ML20210E980

Forwards Draft Environ Assessment for Univ of Illinois Safstor Decommissioning Plan

ML20210E980
Person / Time
Site:	University of Illinois
Issue date:	07/22/1999
From:	Alexander Adams NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Niziolek F ILLINOIS, STATE OF
References
TAC-MA4833, NUDOCS 9907290097
Download: ML20210E980 (11)

Text

- A July 22, 1999 Mr. FrInk Niziol:k Reactor Safety Section Head lilinois Department of Nuclear Safety 1035 Outer Park Drive Springfield, IL 62705

SUBJECT:

DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS SAFSTOR DECOMMISSIONING PLAN (TAC NO. MA4833)

Dear Mr. Niziotek:

As requested by Mr. Michael Parker, please find enclosed a copy of the draft Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant impact related to the application for amendment to Facility License No. R-115 for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Advanced TRIGA Reactor dated November 13,1998, as supplemented on May 11,1999. The proposed amendment would approve the SAFSTOR decommissioning plan for the University of Illinois Advanced TRIGA Research Reactor.

If you have any questions concerning the environmental assessment or the related license amendment, please contact me at 301-415-1127.

Sincerely, ORIGINAL SIGNED BY:

Alexander Adams, Jr., Senior Project Manager Events Assessment, Generic Communications and Non-Power Reactors Branch Division of Regulatory improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-151

Enclosure:

Draft Environmental Assessment l i

cc w/ enclosure:

See next page ,

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%,,,,,# July 22, 1999 Mr. Frank Niziolek Reactor Safety Section Head Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety 1035 Outer Park Drive Springfield, IL 62705

SUBJECT:

DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS SAFSTOR DECOMMISSIONING PLAN (TAC NO. MA4833)

Dear Mr. Niziolek:

As requested by Mr. Michael Parker, please find enclosed a copy of the draft Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant impact related to the application for amendment to Facility License No. R-115 for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Advanced TRIGA Reactor dated November 13,1998, as supplemented on May 11,1999. The proposed amendment would approve the SAFSTOR decommissioning plan for the University of Illinois Advanced TRIGA Research Reactor.

If you have any questions concerning the environmental assessment or the related license amendment, please contact me at 301-415-1127.

Sincerely, W ,

Alexander Adams, Jr., en' r Project Manager Events Assessment, Gen ric Communications and Non-Power Reactors Branch i Division of Regulatory improvement Programs I Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation i

Docket No. 50-151 l

Enclosure:

Draft Environmental Assessment cc w/ enclosure: )

See next page l l

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University of Illinois Docket Nos. 50-151 cc:

The Honorable Tod Satterthwaite Mayor of the City of Urbana P. O. Box 219 Urbana, IL 61803 lilinois Department of Nuclear Safety Manager, Office of Nuclear Facility Safety 1035 Outer Park Drive Springfield, IL 62705 Dr. James Stubbins, Head Department of Nuclear Engineering University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 103 South Goodwin Avenue Urbana,IL 61801-2984

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DRAFT 7590-01 -P UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN DOCKET NO. 50-151 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN ADVANCED TRIGA RESEARCH REACTOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is considering issuance of a license amendment to Facility License No. R-115, issued to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UlUC or the licensee), for decommissioni.1g of the UlUC Advanced TRIGA Research Reactor, located on the UlUC campus in Urbana, Champaign County, Illinois.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT i

Identification of Proposed Action:

The proposed action is approval of the licensee's SAFSTOR decommissioning plan.

UlUC submitted their decommissioning plan in accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(b) for the UlUC Advanced TRIGA Research Reactor located in the Nuclear Reactor Laboratory (NRL).

The reactor (1.5 MW thermal power) was permanently shut down on August 9, DRAFT l

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DRAFT i 1998. The licensee applied for a possession-only license amendment on October 5,1998.

By License Amendment No.10 issued on April 12,1999, the NRC removed the authority to operate the reactor and authorized possession of the residual radioactive materials.

The proposed decommissioning plan would place the NRL and reactor into safe storage until at least 2009 because this date is the soonest the Department of Energy can accept fuel from the UlUC. Domestic spent nuclear fuel receipts at the Idaho National i

Engineering and Environmental Laboratory have been severely constrained because of a settlement agreement of a lawsuit concerning spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste. The only fuel storage option the licensee has is to maintain fuel in storage at the NRL.

Decontamination and dismantlement activities cannot begin until fuelis removed from the NRL. The licensee has chosen the SAFSTOR option of decommissioning. SAFSTOR is the alternative in which the facility is placed and maintained in a condition that allows the facility to be safely stored and subsequently decontaminated to levels that permit release for unrestricted use. SAFSTOR consists of a short period of preparation for safe storage, a variable safe storage period of continuing care consisting of cocurity, surveillance, and maintenance, and ends with a period of deferred decontamination. The regulations in 10 CFR 50.82(b)(4)(i) allow the NRC staff to give consideration to an alternative which ,

provides for delayed completion of decommissioning only when necessary to protect the public health and safety. The regulations give factors to be considered in evaluating an alternative which provides for delayed completion of decommissioning. One of these DRAFT 4

DRAFT factors is the unavailability of waste disposal capacity. The inability of the licerisee to dispose of the spent reactor fuel falls under this factor. The licensee will submit an updated decommissioning plan for NRC review and approval after fuel has been removed from the NRL.

The decommissioning plan describes maintaining the facility in a safe storage condition. Fuel will be stored in approved storage racks in the Bulk Shielding Facility, which is a tank of water that is part of the reactor biological shield but is separate from the reactor tank. The licensee plans to maintain a regular surveillance schedule at the facility during the SAFSTOR period. The licensee will continue with their current health physics program and the approved emergency plan, security plan and operator requalification plan during the SAFSTOR period.

A " Notice and Solicitation of Comments Pursuant to 10 CFR 20.1405 ar.d 10 CFR 50.82(b)(5) Concerning Proposed Action to Decommission University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois Advanced TRIGA Research Reactor" was published in the FEDERAL REGISTER on June 14,1999 (64 FR 31882), and in the Champaign News-Gazette on June 13,1999. There were no comments received an the proposed action. .

l The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's application for amendment dated November 13,1998, as supplemented by letters dated May 11 and June XX,1999.

DRAFT

D DRAFT The Need for the Proposed Action:

The proposed action is necessary because of the UlUC's decision to cease operations permanently. As specified in 10 CFR 50.82, any licensee may apply to the NRC for authority to surrender a license voluntarily and to decommission the affected facility. Once the licensee permanently ceases operation,10 CFR 50.82(b)(1) requires the licensee to make application for license termination within two years following permanent cessation of operations, and in no case later than one year prior to expiration of the operating license. UlUC is planning to place the facility into safe storage until such time 4

that the Department of Energy can accept the fuel from the facility. After the fuel is l removed, the licensee will continue with decommissioning activities. UCIC is planning to use the area that would be released for unrestricted use for other academic purposes.

Environmental imoact of the Proposed Action:

The Commission has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and concludes that the radiological effects of maintaining the facility in a condition of safe storage will be minimal because fuel will be stored in approved storage locations under the restrictions of the facility license. In accordance with the conditions of the technical specifications, the licensee will conduct weekly physical surveillance of the facility to confirm that the fuel and facility are in a condition of safe storage and to ensure proper DRAFT l

DRAFT 5-system performance. The licensee will continue surveillance of primary water quality, radiation monitoring systems, the ventilation system and fuel inspection. Likewise, the licensee will continue with their current health physics program, approved emergency plan, security plan and operator requalification plan. Any solid or liquid wastes generated during the storage period will be disposed of in accordance with the regulations. With the termination of reactor operations, effluents released from the site 'will probably decrease.

No new postulated accidents have been identified during the safe storage period that would have greater radiologicalimpact than previously evaluated accidents. The UlUC estimates that the typical dose commitment to a member of the public at the site boundary will continue to be less than 2 mrem per year as has been reported in annual renorts from the licensee. The UlUC estimates that the typical occupational dose commitment to members of the staff will continue to be less than 50 mrem per year per person during the SAFSTOR period.

i The proposed action will not increase the probability or consequences of accidents, no changes are being made in the types of any effluents that may be released off site, and there is no significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, there are no significant radiological environmentalimpacts associated with the proposed action.

DRAFT

DRAFT With regard to pntential non-radiological impacts, the proposed action does not involve any historic sites. It does not affect non-radiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. Therefore, there are no significant non-radiological environmentalimpacts associated with the proposed action.

Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

Alternatives to the Proposed Action:

The only two alternatives to the proposed action for the UCIC Advanced TRIGA reactor are ENTOMB and no action. ENTOMB is the alternative in which radioactive contaminates are encased in a structurally long-lived material, such as concrete, the entombed structure is appropriately maintained and continued surveillance is carried out until the radioactivity decays to a level permitting release of the property for unrestricted use.

The ENTOMB alterative could not be put into place until the fuel has been removed from the facility. However, the UlUC wants to use the space that will become available for other academic purposes and would enter into the decommissioning activities soon  ;

i after fuelis removed from the facility. The alternative of not decommissioning reactors was rejected in the " Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Decommissioning of I DRAFT

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Nuclear Facilities," NUREG-0586. The no action alternative would leave the facility in its present configuration. Denial of the application would result in no change in current environmental impacts.

The environmental impacts of the proposed action and the alternative actions are similar.

Alternative Use of Resources:

l The action does not involve the use of resources different from those previously l

committed for construction and operation of the UlUC Advanced TRIGA reactor.

Aaencies and Persons Consulted:

In accordance with its stated policy, on June xx,1999, the staff consulted with the State of Illinois official, F. Niziolek of the Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety, regarding the environmentalimpact of the proposed action. The state official commented that .

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT On the basis of the environmental assessment, the Commission concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the Commission has determined not to prepare an environmentalimpact statement for the proposed action.

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.g. 1 For further details with respect to this proposed action, see the licensee's letter -

I dated November 13,1998, as supplemented by letters dated May 11 and June XX,1999.

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These documents are available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room, the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street, NW., Washington, D.C. 20003-1527.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this .

FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION DRAFT, DON'T SIGN !!

l Ledyard B. Marsh, Chief Events Assessment, Generic Communications and Non-Power Reactors Branch Division of Regulatory improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation l

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