ML20086D305

Georgians Against Nuclear Energy Response to Georgia Tech & NRC Staff Comments on Housekeeping Stay.* Requests Clarification as to Fuel That Georgia Tech Intends to Remove.W/Certificate of Svc

ML20086D305
Person / Time
Site:	Neely Research Reactor
Issue date:	06/26/1995
From:	Carroll G GEORGIANS AGAINST NUCLEAR ENERGY
To:	NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
References
CON-#395-16870 95-704-01-REN, 95-704-1-REN, REN, NUDOCS 9507100061
Download: ML20086D305 (3)

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00CKETED UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

'Y^ NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION g a 29 P2 01 BEFORE THE COMMIS3 TON QC N BRANCH Docket No. 50-160-Ren In the Matter of ASLBP No. 95-704-01-Ren

~ GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH REACTOR Atlanta, Georgia Facility License No. R-97 GEORGIANS AGAINST NUCLEAR ENERGY l

ESPONSE TO GEORGI A TECH' S AND NRC STAFF' S COMMENTS ON HOUSEKPFPING STAY Georgians Against Nuclear Energy (GANE) respec' fully submits these comments on Georgia Tech's and the NRC Staf' .esponses to the Commission order issuing a housekeeping stay or' June 9, 1995.

First, GANE responds with enthusiasm to the Georgia Tech administration's decision to remove the high-enriched u:arium fuel prior to the Olympic Games in July 1996. The NRC's input that the Type

. B Cask of which there is only one in the U.S. will be available for this task in an appropriate time frame is heartening news.

Several questions remain outstanding however. GANE requests clarification as to the fuel that Georgia Tech intends to remove. Does this include the spent fuel that is on site? Does this include the fresh fuel that is rumored to be on site?

GANE notes that Georgia Tech believes the fuel can be removed in two to three weeks while the NRC Staff submitted the affidavit of Marvin M. Mendonca stating that it would take two to three months. GANE is concert.ed that if the fuel does not fit into the cask in its current configuration, that the uranium will have to be sliced off the fuel rods in the hot cell. Mr. Bob Boyd informs GANE that this task might be accomplished at the rate of one or two rods per day. Certainly, if this process will be required, everything would have to proceed flawlessly for a two to three week schedule to be met. GANE requests

.to know which highly experienced individual will conduct this 9507100061 950626 g PDR G

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f :6 extremeli precise process of fuel removal. Will the spent fuel require any special_ handling? Does the fresh fuel require any special

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handling?-

GANE notices the absence of any discussion about the cobalt-60 from

'the parties and assumes the other parties intend to argue that the j

cobalt-60 is licensed and regulated by the State of Georgia in its agreement state etatus. GANE has stated that we hold the NRC

• ultimately responsible for the cobalt-60 at'any rate, but even if the' .

NRC concludes that the State of Georgia is responsible for the {

presence of'the-cobalt-60, GANE understands from the State that the "

NRC is responsible for the entirety of the security plan at the Neely  ;

Nuclear Research Center. Therefore, GANE's contention that security at the Neely Nuclear Research Center is inadequate to protect the public from radiological sabotage during the Olympics is not rendered moot by ,

Georgia Tech's decision to remove the radioactive fuel in its research reactor before the Olympics.

GANE believes that the cobalt-60 may be the most vulnerable aspect of the Neely Nuclear Research Center to radiological sabotage. The quantity'of cobalt-60 housed there is quite large, 250,000 curies, and it is routinely moved between the shielding pool and the hot cell.

Both' areas are more accessible and under less surveillance than the reactor building. A truck rolling down Eighth Street on Georgia Tech campus could crash right through the wall of the building which houses  ;

the cobalt-60. The ccbalt-60 shielding pool is just a few feet from  :

the building wall and the results from a runaway truck landing in it ,

would be disastrous. It is GANE's belief that the roof of both the shielding pool and the hot cell are unwatched. An unfortunately placed explosive dropped from above and timed so that the perpetrator was out ,

c' harm's way would wreak untold misery on Atlantans and her hapless visitors to the Olympics.

The cesium-137 at the Cherry Emerson Building remains a concern to GANE. GANE has been told and had it confirmed by Georgia Tech students  ;

that it is common practice to give every upper classman that needs access to the Cherry Emerson Building a key to the building. The cesium is in a storage unit on the main floor. GANE does not know if  :

the room it is in is locked or not. The cesium storage unit is secured  !

by a common padlock. There is a shaft leading to the cesium source which is intended to contain objects that are desired to be irradiated. This shaft is also big enough for an explosive device to be dropped into it. Again, the device ndght be timed in order to let I the terrorist escape without harm.

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.We fervently ask that the Commission take action to resolve these issues.

Respectfully submitted, enn Carroll Representative for GANE Dated and signed June 26, 1995 in Decatur, Georgia P

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,a DOCKETED-  !

CERTIFICATE OF_ SERVICE - Docket No.'(s) 50-160-REN USHRC'= 'i LSecretary 1 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Docketing and Service Branch 15 ' JE 29 P2 :011 .I j

- Washington, DC 20555 i 0FFICE OF SECRETARY l Office of Commission Appellate Adjudication DOCKETlHG & SERVICE U.S. Nuclear Reguletory-Commission -BRANCH _;

Washington, DC 20555  ;

TAdministrative Judge  !

Charles'Bechhoefer, Chairman l Atomic' Safety and Licensing Board i U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (

Washington, DC 20555 1 Administrative Judge Peter S. Lam Atomic Safety and Licensing Board

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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory ~ Commission j Washington, DC 20555 l Administrative Judge '

Jerry R. Kline

{

Atomic Safety and Licensing Board  ;

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission  !

Washington, DC 20555 l

Sherwin E. Turk, Esq. j Susan S. Chikadel, Esq.

r Office of the General Counsel _!

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission  :

Washington, DC 20555 {:

M

.r. Randy A. Nordin.  !

Manager - Legal Division _  !

Office of Contract Administration i Georgia Tech  !

Atlanta, GA 30332-0420 E. Gail Gunnells {

' Deputy Chief Legal Advisor i Georgia Institute of Technology t Atlanta, GA 30332-0495 .

'l Ms. Pamela Blockey O'Brien-

-D23 Golden valley Douglasville, GA 30134 Ms. Patricia Guilday, Esq.

Assistant Attorney General  ;

40 Capitol Square NW ,

Atlanta, GA 30334-1300 l i

l

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