ML20246E395

Requests Commission Approval for Use of EPICOR-II for Processing TMI-2 Contaminated Water

ML20246E395
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	10/03/1979
From:	Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML20244A768	List: ML20244A765 ML20246E389 ML20246E395 ML20246E400 ML20246E406
References
FOIA-89-88 NUDOCS 8905110250
Download: ML20246E395 (2)

Text

. ,,

j% % @ ' pft %K WD

) _.

October 3,1979 J U m -y For: The Commissioners From: Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Thru: . Executive Dirh; Jor Operations /c[3f7T

Subject:

USE OF EPICOR-Il FOR PROCESSING TMI-2 CONTAMINATED WATER

Purpose:

To obtain Comission approval for use of EPICOR-II Discussion: As a result of the Comission's May 25, 1979, statement concerning the use of EPICOR-Il for the processing of contaminated auxiliary building water at Three Mile Island, Unit 2, an Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared by the staff and issued for public comment on August 20, 1979. A copy of the Federal Register Notice issuing the EA for a thirty-day public coment period is enclosed as Enclosure 1.

To date, forty letters containing comments have been received.

Thirty-six of these did not contain c~'ments which were technically substantive in nature but were indications of opinion concerning whether or not the EPICOR system should be operated. Of these, thirty-five were agains'; its use and one in favor of its use. Of the remaining four, the Susquehanna Valley Alliance, the City of Lancaster and two professors from Franklin and Marshall College had many coments and were opposed to the processing of water. The remaining comentor, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, was in favor of the use of EPICOR-II. These four sets of comments are included as Enclosure 2.

The staff has evaluated all comments and has prepared a discussion of public comments and resulting staff recorrrnendations on the use of EPICOR-II which is presented in Enclosure 3. Those coments that were considered to be significant to the technical content or for clarification of the EA have been incorporated. A revised EA is included as Enclosure 4.

After review of the coments received, it remains our conclusion that operation of the EPIC 0R-Il system for the processing of con-taminated waste water from the TMI-2 auxiliary building and from the additional storage provided by the tank fann in the fuel handling building will not significantly affect the quality of the human environment. We conclude that the total occupational exposure resulting from processing of the water will be less than ,

five man-rem, and that the maximum dose to any individual off-site Contact-R. Vollmlr, NRR #

j 49-27347 \

@ l g o 090505 ~ j '4 j PERLMAN89-BO PDR s

o- - - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ J

,? ,

The Commissioners -2 '

will be nuch less than the one mrem previously estimated because of the substantial decay of the volatile fission products. There-fore, we believe that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared, and that pursuant to 10 CFR 51.5(c), issuance of a negative declaration to that effect is appropriate.

Therefore, since the requirements of the Comission's May 25, 1979,

- Statement concerning the use of EPICOR-II have been met, we recom-mend that the use of EPICOR-II be authorized. Disposition of the processed water will require a subsequent EA as required by the May 25, 1979, Statement. The staff will advise the Comission of the schedule for the EA as soon as the licensee provides his evaluation and proposal for disposition of the processed water.

Concerning the disposition of solid wastes generated by the use of EPICOR, we plan on authorizing shipment of vacuum dewatered wastes, utilizing careful control to assure that all free water is removed from the contaminated resins, until such time that a resin solidi-fication system can be designed and installed. Following that, solid waste generated by the process of decontamination of liquid waste would be further encased in a solid matrix to provide additional assurance of no f ree water.

7f Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation ,

Enclosures:

1. Federal Register Notice j

2. Coment Letters i

3. Discussion of Public Comments i

4. Revised Environmental Assessment

)

i I