ML20247M671
| ML20247M671 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000036 |
| Issue date: | 05/17/1989 |
| From: | Rouse L NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20247M668 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8906050103 | |
| Download: ML20247M671 (4) | |
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7590-01 l
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION !
FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY FOR A HEARING AMENDMENT OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIAL LICENSE NO. SNM-33 COMBUSTION ENGINEERING HEMATITE, MISSOURI DOCKET NO. 70-36 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission (the Comission) is considering the amendment of Special Nuclear Material License No. SNM-33 for Con:bustion Engineering (CE) located in Hematite, Missouri.
-SumARY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Identification of the Proposed Action: The proposed action is an amendment to License No. SNM-33 to authorize CE to operate new pellet production lines.
Currently, the Hematite plant receives UF6 and converts it to 002 powder.
Most of'the U02 powder.is then shipped to the CE Windsor plant where it is fabricated into pellets. CE plans to relocate all pelletizing operations to the' Hematite plant. The proposed action includes the installation of two new pellet lines and startup testing with depleted uranium. After the startup testing is complete, CE plans to introduce enriched uranium into the pellet lines. The environmental assessment includes the evaluation of impacts from operations with enriched uranium. The existing pellet line at Hematite will be maintained for special pellet runs.
The Need For The Proposed Action: As part of a plan for its nuclear fuel fabrication program, CE plans to conduct all uranium pellet production at its ,
Hematite plant. In order to accomplish this relocation, CE plans to install new pellet production lines ct the Hematite plant.
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2 Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action: The land intended for the new buildings is already committed for industrial use. The new beildings replace buildings that were demolished. Thus, there will be no significant impact as a result of the construction of the new buildings.
Addition.of the new lines will not require any changes to the treatment methods for the liquid effluent streams. There will be a potential' increase in the volume of liquid effluent. The volume of laundry water will increase in proportion to the number of new production personnel for the pellet lines. The laundry water is filtered, held in a storage tank, and sampled prior to release.
The amount of liquid going to the sanitary water system will also increase in proportion to the number of new personnel. Trace amounts of radioactivity enter the system from sinks and showers. The control limits for the liquid eftluent radioactivity remain the same. The~ volume will increase by approximately 20 percent. The impact from liquid discharges is expected to be minimal.
The main source of solid waste is from the solidification of liquid waste end product from the recovery / recycle processes and mop water. These liquid wastes are heated and concentrated; the concentrate is solidified and put into
- drums for transport to a connercial licensed disposal facility. The increase in. solid waste is expected to be small and to cause an insignificant impact.
Air effluents from the existing oxide building and the recycle / recovery building are not expected to increase. Effluent from the current pellet building will decrease as the pellet production is moved to the new building.
Effluents from the Windsor piant are also expected to decrease as the pellet production activities are relocated to the Hematite facility.
Exhausts from the new pellet building are filtered through a double bank of HEPA filters. The exhaust air from the process areas is sampled continuously during operations. CE has a e.urrent limit on total plant exhaust of 150 microcuries per calendar quarter; this limit remains unchanged. CE's objective is to increase pellet production with no significant increase in the existing rates of effluent release. However, radioactive releases are expected to increase. If it is conservatively assumed that the release doubles, the critical organ dose to the nearest resident would only be 0.15 mrem /yr to the L __ _. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
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lung. An infant at the nearest residence would receive only 0.27 mrem /yr to the lung. This is well below the 25 mrem permitted by 10 CFR Part 20, Section 20.105(c), t:hich incorporates the provisions of EPA's standards in 40 CFR Part 190.
Conclusion:
Although there will be an increase in effluent, the staff concludes that there will be no significant impacts associated with the operation of the new pellet lines.
Alternatives to the Proposed Action: Alternatives to the proposed action ;
include complete denial of CE's amendment application. This action would !
result in operations remaining unchanged. Another alternative would be approval of only one new pellet line. Since impacts from the new operation are expected to be minor, neither of these alternatives offers any real benefit.
Agencies and Persons Consulted: In performing this assessment, staff utilized the environmental report dated March 29, 1989, and amendment applications dated March 22, and May 1, 1989.
Finding of No Significant Impact: The Commission has prepared an Environmental Assessment related to the amendment of Special Nuclear Material License No.
SNM-33. On the basis of this assessment, the Commission has concluded that
} environmental impacts that would be created by the proposed licensing action j would not be significant and do not warrant the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement. Accordingly, it has been determined that a Finding of No Significant Impact is appropriate.
The Environmental Assessment and the above documents related to this proposed action are available for public inspection and copying at the Commission's Puolic l Document Room at the Gelman Building, 2120 L Street NW., Washington, DC. Copies of the Environmental Assessment may be obtained by calling (301) 492-3358 or by writing to the Fuel Cycle Safety Branch, Division of Industrial and Medical l Nuclear Safety, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555.
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' OPPORTUNITY FOR A HEARING Any person whose interest may be affected by the issuance of this amendment may file ~a request for a hearing. Any request for hearing must be filed with the Executive Director for Operations, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, I Washington DC 20555, within 30 days of the publication of this notice in the Federal Register, and must comply with the procedures set forth in the Commission's regulation,10 CFR Part 2, Subpart L, " Informal Hearing Procedures for Adjudications in Materials Licensing Proceedings." Subpart L of 10 CFR Part 2, which became effective March 30, 1989, was published in the Federal-Register on February 28, 1989.
Dated at' Rockv111e, Maryland, this /7 day of UI Q , 1989.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ha .
AW Leland C. Rouse, Chief Fuel Cycle Safety Branch Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety, NMSS
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