ML20216G472
| ML20216G472 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, 07007001 |
| Issue date: | 12/01/1997 |
| From: | Diaz N NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Hoyle J NRC OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY (SECY) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20216G429 | List: |
| References | |
| SECY-97-270-C, NUDOCS 9804200365 | |
| Download: ML20216G472 (5) | |
Text
+3053580529 HYATT-t11 Af11 HOTEL 193 PO4 DEC 01 '97 19:54 NOT ATION VOTE {
1 BESPONSE . SHEET 1
TO: John C. Hoyle, Secretary FROM: COMMISSIONER DIAZ
SUBJECT:
SECY-97-270 - ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS ON THE GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS LOCATED \
NEAR PADUCAH, KENTUCKY, AND PORTSMOUTH, i OHIO Approved xxjf Disapproved _ Abstain Not Participating Request Discussion COMMENTS:
Approved with attached edits I
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+3053580529 HYATT-MIAMI HOTEL 193 P05 DEC 01 '97 19:55
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for the remote possibility of a UF release while6 the UF is being heated and 6 * '
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transferred. NRC has hioined that autcclave design improvements are needed .
These improvements include the ability to test the containmem valves, replaci cantainment valves that are not fail-safe, atui providing adequate operator alarms Although these design improvements will enhance the assurance of safety, the curren autoclave design, in conjunction with compensatory measures iW_ by NRC, is sufficient to provide adequate assurance of safe operation until the autoclave upgra are completed.
Criticality Safety - 10 CFR Part 76 requires that enticality prevenbon be included in the TSRs and be addressed via established pmcedures and/or equipment. Before March 3,1997, there were operations, at tte GDPs, for which nuclear crincality sa evaluations (NCSEs) were isesiplete or formal documentation was unavailable and double-c0 Ag=y or other bases for acceptance had not been &-nanted in an NCSE. Additionally, there were AN=ntive aspects of the nuclear criticality safety program that had not been prochized or starnmenaart. Actions have been implemented at Paducah and Portsmouth to rectify these cosmopliances.
STATUS OF PADUCAH COMPLIANCE PLAN Of the 53 issues listed in the Paducah Compliance Plan,34 have been completed (i.e., I USEC has infonned NRC that it has fulfHied all the individual actions described in a Compliance Plan issue). Of the 34 issues that have been completed,11 issues were completed Mw March 3,1997, when NRC assumed regulatory responsibility, and Sp==h 30, 1997, the close of the seporting period. 'Ibeas"yissues, along with a Wyiksi of the
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noncompliance and corrective actions, follow: 4 1 ,yg Chemical Safety MM=M Integrity Progr.un - All al-=-ak of a =~hmaie=1 integrity prognm, as defined in 29 CPR 1910.119, were not implemenwl for those chemienk described in SAR Section 5.16.13.3. This Compliance Plan item is a cammitment to meet an C-wa-xml Safety and Heahh Adtainistration (OSHA) requirement. USEC completed a machanical imegrity progratn fcr makenance- and inspection-process safety-management requirements, as committed to in the Compliance Plan.
Administrative Controls on Overtime 'Ibe s taffing allocations were not sufficient to meet training needs and to comply with NRC working-hour guidelines. USEC supplemented staffing allocations to meet the working-hour guidelines, as committed to in the Compliance Plan.
DOE Chemical Safety and Third-Party Use of Hazardous Chemicals - When USEC was created, DOE did not have established camammication channels to provide USEC with information regarding the use of hazard 3us chemicals by DOE and third parties present at the site. To correct the situation, all initial process hamds analyses were 10
+3053580529 HYATT-t11 AMI HOTEL 193 P06 DEC 01 '97 19:55
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sampling system has been in operation since August 1995; howe r, sufficient data to establish baseline radionuclide concentrations at the stations not been obtained Therefore, action levels to trigger isotopic analyses for ambient air radionuclide levels gj j
had not been established because of the lack of data. USEC has subsequently obtained j the data and established the required action levels. USEC has also compared the i'
effective dose equivalent c=lca1=W using 1996 release data, with the effective dose equivalent using the 1996 data from the high-volume ambient air samplers.
p Protection Water System Reliability '[he high-pressure fire water system pumps
-ess> not as reli.ble --='y. Further, tte automatic fire sug assion systems in y Building C-315 assured hac== the water source is a multipurpose system.
USEC refurbished the high-pressure fire ws.ter system pumps and reconfigured the fire y
water supply to Building C-315. ,
Environrnental Trendag Procedures - Some environmental data"ase
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trended to identify long-term chwas in the environment that may result from plant A operations. USEC developed and implemersed procedures to trend environmental data as part of the Nuclear Safety Upgrade Proje:t.
A sigmficant safety issue, specific to Paducah, that is currently being resolved,
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involves seismic upgrading of two main process buldings. Durmg the upgrading of the SAR i for Paducah, it was discovered that a significant nu:nber of piping attachments could fail, and two of the main process buildings could suffer signficant damage if subjected to an earthquake intensity associated with an eartW=ka at the Paducah site that might be expected to occur more frequently than the frequency associated with the design basis canhq'=ka.
DOE was responsible for regulatory oversight of the GDPs at the time this was discovered.
DOE required that USEC develop a plan for improving the seismic resistance and imposed process constraints on the operation of the Parkmah plant to sigmficantly reduce the risk of release of radioactive and hazardous material (UF.) in the event of an eat *==ka. Both NRC and DOE require that safety-related structures be designed to withstand natural phenomena events, including canhqaakac. During development of the Paducah Compliance Plan, USEC committed to, and NRC approved, a plan to strengdien the buildings to improve the seismic resistance of the structures and piping attachmana. The Paducah CompH= ace Plan also requires USEC to connem to operate under the prwess constraints to reduce the risk of UF6 release during an earthquake until the seismic upgrades have been completed. In the Compliarce Plan, USEC committed to strengthen the buddings to improve the seismic tesistance of the structures and piping anachn=nat by December 31,1997. Three unreviewed safety c,uestions(USQs) related to the seismic upgrade were identified by USEC and submitted to NRC for approval. In conjunction with the USQ submittals, USEC has requested to extend the date for completing the physical modifications by approximately 18 months. NRC is reviewing the information provided by USEC concermng the USQs as well as the new proposed schedule.
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+3053580529 HYATT-t11 Ai11 HOTEL 193 P07 DEC 01 '97 19:56 STATUS OF PORTSMOUTH COMPLIANCE PLAN Of the 46 issues listed in the Portsmouth Compliance Plan,28 have been c,xnpleted (i.e., USEC has infonned NRC that it has fbifillec all the individual actions described in a Compliance Plan issue). Of the 28 issues that have been completed, four issues were completed between March 3,1997, when NRC awumed regulatory responsibility, and September 30,1997, the close of the reporting period. These four issues follow:
Chemical Safety Mechanical Integrity Program - All elements of a M=akat integrity program, as defined in 29 CFR 1910.119, were not implementad for those chemicals described in SAR Section 5.16.13.3. This Compliance Plan item is a comminnent to meet an OSHA requirement. USEC completed a nwh=niemi integrity program for maintenance- and !==;-+:Gon-process safety management requirements as committed to in the Compliance Plan.
HEPA Filter Systems Testing - In-place leat testing of all fixed and pottable HEPA fdter systems / units was not being performesi. As committed to in the Compliance Plan, USEC retrofitted some HEPAs and downgraded others where it was determmed that the filters were not required to ensure environnevnt protecten or worker safety.
Further, USEC developed a database of portable HEPA filtration units and performed in-place leak testing of all portable HEPA tilter units.
Emergency Packets - An emergency plan procedure requires that emergency packets be developed and updated annually. The packets, located in the facilities, contain information about the building, the layout, specific hazards, and other information applicable to the facility. '1he mipwy packets did not accurately reflect the facility conditions since they were not Y M to reDect changes in the plant and changes in the requirements. Further, no up-to< late analysis existed that identified the combustible fuel loading for various areas of the process buildings. USEC completed the actions committed to in the Compliance Plan to resolve this issue - namely, the emergency packets were updated to reflect current facility conditions and an analysis was performed to determine the maximum allowable combustible loadings in each 3 process building.
- had UF 6Leak Detector Sensitivity Testing - Detector testing methods have not been developed that establish a precise correlation between the detectability of " test smoke"
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and the detectability of UF and its reaction 1xoducts. To rectify this noncompliance, USEC has developed a program to relate the response of UF. leak detectors to mamat test methods and to the detection of an actual UF leak.
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. +3053580529 HYATT-M!r-til HOTEL 193 P08 DEC 01 '97 19:56 9e, UNITED STATES
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t, g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION . I t
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CHAMMAN The Honorable Dan Schaefer, Chairman Subcommittee on Energy and Power Committee on Commerce United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
The Energy Policy Act of 1992 modified the Atomic Energy Act to require the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to prepare an annual report to Congress discussing the status of health, safety, and environmental conditions at the gaseous diffusion plants (GDPs) located near Paducah, Kentucky, ar,d Portsmouth, Ohio. The NRC ssaumed regulatory oversight of the GDPs from the U. S. Deper". ment of Energy on March 3,1997.
Attached is the firt.t NRC Annual Report to Congress, covering ; $ , from March 3,1997, to September 30,1997. In addition, the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) is pursuing development and licensing of Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) A technology as an altemate method to enrich urariium. NRC has had some preliminary meetings with USEC to lay the groundwork for USEC's AVLIS licensing application. A discussion of AVLIS is included in the Annual Report since the availatility of AVLIS technology has the potential to impact gaseous diffusion plant operations.
Sincerely, Shirley Ann Jacksra:
Enclosure:
Annual Report to Congress on the Gaseous Diffusion Plants Located in Paducah, Kentucky and [g; p f tast.s 6 0 Portsmouth, Ohio 1.
cc: Representative Ralph Hall Sjpl{ar C] M
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