ML20154E730
| ML20154E730 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000000, 05000603, 05000604 |
| Issue date: | 09/08/1988 |
| From: | Rouse L NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20154E721 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8809190110 | |
| Download: ML20154E730 (5) | |
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1 7590-01 4
U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COM ISSION NOTICE OF ISSUANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT I
RELATED TO THE CONSTRUCTION i
) 0F THE ALCHEMIE FACILITY - 2 OLIVER SPRINGS AND FINDING CF NO $1GNIFICANT IMPACT 00CAE1 NO. 50-604 l
ALL CHEMICAL ISOTOPE ENRICHMENT. INC.
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! The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission (the Cosnission) has issued an Environmental Assessment and a Finding of No Significant Impact related to the application, dated November 17, 1987, for a permit to construct the AlChem!E !
Facility 2 Oliver Springs. All Chemical Isotope Enrichment, Inc. (AIChem!E or !
] applicant) intends to use the facility to enrich stable isotopes. l i
Environnental Assessrrent f
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] Identification of Proposed Action: The proposed action would authorize the f
applicant to construct the AlChemIE Facility 2 in the Andy Justice Industrial l 4
Park in Oliver Springs Tennessee. In order to enrich stab)(r isotopes, AlchemIE i is purchasing centrifuge machines from the Department of Energy (DOE). The .
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' l centrifuge machines were originally designed and manufactured to enrich uranium, l l but Alchemie will not use them for that purpose.
4 88091901g0 8S0908 PDR ADOCK 05000603 i PDC q 1 '
2 Although the enriching of stable isotopes is not ordinarily within the regulatory authority of the (.onnission, any equipment or device capable of .
enriching uranium, if intended for commercial use, must be licensed by the Connission. Since the centrifuge machines AlChemIE will obtain from 00E are capable of enriching uranium, their possession and use must be licensed. The Commission rule which governs the licensing of production facilities is 10 CFR Part 50.
l The Need for the Proposed Action: The proposed construction permit will allow the applicant to construct the A1ChemlE Facility 2 Oliver Springs, and to install centrifuge machines previously used by 00E, AlChemIE plans to use the centrifuge machines to enrich stable isotopas. AIChem!E will not use the centrifuge machines obtained from 00E to enric5 uranium; however, any equipment or device capable of enriching uranium, if intended for concercial use, must be licensed by the Conmission.
l Environmentol Impacts of the Prorosed Action: The NRC staff assessed the potential consequences of using the contaminated equipment and concluded that l
even under the unexpected conditions where the uranium would be released to '
4 the environment, the consequences would be minimal with a 50-year whole body equivalent dose commitment of less than 1.2E-T. rrem.
The local environment at Oliver Springs is a moderately well charar.terized as a result of the environmental studies of the Oak Ridge Reservation. The area
- is being developed as an industrialized park with utilities and waste 1
managecent services to support the major facility needs.
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The facility will be housed in a steel-framed building with alumfrun siding, j The centrifuge equipment will be obtained from DOE's Portsmouth Facility.
Some of these machines are contaminated with uranium. The centrifuges will bc l used to process various chemical compounds, some of which are considered ton'c
, or hazardous. !
I AIChemlE will file for an air emissions permit with the Tennessee Department !
of Fealth and Environment (TDHE). While the feed material and processing rate information is not completely defined, the NRC staff used available f 1
l information to perform a conservative analysis wt.ich indicated that material 1
l releases due to normcl operations are expected to be environmentally ;
acceptable. ;
t AlChemIE waste water (primarily sanitary water) will be discharged through j
! the exitting Oliver Springs waste water treatment plant. Tite discharge limits
! will not have to be modified to accomodate the AlChemIE waste water. >
a l AIChemIE's non-hazardous and hazardous / toxic solid and liquid wastes will be transferred to appropriate existing DOE, municipal, and commercial waste i management opt.: rations which already have the necessary permits.
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l The NRC staff's analysis of potential accidental releases of material from the process indicated that the off-site concentrations of toxic materials will be less than the time-weighted average threshold limit values (TWA-TLY) which j have been established by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial i i
Hygienists (ACGIE). Exposure of the population of toxic material emissions in ;
i concentrations below these limits will not result in any effects. l i
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Conclusion:
On the basis of the NRC staff's evaluation of the environmental report submitted by AlChemIE and upon further independent analysis of the ;
environmental impacts of the proposed action, as set forth in the staff's l Environmental Assessrent, the staff has concluded that the proposed action I will not result in any significant environrental impacts.
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Alternative to the Proposed Action: The principal alternative to the proposed s action is that of no action. In view of the NRC staff's conclusion that the proposed action will not result in any significant impact, the preference of this action over the proposed action cannot be justified.
i Alternative Use of Resources: Since the facility proposed by AlChemIE is being i t
j built in an area that is being developed as an industrialized park with utilities
- and waste canagement services to support the major facility needs, its construction i
should not result in any significant environment 21 impact. In addition, the f quantity of feed material, which Alchem!E Hll process are in the kilogram per i j
] year range and yield nc waste streams, since both separated streams are useful !
4 i i products. Because of the expected efficiency of the centrifuge rachines, the j s
l 3 use of energy resources should be effective compared with other separation methods. ,
- Agencies and persons Contacted
- The Commission's staff contacted the following:
f Roane County Executive; Oak Ridge City Manager; Oak Rioge Mayor; Anderson County l 1
Executive; Oliver Springs Town A(;inistrator; Tennessee Departeent of Health dnd Environment, Division of Air Pollution Control; and Tennessee Departr.ent of l 1
I health and Environment Division of Solid Waste Managerent. I I
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Finding of No Significant Irpact: The Commission's staff has prepared an Environmental Assessment related to the proposed licensing action.
On the basis that the environrental impacts created by the proposed licensing action would not be significant, the proposed action does not warrant the t preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement: Accordingly, it has been detemined that a Finding of No Significant Impact is appropriate.
The Environmental Assessment and the November 17, 1988 application related to this proposed action are available for pubHr. inspection and copying at the Comission's Public Documenc Room 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, DC. Copfes of the Environmental Assessrent may be obtained by calling (301) 492 3358 or by a writing to the Fuel Cycle 3afety Branch, Division of Industrial and Pedical Nuclear Safety, U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555.
Jated at Rockville, Marylend, this 8th day of September 1988, i
l FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY C0mlSS10N ;
l N. Itents w[
Leland C. Rouse, Chief ,
Fuel Cycle Safety Branch '
i Dtvision of Industrial and '
Medical Nuclear Safety NMSS l
l see previous concurrence * ,
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