ML20204A348
| ML20204A348 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vogtle, 05000426, 05000427  |
| Issue date: | 04/23/1973 |
| From: | Tedesco R US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC) |
| To: | Muller D US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20197G423 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-84-663 NUDOCS 8605120105 | |
| Download: ML20204A348 (18) | |
Text
APR 2 31973 O k (L Docket Nos. ~50 454 50-425 50 426 50-427 ENVROM. CU WEPA) 1 l
Daniel Mullcr, Assistant Director for Environmental Projects, L RADWASTE SECTION FOR THE ALVIN W. V0GTLE NUCLEAR PLANT ENVIRON!fENTAL STATEMENT l
l Plant Name: Alvin W. Vogtle, Units 1, 2, 3, 4 Licensing Stage: CP Docket Numbers: 50-424/425/426/427 Responsible Branch: EPB #2 Project Leader:
R. Clark Requested Completion Date: April 20, 1973 Description of Response: Radwaste Section for Environmental Statement Review Status: Complete Enclosed is the radwaste section for the Alvin W. Vogtle Environmental Statement, including the source term to be used in the evaluation of the environnental it: pact. The liquid source term was informally transmitted to R. Clark on March 13, 1973. The gaseous source term is based on the applicant's verbal commitment to install a 90" efficient charcoal adsorber on air ejector exhaust. This commitment should be documented in the next revision to the PSAR. The glossies of the systems are being prepared and will be provided later.
Original Signed by Itobert !. Tedesco Robert L. Tedesco, Assistant Director for Containment Safety Directorate of Licensing
Enclosure:
As stated
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WASTE TREATMENT SECTION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT ALVIN W. V0GTLE NUCLEAR PLANT 3.5 Radioactive Waste During operation of the Alvin W. Vogtle Nuclear Plant, radioactive materials will be produced by fission and by neutron activation reactions of metals and materials in the reactor coolant systems.
Small amounts of gaseous and liquid radioactive waste will enter the effluent streams, which will be monitored and processed within the plant to minimize the radioactive nuclides that are released to the atmosphere and into the Savannan River at low concentrations under controlled conditions. The levels of radioactivity that may be released during operation of the plant will be in accordance with the Commission's regulations as set forth in 10 CFR Part 20 and 10 CFR Part 50.
The waste handling and treatment systems installed at the plant are discussed in the applicant's Preliminary Safety Analysis Report and Amendments and in the applicant's Environmental Report.
In these references, the applicant has prepared an analysis of his treatment systems and has estimated the annual ef fluents.
The following analysis is based on our model, adjusted to apply to this plant, and uses somewhat different operating conditions than those assumed by the applicant. Our calculated effluents are, therefore, dif ferent
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from the applicants; however, the model used results f rom a review of availabic data from operating power plants.
3.5.1 Liquid Radioactive Wastes The primary coolant loop of a nuclear reactor will contain small amounts of radioactive fission and activation products.
The liquid radioactive waste system shown in Figure 3.5.1 consists of the pro-cess equipment and instrumentation necessary to collect, monitor, store and dispose of radioactive liquid wastes from boron, re cy cle systems, equipment drains, floor drains, decontamination operations, and steam generator blowdown.
A portion of the primary coolant is processed for control of the boron concentration and will normally be returned to the reactor makeup storage tank.
Liquids from equipment drains, waste gas system drains, the sample room sink, the containment sump, and the reacto r coolant drain tank are collected in the waste holdup tank and pro-cessed through an evaporator and demineralizer.
Liquids from floor drains, laboratory equipment rinses, and decontamination operations will be collected in the floor drain tank and processed through an evaporator and demineralizer.
Steam generator blowdown will flow through a heat exchanger and a pressure reducing valve before processing through four demineralizers in series.
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f 3-7 Each of the four units has facilit'ies to process the liquid wastes
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generated in that plant.
The only portion of the radioactive liquid 5
processing system that is shared is the boron recycle system.
Prior to release of any treated liquid waste, samples are analyzed to determine the type and amount of radioactivity in the batch.
1' Based on the results of the analysis, these wastes are either released under controlled conditions via the circulating water discharge system or retained for further processing.
Radiation monitoring equipment automatically terminates liquid waste discharge if radiation levels are above a predetermined level in the discharge line.
hcasa liquid frem the Chemical and Volum: Centrol Sy tem (chi =
bleed) is collected in one of two 112,000-gallon holdup tanks that is shared with another unit.
The shim bleed will be at an activity 1
of the primary coolant af ter it has passed through two mixed-bed j
demineralizers in series and will flow into the holdup tanks at a t
rate of about 1,840 gallons per day.
Sixty days decay is assumed 4
i for the wastes during batch accumulation. After a sufficient i
j quantity has been accumulated, the liquid wastes are normally passed through the recycle evaporator and an anion demineralizer that are shared with another unit.
Normally, the processed liquid flows to the reactor makeup s torage tank. Iloweve r, in our evaluation we l'
assumed that 10% of the processed liquid flows to the 5000-gallon monitor tanks from which it is discharged.
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Liquids that could contain.significant quantities of radioactivity are collected in various-drains feeding into the 10,000-gallon vaste holdup tank.
Sources of liquid wastes include reactor coolant liquid from controlled Icakoff, leakage from primary auxiliary equip-ment, drains from the laboratory sink and liquids from the reactor containment and auxiliary building sumps.
In our evaluation, we assumed 166 gallons per day of liquid at primary coolant activity will flow into the waste holdup tank.
From the waste holdup tank the liquid is processed through a 15 gpm waste evaporator and a mixed-bed condensate demineralizer. The demineralizer effluent is normally collected in the 5000-gallon waste condensate tank for teuse in the eloat.
Ho-ever, in our es luatioa we essumed ti..L 101 of the processed liquid flows to the 5000-gallon monitor tank from which it is discharged. We estimate that less than 0.01 curie per year of liquid waste will be released from this system and shim t
bleed system.
Liquids from floor drains, decontamination operations, and laboratory equipment rinses will be collected in the 10,000-gallon floor drain tank.
In our evaluation, we assumed that 900 gallons per day of liquid wastes at 7 percent of the primary coolant activity will flow into the floor drain tank.
From the floor drain tank, the liquid is processed through the 15 gpm waste evaporator and a mixed-bed condensate demineralizer.
The demineralizer effluent is normally
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collected in the 5000-gallon waste monitor tank from which it is discharged.
In our evaluation, we assumed 100% discharge of these processed liquids with 30 days decay during batch accumulation. We estimate that approximately 0.03 curie per year of liquid waste will be released from this system.
The blowdown from the steam generators will flow through a heat exchanger and a pressure reduction valve at approximately 7 gpm.
The blowdown will be processed through two cation demineralizers in series and two mixed-bed demineralizers in series and collected in a 1500-gallon surge tank from which it is discharged with approximately one hour delav. We estimate that approximately 0.21 curie per year of liquid waste will be released from this system. Any leakage from the secondary loop to the turbine building that occurs will be released untreated through the turbine building drains. We estimate that approximately 0.16 curie per year of liquid waste will be released from this system.
An average of 450 gallons per day of laundry and shower waste, having an activity of about 10~
pci/cc is considered to be collected in the 10,000-gallon laundry and hot showe'r drain tank that is shared with another unit.
Experience has shown that these wastes can be released with no treatment at activity Icvels less than 10~
uci/cc.
In our evaluation, we assumed all these wastes would be released
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without treatment. Based on our evaluation, we do not consider that this source will be a contributing source of radioisotopic releases.
Annual releases of fission product radionuclides from Vogtle were calculated based on reactor operation at 3525 MWt (maximum power) for 292 full power days with 0.25% of the operating power fission product source term.
Corrosion product activities were based on operating experience with pressurized water reactors.
Based on the assumptions shown in Table 3.5.3, the annual releases of radioactive materials in the liquid waste were calculated to be a fraction of the quantities shown in Tabic 3.5.1.
To compensate for treatment equipnent downtine and expected operational occurrences, the calculated releases were normalized to 0.4 CL/yr excluding tritium.
Based on operating experiences at pressurized water reactors, we estimate that about 350 Ci/yr of tritium will be released to the environment.
Since the estimated rclease of liquid radioisotopes is less than 5 Ci/yr, we conclude that the liquid waste processing equipment meet:< the as low as practicable guidelines. The applicant estimates that approximately 2 Ci/yr excluding tritium and 70 C1/yr of tritium will be released from the plant.
3.5.2 caseous Wastes During power operation of the plant, radioactive materials released to the atmosphere in gaseous effluents include low concentrations of
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~7-fission product noble gases (krypton and xenon), halogens (mos tly iodinesl tritium contained in water vapor, and particulate material including both fission products and activation products.
The primary source of long-lived gaseous radioactive waste will be from the degassing of the primary coolant during letdown of the cooling water into the chemical and volume control tank. A nitrogen purge sweeps the gases from the chemical and volume control tank to gas decay tanks for decay.
Additional sources of gaseous vas te activ-ity include ventilation air released from the auxiliary building, turbine building, and reactor containment building resulting from system leakages. Gif-gas from the main condenaet air ejuututs will contain radioactive gases and is included as a source of gaseous release from the plant.
Gaseous waste processing and ventilation systera are shown in Figure 3.5.2.
A list of assumptions used in evaluating the systems is given in Table 3.5.3.
Our estimated releases from the systems are listed in Table 3.5.2.
Most of the gaseous radioactivity received by the gaseous waste sys-tem will be from the degassing of the primary coolant during let--
down of the primary coolant and f rom the boron recycle evaporator.
These gases (mostly hydrogen with small amounts of entrained nobic
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fission gases) will enter a circulating nitrogen stream. The result-ing mixture of nitrogen-hydrogen-fission gas will be pumped by one of two compressors to one of two hydrogen-oxygen recombiners.
Enough oxygen is added in the recombiner to reduce the volume by removing the hydrogen and forming water vapor.
The water vapor will be re-moved by a moisture separator.
The resulting gaseous stream (con-sisting mostly of nitrogen with small amounts of the noble fission gases) will be circulated through one of eight gas storage tanks and back to the compressor suction to form a circulating loop. The eight gas storage tanks have the capacity to hold waste gases estimated to be generated over a 40 year period. There fo re, the waste gases can be recirculated and held up for the expected life of the plant and no gaseous radwaste need be released to the environment. The gaseous vastes will be distributed among the storage tanks by alternating use of the tanks.
During cold shutdowns, when the residual fission gases and the hydro-gen contained in the reactor coolant are removed, the gaseous waste system will be operated in the normal manner until the coolant fis-sion gas concentration is reduced to the desired level. Then hydro-gen addition to the volume control tank will be stopped, and most of the remaining hydrogen in the primary coolant will be stripped while maintaining a nitrogen atmosphere in the volume control tank.
Also at this time, the operating gas storage tank will be valved off
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and one of two storage tanks reserved for shutdown use will be placed in service between the compressor discharge and a hydrogen-oxygen recombiner. The circulating gas leaving the recombiner will return to the compressor suction to complete the loop. After the first unit shutdovn, the gas in the shet down tanks will be reused as the nitrogen cover gas in the volume control tank.
The gaseous waste system has been designed to hold up gases from the volume control tank, recycle evaporator, and reactor coolant drain tanks for the lifetime of the plant. We calculate a holdup time of greater than 90 days. To compensate for leaks from pressurized tanks, treatment equipment downtime and expected operational occurrences, we nave paseo our release estimates on a 90-day holdup time for decay.
We estimate that about 950 curies per year of noble gases and negli-gible amounts of iodines will be released from this system.
Radioactive gases may be released in the auxiliary and turbine buildings due to leaks. The ventilation system for the auxiliary building (shared by two units) has been designed to ensure that air flow is from areas of low potential to arena having a greater poten-tial for the release of airborne radioactivity.
The exhausts from the auxiliary building will be filtered by pref 11ters, !! EPA filters and charcoal adsorbers.
Exhaust from the fuel handling areas will also be filtered by prefilters, llEPA filters and charcoal adsorbers before release through the plant vent.
Gaseous fission products from
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the steam system leakage which may occur in the turbines and/or ancil-lary equipment will be released directly to the atmosphere without treatment. We estimate approximately 1085 curies per year per unit of nobic gases and 0.07 curie per year per unit of iodine-131 will be released from the auxiliary building. We also estimate that approximately 0.02 curie per year per unit of iodine-131 and 3 curies of nobic gases will be released from the turbine building.
Off-gas from the condenser air ejectors (which remove radioactive gases collected in the condenser as a result of primary-to-secondary system Icakage) will flow through charcoal adsorbers before being released through the plant vent.
We estimate that approximately 1100 curies of noble gases and 0.01 curie per year per unit of iodine-131 will be released from the air ejectors.
The steam generator blowdown liquid will pass through a high pressure heat exchanger and a pressure reducing valve that controls the down-stream pressure.
The blowdown liquid then flows through two cation demineralizers in series and two mixed-bed demineralizers in series to the surge tank. The processed blowdown 11guld will be pumped from the surge tank to the cooling tower blowdoten discharge. We estimate that essentially no gases will be released f rom this system.
Radioactlye gases may be released in< tde the reactor containment building when components of the primary system are opened to the
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building atmosphere or when Icaks occur.
The reactor containment atmosphere will be purged through IIEPA filters and charcoal adsorbers to the plant vent.
Prior to purging, the containment internal charcoal adsorber systems (2 units at 15,000 cfm each) will reduce the iodine and particulate actfvity by recirculating the containment atmosphere through IIEPA filters and charcoal adsorbers. Our estimate of releases from the containment purge assumes a 16-hour operation of this system before purging.
We estimate that about 190 curies per year per unit of noble gases and less than 0.001 curie per year per unit of iodine-131 will be released from this system.
We estimate about 3300 curies per year per unit of nobic gases and 0.04 curie per year per unit of iodine-131 will be released.
The applicant, in the Environmental 1:eport, estimates 13,000 curies per year of noble gases and 0.25 curie per year of iodine-131 will be released from each unit.
The applicant's release estimate of I-131 does not include treatment of the air ejector exhaust with charcoal adsorbers and is, therefore, higher than our estimate.
We estimate the calculated whole body dose to individuals from the noble gases at the site boundary to be less than 10 mrem per year.
We estimate the calculated dose to a child's thyroid through the pasture-cow-milk chain to be approximately 10 mrem per year in the unrestricted area. The applicant is proposing to use state-of-the-a art technology to reduce lodine releases.
The model used to calculate m
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the estimated iodine releases from the plant-include limited avail-able operating data which are scant and contain a large number of uncertainties.
In addition, our assumptions on average meteorology, deposition, plate-out and partition factors for iodine, and species i
of iodine released may yield an overly conservative value.
Even though the calculated thyroid dose to a child through the pasture-cow-milk path appears to exceed the "as low as practicable" guidelines, we find the calculated dose acceptable for this plant because in our e
opinion, the uncertainties in operating data in our model are of fset by the built-in inherent conservatism used for our calculations.
To assure that the actual dose would not exceed the "as low as practicabic" guidelin:c, th: applicant.till tc required to pre <*de an extensive monitoring program in the surrounding environs. This program will be delineated in the Technical Specifications and will relate to measuring the iodine releases from the plant.
Should the actual measured iodine releases appear to exceed a dose rate of 2.5 mrem averaged over any calendar quarter, the applicant will be required to make the necessary modifications to the plant to reduce these releases as delineated in the Technical Specifications."
3.5.3 Solid Waste Solid wastes, containing radioactive materials, are generated by the treatment used to reduce the radioactive materials in the liquid effluent
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and by plant operation and maintenance.
These solids consist of spent domineralizer resins, chemical drain tank effluent, evaporator con-centrates, spent filter cartridges, and miscellaneous dry wastes.
The solid wastes will be compacted or encapsulated in 55-gallon drums.
Evaporator concentrates and chemical drain tank effluents are pumped into 55-gallon drums containing vermiculite and cement.
Depleted demineralizer resin beds are discharged to 55-gallon drums with steel and concrete shielding in the annular space. Other solid wastes consisting of contaminated rags, paper, protective clothing, and miscellaneous contaminated items will be packaged by a hydraulic compressor into drums or placed in other suitabic containers for disposal.
All containers will be shipped to a licensed burial site in accordance with AEC and Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations.
We estimate approximately 235 drums per year with an activity of 21 curies per drum of resins, evaporator bottoma, and chemical tank effluents will be shipped offsite from the plant. We also estimate that 600 drums of dry and compacted waste containing less than 5 curies per year will be shipped f rom the plant. The applicant made no estimate of the quantity and activity of the solid radioactive waste generated by each unit.
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Based on our evaluation of the quantities of solid waste that will be generated in this plant, the provisions for handling the waste and shipment in accordance with AEC and DCTf regulations, we conclude that the solid radwaste handling system is adequate and acceptable.
TABLE 3.5.1.
CALCULATED ANNUAL RELEASES OF RADI0 ACTIVE ESTERIALS IN LIQUID EFFLUENTS FROM ALVIN W. V0GTLE PLANT (PER UNIT)
Release Release Isotope Ci/yr/ unit Isotope Ci/yr/ unit Br-82 0.00006 Cs-134 0.013 Br-83 0.00007 Cs-136 0.0018 Rb-86 0.00002 Cs-137 0.0090 Rb-88 0.00002 Cs-138 0.00003 Sr-89 0.00008 Ba-137m 0.0084 Y-90 0.00007 Ba-140 0.00003 Y-91m 0.00063 La-140 0.00003 Y-91 0.0043 Cc-141 0.00001 Y-92 0.00016 Cc-14 4 0.00001 Y-93 0.00008 Pr-144 0.00001 Zr-95 0.00001 P-33 0.00004 Nb-95 0.00002 Cr-51 0.00015 Mo-99 0.072 Mn-54 0.00005 Tc-99m 0.086 Mn-56 0.00005 Te-127m 0.00008 Fe-55 0.00031 Te-127 0.00008 Fe-59 0.00011 Te-129m 0.00023 Co-58 0.0022 Te-129 0.00015 Co-60 0.00038 Te-131m 0.00004 Ni-63 0.00003 Te-132 0.00074 Nb-92 0.00001 1-130 0.00028 W-185 0.00001 1-131 0.13 W-187 0.00004 I-132 0.0050 Np-239 0.00001 I-133 0.073 1-134 0.00011 0.40 I-135 0.013 Cs-134m 0.00001 Tritium s 350 Ci/yr/ unit
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TABLE 3.5.2.
CALCULATED ANNUAL NELEASE OF RADI0 ACTIVE MATERIAL IN CASEOUS EFFLUENT FROM ALVIN W. V0GTLE PLANT (PER UNIT)
Curies Per Year Caseous Auxiliary Containment Waste Air Turbine Isotope Building Purges System Ejector Building Total Kr-83m 1
1 2
Kr-85m 5
5 10 Kr-85 8
15 950 8
980 Kr-87 4
4 7
Kr-88 8
8 9
Xe-131m 6
2 4
13 Xc-133m 3
3 6
Xe-133 120 20 5
130 275 Xe-135m 1
1 2
Xe-135 11 12 23 Xe-137 1
1 2
Xe-138 3
3 5
Total Noble Cases 3330 I-131
- 0. 00 7 0.0004 0.011 0.02 0.04 1-133 0.009 0.0004 0.006 0.01 0.05
- Indicates less than 1.0 for nobic gases.
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TABLE 3.5.3.
PRINCIPAL ASSUMPTIONS USED IN CALCULATING RELEASES OF RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
'1 Reactor Thermal Power 3565 MRt Plant Factor 0.80 Total Steam Flow 1.52 x 107 lb/hr Number of Steam Generators 4
Steam Generator Blowdown Rate 9120 lb/hr Fraction of Operating Power Equilibrium Fission Product Released 0.25%
Primary Coolant Shim Bleed 1.33 gpm Gas Decay Time 93 days Primary Coolant De gassed 2 times /yr Primary Coolant Gas Decay Time 90 days Containment Volume 2.75 x 106 ft3 Containment Purge 4 times /yr Volume of Primary System 12,750 ft 3 Weight of Steam in Each Generator 8,500 lbs Weight of Liquid in Each Generator 95,000 lbs Leaks Reactor Building 40 gallons / day Auxiliary Building 20 gallons / day Primary-Secondary Coolant 20 gallons / day Turbine Building 5 gallons / minute Removal Coefficients for Iodine Steam Generator Internal 0.01 Condenser Air Ejector 0.0005 Primary Coolant Leakage to Containment 0.01 Primary Coolant Leakage to Auxiliary Building 0.0005 Decontamination Shim Equipment Dirty Factors Bleed Drains Wastes Blowdown I
105 4
4 10 10 103 4
Cs, Rb 10 105 105 2 x 103 Mo 105 106 106 102 4
Y 10 105 los to Others 105 105 105 106 Dilution Flow Rate for Liquid Effluents 1.6 x 1010 gallons /yr
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