ML20236L070
| ML20236L070 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 11/06/1987 |
| From: | Hurt R NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Rouse L NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| References | |
| REF-PROJ-M-32 NUDOCS 8711100096 | |
| Download: ML20236L070 (2) | |
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A natog'o UNITED STATES g
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g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 74 E
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 NOV 0 01987 MEMORANDUM FOR:
Leland C. Rouse, Chief Fuel Cycle Safety Branch Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety FROM:
R. Davis Hurt-West Valley Project Manager Advanced Fuel and Special Facilities Section Fuel Cycle Safety Branch
SUBJECT:
VISIT TO WEST VALLEY DEMONSTRATION PROJECT ON OCTOBER 21-22, 1987 j
A. T. Clark and I visited the West Valley Demonstration Project on October 21 and 22, 1987 to discuss the details of our recommendation in the Supernatant Treatment System (STS) Safety Evaluation Report that the Department of Energy conduct a hot test run of the STS prior to commencing continuous operation; We believe that the effectiveness of the STS in removing strontium and plutonium, as well as cesium, its main target, should be more exactly determined before the two systems downstream from the STS, the Cement Solidification System and the Liquid Waste Treatment System, are activated. A short test run with hot supernatant would probably be the best way to obtain the necessary data. Our main reason for visiting the site was to explore these possibilities with the Department of Energy and the West Valley Nuclear Services (WVNS) technical staff.
As it turned out, the WVNS staff was not prepared to address the subject in much detail. The staff members with whom we had discussed our concerns during an early September visit had been assigned to other topics, and we found that a new manager (R. Lawrence) now.has responsibility for STS start-up. Mr. Lawrence was receptive to our ideas but was not in a position to make commitments, having only been in his new role for a few days.
We agreed to allow him and his staff more time to study the Safety Evaluation Report und consider our suggestions.
While the technical side of our visit was somewhat disappointing, we were fortunate to be able to find out quickly about the major changes being made in the Project's tunding and schedule. Within a few days prior to our visit, estimates of FY-1988 funding for the Project had fallen by 25 percent, and cuts of another 10-15 percent are expected. Twenty hourly workers and several engineers have been laid oft, possibly with more to come. The Department of Energy has not decided yet how to revise their operating schedule, but one possibility they are considering is to postpone vitrification until FY 1993 (from FY 1990) and I
stretch supernatant treatment over a 4-year period beginning in early 1988.
The situation at the site was further complicated by the Department of Energy's request to WVNS for a reevaluation of the total expected cost to complete the l
waste solidification phase of the Project. The reevaluation is not finished, but tentative estimates are coming out much higher than the earlier figures' (at I
least $780 million as opposed to about $400 million).
The ultimate consequences of the new estimate are not clear, but the staff reorganization that adversely affected the technical part of our visit is clearly related to the projected cost overruns.
8711100096 e71106 PDR PROJ M-32 PDR
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i Leland C. Rouse 2
' NOV 0 0 1987 I
J. Ro'th and R. S. Davidson of Region I were also at West Valley during the l
week of October 19 to examine the Project's off-gas treatment systems and gaseous effluent monitoring equipment.. This was to follow up on my request of September 23, 1987 for Region I assistance in this area. The Region I-staff's conclusions will be documented.in a future monitoring report.
'b;tmaL sa0m:0 WY:
R. Davis Hurt West Valley Project Manager Advanced Fuel and Special l
Facilities Section Fuel Cycle Safety Branch l
Distribution:
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