ML20151X011

Safety Evaluation Supporting Amend 13 to License SNM-1227 Re UF6 Cylinder Relocation,Addl Filter Presses & Sale of Ammonium Hydroxide

ML20151X011
Person / Time
Site:	Framatome ANP Richland
Issue date:	09/01/1998
From:	Chotoo S, Drake D, Harry Felsher NRC
To:
Shared Package
ML20151W999	List: ML20151W995 ML20151X003 ML20151X011
References
NUDOCS 9809160218
Download: ML20151X011 (2)

Text

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jparo4 p *i UNITED STATES 1 3-o

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S NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001

% # September 1, 1998  !

DOCKET NO: 70-1257 i LICENSEE: : Siemens Power Corporation (SPC) j Richland, Washington ,

SUBJECT:

- SAFETY EVALUATION REPORT: UF, CYLINDER RELOCATION, ADDITIONAL FILTER PRESSES, AND THE SALE OF AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE j BACKGROUND .

By letter dated May 29,1998, the licensee requested an amendment to Materials License SNM-1227 to reflect the correct location of UF. cylinder storage, adding criticality control i information for Solids Processing Facility (S_PF) filter presses to Table I-4.1, and the commercial

' sale of ammonium hydroxide. The NRC staff has reviewed and approved these changes in previous Safety Evaluation Reports (SER) dated November 15,1996, and May 12,1998. SPC ,

has submitted this amendment to properly reflect current practices in Part I of it's license. l l

DISCUSSION  !

UF6 Cylinder Storage Location l I

. SPC built a new UF. Receiving and Storage Facility away from the UO2 Building to facilitate the safe storage and movement of UF cylinders on-site. SPC added the facility description to Section 10 of the license during renewal and consequently the NRC approved the renewal by

' SER dated November 15,1996. Inadvertently, SPC did not update a reference to the storage -

4 location in Section 1 of the license during the renewal. This change is administrative in nature, amends the license to properly reflect current SPC practice, and will have no significant effect ,

on pub lic health and safety or the environment.

Solids Processing Facility Filter Presses .

' By letter dated July 30,1996, and supplement dated January 28,1997, the licensee requested authorization to operate filter presses as part of the Solids Processing Facility (SPF). The NRC reviewed the criticality safety controls for the SPF filter presses and approved SPF operations in iicense amendment No.12 (SER dated May 12,1998). However, SPC did not provide all the necessary changes to the criticahty control information for these filter presses in Table 1-4.1. '

This amendment properly reflects approved SPC practices and will have no significant effect on public health and safety or the environment.

Release of Ammonium Hydroxide By letter dated August 10,1995, the licensee requested authorization to release ammonium hydroxide containing up to 0.05 ppm of uranium for the manufacture of ammonia fertilizer and 9909160218 980901 PDR ADOCK 07001257 C PDR

2 other industrial uses. The NRC reviewed and approved the licensee's request during the renewal of Materials License SNM-1227, SER dated November 15,1996. As part of this review, the staff considered the environmental consequences of the release of ammonium hydroxide and determined that the release of this material will have no significant effect on public health and safety or the environment.

Apparently, the authorization was not included in Part I of renewed License SNM-1227 due to an oversight by the licensee. Therefore, in the submittal dated May 29,1998, the licensee requested that the authorization to release ammonium hydroxide be included in Part I of the license, subject to the following conditions:

1. A representative sample of each batch of ammonium hydroxide product shall be )

obtained and analyzed for uranium;  ;

2. A batch shall be no larger than 40,000 liters; and ,

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3. The uranium concentration in the ammonium hydroxide shall not exceed 0.05 ppm. i These conditions are consistent with the original NRC approval of this activity and with the conditions governing the authorized release of other uranium-bearing materials from the SPC ,

facility for unrestricted use. In addition, the batch size of 40,000 liters is within current average j storage volumes of this type of material at the facility. Therefore, the staff has determined that -)

inclusion of the authorization to release ammonium hydroxide in Part i of License SNM-1227 is acceptable. i l

CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION These changes are considered proceduralin nature. The staff has determined that the proposed changes do not adversely affect public health and safety or the environment and are categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare a site-specific environmental assessment. Therefore, in accordance with 10 CFR 51.22(c)(11), neither an environmental  ;

assessment nor an environmental impact statement is warranted for this action.

CONCLUSION The proposed changes improve Part I of the license to reflect the facility and will increase the effectiveness of the NRC staff to monitor SPC. The changes will not adversely affect worker or public health and safety or the environment. Therefore, the staff recommends approval of this amendment request.

The Region IV inspection staff has no objection to the proposed licensing action.

PRINCIPAL CONTRIBUTORS Susan Chotoo David Drake Harry Felsher Paul Lain 4