ML20236U960
| ML20236U960 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07001113 |
| Issue date: | 07/29/1998 |
| From: | NRC |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20236U948 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9807310198 | |
| Download: ML20236U960 (2) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES s
E NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
'f WASHINGTON, D.C. 2006H001
.....p July 29, 1998 i
DOCKET:
70-1113
)
LICENSEE:
General Electric Company Wilmington, North Carolina
SUBJECT:
SAFEGUARDS EVALUATION REPORT: SUBMITTAL DATED JUNE 30,1998, REQUEST FOR EXTENSION TO THE FUNDAMENTAL NUCLEAR MATERIAL l
CONTROL. PLAN COMMITMENTS l
BACKGROUND By cover letter dated June 30,1998, General Electric (GE) requested a one-time amendment authorizing a time extension to three specific material control and accounting (MC&A) l commitments in its Fundamental Nuclear Material Control (FNMC) Plan. GE submitted the l
request following a conference call with NRC licensing staff in anticipation of receiving a large j
shipment of special nuclear material containers which have been stored in a bonded area of the i
U.S. Customs Service at the Port of Camden, New Jersey since January 1998.
The amendment in response to this request would relieve the licensee from commitments in l
Sections 6.1,6.2.3, and 7.1 of its current approved FNMC Plan. The NRC staff processed the l
amendment request following the provisions of 10 CFR 70.34.
DISCUSSION
)
The material involves 490 bulk uranium international transport packages (BU-J containers) in 7 seavan containers shipped from the Republic of Kazakstan. A total of 980 cans of UO powder 2
is packaged inside the BU-J containers. The total quantity is 20,597 kgs of uranium at 3.59%
nominal enrichment in 13 blends of UO with no blend exceeding 3.61%. The containers have 2
been stored in a bonded area of the U.S. Customs Service at the Port of Camden, New Jersey
)
since January 1998. The U.S. Customs Service has not released the shipment, and the Port of Camden is concerned about the extended period of storage time at its site. Consequently, GE considered having the material shipped to Wilmington and storing it on site in a controlled l
access and bonded storage area. This plan would transfer the nuclear material to an intended final and safe destination but would deprive GE of access until the material is cleared and i
released by Customs.
The licensee is requesting approval to delay initiation of the receipt measurement process until Customs releases the material and then to extend material measurement isod distribution of material balance report DOE /NRC Form 741 to 60 days. This request departs from the commitment in Section 7.1 of GE's FNMC Plan that the material and DOE!NFtO Form 741 be completed within 30 days of receipt of the material. The requested extension of time is necessary and appropriate in order for the licensee to schedule resources and facility activities to accommodate the unpacking, weighing, sampling, and measurement of the large quantity of 980 cans of UO material.
2 9807310198 9807:29 PDR ADOCK 07001113 PDR 1
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2 in addition, the provisions of GE's letter requested approval to maintain the material in seavans in the Customs bonded area with the original tamper-safing seals intact and without entering the material in its physical inventory system or performing routine item verification and audits.
This deviates from the Plan commitments in Sections 6.2.3 and 6.1 which state that material coming onto the site will be entered into the inventory system within 14 days and that the inventory system will be routinely verified. During the storage time, GE commits to perform seat verifications on a monthly basis and during its annual inventory to assure the sealintegrity.
Customs will be notified in case of any indication of broken seals during the verifications. When Customs releases the material in question, normal and routine MC&A practices and activities will resume. Consequently, temporary relief from inventory and item control aspects in the FNMC Plan is appropriate in light of the compensatory measures committed to by the licensee.
The NRC reviewed and approved by letter dated February 17,1998, a previous revision of GE's FNMC Plan dated November 13,1997, which was submitted under the provisions of 10 CFR 70.32(c). This license amendment updates Safeguards License Condition SG-1.1 to reflect the current approved version of the Plan.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW l
The staff has determined that the requested time extensions involve safeguards plan and material accountability which are categorically excluded from the requirements to prepare a j
site-specific environmental assessment. Therefore, in accordance with 10 CFR 51.22(c)(12),
neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is warranted for this action.
CONCLUSION The staff concludes that granting the licensee's time extension request associated with the receipt, storage, and handling of the uranium containers is justified and warranted and that it will not reduce the effectiveness of the licensee's safeguards program. Thus, new Safeguards License Condition SG-1.4 is being issued which allows for an extension of time for completion of three specific commitments in the FNMC Plan for these 980 cans of UO, powder. In addition, existing Safeguards License Condition SG-1.1 is being revised to update a previously approved FNMC Plan revision.
The Operations Branch (FCOB) inspection staff has no objection to this proposed action.
PRINCIPAL CONTRIBUTOR Thomas N. Pham i