ML20304A341

Exemption for Alternate Disposal of Specific Waste from the Westinghouse Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility Under 10 CFR 20.2002, 10 CFR 30.11 and 10 CFR 70.17

ML20304A341
Person / Time
Site:	Westinghouse
Issue date:	12/09/2020
From:	Damaris Marcano NRC/NMSS/DFM/FFLB
To:	Jenkins T US Ecology
DTiktinsky NMSS/DFM/FFL 301.415.8740
References
Download: ML20304A341 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION December 9, 2020 Mr. Timothy Jenkins US Ecology Corporate Health Physicist US Ecology, INC 101 S. Capitol Blvd, Suite 1000 Boise, ID 83702

SUBJECT:

EXEMPTION FOR ALTERNATE DISPOSAL OF SPECIFIC WASTE FROM THE WESTINGHOUSE COLUMBIA FUEL FABRICATION FACILITY UNDER 10 CFR 20.2002, 10 CFR 30.11 AND 10 CFR 70.17

Dear Mr. Jenkins:

In a letter dated May 8, 2020 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System

[ADAMS] Accession Number ML20129J934), as supplemented on September 22 (ADAMS Accession No. ML20266G551) and October 13, 2020 (ADAMS Accession No. ML20287A545),

Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) a request for alternate disposal under 10 CFR 20.2002 for specific waste material from (a) the East Lagoon, (b) the East Lagoon liner, (c) soils excavated from below the liner, solid CaF2 sludge previously dredged from the Calcium Fluoride Lagoons on the site and placed in a storage pile (all of this material is known to contain <0.5 weight percent U-235) and (d) UF6 cylinders previously used for shipping that have gone through an internal wash/rinse process following their last use but still are internally contaminated with SNM. WECs submittal indicated that the waste would contain byproduct and special nuclear material. In addition, WECs submittal contained a proposal to dispose of the material at your facility -- the US Ecology Idaho (USEI) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle C hazardous disposal facility located near Grand View, Idaho -- and also requested exemptions from the NRC license requirements in 10 CFR 30.3 and 10 CFR 70.3 with respect to the waste. While Idaho is not an NRC Agreement State, Idaho regulations and the Grand View facility permit make USEIs acceptance of NRC-licensed material for disposal contingent upon NRC approval of the exemptions that WEC has requested.

On May 11, 2020, USEI requested that it be considered a party to WECs May 8, 2020 alternate disposal request (ADAMS Accession No. ML20280A601).

By this letter, the NRC is informing you that we have granted WECs and USEIs requests for alternate disposal, and that we are issuing license amendment No. 25 which grants WEC exemptions from the requirements of 10 CFR 30.3 and 10 CFR 70.3 for this material. WEC is now permitted to dispose of this specific waste material from (a) the East Lagoon, (b) the East Lagoon liner, (c) soils excavated from below the liner, (d) solid CaF2 sludge previously dredged from the Calcium Fluoride Lagoons on the site and placed in a storage pile (all of this material is known to contain <0.5 weight percent U-235) and e) UF6 cylinders previously used for shipping that have gone through an internal wash/rinse process following their last use, but remain internally contaminated with SNM at the USEI facility near Grand View, Idaho.

T. Jenkins 2 The basis for the NRCs approval is provided in the enclosed Safety Evaluation Report (SER).

Associated with the enclosed SER, the staff evaluated the environmental impacts of approving the alternate disposal request and the associated exemptions and license amendment. The staff has determined that approving the alternate disposal and granting these exemptions and license amendment would not result in any significant environmental impacts; a notice of availability of an Environmental Assessment (EA) and a Finding of No Significant Impact were prepared and published in the Federal Register (85 FR 79228). We have also enclosed the Federal Register notice issuing the exemptions and license amendment.

In accordance with 10 CFR Section 2.390 of the NRCs Agency Rules of Practice and Procedure, a copy of this letter will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from ADAMS. ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact David Tiktinsky of my staff at 301-415-8740 or via e-mail at David.Tiktinsky@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Damaris Digitally signed by Damaris Marcano Marcano Date: 2020.12.09 16:15:51 -05'00' Damaris Marcano, Acting Chief Fuel Facilities Licensing Branch Division of Fuel Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Docket No. 70-1151 License No. SNM-1107

Enclosures:

1. Safety Evaluation Report

2. Exemption Federal Register Notice

T. Jenkins 3

SUBJECT:

EXEMPTION FOR ALTERNATE DISPOSAL OF SPECIFIC WASTE FROM THE WESTINGHOUSE COLUMBIA FUEL FABRICATION FACILITY UNDER 10 CFR 20.2002, 10 CFR 30.11 AND 10 CFR 70.17 Date: December 9, 2020 DISTRIBUTION: FFLB r/f ASchwartzman, NMSS TVukovinsky, RII DDiaz-Toro, NMSS ADAMS Accession Number: ML20304A341 *via email OFFICE DFM/FFLB/PM* DFM/FFLB/LA* DUWP/RTAB

• OGC DFM/FFLB/BC NAME DTiktinsky ELee CMcKenney AGendelman DMarcano DATE 12/ 2/2020 11/13 /2020 12/1/2020 12/ 3 /2020 12/ 9 /2020 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY