ML20195J699

Provides Response to State of Tn Concerns Re Licensee Operation of Gas Centrifuge Machines.Alchemie Will Comply W/ Requirements of 10CFR74.11,13 & 15 & Will Be Regulated by NRC & DOE

ML20195J699
Person / Time
Site:	05000603, 05000604
Issue date:	06/09/1988
From:	Smelser J ALL CHEMICAL ISOTOPE ENRICHMENT, INC.
To:	Thompson H NRC OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION & RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (ARM), NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS)
References
24413, 24427, NUDOCS 8806290198
Download: ML20195J699 (12)

Text

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Docket No's: 50-603 50-604 Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Office Nuclear Materiets Safety

& Safeguards Washington, DC 20555 Attention: Mr. Hugh L. Thompson, Jr.

SS396-MNSS Docket Materials Gentlemen:

The State of Tennessee in their request to participate in AlChemIE's licensing action as nn interested State pursuant to 10CFR2.715(c) hcs raised two concerns relative to A1ChemIE's operation of the gas centrifuge machines. Provided herein is l AlChemIE's response to those concerns.

Concern: It appears entirely possible that the centrifuge l machines proposed for use by AlChemIE may contain low levels of uranium not subject to regulation by the Commission, but subject to regulation by the State of Tennessee.

8906290199 DisD609 PDR ADOCK 05000603 g PDR Rne Ridge Office Park. Suite 202-B 702 Ilknois Ave.. Ook Ridge. TN 37830 (615) 482-0029

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Nuclear Regulatory Commission June 9, 1988 Page 2 Response: The uranium contained within the machines is estimated to be 95 1 32 grams per machine at the Centrifuge Plant Demonstration Facility in Oak Ridge and 82 1 31 grams per machine for the machines being relocated from DOE's Piketon, Ohio facility. The total amount of uranium contained at the Centrifuge Plant Demonstration Facility, machines, piping, etc., is 21.3kg. The total amount of uranium in the machines being relocated from Piketon is 59kg. Piping is not being relocated from Piketon.

Under NRC and DOE cognizance AlChemIE as a part of its NRC license, will be required to comply with the reporting requirements of 10CFR74.11, 10CFR74.13 and 10CFR74.15. These require AlChemIE to report loss or theft or attempted theft of special nuclear material, provide material status reports and provide nuclear material trcnufer reports, respectively. Consequently, A1ChemIE will be regulat26 oy both the NRC and DOE.

Concern: The process proposed by AlChemIE has the potential for enhancing naturally occurring radioactive material as a product.

Response: For the isotopes listed in AlChemIE's safety analysis report those that have naturally occurring radioactivity are listed in the attachment, hereto. As can be seen, only seven elements have naturally occurring radioactive isotopes and all have a half Jife greater the 1010 years. Additionally, of these seven only tellurium and cadmium have any market potential at this time.

However, it is conceded that the gas centrifuge process will. in either the product or tails stream enrich these isotopes and

Nuclear Regulatory Commission June 8, 1988 Page 3 consequently, the radiological effect of a re19ase should be estimated. If it is assumed that a product or tails cylinder of the same size as a feed cylinder and containing 176 pounds of pure radioactive te11urium-123 ruptures, then the radiological effects can be estimated. For tellurium the critical otyan is the bone surface and from ICRP-30 the dose factor and effective equivalent dose factor are 0.26 rem /yCi and 0.01 rem /yC1, respectively. In that the facility volume at the A1ChemIE Oliver Springs facility is somewhat smaller than the Centrifuge Plant Demonstration Facility it was assumed that the rupture of the cylinder occurred there.

Based on calculations performed by Science Applications International Corporation it was estimated that the bone surface dose for a person in the plant in which the contents of the cylinder had uniformly dispersed and breathing the air for two hours after the rupture would be 3.28X10-4 rem. The effective dose after two hours would be 1.26X10-5 rem.

At the maximum point of air concentration, approximately one-half kilometer downwind, the dose to a person breathing the discharge for )

1 4 eight hours was 3.5X10-9 rem, bone surface and 1.3X10-10 effective l dose. Finally, the dose to a person standing one-foot from an unruptured cylinder, neglecting the shielding effect of the cylinder was calculated to be 6X10-6 rem /hr.

Similarly for cadmium-113 where the critical organ is the kidney the dosos were computed. The two hour kidriy and effective doses are

2.58X10-5 and 1.88X10 6 rem, respect 3vely. At one-half kilometer 1

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i Nuclear Regulatory Commission '

l June 9, 1988 Page 4 and eight hour kidney and effective doses are 2.75X10-10 rem and 2.0X10-11 rem respectively. j As can be seen from the above, the calculated doses are very small.

These doses are significantly less than the limiting dose in 10CFR20.101.

Finally, no natural abundance was found for carbon-14. It is assumed that 1'm abundance is very small and therefore would not be enriched in any significantly quantity.

i We trust that the above resolves the concerns expressed by the State 2

of Tennessee, Division of Radiological Health. Should additional information be required please contact Mr. W.A. Pfeifer at AlChemIE.

Very truly yours, ALCHEMIE, INC.

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2 John'H. Smelser, Jr. '

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Chief Executive Officer JHS/WAP/bc 4

cc: A. Thomas Clark, Jr./NRC 1

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O ATTACHMENT Isotope Abundance Half Life Decay Method Carbon - 14 Not defined 5730 yrs Beta" Vanadium - 50 0.25% 3.9X10 17 yrs EC, gamma, Beta 15 ~

Cadmium - 113 12.22% 9X10 yrs Beta 14 Indium - 115 95.7% 4.4X10 yrs Beta" Tellurium - 123 0.9% 1.3X10 13 yrs EC 13 i

Tantalum - 180 0.012% > 10 yrs EC Rhenium -

187 62.6% 4.5X10 10 yrs Bet'a8 Osmium - 186 1.68% 2X10 15 yrs Alpha Notes: 1) EC e electron captive

2) Carbon has been included in that some of the feed 4

compounds contain carbon

Reference:

Chart of the Nuclide, Knolts Atomic Power [

Laboratory, Thirteenth Edition, Revised July 1983.

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Docket No's: 50-603 'I 50-604 Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Office Nuclear Materials Safety

& Safeguards Washington, DC 20555 Attention: Mr. Hugh L. Thompson, Jr.

SS396-MNSS Docket Materials Gentlemen:

The State of Tennessee in their request to participa e in A1ChemIE's licensing action as an interested State pursuant to 10CFR2.715(c) has raised two concerns relative to AlChemIE's operation of the gas centrifugo machines. Provided herein is AlChemIE's response to those concerns.

Concern: It appears entirely possible that the centrifuge machines proposed for use by AlChemIE may contain low levels of uranium not subject to regulation by the Commission, but subject to regulation by the State of Tennessee.

L' (gi(LLIuWo.5 Pine Ridge Office Pork. Suite 202-B 702 lilinois Ave.. Ook Ridge. TN 37830 (615) 482-0029

8 Nuclear Regulatory Commission June 9, 1988 Page 2 Response: The uranium contained within the machines is estimated to be 95 1 32 grams per machine at the Centrifuge Plant Demonstration Facility in Oak Ridge and 82 1 31 grams per machine for the machines being relocated from DOE's Piketon, Ohio facility. The total amount of uranium contained at the C o r.t ri f u g e Plant Demonstration Facility, machines, piping, etc., is 21.3kg. The total amount of uranium in the machines being relocated from Piketon is 59kg. Piping is not being relocated from Pikston.

Under NRC and DOE cognizance A1ChemIE as a part of its NRC license, will be required to comply with the reporting requirements of 10CFR74.11, 10CFR74.13 and 10CFR74.15. These require A1ChemIE to report loss or theft or attempted theft of special nuclear material, provide material status reports and provide nuclear material transfer reports, respectively. Consequently, A1ChemIE will be regulated by both the NRC and DOE.

Concern: The process proposed by A1ChemIE has the potential for enhancing naturally occurring radioactive material as a product.

Response: For the isotopts listed in A1ChemIE's safety analysis report those that have naturally occurring radioactivity are listed in the attachment, hereto. As can be seen, only seven elements have naturally occurring radioactive isotopes and all have a half life l greater the 1010 years. Additionally, of these seven only tellurium and cadmium have any market potential at this time.

l However, it is conceded that the gas centrifuge process will, in either the product or tails stream enrich these isotopes and l

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Nuclear Regulatory Commission June 8, 1988 Page 3 consequently, the radiological effect of a release should be estimated. If it is assumed that a product or tails cylinder of 'he same size as a feed cylinder and containing 176 pounds of pure radioactive te11urium-123 ruptures, then the radiological effects can be estimated. For tellurium the critical organ is the bone surface and from ICRP-30 the dose factor and effective equivalent dose factor are 0.26 rem /;1C1 and 0.01 rem /yC1, respectively. In that the facility volume at the A1ChemIE Oliver Springs facility is somewhat ' smaller than the Centrifuge Plant Demonstration Facility it was assumed that the rupture of the cylinder occurred there.

Based on calculations performed by Science Applications International Corporation it was estimated that the bone surface dose for a person in the plant in which the contents of the cylinder had uniformly dispersed and breathing the air for two hours after the rupture would be 3.28X10-4 rem. The effective dose after two hours would be 1.26X10-5 rem.

At the maximum point of air concentration, approximately one-half kilometer downwind, the dose to a person breathing the discharge for eight hours was 3.5X10-9 rem, bone surface and 1.3X10-10 effective dose. Finally, the dose to a person standing one-foot from an j unruptured cylinder, noglecting the shielding effect of the cylinder l was calculated to be 6X10-6 rem /hr.

i Similarly for cadmium-113 where the critical organ is the kidney the l doses were computed. The two hour kidney and offectivo doses are l l

2.58X10-5 and 1.88X10-6 rom, respectively. At one-half kilometer y a

8 .,

Nuclear Regulatory Commission June 9, 1988 Page 4 and eight hour kidney and effective doses are 2.75X10-10 rem and 2.0x10-11 rem respectively.

As can be seen from the above, the calculated doses are very small.

These doses are significantly less than the limiting dose in 10CFR20.101.

Finally, no natural abundance was found for carbon-14. It is assumed that its abundance is very small and therefore would not be enriched in any significantly quantity.

We trust that the above resolves the concerns expressed by the State of Tennessee, Division of Radiological Health. Should additional information be required please contact Mr. W.A. Pfeifer at AlchemIE.

Very truly yours, ALCHEMIE, INC.

A

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oh H. Smelser, Jr.

C ief Executive Officer JHS/WAP/bc cc: A. Thomas Clark, Jr./NRC J

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ATTACHMENT Isotope Abundance Half Life Decay Method

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Carbon - 14 Not defined 5730 yrs Beta 17 yrs Vanadium - 50 0.25% 3.9X10 EC, gamma, Beta Cadmium - 113 12.22% 9X10 15 yrs- Beta" Indium - 115 95.7% 4.4X10 14 yrs Beta" Tellurium - 123 0.9% 1.3X10 13 yrs EC 13 Tantalum - 180 0.012%  ? 10 yrs EC , .

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Rhenium - 187 62.6% ' 4.5X1010 yrs Beta 2X10 15 yrs Osmium - 186 1.58% Alp $a I

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Notes: 1) EC = electron captive l

2) Carbon has been included in that some of the feed i compounds contain carbon l l

Reference:

Chart of the Nuclide, Knolts Atomic Power i Laboratory, Thirteenth Edition, Revised July 1983. '

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