ML24114A227
| ML24114A227 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crystal River, 07109393  |
| Issue date: | 04/24/2024 |
| From: | Storage and Transportation Licensing Branch |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML24114A225 | List: |
| References | |
| EPID L-2024-LLA-0053 | |
| Download: ML24114A227 (1) | |
Text
Enclosure UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 SAFETY EVALUATION REPORT Docket No. 71-9393 Crystal River 3 Middle Package
SUMMARY
By letter dated April 18, 2024 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML24109A299), Orano Federal Services LLC submitted an application requesting an extension of the shipment timeframe as authorized and specified in the Special Package Authorization (SPA) for the Crystal River 3 Middle Package (CR3MP) (ML23208A147),
dated August 4, 2023.
Based on the statements and representations in the application, the staff concludes that an extension of 3 months of the previously authorized timeframe of 6 months for this shipment of a Special Package is acceptable and meets the requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 71. Accordingly, the package is authorized to be shipped until September 1, 2024.
EVALUATION The CR3MP packaging consists of a cylindrical 3-inches (in). thick steel shell, and 6-in. thick top and bottom cover plates. The payload consists of the middle portion of the Crystal River 3 Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV): reactor vessel internals components, immobilized in grout, are included in the RPV cavity. The payload rests on the bottom of the package, leaving a 3-inch-thick annulus around the sides, filled with low density grout, and an approximately 3-inch air space over the top of the payload. The package is 200.3-in. in diameter and 178.1-in. tall and has a maximum bounding weight of 860,000 pounds.
Section 5.5.3 of the application discussed the determination of radiolytic hydrogen generation and total gas generation due to the presence of water and foaming agents in the Low Density Cellular Concrete grout. The analysis indicated an approximate 400-day period for the accumulation of radiolysis gases to reach a 5 percent volume.
During the review of the application, the staff noted conservative assumptions had been used in this determination of a 400 day period, including the fact that (i) there was no consideration of the dilution effect of the air gap volume at the top of the package and (ii) the gas generation calculation had been based on a 358.1 W decay heat (value on March 31, 2023) for the payload. It is noted that a shipment after this date, as is currently the case, would be transporting a lower decay heat content and, correspondingly, generate lower amounts radiolytic hydrogen and total gas.
The staff further added to those conservative assumptions by restricting the shipment window to 6 months after purging the CR3MP air gap in Condition No. 10 of the SPA, instead of 400 days, to account for the fact that the safety analysis report (SAR) did not specify a time period between the purging of the air gap and the subsequent welding of the port plug (as such,
2 radiolysis gases could accumulate in the air gap prior to welding of the port plug) and other potential uncertainties in the analysis assumptions and potential unforeseen transport conditions.
The staff agrees with the rationale expressed by the applicant in its extension request: the 3-month additional buffer time to complete the shipment does not change the safety basis of the package. A total 9-month shipment window, to account for the current delays experienced for the road transport to Waste Control Specialist, is still within the 1-year shipment window, as stated in SAR chapter 7 upon closure of the CR3MP, and also below the 400 days as previously calculated with conservative assumptions.
Based on the statements and representations in the application, the staff concludes that an extension of 3 months of the previously authorized timeframe of 6 months for this shipment of SPA is acceptable and meets the requirements of 10 CFR Part 71. Accordingly, the package is authorized to be shipped until September 1, 2024.
The staff finds that this request for an extension of the timeframe for shipments does not include any change to the package, its proposed contents or the safety evaluation conducted by staff for the issuance of the SPA. As such, extending the authorization by 3 months to allow the completion of shipment has no adverse impact on public health and safety. All other conditions of the SPA shall remain the same.
Reference CR3MP Transport Package SAR, Revision No. 4, June 2023.
Extension Request letter dated April 18, 2024.