ML20150C657
| ML20150C657 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07002609 |
| Issue date: | 09/25/1978 |
| From: | Delaney J NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20150C647 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7811240150 | |
| Download: ML20150C657 (3) | |
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>0 SEP 2 5 G70 Safety Evaluation Report - Commonwealth Edison Company (CECO)
Application Dated May 17, 1977, and Supplements Thereto Dated April 27, and July 24, 1978, For A Storage License For Fuel And Accessories For the LaSalle County Nuclear Power Station '
Units 1 and 2 Docket 70-2609 The subject application and supplements thereto submitted by CEC 0 requests a license to receive 6000 kilograms of U-235 as uranium enriched up to 3%
in the U-235 isotope contained in reactor fuel assemblies, and 11.3 grams of U-235 at any enrichment contained in neutron detectors.
The fuel assemblies which the applicant wishes to receive contain uranium at nominal enrichments of 0.7111,1.758, and 2.186% U-235. The applicant has requested that a maximum enrichment of 3.0% be authorized. Since nuclear safety calculations by the Staff and others have been based on a 3% U-235 enrichment, the safety of the stored fuel is not compromised.
The reactor in which the fuel assemblies will be used is a General Electric Boiling Water Reactor. The weight of U-235 in an average assembly is 3.42 kilograms.
The fuel assemblies will be stored in their shipping containers, in the fuel racks in the spent fuel pool, and in the new fuel storage vault.
Fuel in the storage area is stored ten assemblies in a row with the fuel assemblies in the row at 7" center-to-center spacings. Rows of fuel assemblies are spaced so that the center-to-center spacing is 12.25".
The safety of fuel storage at such spacings has been previously established.
(See dockets 70-1072, 70-1247, and 70-2838.) A situation that could increase the reactivity of the storage array would occur if the fuel assemblies were water moderated but the spaces between the assemblies were occupied only with air. This might occur if the storage area were flooded, the area then drained, but water retained in the plastic bags which are used to protect fuel assemblies from dust, etc. In this case you would have fuel assemblies well moderated with water, but with no water shielding present between the assemblies. To prevent sLch a situation the Staff has added a condition requiring that fuel assemblies be stored in such a manner that would allow water to drain freely from within the assemblies in the event of flooding and subsequent draining 7813240l @
of a fuel storage area. It is the Staff's opinion that with the addi-tion of this condition, the applicant's proposed storage procedures and conditions are adequate to avoid accidental criticality.
After review of the various submissions by the applicant regarding the proposed industrial security program the applicant and the Staff agreed to the addition of a condition that requires: (1) that a watchman shall '
be present at a fuel storage area entrance at all times; and (2), that secured entrances to the fuel storage area shall be periodically checked by the watchmen during each shift and any irregularities reported immediately to the shift engineer. With the inclusion of this condition it is the opinion of the Staff that the applicant's industrial security program is satisfactory.
The applicant has also described the basic aspects of its radiation safety control program, including a description of the training and experience of personnel responsible for administering the program. The Staff has concluded that the applicant's radiation safety program and personnel are adequate to allow them to reasonably carry out the activi-ties for which the licenses are requested.
The applicant has requested, pursuant to 10 CFR 70.24(b), an exemption from the provisions of 10 CFR 70.24. Because of the inherent features associated with the storage and inspection of unirradiated fuel contain-ing uranium enriched to less than 5% in the U-235 isotope when no fuel processing activities are to be performed, the Staff hereby determines that granting such an exemption will not endanger life or property or the common defense and security, and is in the public interest. This exemption is authorized pursuant to 10 CFR 70.14.
Conclusion Based on the above statements, the Staff believes that the proposed activities can be performed without undue risk to the health and safety of the public. It has been determined by the Staff that the application fulfills the requirements of 10 CFR 70.23(a). Further, the issuance of this license is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment and thus, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.5(d)(4),
no environmental impact statement, negative declaration, or environmental appraisal needs to be prepared.
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Recommendation The Staff recommends approval of the application with the addition of the above license conditions, and exemption of the licensee from the requirements of 10 CFR 70.24.
1 b ?Ye%1 :
J. C. Delaney Fuel Processing and Fabrication Branch l Division of Fuel Cycle and Material Safety
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Approved:fG- (eft s %g [
L.~C. Rouse