ML20155F220

Responds to Addressing Council of Mayfield Heights & Council of Lyndhurst Concerns Re Proposal to Bury Potential Radwastes Onsite.Resins Removed from Ponds for Disposal Via Dredging Operations

ML20155F220
Person / Time
Site:	Davis Besse
Issue date:	04/08/1986
From:	Stello V NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Glenn J SENATE
Shared Package
ML20155F224	List: ML20155F220 ML20155F226
References
NUDOCS 8604210413
Download: ML20155F220 (8)

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((so o g UNITED STATES o NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION g y WASHWGTON, D. C. 20665 APR 8 M k*****/

The Honorable John Glenn United States Senate Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Glenn:

Your letter of February 25, 1986, to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has bt en referred to me to address the concerns of the Council of Mayfield Heights and the Council of Lyndhurst regarding the proposal to bury potentially radio-actively contaminated wastes at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant site.

However, before I address those concerns, I want to inform you that, in response to a Conunission order, a notice was published in the Federal Register on March 14, 1986, which offers an opportunity for interested parties to intervene in an informal hearing to be held on this matter.

The material proposed for disposal consists of approximately 34,000 cubic feet every five years of very low level radioactive sludge. The material would be deposited in shallow trenches and covered with topsoil. There are several pathways for exposure to the material that can be postulated. These include standing over the disposal area, eating food grown on the disposal area, inhalation of wind borne dried sludge, and drinking ground water.

Because the disposal site is on land owned by Toledo Edison Company, the first two paths are unlikely and t'he method of disposal virtually eliminates the third path. The total body dose for the remaining path, drinking ground water, is estimated to be less than 0.1 millirem per year. The U.S. EPA has issued standards for the exposure of individuals to radioactivity from the nuclear fuel cycle. These standards specify that no member of the public receive an annual dose in excess of 25 millirem from planned discharges from nuclear fuel cycle operations. This dose would be only 0.4% of that exposure. When compared to the U.S. EPA drinking water standards applicable to community water supplies, the dose is 2.5% of the 4 millirem standard.

This low level of exposure does not represent a threat to public health and safety nor will it damage aquatic and wildlife in the vicinity.

The Resolution of Mayfield Village also expresses concern that the burial of the dredgings on the Davis-Besse site could result in release of radioactivity into Lake Erie as a result of flooding of the burial location. It should be noted that the material presently is in open settling ponds. Removal and burial of the dredgings would reduce the already low likelihood of this material reaching the lake.

To understand why this waste material is acceptable for on-site burial, it is important to understand the source of the wastes. The waste material consists of water purification resin sludge which has been accumulating in two on-site settling ponds since facility operation was authorized in 1977. The resin is 60 8604210413 860408 PDR ADOCK 05000346 H PDR

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used in the plant in two separate but similar applications. One application, the one that produces the most waste, is to purify raw water before it is used in the plant. This application does not result in any radioactively contaminated waste. The other application is to purify secondary system water

, before it is returned to the steam gererators to produce steam for use in the

power conversion cycle. Possible leaks through the steam generator tubes j from the primary water cooling the reactor will carry some radioactive

material into the steam system which can be removed by the water purification 1 resins-located in the secondary system. Radioactive contamination of these

resins is normally very low since Davis-Besse has had an excellent record

with respect to steam generator tube leakage. The longest half-life

{ associated with the contamination does not exceed 30 years and about 65% of 1 the contamination has a half-life of 5 years or less.

i When the purification resins are no longer effective in performing the purification function, they are transferred to a holding tank for monitoring j- and are replaced with fresh resin. Samples are taken to measure the amount of radiation present on the used resin. If significant radioactivity is i present, the resins are transferred within the plant to be further processed

~and prepared for shipment to licensed radioactive waste disposal sites. If i

no significant radioactivity is measured, the resins are discharged to the j settling ponds. This process provides assurances that only very low level wastes are transferred into the settling ponds.

The resins which are discharged to the settling ponds settle to the bottom of j the ponds where they accumulate along with resins discharged from the raw i water purification process. The water which is used to flush the resins to '

the settling ponds is discharged to Lake Erie. Periodically, the accumulated resins must be removed from the ponds by dredging and disposed of.

We trust that this letter has been fully responsive to the issues raised.

Please contact us if we can be of further assistance. <

l j Sincerely, i

Original signed by l

Victor Stello Victor Stello, Jr.

! Executive Director i for Operations  ;

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1 i REVISED IN ED0 4/2/86 0CA i *See previous white for concurrences.

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The Honorable John Glenn United States Senate Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Glenn:

Your letter of February 25, 1986, to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been referred to me to address your interest in the NRC's actions with regard to the concerns expressed in correspondence received from your constituents regarding the proposal to bury potentially radioactively contaminat'ed wastes at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant site. You asked us to refer to the Council of Mayfield Heights and the Council of Lyndhurst in r response.

A copy of a Resolution adopted by the Council of Mayfield ights was included with your letter, so I will address the issues raised i hat resolution.

However, before I discuss those issues, I want to inf m you that, in response ,

to a Commission order, a notice was published in t ederal Register on March 14,'1986, which offers an opportunity for ip erested parties to intervene in an informal hearing to be held on this matt r.

The material proposed for disposal consists p approximately 34,000 cubic feet every five years of very low level radfoactive sludge. Using an estimate of the amount of radioactivity in the waste at the time of disposal, the NRC estimated the maximum radiation exposur/to individuals from possible exposure paths including standing over the disposal area, eating food grown on the disposal area, inhalation of windborpe dried sludge, and drinking ground water from the nearest well. The total body dose from all these paths combined for a single individual is less than 4 millirem / per year. The average annual dose from naturally occurring radiatip'n in Ohio is about 100 millirem. These estimates were reported in the RC's notice in the Federal Register on October 9, 1985.

To understand why this wasty material is acceptable for on-site burial, it is important to understand the source of the wastes. The waste material consists of water purification res/n sludge which has been accumulating in two on-site settling ponds since faqility operation was authorized in 1977. The resin is used in the plant in twd separate but similar applications. One application, the one that producesjthe most waste, is to purify raw water before it is used in the plant. Jhis application does not result in any radioactively contaminated waste.f The other application is to purify secondary system water before it is retur ed to the steam generators to produce steam for use in the power conversion cle. Possible leaks through the steam generator tubes from the primar ater cooling the reactor will carry some radioactive material into the steam system which can be removed by the water purification resins located in the secondary system. Radioactive contamination of these resins is normally very low since Davis-Besse has had an excellent record with respect to steam generator tube leakage. The longest half-life associated with the contamination does not exceed 30 years and about 65% of the contamination has a half-life of 5 years or less.

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When the purification resins are no longer effective in performing the purification function, they are transferred to a holding tank for monitoring and are replaced with fresh resin. Samples are taken to measure the' amount of radiation present on the used resin. If significant radioactifity is present, the resins are transferred within the plant to be f,urther processed and prepared for shipment to licensed radioactive waste di,sposal sites. If no significant radioactivity is measured, the resins ar,e discharged to the settling ponds. This process provides assurances that'only very low level wastes are transferred into the settling ponds. /

Theresinswhicharedischargedtothesettling'/ ponds settle to the bottom of the ponds where they accumulate along with resins discharged from the raw water purification process. The water which is used to flush the resins to the settling ponds is discharged to_ Lake Erie. Periodically, the accumulated resins must be removed from the ponds by dredging and disposed of.

/

The Resolution of Mayfield VillageMxpresses concern that the burial of the dredgings on the Davis-Besse site'could result in release of radioactivity into Lake Erie as a result of f'iooding of the burial location or seepage into the ground to contaminate driiking water. With regard to the effects of potential flooding, it sho opensettlingponds.Remoy[ufdbenotedthatthematerialpresentlyisin 1 and burial of the dredgings would reduce the already low likelihood of' this material reaching the lake. With regard to contamination of ground/ water, this is one of the exposure paths examined by the NRC. The dose frpm' this path is less than 0.1 millirem. The US EPA has issued standards for/the exposure of individuals to radioactivity from the nuclear fuel cycle./ These standards specify that no member of the public receive an annual nuclear fuel cycle,operations.

dose in excess This doseof 25 millirem would from be only planned 0.4% of that discharges from exposure. When dompared to the US EPA drinking water standards applicable to community water / supplies, the dose is 2.5% of the 4 millirem standard.

We trust that this letter has been fully responsive to the issues raised in your letter. Please centact us if we can be of further assistance.

/ Sincerely, l

)

Victor Stello Acting Executive Director for Operations

• See previous white for concurrences.

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2 When the purification resins are no longer effective in performing the purification function, they are transferred to a holding tank for monitoring and are replaced with fresh resin. Samples are taken to measure the amount of radiation present on the used resin. If significant radioactivity is present,Nthe resins are transferred within the plant to be further processed and prepare ( for shipment to licensed radioactive wastefdisposal sites. If no significah radioactivity is measured, the resins are discharged to the settling ponds This process provides assurances that only very low level wastes are tran .rred into the settling ponds. .

The resins which ar sdischarged to the settling podds settle to the bottom of thepondswheretheyaccumulatealongwithresins/dischargedfromtheraw water purification process. The water which is u' sed to flush the resins to the settling ponds is disqharged to Lake Erie.

resins must Se removed from the ponds by dredgi[,

g and disposed of. Periodically, t The Resolution of Mayfield V lage expresses c'oncern that the burial of the dredgings on the Davis-Besse s'te could result in release of radioactivity into Lake Erie as a result of f oding of ths burial location or seepage into the ground to contaminate drinki water. ) tith regard to the effects of potential flooding, it should be n ted that the material presently is in open settling ponds. Removal and bu ial of the dredgings would reduce the already low likelyhood of this mater l reaching the lake. With regard to contamination of ground water, this i o the NRC. The dose from this path is les,ne than of 0.1 the millirem.

exposure paths The USexamined EPA has by d iduals to radioactivity from the issuedstandardsfortheexposureof1/pec1 nuclear fuel cycle. These standards s that no member of the public receiveanannualdoseinexcessof$$ mill em from planned discharges from nuclear fuel cycle operations. This/ dose wo d be only 0.4% of that exposure. When compared to the US PA drinkin water standards applicable to community water supplies the dose s 2.5% of th 4 millirem standard.

We trust that this letter has be fully responsi e to the issues raised in your letter. Please contact us f we can be of fu ther assistance.

Sincerely, l

Victor Stello , Jr. ,

Acting Executive Directo \

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?% e FDO PRINCIPAL CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL

&S FROM: DUE: 03/ b86 EDO CONTROL: 001502 DOC DT: 02/25/86 SEN. JOHN GLENN FINAL REPLY:

TO OCA FOR SIGNATURE OF: ** GRFFN ** SFCY NO: 86-202 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DESC: ROUTING:

l ENCLOSES LETTER FROM DONNA HEATH, MAYFIELD VIIt. AGE KERR, SP RE RESOLUTION 86-8 TO NRC OPPOSING APPLICATION OF DAVIS TOLEDO EDISON CO TO BURY RADIOACTIVE StUDGE AT KEPPLER DAVIS-BESSE PLANT GCUNNINGHAM

, DATE: 03/07/86 l ASSIGNED TO: NRR CONTACT: DENTON SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS:

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.NRR ROUTING: DENTON/EISENHUT PPAS M0SSBURG/ TOMS

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t OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDFNCE CONTROL TICKET PAPER NUMBER: CRC-86-0202 LOGGING DATE: Mar 5 86 ACTION OFFICE: EDO l

AUTHOR: J. Glenn l AFFILIATION: U.S. SENATE LETTER DATE: Feb 25 86 FILE CODE: ID&R-5 Davis Besse l

SUBJECT:

Toledo Edison's appl for the disposal of l radioactive waste at the Davis-Besse plant ACTION: Direct Reply DISTRIBUTION: OCA to Ack SPECIAL HANDLING: None i NOTES:

l DATE DUE: Mar 14 86 SIGNATURE: . DATE SIGNED:

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