ML20138H941
| ML20138H941 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07100207, 07109207 |
| Issue date: | 11/04/1985 |
| From: | Malody C SIEMENS POWER CORP. (FORMERLY SIEMENS NUCLEAR POWER |
| To: | Macdonald C NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20138H946 | List: |
| References | |
| 26157, NUDOCS 8512170379 | |
| Download: ML20138H941 (5) | |
Text
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RETURN.TO 396-SS P0fs EX;(ON NUCLEAR COMPANY INC.
2ici HORN RAPIDS ROAD.PO BOX 130 RICHLAND.WA 99352
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(509) 375 3100 TELEX 15 28 78 85 r 17 P ') :27 November 4, 1985 c)
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DCCKETED D
Mr. C. E. MacDonald, Chie f c nc Transportation Certification Branch DEC 101985 &
9 Division of Fuel Cycle and Material Safet &
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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission mg Washington, D.C.
20555 Ma sm1
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Dear Mr. MacDonald:
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m This application by Exxon Nuclear Company, Inc - requests an exemption from 10 CFR 71, Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Material, for a one time shipment as allowed by 10 CFR 71.7.
Exxon Nuclear has removed from one of its operating facilities certain hoods, equipment pieces and misec11aneous solid wastes which are slightly contaminated with plutonium and natural uranium compounds.
The waste form meets the definition of low specific activity material as described in 10 CFR 71.4.
Seven of the waste packages are Class C waste and one package is Class A waste as defined in 10 CFR 61.55.
Enclosed is a listing of information and controls surrounding the subject shipment which is believed to provide a very adequate margin of safety.
The format of the enclosure follows that which is listed in Policy and Guidance Directive FC 84-18 as suggested by Mr. R.11. Odegaarde n o f your staff.
Discussions have been held with a representative of the State llealth Officer, Dr. John Beare, with respect to points of contact and shipping controls and our plan is considered adequate contingent upon your approval of this application. A copy of his letter on this subject is enclosed.
We would appreciate your early review and approval of this request as we would prefer to make the shipment before weather conditions add to the complication of scheduling.
Please find enclosed a check for $150.
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PDR ADOCK 07109207 Enclosure (10 copies)
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APPLICATION FOR EXEMPTION FROM 10 CFR 71 In the past, Exxon Nuclear manufactured mixed oxide fuel elements for light water power reac tors.
This operation resulted in certain hood and other equipment pieces becomine contaminated with plutonium and natural uranium. The Federal law on reprocessing effectively halted further e f fort in this area.
The equipment has been partially decontaminated and is ready for disposal to waste.
These wastes were predicted to be Class C waste requiring stabilization and have been entombed in concrete for that purpose.
One waste package turned out to be Class A.
The size and weight o f these concrete waste blocks are such that no approved packaging exists for their transport to the disposal site. However, it is believed that the concrete blocks themselves provide an adequate degree of safety. Additional decontam-ination and disassembly might have allowed less stringent stabilization and packaging measures; however, the additional personnel exposure to radiation and potential spread of contamination did not appear to justify alternate disposal ef forts. A licensee is continually attempting to balance good ALARA principles with various operating practices.
The enclosed drawing ( At tachment #1) contains information describing the construction and radioisotopic content of each cask.
The cross section on the drawing is typical of all casks and indicates reinforcing steel on 12 inch centers on five of the casks six sides.
The basic casks were con-
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structed as open-top boxes with six-inch thick, reinforced sides and bottoms.
Due to the size of the casks as well as the hydraulic forces which were created during the equipment entombment, the casks' reinforcement steel were designed by a structural engineer licensed in the State of Washington
( Attachment #2). The concrete mixtures used for the basic casks and for the equipment entombment were designed for the intended purpose by the concrete supply company.
The minimum distance from the outside of the casks to any radioisotope is six inches, including the top.
The cask volumes vary from 460 ft3 to 733 ft3 and weights from 32 tons to 51 tons. The construction contractor who performed - the conc re te work for this project had previous experience on similar jobs for the Department of Energy.
The placement of the reinforcing steel for each cask was inspected by the project engineer who is a Professional Engineer registered in the State of Washington. The makeup of each batch of concrete mix was certified by the concrete supplier and the concrete pours were witnessed by knowledgeable Exxon Nuclear employees.
The contents of the packages are solid wastes, no liquids were involved.
There are no known void spaces in that during the concrete pouring operation a deliberate effort was made to fill all spaces. Due to the shiciding of the concretc there are no measurable dose rates at the surface of the package and there is no surface contamination fixed or smearable.
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3 It is planned to transport the shipment according to the requirements listed in 49 CFR 173.425(b). The transport route to the disposal site is heavily traveled during shift change hours 7:00 a.m.
to 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
to 5:00 p.m., but otherwise traffic is very light. Transport of the packages will avoid the heavy traffic hours.
The distance to be traveled is approximately 25 miles, 17 miles of which is open to public travel and 8 of which is on restricted access Department of Energy property.
The roadway is of good quality and in good repair with most of the first 17 miles being four-lane, divided highway.
There are no residences along the route with most of the route being through open land.
The shipment will be escorted. The escort team will include a qualified Health Physics technician with appropriate survey instrumentation and barricading equipment. The escort team will have been provided with written procedures for emergency situations and will have been trained in the implementation of those procedures.
The vehicles used for transport will be exclusive use vehicles which have been inspected by Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commis-sion.
The packages will be loaded and shored as appropriate by the trans-porting contractor.
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4 The eight packages will be transported individually (one per vehicle) and therefore eight vehicle trips will be required. The entire shipment will there fore transpire over a number of days.
The route and schedule will be notified to the State health of ficials, local fire departments and U.S.
Department of Energy Representatives.
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