PNO-III-06-020, Braidwood, NRCs Review of Exelons Plans for Resuming Radioactive Discharges Through the Braidwood Blowdown Line
| ML062510411 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Braidwood  |
| Issue date: | 09/08/2006 |
| From: | Boland A, Steven Orth NRC/RGN-III |
| To: | |
| References | |
| FOIA/PA-2010-0209 PNO-III-06-020 | |
| Download: ML062510411 (3) | |
September 8, 2006 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE - PNO-III-06-020 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance. The information is as initially received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by the Region III staff on this date.
Facility Braidwood 1 and 2 Exelon Generation Co.
Braceville, Illinois Docket: 50-456 and 50-457 License: NPF-72; NPF-77 Licensee Emergency Classification Notification of Unusual Event Alert Site Area Emergency General Emergency X Not Applicable
SUBJECT:
NRCS REVIEW OF EXELONS PLANS FOR RESUMING RADIOACTIVE DISCHARGES THROUGH THE BRAIDWOOD BLOWDOWN LINE DESCRIPTION:
Note: This preliminary notification provides additional information on tritium contamination issues which were previously documented in PNO-III-06-015 and five updates to that preliminary notification.
Updated information:
On September 7, 2006, the NRC informed Exelon Nuclear that the Agency has reviewed and has no further questions concerning the companys plans to resume regular liquid radioactive releases from the plant through the blowdown line at the Braidwood Station.
On September 1, Exelon submitted a letter discussing the companys plans to resume regular liquid radioactive discharges at the Braidwood Station in October 2006. The letter discusses actions that Exelon has taken to ensure the integrity of the blowdown line, to minimize potential stresses on the vacuum breaker valves, and to provide early detection of leakage through the valves.
The NRC inspected the actions outlined in the letter. NRC inspectors have observed remediation activities at the plant and reviewed new procedures on the integrated response to any future radioactive leaks at Braidwood. The inspection results indicate that the utility is capable of detecting, assessing and resolving unplanned releases of radioactive material.
NRC resident inspectors and regional staff plan to closely monitor the utilitys preparations for normal radioactive releases through the blowdown line and to inspect representative, release activities as they occur.
The utility continues its cleanup and remediation activities. Since the plant stopped its radioactive releases through the blowdown line, tritiated water produced in plant operations had been stored in 20 temporary storage tanks. It has now been processed and stored in permanent tanks for use in plant operations. The temporary tank system has also been
PNO-III-06-020 dismantled, and the tanks are undergoing decontamination. Eight of the empty tanks will remain onsite for contingency purposes.
The NRC has also reviewed the utilitys plans to discharge about 45,000 gallons of very low-level tritiated water, which was removed from the environment and stored in three 20,000 gallon temporary tanks (bladders) through the blowdown line.
The utility continues to transfer very low-level tritiated water from its recently purchased pond to the blowdown line. The level in the pond is decreasing, and water transfer is planned to continue until the water level in the pond reaches about 7 feet, which represents a reduction of about 7.5 feet from its original level. The reduction in water level is expected to result in a reduction of environmental tritium levels and reduction in the impacted areas.
State, local and federal officials have been informed.
This information has been reviewed by the licensee and is current as of 12:30 p.m. CDT on September 8, 2006.
CONTACTS:
Steven Orth Anne Boland 630/829-9827 630/829-9601
U U
NRC FORM 665S U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (4-2002)
Single Document ADAMS DOCUMENT SUBMISSION Originated By Telephone Mail Stop LAN ID Date Steven Orth 630/829-9827 Region III SKO 09/08/06 Document No.
Document Title or Accession No.
NRC Preliminary Notification: Braidwood Plan to Resume Routine Effluent Releases U Is this a brief title that can be changed by DPC according to template instructions?
Is this an exact title formatted according to template instructions that should not be changed by DPC?
Document AVAILABILITY (select one)
Document SENSITIVITY (select one)
U Publicly Available Sensitive U
Non-Sensitive (Indicate release date)
Sensitive-Copyright Non-Sensitive Copyright U Immediate Release Document SECURITY ACCESS LEVEL Normal Release X Document Processing Center
= Owner Delay Release Until NRC Users
= Viewer Limited Document Security (Defined by User)
= Viewer Date
= Viewer Non-Publicly Available
= Viewer ADAMS Template No.
RIDS Code (if applicable)
Other Identifiers SUNSI Review for Publicly Available Documents ONLY COMPLETED BY ORIGINATOR:
SUNSI Review has been completed. Initials Availability and Sensitivity on this Form 665 are correct. Initials SUNSI Review has NOT been completed (document is temporarily profiled as Non-Public)
Initials___________
COMPLETED BY PERSON ADDING THE DOCUMENT TO ADAMS SUNSI Review Complete has been entered into Profile under Keyword Initials OR SUNSI Review has NOT been completed Initials Non-Public Pending Review has been entered into the Profile under Keyword Special Instructions Submitted By:
Telephone Mail Stop LAN ID Date submitted to DPC Accession No. ML020170281