the current NRC approved application SAR, are based on a lower than 3.0% maximum allowable enrichment level for X-333. Dose calculations performed by Oak Ridge indicated that if the maximum authorized enrichment level in X-333 rose to 3.0%, the maximum dose in Area Control Room 1 (ACR-1) would increase from 5 millirem to 49 rem. According to USEC's amendmentapplication,raisingthemaximumenrichmentlevellyeredthe closest distance from the criticality event, producing 2 x 10 fissions from a uranium enrichment level of 1.2% and a neutron leakage factor of 0.0360, to ACR-1, from 240 feet to 40 feet.

The SPB target date for completion of this amendment is May 30, 1997. To meet this target date, completion of your review in the form of a final Compliance Evaluation Report is requested by April 30, 1997. Please note that a preliminary review of the amendment request performed by Yawar Faraz has identified several questions. As such we anticipate a need for at least one /

request for additional information (RAI) to be generated by the primary Q reviewer no later than March 28, 1997. Ifneeded,ameetingwithUSEConthisyU subject could also be arranged before sending them our RAI.

A copy of the CAR is attached. Please have the assigned reviewer directly n contact Yawar Faraz before March 14, 1997 to further discuss this request, g U

9703130268 970311

^"o" 5" 7 o;n" NRC FR.E CENTER COPY

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i Michael F. Weber .

Contacts: PM: Yawar H. Faraz, 415-8113 LA: D. Amy Hoadley, 415-8129 Please provide the information requested below and return a completed copy to j the Licensing Assistant (LA) or Project Manager (PM) before March 14, 1997. l Name of Reviewer:

FCLB's Projected Completion Date:

FCLB Branch Chief Signature: 1 The above TAC No. should be referenced in future correspondence related to this request and on the RITS Report for recording staff time expended on this i effort. I Docket 70-7002 Certificate GDP-2 i

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Attachment:

Letter from George P. Rifakes to Carl J. Paperiello dated February 25, 1997, entitled "Resubmittal of Certificate Amendment Request - Additional Hypometical Criticality case for X-333 (SAR Section 4.1.1.2.3.5)."

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I Docket 70-7002 i

G:\ TAR 2060S.YHF DISTRIBUTION:. w/o encl. (Control No: 060S)

Docket 70-7002 NRC File Center PUBLIC SPB r/f FCSS r/f NHSS r/f CCox, RIII GShear, RIII MHorn TWenck WSchwink, FCOB DHeartland, RIII_

0FC SPB d- SPJ ej . r SPB 6 SPB ,

NAME YFaraz:N [ M kin Y15Hoadley RPiNon DATE 3/ 7 /97 T /7 /97 3/10/97 'b /lli /97 C = COVER E = COVER & ENCLOSURE N = NO COPY OFFICIAL RECORD COPY