ML20214J432

Safety Evaluation Supporting Westinghouse 870420,0512 & 13 Applications,Authorizing Release of Industrial Liquid Products (Spent Hydrofluoric Acid) for Reuse at Two Designated Facilities

ML20214J432
Person / Time
Site:	Westinghouse
Issue date:	05/20/1987
From:	Rouse L, Shum E NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
To:
Shared Package
ML20214J411	List: ML20214J408 ML20214J432 ML20214J439
References
NUDOCS 8705280047
Download: ML20214J432 (3)

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MAY 2 0.1987.

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FCUF:EYS -

DOCKET NO:

70-1151 i.

LICENSEE:

Westinghouse Electric Corporation I

FACILITY:

Commercial Nuclear Fuel Division

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j-Columbia : South Carolina m

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SUBJECT:

SAFETY EVALUATION REPORT, APPLICATION DATED APRIL.20, 1987 i

i' AS~ REVISED MAY,13, 1987, AND SUPPLEMENT DATED MAY'12, 1987, RE APPROVAL-FOR THE REUSE'0F SPENT HYDROFLUORIC ACID UNDER CONTPOLLED CONDITIONS

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BACKGROUND 4.

l By application dated April 20, 1987, and; supplement dated May 12,~1987, Westinghouse Electric Corporation requested an amendment to License No.

i SNM-1107 to authorize the release of industrial liquid products, i.e...

l spent hydrofluoric acid (HF), for reuse at two designated facilities. By letter dated May 13, 1987, Westinghouse superseded the April'20.-application.'

The spent HF acid solution contains trace. quantities of uranium.3 The.two.

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facilities that use the HF acid solution-'are the. Brush-Wellman,-Incorporated, j

at Elmore, Ohio, and the Western Zirconium at Ogden, Utah.

DISCUSSION i

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The spent HF acid will be reused at the two facilities under controlled

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conditions. Prior to the transfer of this acid from Westinghouse, each 1

shipment will be representative 1y sampled and analyzed, and the following an:1 maximum. permissible concentrations shall not be exceeded, 1.

The uranium content in the HF acid shall not exceed. 3 ppm by weight. -

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The uranium-enrichment in the HF acid shall not exceed S percent U-235 by weight.

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The HF in the acid solution shall not exceed 50 percent by weight.

3 The estimated volume of. this aqueous HF acid is less than 50,000 gallons per.

year with a maximum uranium quantity of about'334 gm.

used in the following manner:'

'. The'HF acid will be L

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O Westinghouse Electric Corp. SER 2

% 2 0 1987 A.

Brush-Wellman Facility The HF' acid is used in the extraction process for beryllium. After extraction, the' reduction process converts the metal fluoride produced from the aqueous hydrogen fluoride to pebbles or metal. The trace quantities of uranium are expected to be co-reduced along with the beryllium in this process and ends up in the final metal product. The trace quantities of uranium in the final product will have no adverse effect. Only a small portion of the trace uranium follows the liquid waste stream which is then impounded in a tailings pond. The trace

' levels of uranium are diluced by magnesium fluoride (generated at about 2-3 million 1bs. per year) and aqueous fluoride-containing solutions in the tailings pond.

The aqueous portion of the pond is maintained at a pH greater than 8, and it is expected that the uranium reaching the pond will be precipitated. The maximum uranium content in the precipitated sludge is estimated to below 1 pCi/gm which is well below the 30 pCi/gm limit for unrestricted release as specified in NRC's Branch Technical Position for the disposal of uranium and thorium wastes.

There is no release of process liquids to surface water. During the production of beryllium pebbles, there are no processes in which volatile uranium compounds might be produced. No transfer of uranium to the in-plant atmosphere or to the surrounding areas as dust or gaseous species is expected to occur.

B.

Western Zirconium Facility Diluted HF acid is used to pickle zirconium products in aqueous baths where HF is diluted by about 9 to 1 with nitric acid. After the pickling step, the zirconium products are rinsed with deionized water. The trace uranium is expected to remain in the aqueous phase to the next step in the neutralization process where slaked lime is added to the liquid waste. Other Western Zirconium aqueous wastes are added to tnis stream prior to neutralization, resulting in a total dilution of approximately 1,000 to 1.

Neut;alized wastes are transferred to an evaporation lagoon for long-term storage. The calcium chloride sludge generated in the lagoon is about 32,000 lbs. per years. This does not provide much dilution as described in the Brush-Wellman facility. As a precaution, the licensee is committed to collect a composite sludge sample from the lagoon on a cuarterly basis, and the sludge will be analyzed for isotopic uranium with an action level of 15 pCi (total uranium) per gram of dry sludge.

If the total uraniun in the sludge sample exceeds 30 pC1/gm, the NRC Regional Office shall be notified within N days after completion of the analysis. This is to ensure tha no adverse effect would occur from radioactivity for the ultimate disposal of the sludge.

In addition, no lagoon lionid waste will be discharged to the surface water. The proposed use of HF aci Western Zirconium is not expected to result in a significant celease os anium in the air effluent.

i3AY 0 01987

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Westinghouse Electric Corp. SER 3

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CONCLUSION / RECOMMENDATION The reuse of the spent HF acid at the above-mentioned facilities is under controlled conditions. Trace quantities of uranium left in the waste stream are contained in the lagoon systems such that uranium will not enter into -

any food, beverage, or other commodity designed for ingestion by humans..

Additionally, the acid used in the processes is controlled to minimize the release of radioactivities to the atmosphere. Therefore, it is not expected that the licensee's proposed program has significant impact to the environment.

Approval of the proposed license amendment action is recommended.

The Region II Project Inspector has no objection to this action.

' Original Signed By; Edward Y. Shum Uranium Fuel Section.

Fuel Cycle Safety Branch Division of Fuel Cycle, Medical.

Academic, and Commercial Use Safety Original Signed By:

Approved by:

Leland C. Rouse, Chief Fuel Cycle Safety Branch

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