Information Notice 1989-13, Alternative Waste Management Procedures in Case of Denial of Access to Low-Level Waste Disposal Sites

Alternative Waste Management Procedures in Case of Denial of Access to Low-Level Waste Disposal Sites

ML031180518
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, Monticello, Calvert Cliffs, Dresden, Davis Besse, Peach Bottom, Browns Ferry, Salem, Oconee, Mcguire, Nine Mile Point, Palisades, Palo Verde, Perry, Indian Point, Fermi, Kewaunee, Catawba, Harris, Wolf Creek, Saint Lucie, Point Beach, Oyster Creek, Watts Bar, Hope Creek, Grand Gulf, Cooper, Sequoyah, Byron, Pilgrim, Arkansas Nuclear, Three Mile Island, Braidwood, Susquehanna, Summer, Prairie Island, Columbia, Seabrook, Brunswick, Surry, Limerick, North Anna, Turkey Point, River Bend, Vermont Yankee, Crystal River, Haddam Neck, Ginna, Diablo Canyon, Callaway, Vogtle, Waterford, Duane Arnold, Farley, Robinson, Clinton, South Texas, San Onofre, Cook, Comanche Peak, Yankee Rowe, Maine Yankee, Quad Cities, Humboldt Bay, La Crosse, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Zion, Midland, Bellefonte, Fort Calhoun, FitzPatrick, McGuire, LaSalle, 05000000, Zimmer, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant
Issue date:	02/08/1989
From:	Cunningham R, Rossi C NRC/NMSS/IMNS, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:
References
IN-89-013, NUDOCS 8902070339
Download: ML031180518 (7)

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 February 8, 1989 NRC INFORMATION

NOTICE NO. 89-13: ALTERNATIVE

WASTE MANAGEMENT

PROCEDURES

IN CASE OF DENIAL OF ACCESS TO LOW-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL SITES

Addressees

All holders of NRC specific licenses.

Purpose

This information

notice is being provided to inform addressees

of important recent and potential

future events concerning

restrictions

on disposal of low-level

radioactive

waste, and to suggest actions to minimize possible adverse consequences

of these events if licensed activities

involve the need to dispose of radioactive

waste. It is expected that recipients

will review this information

for applicability

to their activities

and consider action, as appropriate.

However, suggestions

contained

in this information

notice do not constitute

NRC requirements;

therefore, no specific action or written response is required.Description

of Circumstances:

The Low-Level

Radioactive

Waste Policy Amendments

Act of 1985 (P.L.99-240, the Act) established

a series of milestones, incentives, and penalties

designed to assure that States and Regional Compacts without low-level

radioactive

waste disposal facilities

make timely progress toward development

of such facilities.

States and Regional Compacts which do not meet the milestones

specified

in the Act can be subject to penalties

such as higher disposal costs, and may even-tually be denied access to currently

operating

burial sites.The most recent milestone

under the Act was on January 1, 1988. This milestone required non-sited

Regional Compacts (those not affiliated

with the currently- sited States of Nevada, South Carolina, and Washington)

to identify a host state, develop a siting plan, and delegate legal implementing

authority.

States not affiliated

with a Regional Compact were required to develop a siting plan and provide for delegation

of authority

as well.In January of 1988, the U.S. Department

of Energy and the sited States of Nevada, South Carolina, and Washington

determined

that the States of New Hampshire

and Vermont were in noncompliance.

On December 19, 1988, the State of Washington

Criz/339 ZIA

IN 89-13 February 8, 1989 informed the States of New Hampshire

and Vermont that effective

January 1, 1989, waste originating

in those States would be denied access to the regional disposal facility located near Richland, Washington.

Similar action is anticipated

by the States of South Carolina and Nevada.On January 31, 1989, the Governor of Michigan issued a letter to the members of the seven-State

Midwest Interstate

Compact in which he stated that he was halting the siting process for a disposal facility in Michigan.

As a result, the State of Washington

has denied access to waste originating

from the State of Michigan.

Similar action is anticipated

by the States of South Carolina and Nevada. At this time, it does not appear that any immediate

action will be taken to deny access to waste originating

from the other members of the Midwest Compact (Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin).

Discussion:

Denial of access to disposal sites could disrupt licensed operations

which generate waste by preventing

licensees

from shipping waste from their faci-lities. This, in turn, could cause regulatory

and safety problems such as exceeding

authorized

possession

limits due to the accumulation

of waste, in-adequate waste management

capability, or inadequate

waste storage facilities.

It is suggested

that licensees

monitor the progress of their States or Regional Compacts in meeting milestones

specified

in the Act. Licensees

in States for which it appears milestones

will not be met may need to prepare for the possi-bility of severe restrictions

on disposal of radioactive

waste. Licensees

in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Michigan may wish to consider actions now to miti-gate the potential

impact of loss of disposal capability.

Following

are examples of suggested

actions to be considered:

1. Review your current NRC license and license application, particularly

possession

limits and procedures

and requirements

for waste processing, storage, and disposal to determine

if changes need to be made for increased

storage of waste.2. Determine

how much of your waste goes to a licensed burial site either directly or indirectly

through a "waste broker." 3. Evaluate potential

safety problems and technical

difficulties

which might result if radioactive

waste remains in storage at your facilities

for long periods of time; e.g., package deterioration, inventory

control, fire hazards, etc.4. Review alternatives

to minimize generation

of waste shipped to burial grounds; for example: a. Carefully

segregating

long-lived

radioactive

waste from short-lived

and non-radioactive

waste.b. Stopping unnecessary

work which generates

waste.

IN 89-13 February 8, 1989 c. Changing processes, procedures, or radionuclides

to reduce volume of generated

waste.d. Using volume reduction

techniques, such as compaction.

5. Review alternative

waste management

and disposal methods; for example: a. Transfer of unneeded sealed sources to their respective

manufacturers.

b. Disposal of biomedical

wastes in accordance

with 10 CFR Section 20.306.c. Decay-in-storage.

d. Incineration.

e. Interim storage pending transfer to a licensed burial site if access is restored in the future.6. For waste management

measures which are not currently

authorized

by your NRC license, consider requesting

an amendment

to your license to authorize additional

waste management

actions in the event of restricted

access to burial grounds. Examples would be amendments

to authorize

increased

pos-session limits, decay-in storage, incineration, or use of interim storage facilities.

The above suggestions

would not be a permanent

solution to waste burial restric-tions, but would better assure that licensees

have contingency

plans in place to avoid safety violations

and to minimize disruption

of licensed activities.

A number of parties have inquired about the granting of emergency

access under the provisions

of Section 6 of the Act. On February 3, 1989, NRC issued a new rule, 10 CFR Part 62, in the Federal Register (54 FR 5409) which establishes

criteria and procedures

to be used in determinning

whether emergency

access should be granted. These criteria and procedures, consistent

with Congressional

intent, view the granting of emergency

access as a last resort. Therefore, waste generators

should be aware that only under the most limited and rare circumstances

would generators

be granted such access.Questions

about license requirements

and license amendments

should be directed to the appropriate

NRC licensing

office, either in one of the Regional Offices or in Washington, D.C. Questions

on low-level

radioactive

waste policy issues

IN 89-13 February 8, 1989 should be directed to: Paul Lohaus, Chief, Operations

Branch, Division of Low-Level

Waste Management

and Decommissioning, Mail Stop 5E4, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555, Phone: (301) 492-3345.

No specific action or written response is required by this information

notice./errw ,.Richard E. Cunningham, Director Division of Industrial

and Medical Nuclear Safety Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards , Dictor Division of Operational

Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical

Contact: Paul Lohaus, NMSS (301) 492-3345 Attachments:

1. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information

Notices 2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information

Notices

Attachment

1 IN 89-13 February 8, 1989 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED NMSS INFORMATION

NOTICES Information

Date of Notice No. Subject Issuance Issued to 89-12 89-03 89-02 88-100 Dose Calibrator

Quality Control Potential

Electrical

Equipment

Problems Criminal prosecution

of licensee's

former president for intentional

safety violations

Memorandum

of understanding

between NRC and OSHA relating to NRC-licensed

facilities

(53 FR 43950, October 31, 1988)Teletherapy

Events Unauthorized

removal of industrial

nuclear gauges Industrial

radiography

inspection

and enforcement

Recent findings concerning

implementation

of quality assurance

programs by suppliers of transport

packages 02/09/89 01/11/89 01/09/89 12/23/88 12/2/88 11/22/88 08/22/88 08/12/88 88-93 88-90 All NRC medical licensees All Fuel Cycle and major nuclear materials licensees-All holders of NRC specific license All major nuclear materials

licensees and utilities

holding CPs and OLs.All NRC medical licensees All NRC licensees authorized

to possess, use, manufacture, or distribute

industrial

nuclear gauges All NRC industrial

radiography

licensees All holders of NRC quality assurance program approvals

for radioactive

material packages 88-66 88-62 OL = Operating

License CP = Construction

Permit

Attachment

2 IN 89-13 February 8, 1989 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED NRC INFORMATION

NOTICES Information

Date of Notice No. Subject Issuance Issued to 89-12 Dose Calibrator

Quality Control 89-11 89-10 89-09 89-08 89-07 89-06 Failure of DC Motor-Operated

Valves to Develop Rated Torque Because of Improper Cable Sizing Undetected

Installation

Errors In Main Steam Line Pipe Tunnel Differential

Temperature-Sensing

Elements at Boiling Water Reactors.Credit for Control Rods Without Scram Capability

in the Calculation

of the Shutdown Margin Pump Damage Caused by Low-Flow Operation Failures of Small-Diameter

Tubing in Control Air, Fuel Oil, and Lube Oil Systems Which Render Emergency

Diesel Generators

Inoperable

Bent Anchor Bolts in Boiling Water Reactor Torus Supports Use of Deadly Force by Guards Protecting

Nuclear Power Reactors Against Radiological

Sabotage 2/9/89 2/2/89 1/27/89 1/26/89 1/26/89 1/25/89 1/24/89 1/19/89 All NRC medical licensees.

All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors.All holders of OLs or CPs for BWRs.All holders of OLs or CPs for test and research reactors.All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors.All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors.All holders of OLs or CPs for BWRs with Mark I steel torus shells.All holders of OLs for nuclear power reactors.89-05 OL = Operating

License CP = Construction

Permit

IN 89-13 February 8, 1989 should be directed to: Paul Lohaus, Chief, Operations

Branch, Division of Low-Level

Waste Management

and Decommissioning, Mail Stop 5E4, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555, Phone: (301) 492-3345.

No specific action or written response is required by this information

notice.Richard E. Cunningham, Director Division of Industrial

and Medical Nuclear Safety Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

Charles E. Rossi, Director Division of Operational

Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical

Contact: Paul Lohaus, NMSS (301) 492-3345 Attachments:

1. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information

Notices 2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information

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