ML20204D081
| ML20204D081 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 11/29/1978 |
| From: | Upshaw W NRC OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS (OIP) |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS (OIP) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7812110255 | |
| Download: ML20204D081 (1) | |
Text
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MEMORANDUM TO THE FILES FROM: William Upshaw, Assistant for Policy Review
SUBJECT:
STAFF FINDINGS RELATED TO PROPOSED IMPORT OF 44,000 KILOGRAMS URANIUM AS UF, ENRICHED TO 1% (ISNM-780017) 6 Transnuclear, Inc. filed an application dated September 7,1978, for a license authorizing the import of 44,000 kilograms of uranium containing 440 kilograms U-235, maximum enrichment of 1% as UF ', from France.
A portion of this enriched uranium (22,447 kg U) is cbming from reprocessing of fuel elements under previous toll-enriching contract number UES/EU/2 and is of U.S. origin.
The balance of the material (21,553 kg V) is of Canadian origin and has not been enriched, but has been blended with the uranium under contract UES/EU/2.
The material will be transported to the
~0.S. by sea and delivered by truck to the DOE facility at Oak Ridge, Tennessee for use as feed against material to be shipped under toll-enriching contract UES/EU/41 for the Kernkraftwerk Stade Reactor in West Germany.
The ship-ment will be made in 29 approved containers bearing the IAEA Certificate of Competent Authority Number USA /4909/B()F.
This container has been used for the shipment of thousands of tons of UF without a significant incident.
g The hazards relating to the possible rupture of this container are limited principally to cherfiical toxicity rather than radiological toxicity and can be handled safely in essentially the manner as any corrosive and/or toxic chemical.
In view of the small percentage of the total UF transported 6
annually in the U.S., which this import represents, and in view of the history of safe transport of UF, this import will not result in any signifi-cant change in the probability hf a potential accident and will have no environmental impact over that resulting from domestic transport of UF.
The radiological impacts from import shipments were further evaluated in the Final Environmental Statement of the Transportation of Radioactive Material by Air and Other Fodes, NUREG-0170 and were determined to be negligible compar d to impacts from domestic shipments.
The physical protection requirements of 10 CFR 73 are not applicable because low enriched uranium is specifically exempted by paragraph 73.6(a).
The staff has determined that importation of this low enriched material meets statutory requirements, will not be inimical to the common defense and security, will not corstitute an unreasonable risk to the health and safety of the public, and will involve no significant environmental impact.
N William Upshaw Assistant for policy Review gpn\\oa55
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