ML20151P482

Requests Info Re Missing Nuclear Matls at SEFOR & Apollo, PA Plants.Response Requested by 730817

ML20151P482
Person / Time
Site:	05000231, 07000364
Issue date:	08/15/1973
From:	Stradinger O US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC)
To:	Mantzing L US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC)
References
6062, NUDOCS 8601140356
Download: ML20151P482 (1)

Text

- . - - - -

==.4.. -b L

g  % bec: L. !!. Qtzing, Da Qcc:-- L. Brenner, NUMS L. V. Cossick, DR  !! PPB Branch Files C. Ertter (DR 9 6062) DR Central Files DR Reading Files

0. Stradingcr, Office of Congressional Eclations INFORMATIO:1031;ISSIliG SPECIAL IiUCL"AR MATERLtL The ensucr to your qucntion regarding nucJear material at the SEF02 Plcat and the plant in Apollo, Pennsylvania, is as follows:

A. SEFOR There was no nuclear natorial nissing at the SEFOR Reactor Pacility. A small nur.ber of fuel rods (19 out of 550) for .

the reactor vere found to ceatain less plutonium than speci-fled. These rods ucre rec.oved from the reactor and returned to tha tanufceturer in Tennessee. Mc.r fuel rods , with the ,

proper enou .c of plutonium, vere placed in the reactor as replacccents.

Recovery of all of the natcrial in process (acrap) has been completed at the manufacturing plants in Tennessec and !!cu York. The qucatity of uneccotmted for plutenf un was within the qucntitico expected. since thio was the first tir:c this type of fuel had been fabricated. - Sox.c 750 kilograns of plutonium vere involved in the manufacture of these fuel rods and only about 6 kilogranr vore not accotmted for. The AEC has determined that this anount of unaccotmted for caterial was within the limits enticipated for this particular fuel  ;

fabrication procedure. I l

B. APOLLO, PE!GSYLVANIA PLtdT l/APM l l

The " missing" nuclear material at the Apollo , Pennsylvania facility was the result of cumulative process lossco from the time of the plcnt start-up in 1957 until 1%5. At this Lice, the loaacs were identified as a result of an AEC inspection of the facility during a period of low inventory.

The locaca resulted fron understated process losses on indi-vidual contracts and the inability of plant manageecnt to unintain identity of the caterial as to the contract for which it was originally rcccived. The AEC cetacluded that the " missing" nuclear caterial was reuoved as underestinated discards and burials, and held up in proccau equipment, piping, filters, etc.

gROil40356 730815 C ADOCK 07000364 PDR l omet > R0' V' l R0[% Ifs'nu5" R0 DonfldF.Ruuth .l iiW5'rnE}i 'DE.sBE"BF RegtD 6f6fy" Up6rlit? U!ili"" "" "*

su mm ,. x w .4.:!.P.~Q d 2~ ....M.h 8-17-73 ,

~ 6 NEuh1 F "~. .. ..&..l..e./ ..

I

__ our> ............................ ...........? . [,, Qq ,.....

Fena A[C-5ts tRn. 9-53) Alot C240 e.e euh-su -) a one

[ FROM .

CONTROL NUMBER FILE LOCATION

. .t,.no.or 6062 DATE OF DOCUMEN T \_

ION COMPLE TlON OEADLINE i

TO allsin ACTION PROCES5ING DATES slal13 PREPARE FOR SIGNATURE OF:

A c knowled ged Chairman b* Sk Interim Reply 0,,ector of Regulation Final _ Z Keeth DESCRIPTION g Q Original O Copy O Oth.,

, REMARKS i Beg reply te gemettom re sueleer meteriale adeeleg from the 8E80E s Plant and the pleet la Apo!!e. Pa.. for mee la reply

== tte eeb feme a causseestenet etisee - roepenes regmened w Aags.17 i

REFERRED TO DATE l$ NOTIFICATION TO THE JCAE RECOMMENDED?

Ameth f/waten s/16/73 Cys:

i .

~

gg Smeetah i $

,- 3 \

g -

DIRECTOR OF REGULA TtON COMMUNICATIONS CONTROL Form HQ.32 (173)

USAEC

a i

b "o

'%fN k,..*' O UNITCD STATES o

[/' L,M. ) 'a ,

ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION i

1*. l .-- WASH WGTON, D.C. 20545 sg: .N.

ehi* , ,.

l ,, p - *< ll

) I August 15, 1973

(

.t f

i I

! L. Manning Muntzing,

'/

l Director of Regulation v'

i

$ REQUEST FOR INFOR.MTTON l

• j Tle l Office of Congressional Relations has had referred to ,

I it from a Congressional office a letter which asks a number of questions. Please provide a suitable reply for the following question.

! What is known about the nuclear materials miss-

) ing from the SEFOR Plant and the plant in l

Apollo, Pennsylvania?

We would appreciate receiving your response by C03 .\ugust 17.

/

Oscar trp.inger Offic- of/ C>ngressional Relations

/

1 i

RCC'd Ull. Dif. Cl fl0 %

L