ML20235P046
| ML20235P046 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee, Diablo Canyon, 05000000 |
| Issue date: | 03/23/1987 |
| From: | Novak T Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Asselstine, Roberts, Zech NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20235P042 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-87-380, REF-GTECI-082, REF-GTECI-NI, TASK-082, TASK-82, TASK-OR NUDOCS 8707200316 | |
| Download: ML20235P046 (8) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES r'
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION j
.i WASHWGTON, D. C. 20555 E
\\,.... * /
Docket Nos. 50-275,
]
50-323,.
. 4_.
and 50-271 f
PEMORANDilM FOR:
Chairman Zech Commissioner Roberts Commissioner Asselstine Commissioner Bernthal Commissioner Carr l
FROM:
Thomas P. Novak, Acting Director Division of PWR Licensing-A
SUBJECT:
BOARD NOTIFICATION REGARDING BNL DRAFT REPORT ON SPENT FUEL POOL ACCIDENTS (BN 87-05) i In accordance with NRC procedures for Board Notification (PNI we are providing i
l for your information the following enclosed Brookhaven (BNL) draft report.
"Beyond Design-Basis Accidents in Spent Fuel Pools (Generic Issue 82),"
Department of Nuclear Energy. Brookhaven National Laboratory, Draft, January 1987, transmitted by letter from K. R. Perkins (BNL) to E. Throm (NRC), dated February 5,1987.
The report addresses the risk of spent fuel storage at nuclear power plants and includes an evaluation of accident initiatino events and their probabilities, fuel cladding failure scenarios arising from uncertainties in zircaloy oxidation reaction rate data, and the potential for releases of radionucMdes under various cladding failure scenarios. The draft report presents the results of a study performed by BNL for the staff on Generic Issue 82, "Beyond Design-Basis Accidents in Spent Fuel Pools." The draft report has been distributed.widely within the staf f for a peer review. Preliminary staff opinion is that substantial portions-of the report will _need more critical review because of some ratbr s4mpM psetions5Like most or the Generic Issues and Unresolved Safety Issues currently g being stud @d by the staff, the low likelihood of beyond design basis accidents -
is being examined to assess whether vulnerabilities could exist which micht require furthereonsiderati_on of design or operations.. changes. Comments will be' provided to BNL and the final report 15-expected to be. issued this sumer.
The draft report is a generic report and does not pertain directly to currently ongoing licensing efforts,for spent fuel pool expansion amendment requests by utilities, including _ hearings. -However, we believe that the subfect may involve substantial public, press or Congressional interest. For this reason we are providing you.with the enclosed report. We also are v
B707200316 070716 4
V 2
providing the report, by copy of this Board. Notification, to the Boards and Service Lists for the Diablo Canyon Plant and Vermont Yankee Station. We will inform you of further developments.
Thomas M. Novak, Actine Director Division.of PWP Licensing-A
Enclosure:
l As stated j
cc: See next page i
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[,,,..,fg UNITED STATES g
g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIOh.
g
.j WASHINGTON. D. C. 20555 o,
4
/
=..e+
Docket Nos. 50-275 and 50-323 a
MEMORANDUM FOR:
Chairman Zech Commissioner Roberts Commissioner Asselstine Commissioner Bernthal Commissioner Carr FROM:
Thomas M. Novak, Acting Directnr
}
Division of PWR Licensing-A 1
SilBJECT:
BOARD NOTIFICATION REGARDING BNL DRAFT REPORT ON SPENT FUEL POOL ACCIDENTS (BN 87-05)
In accordance with NRC procedures for Board Notification IBN) we are providing for your infonnation the following enclosed Brookhaven (BNL) draf t report:
"Beyond Design-Basis Accidents in Spent Fuel Pools TGeneric Issue 82),"
Departmer.t cf Nu: lear Energy, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Draft, January 1987, transmitted by letter from K. R. Perkins (BNL) to E. Throm -
(NRC), dated February 5,1987.
The report addresses the risk of spent fuel storage at nuclear power plants and includes an evaluation of accident initiating events and their probabilities, fuel cladding failure scenarios arising from uncertainties in Zircaloy oxidation reaction rate data, and the potential for releases of radionuclides under various cladding failure scenarios. The draft report presents' the results of a study perfonned by BNL for the staff on Generic Issue 82, "Beyond Design-Basis Accidents in Spent Fuel Pools." The draft report has been distributed widely within the staff for a peer review, Like most of the Generic Issues and Unresolved Safety Issues currently being studied by the staff, the likelihood i
of beyond design basis accidents is being examined to assess whether vulner-abilities could exist which might require further consideration of changes in design or operations.. Preliminary staff opinion is that substantial portions-of the report will need more critical review because some assumptions appear to be oversimplified. Comments will be provided to BNL and the final report is expected to be issued this sumer.
The contractor states, based on these preliminary results, that the risk from spent fuel pcols is comparable to the risk from core melts in general. The spent fuel pool risk is primarily due to postulated fires from self-sustaining.
oxidation of the Zircaloy cladding of the spent fuel stored in high-density racks if water is lost from the pool. The dominant causes of water loss are due to structural failures of the pool caused by dropping of a spent fuel cask or by an earthouake. However, all of the estimates of the factors affecting the risk are preliminary and the report is less an estimate of the risk than identification of the factors that need further study in order to make a
,'I reasonably accurate estimate of risk.
d I
me on
. Based on a brief review, the staff expects that the final result of the study is likely to provide a much lower estimate of risk. The risk estimate in the report is not based on an analysis of the structural capability of fuel pools, but of similar concrete structures.
Furthermore the report effectively assumed that failure of the pool would result in the loss of integrity of the pool liner without considering whether the strain would be sufficient to fail the liner. Based on other seismic risk studies, the fuel pool could require a much streger, and therefore less probable, earthquake than that required to fail the systems necessary to control reactivity and cool a core.
Failure due to a cask drop is not likely now since casks are used infrequently at only a few plants.
The report also assumes that all of the cesium would be released from the equivalent of three cores if a Zircaloy fire occurred. While the spent fuel in a pool has less of the short half-life fission products than a fresh core, this would primarily only affect estimates of early fatalities. However, in the analysis of the fraction of cesium released from the spent fuel, it was assumed that all of the fuel was at the maximum calculated clad temperature.
If the radial and axial temperature distribution were considered, the calcu-lated release fraction would likely be less, possibly by a factor of two.
The report also assumes no retention of cesium in the fuel pool building.
Even if an earthouake destroyed the building, the debris would likely cause much of the cesium to be retained. Other studies of the cesium retention in similar buildings and the large fraction of cesium retained at Chernobyl indicate that the report may underestimate retention by a factor of ten. Overall the report may overestimate the risk from fuel pools by a factor of about 200.
4' The draft report does not pertain directly to currently ongoing licensing efforts for spent fuel pool expansion amendment requests by utilities, including hearings.
{
i However, we believe that the sub,iect may involve substantial public, press or Congressional interest.
For this reason we are providing you with the enclosed report. We also are providing the report, by copy of this Board Notification, to the Boards and Service Lists for the Diablo Canyon Plant and Vennont Yankee Station.
We will inform you of further developments.
(cuN I y
b ry r#
^
Thomas M. Novak, Acting Director Division of PWR Licensing-A J
Enclosure:
As stated cc:
See next oaqe a
i,.
+#p* ** cmk UNITED STATES
[
l NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
.p WASHINC. TON, D. C. 20555 9,
a I
%,...../
Docket Nos. 50-271 50-275 and 50-323 MEMORANDUM FOR:
Thomas M. Novak, Acting Director Division of PWR Licensing-A THRU:
Steven A. Varga, Director Project Directorate #3 Division of PWR Licensing-A FROM:
Hans Schierling, Senior Project Manager Project Directorate #3 Division of PWR Licensing-A
SUBJECT:
PE00EST FOR ISSUANCE Or BOARD NOTIFICATION ON DIAllLO CANYON Your approval is requested for issuance of tne attached Board Notification (BN) to the Comission. The enclosure is a draft report by Brookhaven on their efforts regarding Generic Issue 82, "Beyond Design Basis Accidents in Spent Fuel Pools." The subject matter of the BN is not directly relevant or material to any contentions admitted in ongoing spent fuel pool hearing proceedings.
However, it has been specifically identified in-Petitioners' coments in the Vermont Yankee proceeding, where contentions have not yet been filed.
I believe that 14eir draft report may result in substantial public, press or Mt..
Congressional interest. Therefore, in accordance with NRR Office Letter No.19, Revision 3 (Items B.2.(b) and B.3), I recommend that the infonnation he provided to the Comission as a Board Notification.
Hans Schierling, Senior Project Manager Project Directorate #3 Division of PWR Licensing-A
Enclosure:
As stated X~pproved:
T. Novak
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