ML20203B275
| ML20203B275 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | NS Savannah |
| Issue date: | 07/15/1986 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20203B261 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8607180153 | |
| Download: ML20203B275 (5) | |
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SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION SUPFORTING AMENDMENT NO. 11 TO FACILITY POSSESSION ONLY LICENSE NO. NS-1 STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA PATRIOTS POINT DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND U.S. MARITIME ADMINISTRATION N.S. SAVANNAH DOCKET NO. 50-238
1.0 INTRODUCTION
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By letter dated August 20, 1985, the South Carolina Patriots Point Development Authority and the U.S. Maritime' Administration, the licensees, requested that the possession only license for their reactor facility on the N.S. Savannah be renewed for a period of ten years. This safety evaluation addresses that request.
2.0 BACKGROUND
The N.S. Savannah was a nuclear powered surface merchant ship designed and built in a joint program between the U.S. Maritime Administration and the U.S. Atomic Energy Comission. First full-power operation comenced in 1961, and an operating license was issued in 1965. After the ship operated for several years, the reactor was defueled in 1970, and the owner was issued a modified license in 1973. In 1976, at the request of the Maritime Administration, the NRC issued a license that authorized l possession only of the N.S. Savannah facility, but no operation of the reactor.
In 1981, the possession only license was amended to add the South Carolina Patriot's Point Development Authority as a co-licensee with the Maritime Administration, and the N.S. Savannah was opened to the public as part of a Maritime and Naval Museum. The license to possess but not to operate the facility was due to expire on November 9, 1985, but the licensees made a timely application for renewal by letter dated August 20, 1985. In accordance with 10 CFR 2.109, the licensee may continue to possess the facility until NRC acts on the request.
i 3.0 REQUEST AND EVALUATION The licensee requested that the possession only license be extended for a period of ten years from the date of issuance, and that some changes be made in the Technical Specifications, Appendix A of the license.
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The application briefly described the current status of the facility, summarized the results of radiation and environmental surveillance since the joint license was issued, and discussed the technical support services by which the licensees assure the radiological safety of the N.S. Savannah.
The requested changes in the Technical Specifications are paraphrased as follows:
- 1) Change the name of the Maritime Administration license holder
- 2) Decrease the frequency of radiation surveys from semi-annually to annually
- 3) Change the co-licensee who performs the required annual inspection from the Maritime Administration to the Patriots Point Authority, and clarify that only readily accessible areas of the primary and secondary coolant systems are to be inspected.
The staff has reviewed the licensee's justification for these requested changes. Change 1 is required because of a change in organization in the Maritime Administration.. However, the same personnel will be responsible for assurance that the Maritime Administration can continue to fulfill its obligations as a co-licensee. Change 2 is justified because periodic surveys have revealed no spreadable contamination in public access areas, fixed radiation areas are below 10 CFR 20 limits, and the systems preventing or limiting access to the highest radiation areas have remained secure.
Furthermore, on the basis of a 1973 report giving the estimated inventory of contained by-product radioactivity, the staff estimates that the inventory has decreased by nearly a factor of ten due to natural radioactive decay. The Technical Specifications will continue to require semi-annual environmental surveys to provide assurance that changes in releases of radioactivity to the environment would be detected. Change 3 is justified on the basis that the Patriots Point Authority maintains a full-time qualified staff of marine engineers who are familiar with the N.S. Savannah.
Furthermore, this change in the Technical Specifications does not relieve
. the Maritime Administration from its responsibilities, as a co-licensee, to continue to provide protection of the health and safety of the public.
Radiological and environmental surveillance and other personnel protection services, as needed, continue to be provided to the licensees through a contract with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
On the basis of the above considerations, the staff has determined that there is reasonable assurance that the licensees are qualified and will continue to provide acceptably for the protection of the health and safety of the public if the possession only license is renewed as requested.
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4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
S An Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Environmental Impact dated June 1986 has been prepared in support of this amendment.
The Environmental Assessment concluded that the proposed action would not h6ve a significant effect on the quality of the human environment.
5.0 CONCLUSION
The staff has concluded, based on the considerations discussed above, that: (1) because the amendment does not involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of accidents previously evaluated, or create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated, or involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety, this amendment involves no significant hazards consideration, (2) there is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by the proposed activities, and (3) such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations and the issuance of this amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or the health and safety of the public.
Principal Contributor: Robert E. Carter Dated: July 15, 1986 f
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ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE N.S. SAVANNAH 1
- ' LICENSE NO. NS-1 DOCKET NO. 50-238 Description of Proposed Action This Environmental Assessment is written in connection with the proposed renewal for 10 years of the license to possess-but-not-operate the nuclear reactor on the N.S. Savannah at Patriots Point, S.C. in response to a timely application from the licensees dated August 20,- 1985. The proposed action would authorize continued possession of the defueled and inoperable reactor in the manner that it has been possessed since License No. NS-1 was amended in 1976. Currently there are no plans to change any of the structures or characteristics associated with the reactor during the renewal period requested by the licensee.
Need for the Proposed Action The possession-only license for the facility was due to expire in November 1985. The proposed action is required to authorize continued possession so that the facility can continue to be used in the licensee's historical museum.
Alternatives 'to the Proposed Action The only reasonable alternative to the proposed action that was considered was not renewing the license. This alternative would have led to cessation of current operations, with a resulting change in status, possibly complete decommissioning, and a likely small impact on the environment.
Environmental Impact of Continued Possession The N.S. Savannah reactor system has been defueled, has been partially decontaminated, the containment compartment is secured, and access to areas containing residual radioactivity is controlled by specified physical and administrative measures.
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No additional radioactivity will be produced at the N.S. Savannah and existing radioactivity, which is fixed in place, will continue to decrease by natural radioactive decay. Under normal conditions, no radioactivity will be released from the confines of the ship in any from: liquid, solid, or airborne.
Established procedures provide reasonable assurance that releases of radio-activity will not occur by intent or by accident. However, if inadvertent release of radioactivity were to occur, procedures provide reasonable assurance of detection and acceptable remedial action, precluding a significant radio-logical impact on the environment.
Agencies and Persons Consulted No agencies or persons outside of NRC were consulted regarding the environmental considerations and evaluations.
Conclusion and Bases for No Significant Impact Finding On the basis of the foregoing considerations, the staff has concluded that there will be no significant environmental impact attributable to this proposed possession-only license renewal. Havi-] reached this conclusion, the staff has further concluded that no Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed action need be prepared and that a No Significant Impact Finding is appropriate.
Principal Contributor: R. E. Carter Dated: July 15, 1986 l
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