ML20154E745

Environ Assessment Re Const & Operation of Alchemie Facility 1 Cpdf

ML20154E745
Person / Time
Site:	05000000, 05000603
Issue date:	09/30/1988
From:	NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
To:
Shared Package
ML20154E721	List: ML20154E717 ML20154E727 ML20154E730 ML20154E745 ML20154E757
References
NUDOCS 8809190113
Download: ML20154E745 (36)

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.J U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMISSION )

, OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS  !

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1 j ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT '

j RELATED TO THF. CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION i 1 0F THE i i AlchemlE FACILITY 1 CPDF  !

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) 00CKE7 NO. 50-603 f J ALL CHEMICAL ISOTOPE ENRICHMENT, INC. l 1 .

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! SEPTEMBER 1988 i '

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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SUMMARY

, AND CONCLUSIONS .......................... 1 1

)" 1.1 Introduction ...............................................

1. 2 Summary .................................................... 2 j

i j 1. 3 Conclusions ................................................ 3

2.0 DESCRIPTION

OF THE PROPOSED FACILITY AND OPERATIONS ............. 4 2.1 Facility ................. ................................. 4  ;

2.2 Process .................................................... 6

, 2.3 Utilities .................................................. 9  :

2.4 Discharges ................................................. 11  !

2.5 Administrative Controls ................................~.... 14  ;

i 3.0 OESCRIPTION OF AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ............................. 16 l

4.0 ALTERNATIVES TO THE PROPOSED ACTION ............................. 22 i 4.1 vo Action .................................................. 22  ;

j 4.2 Different Site ............................................. 22 4.3 Different Technology ....................................... 22 l r

5.0 CONSEQUENCES OF THE PROPOSED ACTION AND THE ALTERNATIVES ........ 23 >

l r 5.1 Consequences of the Proposed Alternative ................... 23  !

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5.1.1 Nonradiological Consequences ........................ 23 l

! 5.1. 2 Radiological Consequences ........................... 29 1

I 5.2 Consequences of the No Action Alternative .................. 10

} 5.3 Consequences of Alternate Site Selection ................... 31 1 5.4 Consequences of Alternate Technology Selection ............. 31 1 -

i 6.0 LIST OF AGENCIES AND PERSONNEL CONTACTED ........................ 32 1

7.0 REFERENCES

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{ TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) {

j LIST OF FIGURES l l l

Fiaure Past

) i 2.1 CPDF which will be Utilized by A1 Chem!E .................... 5 l; 3.1 CPDF Location at the ORGDP Site ....................,....... 17 I j 3.2 Wind Rose for the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant Site ... 21

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LIST OF TABLE' 5 i  !

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1 2.1 Potential AlchemlE Feeds ................................... 10 I

2.2 Utilitits and Materials Required for A1 Chem!E Facility 1.... 12 2.) AlchemIE Discharges ...... .................................. 15 i 5.1 Jard Potential for AlchemIE Cylinders ..................... 26 l

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SUMMARY

, AND CONCLUSIONS 1.1 Introduction The All Chemical Isotope Enrichment Company (AlChemIE) filed with the '

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) an application, dated November 17, 1987, for a license to construct and operate the AlChemIE Facility-1 CPDF.

AlChemIE intends to use the facility to enrich stable isotopes. In order to enrich stable isotopes AlChemIE is purchasing centrifuge machines from the Department of Energy (DOE).2 The centrifuge machines were originally designed and manufactured to enrich uranium, but AlchemIE will not use them for that purpose, i

t o l Although the enriching of stable isotopes is not ordinarily within the i regulatory authority of the Commission, any equipment or device capable of l enriching uranium, if intended for commercial use, must be licensed by the I

Commission. Since the centrifuge machines AlChemIE will obtain from the Department of Energy are capable of enriching uranium, their possession and l j use must he licensed. The Commission rule which governs the licensing of  ;

production facilities is 10 CFR Part 50.

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i AlChemIE Facility-1 CPDF was previously used by the Department of Energy as a Centrifuge Plant Demonstration Facility (hence, CPDF) located at the site 10n April 7, 1986 the Department of Energy published a notice in the Federal Register (51 FR 11811) requesting expressions of interest for participation

< in the Department's uranium enrichment program. AlchemIE responded to the notice, expressing an interest to use the centrifuge machines for cornercial purposes, not involving the enriching of uranium, as further described herein and in their application. On December 5,1986, AlchemIE submitted a proposal in response to the Department's announcement in the Commerce Business Daily requesting such proposals. On December 27, 1986, the Department notified ,

i AlchemIE that a minimum of 250 machines were reserved at the Portmouth, Ohio, '

Gaseous Centrifuge Enrichment Plant. Contract negotiations between AlChemIE  :

and the Department have proceeded from that time, in one particular for lease l arrangements for the Centrifuge Plant Demonstration Facility, located at the '

K-25 complex on the Federal reservation at Oak Ridge Tennessee.

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1 of the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Therefore, the facility has been l completely constructed and operated. In fact, in addition to tests conducted l with uranium (as the hexafluoride), the machiaes have been used to enrich some l stable isotopes. As a result of the tests conducted by the Department of Energy, the centrifuge machines and associated piping have been slightly contaminated with uranium. Because the purpose of the tests, in part, was to demonstrate enrichment, some of the uranium contamination is enriched in the uranium-235 isotope. Although some building modifications are necessary, the construction period is expected to be very short.

The NRC has prepared this environmental assessment which reviews the local environment, briefly describes the proposed project including features of the facility and process, and evaluates the expected environmental impacts.

This document does not address the topic of safeguards. Resders interested in that topic should refer to the safety evaluation report soon to be issued by the NRC staff.

1. 2 Summary The local environment is a well characterized, industrialized area with an established buffer zone. The industrialized arca has utilities and waste management services to support the major facility needs for steam, sanitary water, and electric power.

The exterior of the CPDF facility will be modified only slightly to meet AIChemIE's requirements. Existing centrifuge equipment will be used to pro-cess various chemicsl compounds, some of which are considered toxic or hazardous.

AlChemIE has filed for an air emissions permit with the Tennessee Department of Health and Environment (TDHE). Whil he feed material and pro-cessing rate information is not completely defined, the NRC used available inforeation to perform a conservative analysis wb -a indicates that material releases due to normal operations are expected T.o De environmentally acceptable. I 2

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AlChemIE waste water (primarily sanitary water) will be discharged through (

the existing Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant waste water treatment plant, I which is currently covered by an NPDES permit. The NPDES limits will not have to be modified to accommodate the AlChemIE waste water. AIChemIE's non- l hazardous and hazardous / toxic solid and liquid wastes will be transferred to '

appropriate existing DOE, municipal, and commercial waste management operations which already have the necessary permits.

An analf :Is of potential accidental releases of material from the process indicates tb.s the off-site concentrations of toxic materials will be less than  ;

the time-weighted average threshold limit values (TWA-TLV) which have been established by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists f (ACGIH). Exposure of the population to toxic material emissions in concentra-tions below these limits will not result in any adverse health and safety effects.

The NRC assessed the potential consequences of using the contaminated l equipment and concluded that even under the unexpected conditions where the {

uranium would be released to the environment, the consequences wculd be minimal j with a 50 year whole body equivalent dose commitment to an individual of less than 1.4E 5 mrem.

L3 Conclusions On the basis of the staff's evaluation of the applicant's environmental report and further independent analysis of environmental impacts of the pro- [

posed action, the staff concludes that the actions proposed will not result

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in any significant environmental impacts. l 1

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2.0 DESCRIPTION

OF THE PROPOSED FACILITY AND OPERATIONS l A1ChemIE is planning to modify a surplus 00E facility for operation as a stable isotope enrichment production plant. A1 Chem!E intends to utilize the 3

Centrifuge Plant Demonstration Facility, which is owned by the U.S. Department j of Energy and is located on the federally owned Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) site. The facility, the basics of the isotope enrichment pro-

ce:5, the utility requirements, and the discharges from the proposed facility are described in tais section.

I 2.1 FACILITY OVERVIEW The proposed AlChemIE facility at the CPDF site (Facility 1) will utilize a portion of the K-1220 building located in the southeast sector of the ORGDP site. This building, referred to as the Centrifuge Plant Demonstration Facility (CPDF), was originally designed, constructed, ard operated as a development

and demonstration plant for the gas centrifuge enrichment of uranium isotopes. I j The CPDF has feed and withdrawal areas, process areas, maintenance areas, and a i

. control room. The total facility has over 78,000 square feet of floor space, of which A1ChemIE will use only a portion. The A1ChemIE pruject will utilize the cascade room where 120 centrifuges are located (18,000 square feet) and may use what were the feed and withdrawal areas for storage. Minimum modifications  !

are required to convert the plant into a facility for enriching stable isotopes.

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j The primary changes are the modification of the piping to produce several small  ;

I cascades involving a few machines (5-10) rather than one 120 machine cascade and 1

the establishment of new feed and withdrawal systems.

j Figure 2.1 presents an external view of the CPDF and identifies the I various portions of the facility. The centrifuges, which are the major pieces l

j of process equipment, are located in the CPDF bay. AlchemIE will also use this l area for feed and withdrawal. The uranium feed area located to the north of j the cascade area and the withdrawal area to the south of the cascade area may '

j be utilized as storage areas.

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{ Because of the value of the prodJCt material and its toxicity in several i i I j instances, the applicant will take several precautions to confim it, j l I The two avenues for any process material to enter the environment are f l through the ventilation system and the water drainage system from the building, j These two potential outlets are described in the following paragraphs. l l i

! CASCADE AREA VENTILATION SYSTEM l

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The ventilation system in the cascade area maintains a vertical temperature f'

l gradient for the cascade in order to improve process efficiency. This ventila-I tien system recirculates air, heating and discharging it as necessary through  !

twelve roof-mounted ventilators. The ventilators are operated by an automatic control system to maintain the desired temperature profile in the cascade area.  !

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The maximum exhaust rate is 129,000 cfm, but the ventilators are expected to

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operate at significantly lower levels, particularly during the winter months  !

l when heat will be required to maintain the desired temperature gradient. The l building operators have the ability to shut down the exhaust system, if neces- l sary. The system maintains the cascade area at a pressure slightly above atmospheric (0.1 in, of water pressure).

BUILDING DRAIN SYSTEM

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! The building has a drain connected under each centrifuge in the cascade

! area. Alchem!E will rem 0ve these connections and seal all the floor drains in

! the operating and maintenance areas to prevent potential leaks from escaping i

from the facility through this drain system.

l 2.2 PROCESS CENTRIFUGES i.

The gas centrifuge isotope enrichment process involves the rotation of a long, thin vertical cylinder about its vertical axis in an evacuated casing, The rotation at high speeds subjects the contained gases to centrifugal '

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isotopes collect at the outer radius of the cylinder.

I In the machines being used in the AlChem!E facility, the feed is introduced

! at the center of tl.e rotating cylinder and two streams are produced. The first j stream contains the concentrated light elements and is removed from the top of j

the centrifuge neat the center of the rotating cylinder. The second stream  !

j contains the concentrated heavy elements and is removed from the bottom of the (

j c ntrifuge near the outer radius of the rotating cylinder. Both streams are products.

i Some of these machines have already been used for uranium separation  ;

3 purooses and contain residual amounts of uranium contamination in them. The j i

q extent of uranium contamination within ttc 120 machines of the CPDF has been ,

j estimated by DOE to be 11.4 kg of uranium with an average enrichment of 0.8 % l j U-235. This corresponds to an average of 95 grams of uranium per uachine. DOE

] has estimated the amount of uranium in the process piping at 9.9 kg, also with j an associated average enrichment of 0.8 % U .35. This is only slightly higher j than the U-235 concentration that is found 10 naturally occurring uranium which i i has 0.71 % U-235, The chemical form of the u inium is 00sFr and is permanently j

fixed on the machines and piping. Processing of materials other than uranium (

at the CPDF has indicated that the residual uranium is not transferred to the )

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] process gas stream. This uranium is expected to remain fixed to the piping and  ;

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} centrifuges during AlchemIE's operation of the facility. i

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FEED AND REMOVAL. SYSTEMS i

The centrifuges can only operate with a gaseous feed material. The feed l

material for the centrifuge cascade is either alrJady in the gaseous form at l r

j normt.1 temperatures and pressures or it is converted to a gas by the applica- i l tion of heat from either a hot water bath or a forced hot air system, i

j Alchem!E will utilize portable feed carts for feed cylinders. Thsse feed .

{ carts, while not designed at the present time, may provide secondary confinement for feed cylinders, Feeds such as the noble gases (Ar, Kr, Ne etc.), which are  !

already a gas and are non-toxic, will not require feed carts.  !

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After the material has passed through the centrifuge cascade, it is placed in product cylinders. This is accomplished by condensation, possibly with the j aid of a compressor if the physical properties of the material being processed l through the cascade require one. The condensation will occur in portable withdrawal carts. The carts are still being designed, but they will be similar j to the portable feed carts in providing confinement capability. The material i being withdrawn from the cascade will be condensed using either dry ice in i

! isopropyl alcohol or liquid nitrogen.

l PROCESS OFF-GAS SYSTEMS i j

) Each cascade will have four process off gas systems. These areas are the j evacuation and purge systems for: (1) the cascade, (2) the feed system, (3) the product withdrawal system, and (4) the tails withdrawal system. l l

l j The cascade evacuation and purge system will establish and maintain a low

{ pressure in the centrifuge casing. The evacuation system is used to reduce the j centrifuge casing pressure from atmospheric pressure down to a level where the l purge pump operates. At this point, the evacuation system is shut off and the j purge system is used to further reduce and maintain the vacuum used in the j process.

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) The evacuation and purge systems for the feed and withdrawal systems are j used in combination with each other in a similar manner as the feed and withdrawal ;

systems. The feed evacuation and purge system is used to remove air from the

{ 1 j lines between the feed cylinder and the centrifuge before the feed is introduced into the cascade. This system is only used prior to start-up of the cascade, f i

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l The product and tails withdrawal evacuation and purge system is used to initially evacuate the cascade and the withdrawal piping. The purge system say  ;

remain operational during cascade operation to remove any non condensables l q that collect in the product or tail cylinders. f t

l The discharges from all four of these evacuation and purge systems will be l

) connected to a coreon discharge header for each cascade. In all the cascades, except those processing menon and krypten, the gases in this header will be  !

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3 treated to remove the process material. The specific method of gas treatment

) of the various potential process materials has not been selected at the present l time, but AIChem!E has stated that it will use cold trapping, chemical trapping, or mechanical trapping deperiding on the physical and chemical properties of the process material.

d PROCESS MATERIALS l There is a wide range of feeds that AlChemIE is planning or con, ,ag t for processing in its facility 1. A list of the potential raterials to be I processed as well as the feed form is presented in Table 2.1. The various forms have been identified based on their vapor pressure. Soise of th se

]j materials or their reaction products are toxic. For these toxic materials in j particular, A1 Chem!E states in their environmental report that they will use j material safety data sheets and other data supplied by the manufacturers of  ;

l their feed chemicals to develop handling, operating, and safety procedures, f

l These are normal industrial precautions to protect workers and the environment l l

j when handling the material. i 1

Additional materials will be utilized in the AIChem!E enrichment process.

I These materials have been identified in the A1 Chem!! wasta management plan and are: (1) absorcents for the process off-gas treatment system, (2) vacuum pump l

j oil, (3) freon TP-35, (4) centrifuge oils, (5) nitrogen, dry ice, and isopropyl  !

) alcohol which are used for product and tails condensing.

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j 2.3 UTILITIES (

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l There are four utilities which will be used in the AlchemIE facility: (

electricity, water, steam, and compressed air. The demand for each of these  !

l utilities and the capability of existing systems to provide these utiliths is

reviewed in this section. t l  !

! Electricity is needed to drive the etntrifuges, the vacuum pumps, and the l

) coepressors. It wiii aiso de used to generate tne s.aii amount of heat required 1 to raise the teeperature of some of the feed cylinders. The maximum demand for l

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TABLE 2.1 POTENTIAL A1ChemlE FEEDS Toxic or Hazardcus Element Properties for i

Being Element or the Material or Separated Compound its Reaction Products i

Ar Ar B B(CH3 )2I Y'S B BFr! yes Br CF3 Br 4

C CF 4

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C C3Hs C

CH,F(6 x) 1 Cd Cd(CH3 ): yes C1 CF3C1 Cr Cr0 F 2 )e5 j Fe Fe(CO)s yes ,

Ga Ga(CH3 )3 yes t Ge GeF4 (1) yes Ge GeF4 (g) yes Ir Ir(CH3 )3 yes '

t Ir Irfe yes Kr Kr ,

, Mo HoFs yes N Na No Ne Ni Ni(CO), yes l O PF3 0 O CO 2  :

Pb Pb(CH3 )4 yes '

Pt Pt(PCH3 )3 yes 1 Re Refs yes l j Ru Ru(CO). yes  !

5 503 J S SFe 55 SbH 3 yes ,

Se SeFe yes 51 SiF 4 yes Sn SnH 4 yes Ta TaF5 yes Te TeF5 yes Ti tic 1 4 yes T1 Ti(CH3 )3 yes W WFe yes Xe Xe Zn Zn(CH3 ): yes  !

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i electricity has been estimated by A1 Chem!E to be 400 kw. The existing power system is capable of delivering millions of kw to the site. This capacity was established for the support of the ORGDP which requireo over 2000 Hw of power.

Since the ORGDP is now shut down with no plans to restart, excess electrical L capacity exists at the site.

The primary use of water at the Alchem!E facility will be for sanitary purposes and some small amount (100 gallons per year) for make up of the cooling wster blowdown. The maximum demand for water for the A1 Chem!E facility is estimated to be 5000 gallons per day (gpd). At t't present time the usage of sanitary water at the ORGDP site is about 300,0e n r' which is down from the 600,000 gpd used when the gaseous diffusion plant & H n full scale operation.

The site sanitary water facilities are fully capable of handling the small '

additional amount of sanitary water that will result from the operation of the A1 Chem!E facility, t

Steam is used for space heating in the CPDF. The maximum rate of steam usage is estimated to be 10,000 lbs per hour. The capacity of the ORGDF steam ,

supply system is 320,000 lbs per hour.

Compressed air is used for process instrumentation and control. The l

present ORGDP capacities are adequate for t<>e small estimated needs of A1 Chem!E, ,

The liquid nitrogen will be a new utility for the CPDF. Alchem!E will '

utilize either dry ice (solid CO2 ) in ise,. v1 alcohol or liquid nitrogen to condense the product and tail gases after they have been removed from the l

cascade, A sumary of the consurption of these utilities and their plinned usage relative to past consumption at the site and at the CPDF are presented in i

Table 2.2.

j 2.4 O!SCHARGES l The operation of the AlChem!E facility will result in sore gaseous and liquid discharges to the environment as well as some solid waste which must be 11

TABLE 2.2 UTILITIES AND MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR AIChemIE FACILITY 1 Peak Facility Utility Demand Electric 400 (kw)

Water 5000 (sal / day)

Compressed Air 150 (sefm)

Steam 10,000 (ib/hr)

Liquid 450 Nitrogen (lb/ day)

Dry Ice, CO 240 2

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managed. This section describes the estimated discharges and the estimated solid waste.

GASEOUS DISCHARGES Some very small gaseous discharges are expected from both the building ventilation system as well as the evacuation and purge systems for the cascade.

The extent of these emissions has not been estimated by AlchemIE, but the Staff believes that it will be small because the cascades operate under vacuum and because DOE experience with such facilities has demonstrated that releases are small. Furthermore, AlChemIE has stated that they will install systems to treat the discharges from the evacuation and purge systems for all cascades except those processing xenon and krypton. These systems will utilize cold trapping, chemical trapping or mechanical trapping systems depending on the physical and chemical characteristics of the material involved. In addition to these releases of process materials, there will be some releases of N2 and C02 from the cooling of product cylinders. The maximum release rate of these two inert gases is 450 lb/ day for N2 and 240 lb/ day for C02 .

WATER DISCHARGES The sanitary waste water from the facility will be discharged through the existing ORGDP waste water treatment facility. The estimated quantity of sanitary water discharged from the AlChemIE facility is 5000 gallons per day.

This will be released to existing waste water treatment systems which are part of the ORGDP.

OILS, SOLVENTS AND SOLID WASTES In addition to these air and water discharges, there will be some oils, solvents, and solid waste generated at the facility. The oils and solvents (both water and organic solvents) will be generated as a result of operations and maintenance activities. These wastes will be handled and packaged on site as required for safe shipment to off-site waste treatment or disposal facilities.

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Solid waste will al be generated at the facility as a result of failed equipment (primarily centrifuges), but also vacuum and gas handling equipuent.

The failed centrifuges will contain uranium and may contain toxic or hazardous l material contamination as well. In the event they are contaminated with toxic  :

or hazardous material, they will be decontaminated. The decontaminated failed centrifuges will then be sent to DOE for classified burial; the toxic or hazardous material removed from the equipment will be packaged for shipment to'a licensed waste management contractor. All solid wastes will be transferred to existing waste management organizations which are licensed to handle the various kinds of waste generated.

Table 2.3 presents a summary of the estimates of liquid and solid waste that will be generated by the A1ChemIE facility. The table also identifies the amount of material expected to be sent to each type of treatment or disposal site, r 2.5 ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS The AlchemIE operations will conduct isotope separation operations according to the needs of customers in the medical, industrial, and research communities.

As such, the exact determination of what and when isotope separations will be conducted will depend on the status of the commercial market. To help assure that operator and public health and safety are considered during processing, AlChemIE will prepare detailed handling, operating, and safety procedures for ,

each of the materials before actual processing is undertaken.

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TABLE 2.3 AlChemIE FACILITY DISCHARGES Projected Discharge Destination WATER 5000 sewer. system (gallons / day)

SOLID WASTE 825 commert'al garbage (1bs/yr) 1375 ChemWaste 14,000 00E/0RGDP 540 scrap metal 15 TOSCA or RCRA facility r

Subtotal I6 755 OILS AMO SOLVENTS 50 commercial disposal (gal /yr) 150 ChemWaste 10' TOSCA or RCRA facility Subtotal 210 i  :

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3.0 DESCRIPTION

OF AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT The environment around the proposed AlchemIE facility at the CPDF has been well characterized as a result of studies and investigations by DOE and their contractors. Detailed discussions of land use, geology, surface and ground-water hydrology, meteorology, ecology, cultural and historical resources, socioeconomic and demography, and aesthetic characteristics can be found in Loar, et al., 1980 l (reference 1); MMES, 1985 (reference 2); and Union Carbide, 1979 (reference 3).

An environmental report which diset.sses the proposed action as it affects the environment has been prepared by the EDGE Group, 1987 (reference 4).

This section briefly summarizes each aspect of the environment around the proposed AlChemIE facility. More detailed information can be obtained from the references listed above.

LAND VSE The proposed facility will be located in the existing buildings of the CPDF. The CPDF is located in the ORGDP within the 15,000 hectare (37,300 acre)

DOE Oak Ridge Reservatien (ORR) (Fig 3.1). The ORGDP site is already dedicated '

to industrial uses. The lands surrounding the ORR are rural farmlands with associated low density housing. The proposed A1ChemIE facility is approximately 3 km from both the north and west boundary of the ORR. Immediately beyond the north boundary ate a few rural homesites. More rural homesites are located across the Clinch River to the west of the ORR.

GEOLOGY The site lies in the Valley and Ridge Physiographic province of East Tennessee. This province is characterized by alternating ridges and valleys aligned southwest to northeast. The ridge and valley topography is an expression

of the different erosion rates of the folded and faulted Paleozoic sedimentary 1 formations which underlie the province. The proposed A1ChemIE site lies in a l

, valley underlain by shales and limestones of the Conasauga and Chickamauga Formations. Ridges to the northwest and southeast of the site are underlain by the more resistant Knox group and Rome formations. i 16

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Figure 3.1 17 CPDF t.ocation at the ORGDP Site

CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL RESOURCES There are 23 sites in the five county area surrounding the ORGDP which are on the National Register of Historic Places. No historic structures or sites ,

requiring preservation are located near the proposed AlChemIE facility. Only four of the 23 listed historic sites are within 10 km of the facility.

Archaeological surveys have identified remnant cemeteries and prehistoric sites, but none are located near the proposed facility.

DEMOGRAPHY AND SOCI0 ECONOMICS The ,oroposed facility is surrounded by five counties (Anderson, Knox, Loudon, Morgan and Roane) which had a combined 1980 population of 480,622. The largest population centers are Knoxville, 40 km to the east, aid Oak Ridge 10 km  ;

to the northeast, with 1980 populations of 183,139 and 27,662, respectively.

The area immediately surrounding the west end of the ORR where the proposed facility is located is rural farmland with low population density. I Currently, the DOE and its contractors are the dominant force in the local economy. 00E accounts for 77 percent of the local employment in Oak Ridge and owns 63 percent of the total land area within the city limits. DOE owns 10 per-cent of the land in Roane county where the proposed facility is located. This area includes many of the prime industrial sites on TVA's Melton Hill and Watts  !

j Bar Lakes. Government ownership of such a high percentage of the local land substantially reduces the size of the potential tax bas 2s for Anderson and Roane counties.

ECOLOGY The ecology of the ORR has been studied and assessed by numerous scientists.

Comprehensive discussions of terrestrial and aquatic communities can be found in the references identified at the beginning of this section.

Two threatened or endangered species occur near the proposed facility. The black snakeroot (Cimicifuga rubifolia), a Tennessee state threatened species, and the Federally endangered pink mucket pearly mussel (Lampsilis orbiculata) occur near the site. The black snakeroot occurs within 3000 meta a of the site 18

in mesic calcareous soils where minimal disturbance has occurred. The Clinch River and its tributaries contained several endemic aquatic species prior to impoundment by the IVA lakes. These species are now confined to the unaltered regions above Norris Reservoir. Approximately 30 endemic mollusks have been reported above the reservoir while none have recently been recorded below it.

The mollusk Lampsilis orbi_gulata, an attached filter feeder, was reported in the Clinch River in 1982. This mollusk requires clear silt-free water. No other record of its occurrence has been reported in the area.

HYDROLOGY Poplar Creek, a tributary of the Clinch River, is the major surface drainage in the valley where the ORGDP is located. The confluence of Poplar Creek and the Clinch River is approximately 2 km east of the proposed facility.

A water pumping and filtration facility located on the Clinch River at CRK (Clinch River Kilometer) 23.2, immediately adjacent to the ORGDP, supplies water to the ORGDP and the Clinch River Industrial Park. Discharges from the proposed facility would originate from outfall K-1203 into Poplar Creek. Run-off from around the facility would also flow to Poplar Creek. The surface waters of the watershed are a calcium-magnesium / bicarbonate type. Hardness is generally moderate with total dissolved solids concentration usually ranging between 100 and 250 mg/1.

According to the MMES 1986 report (reference 2) ambient concentrations of some chemical species exceed Tennessee Stream Standards at sampling locations within the Poplar Creek watershed upstream from ORGDP and downstream in the Clinch River. The species are lead, mercury, and zinc. The source of these species is unknown. Zinc and lead are potential products of the A1ChemIE Facility, but, as discusseo under water quality below, no release of these species to the environment is expected. l Generally, ground-water flow in the area occurs under water table conditions but local and transient se ni-confined conditions have been observed during periods of high water levels, especially in low areas. Water levels are highest in January and February and decrease to minimum levels in October and November. Depth to the water table is generally 10 meters or less except in areas of high relief. The Knox and the Chickamaug. are the primary aquifers in 19

the vicinity of the ORGDP. Permeabilities in these units are quite high near the surface where dissolution has enlarged fractures in the dolomites and limestones. Data indicates that permeabilities decrease with depth so that ground-water movement is restricted to the upper more weathered zones of bedrock.

Because cf the abundant surface water resources, no industrial or public drinking water supplies are withdrawn from local ground-water sources by ORGDP or other institutions. Residential and single-family wells are common in rural areas not served by public water supplies. Most of the residential wells in the area are south of the Clinch River.

METEOROLOGY The meteorology of the Oak Ridge area is largely influenced by its topography. .

The prevailing winds follow the topographic trend of the ridges: daytime up-valley winds come from the southwest; nighttime down-valley winds come from the northeast. The wind rose (Figure 3.2), based on data collected at 60 l meters above ground surface at ORGDP during 1987, shows the bimodal nature of

[

the winds at the site. Annual X/Q values were calculated using the 1987 ORGDP data and EPA-approved air quality dispersion models. This analysis shows that maximum annual average X/Q values are predicted for the S5W to WSW direction at distances of 1 to 1.2 km and in the NE to ENE direction at distances of 0.5 to

0. 6 km. The value of X/Q ranges from 3.2E-8 to 3.8E-8 sec/m3 .

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4.0 ALTERNATIVES TO THE PROPOSED ACTION There are three general alternatives to the proposed action that have been identified and are discussed in this section. These alternatives are the no action alternative, the different site alternative, and the different technology alternative. The evaluation of these alternatives is presented in Section 5. '

l l 4.1 NO ACTION i The no action alternative would result in the unused 00E facility remaining i vacant. There would be no changes in discharges to the environment since the i facility would not be operating.  !

4 l 4.2 DIFFERENT SITE i

l The different site alternative would involve the construction of the AlChemIE facility at another site. This could involve the adaptation of an existing building or the construction of a new b.tllding. [

t 4.3 DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGY The different technology alternative could involve the use of a different enrichment technology. The specific alternate enrichment technologies which might be used are the Calutron or the gaseous diffusion methods.

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5.0 THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE PROPOSED ACTION AND THE ALTERNATIVES  ;

This pro, nosed action as well as some of the alternative will have impacts on the environment. This section presents estimates of these impacts.

5.1 CONSEQUENCES OF THE PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE 5.1.1 Nonradiological Consequences The conversion of the CPDF into a facility for enrichment of stable isotopes and its subsequent operation is expected to have a pntential for impact only  :

in a few areas. No impact is expected on land use, geology, subsurface water, I

l cultural resources, aesthetic characteristics, or demography; because the modification of the CPDF will be internal to the axisting structure, and no new land will be utilized or developed as a part of the proposed action. .

Socioeconomic The operation of the AlChemIE Facility 1 will create about 50 jobs for management and skilled labor personnel. The net effect of this is expected to -

be a positive benefit for the local area and will offset some of the recent layoffs at the DOE site. The modest size of the work force required by opera-tion of the CPDF would not be expected to add any significant burden on local  !

communities insofar as requiring additional services such as new schools, roads, or utilities.

l Air Quality A1ChemIE is planning to operate their Facility 1 in such a manner that there will be no degradation of the local air quality. AlChemIE projects no emissions from the facility other than ventilation sir and some krypton and xenon when these materials are being processed. A1ChemIE has applied to the I

Tennessee Department of Health and Environment (TOHE) for an air permit. The 4

TDHE will issue permits with any restrictions deemed necessaiy to assure that the AlChemIE facility complies with the Clean Air Act requirements and does not impact the local air quality.

23 i

While no specific estimates of air emissions from the A1ChemIE Facility 1 were provided in thi. AlChemIE submittal, the staff performed a preliminary aluation of the normal releases that might be expected from the facility in order to estimate the consequences of normal operation. The release fraction from the CPDF (mass out/ mass in) was conservatively estimated based on reported information for gas centrifuge plants. DOE reports on the assessment of various uranium enrichment technologies indicated a release fraction of 6E-5 and SE-6 for gas centrifuge plants (references 5, 6).  !

The release fraction for the A1ChemIE operation of the CPDF may be higher because: (1) some of the procesc materials have hioher vapor pressures than UFs, and (2) the frequency of cylinder connections are likely to be greater because of the smaller sizes of the cylinder and the number of cascades in operation at ne time.

1 The annual production of individual compounds at the AichemIE facility is l expected to range from a gram per year for some of th* materials required for research to possibly a metric ton per year for a few isotopes for which th're is large application. When comparing the ratio of expected maximum annual production to the American Conference of Gov.irnmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) established Time Weighted Average Threshold Limit Value (TWA-TLV), the material which has the highest ratio is dimethylcadmium. The release of this  !

material was examined in what was considered to be a bounding analysis of the consequences of normal releases to the atmosphere.

The maximum annual production of dimethylcadmium was estimated to be less than SE+4 gm/yr. An assumption considered to be conservative wrs that the MChemIE facility would release one part in a thousand to the atmosphere.

Using this assumption, the maximum amount of dimethylcadmium released to the l atmosphere in a year would be 50 grams (this corresponds to 40 grams of cadmium).

To make the analysis more conservative, it was assumed that this material was processed, and therefore released, over a 3-month period. This would correspond f to an average release rate of about SE-6 gm/sec. The maximum X/Q is 3.8E-8 sec/m3 whicn means that the maximum cadmium concentration in the air at ground

level will be 2E-13 g/m3 which is many orders of magnitude below the ACGIH 24

TWA-TLV for cadmium of 0.05 mg/m3. On the basis of this analysis, the staff concludes that normal atmospheric emissions for the A1ChemIE facility are expected to be of no environmental consequence.

Potential accidental releases that could result in releases to the atmosphere were also considered. For accidents, the material in storage as I well as the material in pre ess was considered. Because the cascade operates l at very low pre:sure (on the order of a torr) the cascade will contain only a few gram-moles of material. The cylinders which are used for feed, withdrawal, and storage can contain hundreds or thousands of gram-moles of material. The i

potential accidents of greatest concern are considered to be those which  !

involve the release of material from a cylinder, i The amount of material in the various cylinders which AlchemIE expects to use is tentatively identified in the Environmental Report (reference 4). This information, together with time-weighted average threshold limit values (TWA-l TLV) established by the ACGIH, was used to evaluate the level of hazard asso-4 ciated with the various cylinders of material. The hazard index for the various cylinders was estimated by dividing the mass of material in the cylinder I by the TWA-TLV. On this basis, the material that presents the greatest potential hazard to the environment is dimethylcadmium (Cd(CH3 )2). Table 5.1 presents the listing of these various hazardous materials.

Dimethylcadmium has a melting point of -4'C and a boiling point of 106*C.

l This means that as icng as the cylinder is not heated above its boiling point, 1 the pressure in the cylinder will be subatmospheric. In the case of the  !

AlchemIE process, the feed cylinder is expected to be at room temperature with a cylinder pressure estimated to be about 11 psia. In an accident situation where the piping lead og from the cylinder to the cascade failed, air would ,

enter the process piping and the opening would allow the dimethylcadmium to j diffuse out. Only gaseous cadmium would be released initially although the liquid material could vaporize and be released with time. In this specific 1 analysis, it was assumed that the cylinder was primarily filled with vapor j which was completely released at the time of the accident. The amount of cadmium in the vapor state of the cylinder is estimated to be 0.35 lbs (0.43 lbs of dimethylcadmium).

25

TABLE 5.1 HAZARD POTENTIAL FOR AlchemIE CYLINDERS

. Element Element Feed Feed ACGIH Cylinder Being or Cylinder Cylinder TWA TLVs Risk Separated Compounds (lbs) (gms) (mg/ma ) Index Cd Cd(CH3 )2 104 4.72i+04 0.05 9.44E+05 4 Tl T1(CH3 )s 97 4.40E+04 0.1 4.40E+05 Sn SnH 4 90 4.09E+04 0.1 4.09E+05 Te TeFs 176 7.99E+04 0.2 4.00E+05 i Se SeFs 141 6.40E+04 0.2 3.20E+05 '

Ni Ni(CO)4 142 6.45E+04 0.35 1.84E+05 ,

j Fe Fe(CO)3 156 7.08E+04 0.8 8.85E+04 Sb SbHa 91 4.13E+04 0.5 8 26E+04

Ta 512 2.32E+05 5 4.65E+04 TaFs W WFs 218 9.90E+04 5 1.98E+04 Mo McFs 275 1.25E+05 10 1.25E+04 S SFs 107 4.86E+04 6000 8.10E+00 f 0 CO 2 32 1.45E+04 9000 1.61E+00 l

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The volume of the room containing the centrifuges is 4.25E+4 m8 (1.5E+6 ft 3) and assuming uniform dispersion of the material in the process room, the concentration of cadmium in the building air would be 3.74 mg/m3 . This is greater than the ACGIH TWA-TLV of 0.05 mg/m 3 . (The TWA-TLV is a concentration at or below which a worker exposed for 8 hours9.259259e-5 days <br />0.00222 hours <br />1.322751e-5 weeks <br />3.044e-6 months <br /> per day for 40 hours4.62963e-4 days <br />0.0111 hours <br />6.613757e-5 weeks <br />1.522e-5 months <br /> a week should experience no ill effects.) In actuality, the concentration of the i cadmium in the room will not be uniform since the gas has a density that is almost five times that of air. There will be a tendency for the cadmium vapor i

to concentrate in the lower levels of the room.

l j In the cadmium release scenario, the release of cadmium from the process  :

1 building is calc';1ated to occur with the building ventilation fans operating at their maximum rate of 61 ma /sec (130,000 cfm). The associated release rate of  !

cadmium is 0.28 g/sec. This will be dispersed by the local winds. The maximum concentration is expected to occur at a distance of about 1 km. At this loca-tion, the X/Q is 3.8E-8 sec/m3 and the predicted concentration is 0.01 pg/m3.

This is below the ACGIH TWA-TLV of 0.05 mg/m3 . The X/Q at the nearest residence  !

is estimated to be about 1.4E-8 sec/m3 and the predicted concentration at this l location is estimated to be 0.004 pg/m 3, which is also well below the ACGIH TWA-TLV.

An accidental release of tin hydride (SnH4) was also calculated. Tin hydride was selected because, while it has a lower toxicity than cadmium, the material has a much higher vapor pressure (the boiling point is -52*C) and so  ;

the material will be completely released to the building atmosphere. The feed cylinders of tin hydride are estimated to contain 41,000 grams of tin hydride or 40,000 grams of tin. If this entire amount is released to the process room, the concentration of tin in the room atmosphere would be 0.9 g/m3 . This is i significantly greater than estimated TWA-TLV of 0.1 mg/m3. (The value of 0.1 I

was used because ACGIH does not provide a TWA-TLV for tin hydride but it does identify a TWA-TLV for organic tin compounds of 0.1 mg/m8 . Toxicology sources state that SnH.3 is more toxic than AsHa which has a TWA-TLV of 0.2 mg/m3 ).

i Again. the density of this ma>erial is over four times that of air and so the tin hydride will co,centrate in the lower elevations of the process building, i

i 27 l

f Assuming that the building exhaust fans are operating at the maximum rate  !

) of 61 m3 /sec (130,000 cfm), this material would be released to the environment at the rate of 55 g/sec. The maximum concentration is expected to occur at a  !

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distance of about 1 km. At this location, the X/Q is 3.8E-8 sec/m3 and the j! predicted concentration is 0.002 pg/m3 . This is well below the estimated l TWA-TLV of 0.1 mg/m3 . The X/Q at the nearest residence is estimated to be

(

about 1.4E-8 sec/m 3 , and the predicted concentration at this location is l

estimated to be 0.0008 mg/m3 which is also well below the estimated TWA-TLV.

] This accident analysis indicated that for the materials A1ChemIE expects i

to process, no major off-site impacts will result even in the event of a failure of equipment that results in the release of material from a cylinder. ,

i Irrespective of the preceding analysis, the applicant is currently ,

discussing with the State of Tennes.:ee its obligations, if any, related to the small inventories of toxic chemicals it may possess and Title III - En.ergency ,

Planning and Community Right-to-Know of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthori-zation Act of 1986.

! Water Quality l

The AlChemIE facility will discharge primarily sanitary water. Waste water will be routed through existing ORGDP waste treatment systems including the K-1203 facility which currently processes about 1.1 million liters per day but has a capacity of 2.3 million liters per day. AlChemIE will not require '

its own NPDES permit to comply with the requirements of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. The facility will be discharging to the existing ORGDP waste water treatment system which has an NPDES permit. The treated water is discharged to Poplar Creek after passing through extended aeration treatment, i

The sanitary waste water from the AlChemIE facility is not expected to j contain any radiological or toxic materials. Therefore the waste water treat-ment facility is expected to comply with existing NPDES limits. The NPDES permit for the K-1203 facility will be revised and submitted to the Tennesshe 3

Department of Health and Environment for approval.

l 28 i

- - _ _ _ . _ - _ _ . . _ _ - - _ - _ . _ _ _ _ _ . _ - _ _ , _ _ , _ , . ._._w

i Solid Waste and Hazardous / Toxic Wastes The solid waste generated by the A1ChemIE operations will be packaged as [

necessary and transported to approved disposal or treatment and disposal sites. ,

This applies to the commercial trash, the hazardous and toxic waste, the i uranium contaminated waste, and the scrap metal. There will be no waste disposal on the AlChemIE site.  !

o

! Oils and solvents generated at the AlChemIE facility will also be sent to l approved facilities for treatment or disposal. No nil or solvent disposal will I

occur on the AlChemIE site, i

Transportation 1

There will be minimal transportation requirements for the AlChemIE operation '

at the CPDF. The maximum number of cylinders of gas processed per year is I estimated to be less than 400, about 1 cylinder per day. Delivering the feed cylinders to the facility and removing the product cylinders from the facility ,

l is estimated to require on the average 1 truck trip per week or less.

4 i

1 j

5.1.2 Radiological Consequences '

l Ouring normal operation, no releases of the uranium contaminating some of the centrifuges and piping is expected. This is based on previous DOE experience l I with uranium contamination. As a consequence, no radiological doses are  !

projected for normal operations. '

l l

There is the unlikely event of the fixed uranium contamination (presumed l to be U022F ) being converted to a volatile form (possibly UFs) and being released from the e.entrifuges and piping. A bounding accident involving radio- l nuclides is the release of uranium from one contaminated centrifuge cascade over an 8-hour period. The amount of material involveo is estimated as

{ that from ten average contaminated centrifuges (950 grams of uranium at 0.8%

1 U-235). The release rate is estimated at 0.033 grams /sec.

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l The greatest air concentrations from these releases are projected to occur  !

at about 0.5 kilometer from the facility which is still within the general ORGDP site. The maximum concentrations are calculated to be 1.3E-9 g/m3 . The i

breathing rate for an adult who might be exposed to accidental release is 1.2 i m3 /hr. Over an 8-hour period, an adult at this point of maximum concentra-

, tion would breathe in 9.6 cubic meters of air containing 1.2E-8 grams of uranium. t 1 Sin:e there is 3.2E-4 Bq of activity associated with this material, the dose '

commitment to the adult breathing this air would be 2E-5 mrem to the red 1 marrow, 12-5 mrem to the lung, 1.4E-4 mrem to the kidney, 3.2E-4 mrem to the l bone surface and 1.4E-5 mrem whole body equivalent dose. This is over six orders of magnitude less than the naturally occurring annual dose and is an insignificant dose contribution.

The exposure of off-site personnel to this concentration for 8 hours9.259259e-5 days <br />0.00222 hours <br />1.322751e-5 weeks <br />3.044e-6 months <br /> would result in an exposure level of 6.2E-4 mg-min /m3 which is at a level where no l toxicological effects would be expected (reference 7).

a

In addition to examining the consequence as described above related to l j the fixed uranium contamination, the applicant analyzed the potential for j l enriching naturally occurring radioisotopes and a possible radiological safety  ;

consequence. l l

P Our evaluation of the information provided in the applicant's report and our own independent analysis indicates that, even if very conservative

] assumptions are made, the radiation effects are negligible when compared with background radiation.

5.2 CONSEQUENCES OF THE NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE -

i j If the AiChemIE project did not proceed, the CPDF would remain in its i shutdown status. A small amount of sanitary water would continue to be discharged

from DOE uses of the offices in the building, Run-off from the facility would j continue during periods of heavy precipitation. The projected discharges to

the atmosphere would not occur, and the generation of toxic and hazardous wastes

, expected by AlchemIE operations would also not take place. DOE would be required i

i

l to dispose of the centrifuge machines, which could result in the disposal of t significant amounts of classified waste. These amounts would be the same as for the AlchemIE proposed action, but the disposal would occur at a greater rate <

in the case of the no action alternativu. The noderate socioeconomic benefits .

t associated w' th the employment c / abut 30 persor.cei wclid not occur.  !

5.3 CONSEIEhCES s OF ALTERNAlf SI E SE .ECTION 4

1 No specific alternate sites were identified by AlChe91E for their

• 1 centrifuge enrichment fac M i+y. The enly othr reutly adaptable facility j identifiedinthisassessmentwasthecentrifc6efacilityatthePortsmouth {

l site, but this facility is not available. Any other sites or facilities are i expected to require sirnificant modification or improvement to accommodate the l facility height and utility requirement for the cascade, t

! ~

4 5.4 CONSEQUENCES OF ALTERNATE TECHNOLOGY SELECTION j

I There are other isotope enrichment technologies that might be used to enrich the stable isotopes AlchemIE is considering, but these alternate tech- '

I nologies are either too inefficient or cannot be put into operation by AlchemIE ,

1 l in a cost effective and timely manner.  !

l f l 5 i

i l l l

. I I

j i

4 l 31 i

i 6.0 LIST OF AGENCIES AND PERSONNEL CONTACTED Roane County Executive Kenneth E. Yager Oak Ridge City Manager Jeff Proughton Oak Ridge Mayor Roy F. Pruett Anderson County Exec David O. Bolling Oliver Springs Town Administrator Howard L. Elliott Tennessee Department of Health and Environment Division of Air Pollution Control V. N. Malichis Tennessee Department of Health and Environment Division of Air Pollution Control George R. Woods Tennessee Department of Health and Environment Division of Water Pollution Control Natalie Harris Tennessee Department of Health and Environment Division of Solid Waste Management Rick Brown 32

7.0 REFERENCES

1. Loar, J.M. , et al. ,1980, Environmental Analysis Report for the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant. ORNL/TM-6714. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN.

2. Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., 1986, Environmental Surveillance of the Oak Ridge Reservetion and Surrounding Environs During 1985.

ORNL-6271. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN.

3. Union Carbide Corporation, 1979, Environmental Assessment of the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant Site. 00E/EA-0106. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN.

4. EDGE Group, 1987, All Chemical Isotope Enrichment, Inc., Facility 1 - CPDF.

Environmental Report prepared by the EDGE Group, 725 Pellissippi Parkway, Knoxville, TN 37933-1010

5. U.S. Department of Energy, 198?, Technology Assessment Uranium Enrichment Technologies. 00E/ TIC-11488.

6. U.S. Department of Energy, 1980, Technology Characterizations Environmental Information Handbook, 00E/EV-0072.

7. Just, R.A., 1984, Report on Toxicologichl Studies Concerning Exposures to UFe and UFs Hydrolysis Products. K/D-5573. 1 i

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