ML20248D561

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Forwards Correspondence Received Re Proposed Expansion of C-E Nuclear Fuel Plant in Hemetite,Mo,Per 890619 & 21 Requests for Public Hearing.Addl Pertinent Info Requested
ML20248D561
Person / Time
Site: 07000036
Issue date: 07/07/1989
From: Nixon J
MISSOURI, STATE OF
To:
NRC OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY (SECY)
Shared Package
ML20246Q328 List:
References
MLA, NUDOCS 8908110078
Download: ML20248D561 (14)
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Text

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JzREM1AH W. (Jdy) Nrxow f

CowuivTEEs 22ND OtBTRICT U

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CHAIRMAN, COMMERCE AND

. geoou 433 CONSUMER PROTECTION hh.JJL 11 P3 :16

    • pao - ATiON.

STATE CAPITOL MISSOUM SENWE EuERayAu7ENToNwENT

  • ELEPH E

)71 JEFFERSON CITY LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND duggwyrAwo i

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VETERANS ArrAiRs w:RCutAwtuu,s Onsoas July 7' 1989

. TELEPHONE Qld) 464-5845 Secretary U..S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.

C.

20555 Re:

Combustion Engineering, Inc g.

Docket No. 70-36

Dear Chilk:

Enclosed you will find copies of all the correspondence I have received regarding the proposed expansion of Combustion Engineer's nuclear fuel plant in Hemetite, Missouri.

I have notified, by writing on June 19 and June 21, your office of my request for a hearing in this matter of important concern to the citizens of Jefferson County.

To date I have received no confirmation or comment from you or anyone from your office.

I would at this time, after the expiration of over two weeks time, request that you assist me and the people of my district in getting all relevant information necessary to come to an informed decision about this matter.

please forward to me, at your earliest convenience, any l

information or reports you have in your possession or that you l

are aware of to help us understand whether there are dangers to I

the health and welfare of the people I represent and join with me to get the information we must have.

L Sincerely, Je e$ ah W.

(Jay) Nixon JWN/rm i

Enclosure 8900110078 090720 PDR ADDCK 07000036 L

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dmL l pit /tg NEWS FaoM h f '

SEN, JEREMIAH W. (JAY) NIXON State Capitol Phone:

  1. 5 Rm. 429 (314) 751 3327 Jefferson City, MO 85101 Chairman - Senate Commerce & Consumer Protection Immittees: Appropriations, Education, Local Government and Economic Development, Energy &

Environment, Government & Veteran Affairs' For further information, contact Heidi Crist-Templeton

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 7, 1989 JEFFERSON CITY - If Combustion Engineering has nothing to hide, then the company should welcome a public hearing on its plans to increase the output ofi its nuclear fuel products plant at Hematite, Mo., according to Sen. Jay Nixon, D-Hillsboro.

l "I simply cannot understand the ridiculous secrecy and legal mumbo jumbo Combustion Engineering has engaged in regarding my repeated requests for a public hearing on the company's plans to expand its operations,"

Nixon said. "Furthermore, I can't understand the lack of responsiveness on the part of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to my requests for a public hearing."

Combustion Engineering operates a plant at Hematite, which produces uranium dioxide and packages it into pellets i

that are used in fuel rods for nuclear reactors. The company has filed an application with the NRC to increase pellet production.

I So far the only notice of this application has been its publication in the Federal Register on May 24, Nixon noted.

l Following the company's action, Nixon filed a written request with the NRC on June 19 for a public hearing.

- MORE -

Nixon-2 The senator filed a second more detailed request on June

.c, 21.

"It has been more'than-a month since Combustion filed

-its' request in the federal register," Nixon said. "And despite two written requests, I haven't heard a word from either

the company or the.NRC."
The company's application states there will be a.20 percent increase in the amount of wastewate'r coming from the plant and: radioactive gas emissions also-are expected I

to increase as a result.of the increased uranium pellet production,'

. Nixon said. Yet the application also's'tates environmental monitoring will remain the same, he added.

Many residents of Jefferson County have expressed their concern about the expansion plans now that they have received more publicity in the county news media, the senator added.

"I am not alleging there will be major health or environmental danger to Jefferson County," Nixon added.."I am simply asking

.the company and the NRC to hold a public hearing and tell us what's going on. We want, need and deserve the facts."

The senator also said public hearings were held in 1978 at Jefferson College regarding the plant, and simile hearings could be held there again.

Combustion Engineering has been a welcome industry in I

the county for years, Nixon said.

"Why does the company now want to cloak its expansion I

. plans in secrecy," Nixon said.

- MORE -

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Nixon-3.

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'"By written notices on June 19Eand June-21,~I-transmitted to'the NRC,'the U.S. Environmental. Protection' Agency, the,

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Missouri Departmant.of. Natural Resources and Combustion Engineering;

+

my. requestt f orf a hearing," hixon said. '"I-also ' listed.11 specific questions regarding the health and welfare of'the 1'

i affected citizens."

t However, so far,. Nixon.said, he'had not. received any p.

written or any other type'of communication about his requests forfa. hearing.

"I have only received a cover copyifrom Combustion Engineering's Washington,LD.C.,lawfirm," Nixon,adked.

Nixon'said he was sending a third' letter to the NRC, EPA'and DNR asking for all relevant information about Combustion Engineering's; application.

Nixon-4 Nixon.said the NRC's environmental impact statement indicates as follows on Page 3, entitled " Environmental Impacts of'the Proposed Actions" "B.

Liquid Effluents

...there will be a potential increase in the volume of liquid effluent...The volume will increase by approximately 20 percent."

On page 4, D. Gaseous Emissions:

"However, radioactive releases dre expected to increase...if it is conservatively assumed that the releases double, the critical organ dose to the nearest resident would only be

.15 mrem a year to the lung."

Also on Page 4 it states:

F. Environmental Monitoring:

"There will be no change in the environmental monitoring program."

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CHAIRMAN. COMMERCE AND ROOM 429 CONSUMER PMOTECTION APPROPRIATIONS 4 -

CTATE CAPITOL -

"E*ENEONMENT j"ES* "E74$ *.*,[',

MISSOURI SENATE ENER.T JEFFERSON CITY LOCAL GWERNMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT D10T5tlCT Orrace:

GOVERNMENTAL AND t 219 McNUTT RD.

VETERANS' AFFAIR 5 M:ReuLANEuM MOesome July 7, 1989

' TELErNONEis:4:4 4 sses 0

!!r. Tracy liehan, Director D2partment of Natural Resources 12th rioor, Jefferson Building.

Jofferson City, Missouri 65101 Re Combustion Engineering, Inc.

Docket No.'70-36 Dear }!r. llehan Enclosed you will find copies of all the correspondence I have received regarding the proposed expansion of Combustion Engineer's nuclear fuel plant in Hemetite, llissouri.

I have notified, by writing on June 39 and June 21, your office of my request for a hearing in this matter of important concern to the citizens of Jefferson County.

To date I have received no confirmation or comment from you or anyone from your office.

I would'at this time, after the expiration of over two weeks time, request that you assist me and the people of my

-district in getting all relevant information necessary to come to an informed decision about this matter.

plence forward to me, at your earliest convenience, any information or reports you have in your possession or that you are aware of to help us understand whether there are dangers to

'*h end welfare of the people I represent and join with we to get the information we must have.

Sincerely, J re iah W.

(Jay) Nixon JWN/rm Enclosure cc:

Secretary, U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Comm.

lir. Ron Kucera Environmental protection Agency Executive Director, U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Comm.

em Io, UNITED STATUS NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION e

.i USmNGTON. D. C. 20555

/,

MAY 17 ragg DOCKET NO:

70-36 LICENSEE:

CombustionEngineering(CE)

Hematite, Missouri

SUBJECT:

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT - OPERATION OF THE NEW PELLET LINES a

Introduction By application deted March 22, 1989, CE requested authorization to-initiate stertup testing of the pellet lines using depleted uranium and to use the new warehouse space. CE requested authorization to introduce enriched uranium into the pellet lines by application dated May 1, 1989.,0n March 29, 1989, CE submitted environmental information to support startup testing and production operations of the revitalized Hematite Yacility.

In accordance with 10 CFR Part 51.21, the NRC has prepared this assessment of the resultitig impacts. The assessment includes the evaluation of impacts from operations with enriched uranium.

Background

Currcntly, the Hematite plant receives UF enriched up to 5 percent in U-235 and converts it to UO,, powder.

Mostoft$e007 powder produced at Hematite is shipped as powder to the Combustion Engineering Windsor plant where it is fabricated into pellets. The remaining powder is fabricated into pellets at the Hematite plant. After the revitalization effort is complete, all pellets wt 11 be fabricated at the Hematite plant. To increase pellet production at Hematite, CE is constructing three new buildings (a warehouse and shipping dock, storage / utilities / office building, and a pellet building). The pellet building will contain two pellet production lines.

The old pellet line will be maintained for special pellet runs.

Figure 1 shows the new building layout.

The Proposed Action The proposed action is an amendment to License No. SNM-33 to a'uthorize CE to operate new pellet production lines. The existing line will be maintained for special pellet runs.

Below is a description of the operations.

.00 granules are processed into pellets in two new parallel pellet production liles. The granules are received.in 1,000 kg hoppers. The filled hoppers move en e wheeled transporter tnrough the current pellet Building 255 and into the adjoining new pelletizing Building 254.

In Building 254, the granules flow by gravity from the hopper to the mill (micronizer), and the resulting powder is pneumatically transferred by negative pressure into a blender. The blended powder is pneumatically transferred by negativa pressure into a new dry powder preparation process that includes the addition of a pore-former and lubricant, L____________________----___

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Combustion Engineering 3

NAY 171989 slugging, and granulating'. The granulated powder is pressed on new rotary

presses. The pellets. pass through two furnace steps (dewaxing to burn off additives and sintering).. The sintered pellets then go through a wet grinding

, prccess,. similar to that currently used. The finished pellets are then packaged for shipping and loaded directly into drums on shipping skids in the

.new warehouse building 256.

Building 254 also has the apability for recycle of green scrap and hard (a scrap.. The process employid is the same as the current process used in i

Building 240 for recovery of clean dry -scrap from the existing line. The clean l

scrap. is oxidized in a furnace, milled, and reduced to 00 in a sec nd furnace.

2 The new warehouse serves as a storage and shipping facility for finished pellets and as a receiving warehouse for site supplies. Solidification is performed in cE 'the south end of new Building 253. The center area provides storage of UO 2 powder, chemicals, and maintenance items.

New process engineering offices and

.a-change room occupy _ the north end of the building.

i l

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action 1

l'iA. o Construction Impacts L

The land intended for the new buildings is already committed for industrial use. The new buildings replace buildings that were demolished. Thus therewillbenosignificantimpactasaresultoftheconstructionofthe new buildings.

B.

L.iquid Effluents 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 volus.e of laundry water will increase in proportion to the number of new production personnel for L

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 effluent remain the same. The volume will increase by approximately 20 percent.

The impact from liquid discharges will be minimal.

C..

Solid Waste The main source of solid waste is from the solidification of liquid waste end product from the recovery / recycle operating and mop water, These liquid wastes are heated and concentrated; the concentrate is solidified and put into drums for transport to a commercial licensed disposal facility.

The increase in solid waste is expected to be small and to cause an nasignificant impact.

MAY 171989 Combustion Engineering 4

4 D.

Gaseous Emissions 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 butiding.

Effluents from the Windsor plant 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 o

of HEPA filters. The exhaust air from the process areas is sampled continuously during operations.

CE has a current 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 nrgan dose to the nearest resident would only be 0.15 mrem /yr to the 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), which incorporates the provisions of EPA's standards in 40 CFR Part 190.

E.

Chemical Usage The increased pellet production increases the ammonia used by 200,000 lbs per year. A new 8,000-ga11on storage tank is located aboveground near the 10,000-gallon tank. The excess hydrogen from the ammonia used in the pellet furnaces burns off and is exhausted to the atmosphere along with the nitrogen.

No significant change to existing endrrnmental discharge occ s

as a result of increased amonia usage.

CE has installed a new hydrant connected to the Hematite City water supply.

In case of an amonia release, the water supply will aid in reducing offsite ammonia dispersion.

The use of Cranko and trichloromethane will decrease in proportion to decreased pellet production in the existing line. These will no longer be I

used in pellet production.

2 plans to use ammonium oxalate to control porosity of the sintered pellets.

Usage will be approximately 1,500 lbs per year.

The ammonium exalate burns off cleanly in the pellet furnaces.

Zinc stearate will be employed as a pellet die lubricant.

Approximately 1,500 lbs per year may be ustd, this will also be burned off in the pellet furnaces.

F.

Environmental Mcnitoring There will be no change in the environmental monitoring program. When in operation, the six new stacks will be continuously sampled.

l

1 Combustion Engineering 5

NAY 1713B9

'G., Accidents There are no accident situations that are unique to the new pellet lines.

l l

Potential accidents have been assessed in previous assessments and are not repeated here.

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 the Hentite plant.

In order to accomplish o'

this relocation, CE plans to install new pellet production lines at Hematite.

l Alternatives to the Proposed Action 1

Alternatives to the proposed action include complete denial of CE's amendment i

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.

Acencies and Persons Consulted in performing this assessment, staff utilized the environmental report dated March 29, 1989, and the amendment applications dated March 22, and May 1, 1989.

Conclusion Although there will be an increase in the effluents, the staff concludes that there will be no significant impacts associated with the operation of the new pellet lines.

hY p $&'~

3 Herri Horn Uranium Fuel Section Fuel Cycle Safety Branch Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety, HMSS Approved by: MwM M *- e George H( Bidinger,/5ection Leader

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  • COMMITTEES:

a NsA~2 W. (JAv) NtxoM E

b;AlR' DAN, COMMERCE AND jl,88me DISTRICT CONSUMER r-ROTECYBON

~ROOMete AP#h0PRIATIONS

,. eTATE CAPtitA

  • "*^'UONMENT

[*,"UEj'I'47,*.*d'y MISSOURI SENATE ENERCT A oEN LOCALGCVERNMENT AND JETTERsON CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT G*VERNMENTAL AND EI VETERANS' ArrAsRn C8D"*" W ##

t w u u NEum.mos' mas Ju 21* 1989 Eu eMoN m ai4>.e4-o 4=

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Exocutive Director for Operations

.'U.

5. Nucleer Regulatory Commission ono Wite Flint North Hail Station 17G21 Rockville, Maryland 28052 Dacr Sir:

This letter follows my notif.ication by telecopier and lotter of June 19th in which I requested a public hearing on Cocbustion Engineering's request to modify its license (License No. SNH-33, Docket No. 79-36).

This letter shall. serve to reiterate my timely request for o public' hearing in this natter t.nd to allege with more caplification the reasons why a hearing is warranted in this cotter.

As the state senator representing this area, and as a 1cndowner, lifetime county resident and avid fisherman of the Jocchim Creek (which runs behind the facility), I am very familiar with this plant.and it physical layout.

I would like to stress that the lack of information on

- ~ " to date is problematic.

I as making no accusations or comp 1 mints, bu; we must have all relevant facts on the table and in front of the people so as to allow the proper public confidence if this matter is approved.

Many residents of Jefferson County have expressed reserva-tions about the application.

We want to ensure that everything persible is done to protect the citizens and environment of J0fferson' County.

The information available to se at this point and informa-tion available to the citizens of this county, is insufficient to make a' reasonable judgment about the application.

I request l

in that the information be presented in a public forum here Jofferson County.

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'ExGeutive Director for Operations Pogo Two Juno 21, 1989 Specific questions which should be addressed includes j

1 Will there be increased output of radiation, and if i

so, what are the potential impacts on health and I

environment?

What will be the effect of approval of the applica-1 tion upon water quality?

Will there be any change in transportation patterns?

Will the volume of waste produced at the plant increrse?

How st:h?

Where will this waste be taken for disposal?

Will the facility have storage capacity sufficient to store waste if it is unable to use its usual disposal site?

Is there a danger of increased accidents with the changed and increased capacity?

Is an accident more likely to be more serious with the proposed changes?

How will emergency procedures be revised?

Will the modifications require changes in local emergency response capability?

These questions must be answered if the public is to cecept Combustion Engineering's proposal.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, l

/

I remi W.

(Jay) Nixon

/

l JWN/rm i

k cc:

Ron Kucera epa Combustion Engineering

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)Em MIAH W. (JAV) NtxoN CH AIRM AN, COMMERCE AND J

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Samo DtWTRICT CONSUMER PROT ECTION ROOM 429' APPROPRIATIONS f,, TATE CAPITOL

.,ErrERsON CiTv, wo esio' 311SSOURI SENATE ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT TELEPHONE (Sid)Ts6 3337 LOCALGOVERNMENT AND JETFERSON CITY Ds rnser orrier:

O VERNMENTAL AND nie McNuTT RD.

H:RCuuNEuM, Mo e' **

HEHORANDUM-

. TELEPwCNE <3:4:ss4.ss4s

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TO:

Executive Director for Operationb U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission q

Washington, D.C.

20555 FROH:

Senator Jay Nixon Hissouri Senator 22nd Distrit:t DATE:

June 19, 1989 RE:

Combustion Engineering Docket No. 70-36 License No. SNH-33 As the State Senator representing the area where combustion Engineering is located, I would like to request a public hearing concerning the expansion as cited in the Notice in the Federal Register of May 24, 1989.

I feel it is 1

.. 1 te establish public r:onfidence in the saf ety of this eperAtton that a public hearing be held at a place in relative proximity to the plant.

cc Ron Kucera EPA NhS.-

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