ML21246A262

Triga Decommissioning Plan Safety Evaluation

ML21246A262
Person / Time
Site:	General Atomics
Issue date:	08/12/1999
From:	Alexander Adams, Rozier Carter Idaho National Engineering & Environmental Lab (INEEL), Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	General Atomics
Marlayna Doell, 301-415-3178
Shared Package
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References
Download: ML21246A262 (36)

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SAFETYEVALUATION BYTHEOFFICE OFNUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION SUPPORTING AMENDMENT NO.36TO AMENDED FACILITY LICENSE NO.R-38 AND AMENDMENTNO45 TO FACILITY LICENSE NO.R-67 GENERAL ATOMICS DOCKET NOS.50-89 AND 50-163

1.0 INTRODUCTION

By letter dated 18,1997,assupplemented April byletters dated November 20,1998, andJanuary 28 and 29, FebruaryApril May3 and 3, 22, 12, andJune 15, 16, and22, 1999,General Atomics (GAorthelicensee) submitted theGA TRIGA Reactor Facility Decommissioning Plan(DP). Thelicensee also applied fortermination of Amended Facility No.R-38for License theGA TRIGAMarkIResearch Reactor andFacilityLicense No.R-67 fortheGA TRIGAMarkF Research Reactor (Docket Nos.50-89and50-163, respectively) pursuantto 10 CFR50.82(b)(1).

2.0 EVALUATION 2.1 Introduction Thestaffhasreviewed andevaluated thelicensee's DPandapplication for amendment to Licenses Facility No.R-38andNo.R-67to authorize dismantlement anddisposal ofthe componentsandmaterials fromthelicensee's two TRIGAnon-power reactors. The licensee also for applied termination ofthetwo NRClicenses, andrequested unrestricted useofthesite.

Thelicensee'sDPisa supplement totheSafety Analysis Report inaccordance with 10 CFR50.82(b)(5). Thelicensee may makechanges to theDP inaccordance withthe in10 CFR50.59(a) regulations through (c)asallowed by 10 CFR50.59(e).

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TheDPincluded theinformationrequired by 10 CFR50.82(b)(4), namely, (i)thechoice of thealternative fordecommissioning with a description ofactivities involved, (ii) a description of the controls andlimits on procedures andequipment to protect occupational andpublic health and safety, (iii) a description oftheplanned final radiation survey, (iv) an updated cost estimate, comparison ofthat estimate withpresent funds setaside for decommissioning, and plans for assuring theavailability ofadequate funds forcompletion ofdecommissioning, and (v) a description oftechnical specifications (TSs), quality assurance provisions andphysical security planprovisions inplace during decommissioning Thelicensee also submitted an updated environmental report as required by 10CFR51.53(d).

Thelicensee plans toremoveanddecontaminate theradioactive materials sothat the residual radiological condition ofthesite meets theestablished criteria forrelease for unrestricted use.Because thetermsofa settlement agreement ofa lawsuit concerning spentnuclear fuel andnuclear wasteattheIdaho National Engineering andEnvironmental Laboratory (INEEL) severely constrain domesticspent nuclear fuel receipts attheINEEL, reactor fuel will remain on site during somedecommissioning activities.Until thefuel has beenappropriately removed, applicable license restrictions must remain ineffect, and some decommissioning activities must bedelayed.

Termination ofthetwo non-power reactor facility licenses requires NRCto determine in accordance with10CFR50.82(b)(6) that (i) thedecommissioning has beenperformed in accordance withtheapproved decommissioning plan and(ii) theterminal radiation survey andassociated documentation demonstrate that thefacility andsiteare suitable for release inaccordance with thecriteria fordecommissioning in10CFRPart 20,Subpart E.

Thedecommissioning ofthese reactors ispartofGA'splans to conduct comprehensive decommissioning oftheGA site. Thelicensee hasalready decommissioned a number of other facilities under NRCspecial nuclear material andState ofCalifornia licenses.

Because ofthis, thelicensee hasdeveloped procedures andtechniques forcarryingout decommissioning activities andhasextensive experience inapplying their procedures and techniques. Thelicensee's performance during conduct ofthese other decommissioning activities hasbeenacceptable.

A "Notice ofApplication forDecommissioning Amendment" was published inthe FEDERAL REGISTER on December 11, 1997 (62 FR 65288), in accordance withthe requirements of10CFR50.82(b)(5).

2.2 m Thetwo non-power reactors arelocated intheTRIGAReactor Facility(TRF). TheTRF occupies building No.21andan adjacent outdoor service yardon thegrounds ofthemain siteofGeneral Atomics Corporation, located inSanDiego County, about 21 km (13miles) north ofdowntownSanDiego, California (Figures 1 2,3).

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TheTRF (Figures 4 and5)was built instages overtheyears, starting withtheTRIGA MarkIreactor complex (License No.R-38) in1958(Figure 6).Subsequently, two other TRIGAreactors were added,called theTRIGAMarkF reactor (License No.R-67) (Figure7) andtheTRIGAMark Ill reactor (License No.R-100). TheTRIGAMark111 reactorwas decommissioned and its NRClicense terminated in1975.Someofthereactor structure andreactor poolremains with theresidual radioactive materialpossessed under an authorization fromtheState ofCalifornia. Because theNRClicense fortheTRIGAMarkIll reactorhasalready beenterminated, onlytheTRIGAMarkIandTRIGAMarkF reactors aresubjects ofthis decommissioning reviewandevaluation.

Operations havebeenterminatedat the TRIGA MarkIandTRIGAMarkF reactors. The TRIGAMarkIreactor license was amended on October 29,1997,andtheTRIGAMarkF reactorlicense was amended on March22, 1995, to removeauthority to operate the reactors. Thelicenses allow possession-only oftheremaining radioactive material. All irradiated fuel isstored intheTRIGAMarkF reactor storage canal under theTRIGAMarkF reactorlicense.

Someofthenonradioactive components(such asthe control console) oftheTRIGAMarkI reactorhavebeenremoved andshipped offsite to bereused inother TRIGAreactors.

2.3 Thelicensee hasreviewed theoperating histories oftheTRF,and found no reports of spills orother eventsthat could significantly contaminate surfaces such asfloorsand walls.After an extensive characterization survey/program, discussedin the DP,the verified licensee theabsence ofcontaminated areas orcomponentsoutside of thereactor poolsandcoolant loops, which areinterconnected. TheTRIGAMarkIreactor (250 kW) operatedfora total lifetime ofabout 84 MW-daysandtheTRIGAMarkF (1.5MW) operatedfora total lifetime ofabout 4,200MW-days.On thebasis oftheabove information, andexperience atpreviously decommissioned TRIGAreactors ofnearly designs, identical thelicensee hasestimated thetypesandquantities ofradionuclides expected to beencountered during decommissioning. This information isgiven in Tables1 and2.Thelicensee hasextensive experience working withradioactive componentsandmaterials, andeventhough thecurrent inventoriesofradionuclides are not recorded indetail, theyplanto investigate andprepare adequately before removing anddismantling components. TheTRIGAMarkIandTRIGAMarkF reactors contain different typesofcomponentsintheregion ofthehighest neutronfluences nearthe cores.Thelicensee isawareofthese differences andisprepared toaddress them.

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Table1:List ofExpected Radionuclides Nuclide HalfLife Decay Notes (yr) Mode "C 5730. p- AP; from nactivation ofgraphite reflector structure (TRIGA Mkionly) 5*Mn 0.86 e , y AP; short-lived specie; from ofSShardware n-activation 55Fe 2.73 e AP; from n-activation ofSShardware "Co 5.27 p,y AP; from n-activation ofSShardware; expected tobepredominant AP specie present SSNi 76000. e y

, AP; from n-activation ofSShardware "Ni 100. p- AP; from n-activation ofSShardware "Sr 29.1 p- FP;probable FP constituent; activity expected tobeproportional to that of'"Cs "Nb 20000. p,y AP; unlikely APinventory constituent; possible from n-activation of SShardware, if Nbimpurities are present "Tc 213000. D,y FP,andminor APinventoryconstituent; possible from n-activation of SShardware, ifMoimpuritiesare present

'2sSb 2.76 p,y FP; relatively short-lived specie

"*Cs 2.07 E,y FP;minor FPinventory constituent "7Cs 30.17 D,y FP;expected tobepredominant FPspecie present "Ce 0.78 p,y FP;shortlived specie

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, FP,andminor AP inventory possible constituent; fromnactivation of concrete, ifEuimpurities exist shield inbiological structure Symbols/Abbreviations: p- = Beta p+ = Positron e = ElectronCapture y = Gamma-Ray AP = Activation Product FP = FissionProduct Radionuclide Half-Life values andDecay Modeinformation used above are taken fromRef.10.15.

Thelist ofexpectedradionuclidesprovided above isbased ontheassumption that operationsoftheTRIGAMarkIandMarkF have Reactors resulted inthe neutronactivation ofreactor core components andother hardware integral orstructural members which aresituated adjacent to,orinclose proximity thereactor to, core during operations. Specific items which areconsidered tohave beenexposed toneutron activation include materials composed ofaluminum, stainless-steel, steel, graphite, cadmium, lead, andpossibly concrete others. Basedonearlier studies andexperience gained insimilar research reactor decommissioning projects, calculations andreactor-specific which considered measured values for neutron fluence, leakage integrated operating power histories, core/pool reactor configurations, structural andmaterial composition ofexposed pool structures, neutron activation of materials beyondtheconcrete liner/biologicalshield structure (i.e.,into surrounding volumes) soil isnotexpected for the either TRIGAMarkInorMarkF Reactors.

Table 2 Sources ofRadiation Components withPotential Surface Contamination Purification System purification loop anddeionizer tank piping demineralizer OtherComponents cables andconduits pool deck plates rotaryrack drive reactor bridge structure pneumatic transfer system Components withInduced Radioactivity RotarySpecimen rack(TRIGA MarkIreactor only)

Controlrodguidetubesanddetector tubes Topgrid plate Bottomgrid plate 3 Reflector Coresupport Fastenersandconnectors Pneumatictransfer systemterminus Reactor TankActivated Components Reactorpitliner Concrete Anchors Reinforcementbars Equipment UsedinDecommissioning Operations General ventilation system Localized ventilation system Confinementbarriers Contaminatedtoolsandequipment Contaminatedclothing

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Thefuel is stored ina canal located offthepooloftheTRIGAMarkF reactor. There is sufficientwater above thefuel to provide adequate shielding to personnel working atfloor level.Thiswater iscurrently being circulated andpurified tolimit thecorrosion ofthefuel cladding andother submersed componentssothat contained radioactive material isnot likely to migrate to less contaminated areas. Thefuel will continue to bestored and handled inaccordance with therequirements oftheTSs.TRIGAMarkF reactor componentswhosedismantlement could impact fuel safety will beleft inplace until after thefuel hasbeenremoved from thestorage canal inpreparation to ship offsite.

Thestaff hasreviewed thelicensee's methods usedto assess radiological conditions, how theywill plan tolimit personal exposures asthey dismantle, andhow theywill perform additional radiation measurements and surveys asthedismantlement proceeds. Thestaff concludes that thelicensee's plans areacceptable.

2.4 M Theregulations in10 CFR50.82(b)(4)(i) require that the licensee discuss their choice of alternative fordecommissioning. Thethree basic approaches todecommissioning are (1)DECON,wherethelicensee dismantles anddecontaminates their facility without significantdelay, (2) SAFSTOR,wherethefacility isplaced and maintained ina condition thatallows thefacility to besafely stored andsubsequentlydecontaminated to levels that permit release forunrestricted use,and(3) ENTOMB,whereradioactive contaminates are encased ina structurally long-lived material, suchasconcrete, the entombed structure is appropriately maintained andcontinued surveillance iscarried outuntil the radioactivity decaysto a level permitting release oftheproperty forunrestricted use.

Theregulations in10 CFR50.82(b)(4)(i) further statethat a decommissioning alternative isacceptable ifitprovides forcompletion ofdecommissioning without significant delay.

Thelicensee hasdecided todismantle anddispose ofreactor-related radioactivematerial assoonasfeasible (DECON option). TheTRIGAMarkIreactor willbedecommissioned without significant delay. Next,TRIGAMarkF reactor decommissioning activities thatcan besafely carried outwith thefuel intheTRIGAMarkFfuel storage canal will be completed. After fuel isremoved offsite, TRIGAMarkF reactor decommissioning activitieswill becompleted.

SAFSTOR isnotacceptable to thelicensee because itwouldrequire long termmonitoring andloss ofproperty use,andbecause thequantity ofradioactive materials atthesite is relativelysmall, readily removed, andthere isanavailable approved low-level radioactive wastedisposal site. Thelongterm ENTOMBdecommissioning option suffers from the same disadvantages. Furthermore, theTRFwasnotadequately designed orsited tobea longtermdepository ofradioactive material which wouldresult fromeither theSAFSTOR orENTOMBoptions.

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Thestaff concurs that early dismantlement andremoval ofradioactive material to a planned and authorized disposal site isthepreferred method to achieve limited environmental impact andlong termprotection ofthehealth andsafety ofthepublic. The staff concludesthat thelicensee's choice ofdecommissioning alternative meetsthe requirements of10 CFR 50.82(b)(4)(i).

2.5 TheDP contains an organization chart, Figure 8,that demonstrates that GA management isfully awarethat eventhough reactor decommissioning isless hazardous thanreactor operation anduse,its close involvement andcontrol isstill needed. Therefore, a decommissioning groupreporting tothe company VicePresident forResearch and Development isestablished, withresponsibilities similar to theoperations group whenthe reactors wereinuse.Themanagementis aware andcommittedto its responsibility to ensure continued compliance withall applicable regulations, andthat controls on any contractors also ensure compliance. Decommissioning deals mostly withradioactive wasteandassociated personnel protection, sothe strong independent radiation protection program isstill inplace, withadequate authority to ensure protection ofbothworkers and thepublic. Furthermore, many ofthepersonnel who were knowledgeable andinvolved during reactor operations havebeenretained. Their knowledge andexperience gives reasonable assurance that decommissioning activities will be carried outsafely andin accordance withtheregulations.

Because thedecommissioning groupisprominent intheGA management structure, the qualifications ofkeypositions arehigh, andleadership positions arefilled by experienced andwell qualified personnel, thestaff concludes that theorganization and management structures areacceptable to successfully andsafely complete thedecommissioning ofthe TRFat GA.

2.6 TheDP acknowledges thatGA isrequired toensure that allactions by bothits staff and any contractors comply withall applicable regulations, forexample 10CFR50.82for decommissioning activities, 10CFRPart 20forradiation protection, 10CFRPart 71 for managementofradioactive waste,and10CFRPart 73forphysical protection offuel materials. Several NUREGandregulatory guide documents havebeenissued byNRCto helpdefine acceptable decommissioning actions andresults, including NUREG-5512, "Residual Radioactive Contamination FromDecommissioning," NUREG-5849, "Manual for Conducting Radiological Surveys inSupport ofLicense Termination," Regulatory Guide 1.86,"Termination ofOperating Licenses forNuclear Reactors," andthe"Site Decommissioning Management Plan (SDMP) Action Plan o fApril 16,1992" (57FR 13389).

The DP notesthat thelicensee isawareof,andintends to usethese andother applicable guidance andregulations.

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Thestaff considers thelicensee's information, plans, andcommitments aresufficient to givereasonable assurance that a well-planned andcompliant decommissioning ofthe TRF atGA will result.

2.7 W TheDPdiscusses GA's plans for training bothmanagers andworkers intheir respective roles. GA overtheyearshas conducted training programs foroutside groups and individuals insuchtopics asreactor operation andradiation protection. Therefore, there is considerable still interest atthe management level andexperience andcompetenceatthe worker levels toprovide allneeded training in-house. There continues to be general employee radiological training forall. There areestablished programs to increase workers' knowledge inhandling radiological waste, including surveying, classifying, packaging, shipping, andpreparing documentation.There isa continuing training program for health physicists inall aspects ofradiation protection. As unique equipment isintroduced to perform dismantlement andsegmenting ofcomponents, operators will betrained. Ifany workinvolving hazardous ormixedwastesisanticipated, workers will betrained as necessary. Training inapplicable topics will beconducted forall contractorsand subcontractors. Senior staff who havebothworkandteaching experience will be responsible forpreparing andconducting thetraining.

On thebasis ofGA'smanagementcommitment, historicalactivities atthesite, andthe planning stated intheDP,thestaff concludes there isreasonable assurance that the individual membersoftheworkforce andstaff willbetrained acceptably to implement the TRFdecommissioning while protecting thehealth andsafety ofthepublic.

2.8 m GA plans to usetheexisting companyHealth Physics (HP) Program while conducting the TRFdecommissioning Thisprogram emphasizes compliance with10CFRPart 20in handling radioactive materials, andincludes a policy to ensure that all radiation exposures areaslowasreasonably achievable (ALARA). Thequalification requirements for the position ofManager, health physics, andthekeystaff membersensure very knowledgeable andexperienced personnel. Overtheyears, GA hasdealt withsomevery complex radiological issues, including thedecommissioning ofother facilities attheGA site,sotheexisting staff should bewell prepared tosuccessfully manageprotecting personnel andtheenvironment during TRFdecommissioning. TheHPprogram addresses allaspectsofradiation andexposure management,including methods ofexposure reduction, radiation workpermits, surveys, personal dosimetry, control andstorage of radioactive material, respiratory protection, equipment andinstrumentation, effluent monitoring, audits, quality control, radiological accident analyses, andgen'eral industrial safety. inorder toconduct an effective ALARAprogram, themeasurementinstruments andmethods ofanalysis should beappropriate andofhighquality. TheDPdiscusses the typesofinstruments, selection criteria, andcalibration program that will beinplace during decommissioning. TheDPdiscusses confinement andcontrol ofpossible airborne

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radioactive material to begenerated asa result ofcertain dismantlement activities, and concludesthat this control,along with access control to thefacilities, will ensure that members ofthe public will receive negligible (less than0.1person-rem) radiation exposure fromreactor-related radiation duetodecommissioning activities. TheGA staff has predicted theradiation exposures oftheworkers on thedecommissioning project to be less than20 person-rem. Details oftheestimated occupation exposure areprovided in Table 3.

On thebasis ofbothprior history andthedocumented HP program atGA, thestaff concludes that GA management has made radiation protection a high priority, andthe planning issufficient to provide reasonable assurance that theworkers, thepublic, andthe environment will beprotected fromsignificant radiological risk related totheGA TRF decommissioning project.

2.9 m TheGA managementhasemphasized andpromoted a safe workingenvironment inthe past, andtheDP includes discussions andcommitments tocontinue those policies and practices during theTRFdecommissioning. TheDPcites specific guidanceto be employed, asfoundinOSHAregulations andstateofCalifornia regulations, andinthe general GA Quality Assurance Plan. Thestaff considers these plans acceptable to control industrial risks.

2.10 M Theregulations in10CFR50.82require thelicensee to submit an updated cost estimate for thechosen alternative fordecommissioning, a comparison ofthat estimate with present funds setaside decommissioning, for and plans forassuring theavailability of adequate funds forcompletion ofdecommissioning. Thelicensee estimates that decommissioning thetwo reactors will costabout $5.6million. Theestimate is reasonable, basedon previous decommissioning projects ofsimilar reactor facilities. GA hastraditionally useda parentcompanyguaranty to meet thedecommissioning funding regulations. Because ofother decommissioning commitments andfinancial factors, in 1996,GA'sparentcompany,General AtomicTechnologies Corporation, could no longer qualify to provide a guaranty ofthefull amountofthecostofdecommissioning thetwo reactors andother facilities under GA'snuclear material license. By letter dated May 20, 1996,GA proposed analternative meansofproviding decommissioning funding assurance that combined a limited parent c ompany guaranty (foran agreed upon amount that isless thanthetotal costofdecommissioning) witha sinking fundinto whichmoneyis contributed annually . Ofthemoneyplaced inthesinking fund, partofthemoneyand interest canbeusedto payfor current decommissioning costs.Theremaining money must stayinthefundwiththefundbalance growing eachyearuntil thefundbalance

TABLE 3 OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION DOSE ESTIMATES DECOMMISSIONING FORTRIGAREACTORS TASKS N

1 TRIGAReactor FacilityD&D 2 NRC/Stateapproval ofDecommissioning Plan 3 Decommission MkiReactor 4 Survey Radiological 112 2 0.0002 0.0448 0.04 5 RemoveReactor Components abovePool 80 4 0.0002 0.064 0.06 6 RemoveReactor Components inPool 7 Grapple/Hoist/Survey 72 3 0.005 1.08 8 Disassemble asnecessary 72 3 0.005 1.08 9 Decontaminate orPackage asLLW 64 3 0.005 0.96 3.12 10 ReactorTankWater 11 Survey/Sample/Analyze 40 3 0.0002 0.024 12 j asnecessary Discharge/Filter 40 3 0.0002 0.024 0.05 13 Confinement Install Barrier around Pit Reactor 40 3 0.0003 0.036 0.04 14 lAlTankRemoval 15 Cut/Remove insections 80 4 0.0025 0.8 16 Segregateclean sections 64 4 0.0025 0.64 17 Package LLW sections 56 4 0.002 0.448 1.89 8 ConcreteLiner 19  ! Demolish activatedportion 120 4 0.002 0.96 I

20 Remove/Package 112 4 0.002 0.896 21 ,

Surveyremaining Concrete 32 2 0.0005 0.032 22 ! Demolish remaining portiontoexpose Soil 80 4 0.0005 0.16

[

23 ! Survey Soil presumed tobeclean 40 2 0.0002 0.016 24 ! Shore/Cover Pit 40 4 0.0002 0.032 2.10 25Aey/Remove Storage Wells, ifcontaminated 160 4 0.0003 0.192 0.19 26 [Dismantle Barrier/Package forLLWdisposal 40 4 0.0002 0.032 0.03 27 ! Decontaminate MkiReactor Roomsurfaces 80 4 0.0002 0.064 0.16 28 lDecommission remaining areas,except MkF 29 lRemove HotDrain Lines 104 4 0.0003 0.1248 l

30 [ Remove contaminated sections,exc. fromMkFRoom 80 4 0.0003 0.096 31 Rerouteservicestoisolate MkFRoom 224 4 0.0002 0.1792 32 l Remove MakeUpWater Tank 80 4 0.0002 0.064 33 Dismantle/Disposeofremaining equipment inYard 160 3 0.0003 0.144 34 , ShiLLWtoNTS l 80 4 0.0003 0.096 0.70 (CONTINUED)

TABLE3. OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION FORTRIGAREACTORS DOSEESTIMATES DECOMMISSIONINGTASKS,(CONTINUED)

Task' TaskDescription 319. vg,0cee TotaicoseSubtotal Total Duralian No. Es.. rem/hr2 wom m wom 35 Decommission MkFReactor 36 RadiologicalSurvey 120 2 0.002 0.48 0.48 37 Remove Reactor Componentsin Pool 38 Grapple/Hoist/Survey 80 3 0.005 1.2 39 Disassemble asnecessary 80 3 0.005 1.2 40 Decontaminate orPackage asLLW 64 3 0.005 0.96 3.36 41 Prepare toShip Fuel 42 ShipFuel stored inMkFCanal 360 4 0.002 2.88 2.88 43 Reactor TankandStorage Canal Water 44 Survey/Sample/Analyze 40 3 0.0002 0.024 45 asnecessary Discharge/Filter 40 3 0.0002 0.024 0.05 46 Confinement install Barrier aroundReactor Pit 40 3 0.0003 0.036 0.04 47  ! TankRemoval 48 Cut/Remove insections 72 4 0.0025 0.72 49 Segregate clean sections 64 4 0.0025 0.64 50 Package LLWsections 40 4 0.002 0.32 1.68 51 reteLiner 52 Demolishactivated portion 112 4 0.002 0.896 53 i Remove/Package 120 4 0.002 0.96 54 Surveyremaining Concrete 40 2 0.0005 0.04 55 l Demolish remaining portion toexposeSoil 80 4 0.0005 0.16 56 l Soilpresumed beclean 0.016

! Survey to 40 2 0.0002 57  ! Shore/Cover Pit 40 4 0.0002 0.032 2.10 58 Dismantle Barrier/Package for LLWdisposal 40 4 0.0002 0.032 0.03 59 Decontaminate MkFReactor Roomsurfaces 80 4 0.0002 0.064 0.06 60 Package contaminated tools andequipment 40 6 0.0002 0.048 0.05 61 l ShipLLWtoNTS 72 4 0.0002 0.0576 0.06

~

v 62RSoil 112 2 0.0002 0.0448 0.04 UPrepareSurvey Report 64 i Submittalfor Release toUnrestricted Use

8 -

represents the difference between theremaining GA costofdecommissioning thesite and theparent company guaranty. TheNRCagreed to GA'sproposal ina letter dated July9, 1996.The NRC staff hasreviewed GA'sfinancial statements annually toverify that the licensee ismeeting therequirements ofthelimited parent companyguaranty. As partof thereview forthis licensing action, thestaff reviewed financial records associated with thesinking fundand verified thattheconditions ofmaintaining thesinking fundhavebeen met. Thestaff concludes that GA ismeeting theconditions oftheir alternative meansof providing decommissioning funding assurance andthat there isreasonable assurance that sufficient funds will beavailable fordecommissioning theGA reactors.

2.11 TheDP provides a proposed schedule(Figure 9),estimated inventories ofradioactive nuclides, approximate distributionofradioactive material bycomponentandlocation, dismantlement actions to betaken, estimates of radioactive wastesto beproduced, and projected worker radiation dosesfor completion of thedecommissioning. Allcomponents oftheTRIGAMarkIreactor thatcurrently remain will beremoved, segmented and packaged forshipment asradioactive waste,asnecessary. Thebiological shield structure will bedecontaminated asnecessary, it but not is expected that biological shield decontamination will result insignificant building structural changes. Thenremoval ofthe TRIGAMarkF reactor componentswill bestarted. However, until all fuel isremoved from thestorage canal, dismantlement ofcomponentsthat could pose a riskto fuel integrity or security will bedelayed. After fuel removal, dismantlement anddecontamination as necessary oftheTRIGAMarkF reactor will resume.TheTRIGAMark Ireactor accumulated onlyabout two percent asmanymegawattdaysastheTRIGA MarkF reactor. Because theTRIGAMarkIreactor will bedecommissioned first, it can beused to develop additional expertise indecommissioning in technics lower a d ose environment thantheTRIGAMarkF.Thisexpertise will contribute to efficient decommissioning ofthe TRIGAMarkF reactor.

Thestaff considers that GA hasconducted sufficient planning, radiological characterizations, andradiation exposure predictions sothat there isreasonable assurance that decommissioning willbecompleted asplanned intheDP. Thestaff hasalso examined GA'splans to conduct decommissioning activitiesattheTRIGAMarkF reactor withreactor fuel present intheTRIGAMarkF storage canal andconcludes that thelimited activities planned bythelicensee canbecarried outwithout significant risk offuel damage orrelease offission products .

9M M

7M Y

i D&D g FACLTY g

O REACTOR

%F Room MkF Pi MF excep Reacor necessa suaces disposa om ad TRGA in D&D Poo above LLW Room areas, exc. eqp Name Reacor Pan around as Waa, Room FACLTY necessa secions MF in con i

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Componens Componens necessa Pacae Barier e

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as Waee oion2, seviceso Reaco Reaco in Deconaminae Disassembe Tan u/Remove Diaman Gae/Hos/Suve cea Tank /Cove LLW Decommission Radioogica Discae Soi Suvey/Remove Demoish Ho RC/Sae secion Auminum Diamane Deconamin PacaeRemove 2QDeco Linev RGA Remove Remove Reaco nsa Demois Concee Soe Suve Remove Remove Remove Reoue he Ship 7 Tas# [

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4M 39M 37M ~ ,

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REACTOR TRGA aroundcean Unresrice Poo W Reacor Name as Cana n Waer Pi Reaco equipmen orRoom LLWand Use Componens necessa ase oos disp Cana nece Task Pacae poion Reaco o sua Fue Barrie o conc FOR F

MkF secions pesume necessa Mark Ship Sorage Barier/PackagReease Repo Suve in as cean Coninemen Suve/Sampe/Ana acivaed emainin MFNTS Soi conaminaed Deconaminae o

SCHEDULE emainin as poion@

o Reacor Sored Decommission in pi LLW Suvey Dischage/Fie Disassembe Fue Remova Appova Tank Cu/Remove Remove/ackage or secion o

oogica Segegae Pacage Demois Concee DemoisShoe/Cove Dismane LLW PacageSoi Deconamin Remove Liner" Submia DOE Reacor Ship nsaTank SuveSuve ShipPepae Suvey Task#

3 3 L

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 495 5 5 5

> i 0/30/98 m g o gD 0O @, O 5' f 7 S Q

9 -

2.12 Assurance Overtheyears, GA hasconducted manyactivities that required maintaining control of licensedmaterials and controlled access tofacilities. Therefore, theyhaveapproved securityplans andprocedures inplace, andhavemaintained a staff withsecurity experience. GA plansto continue with these sameprocedures, asapplicable, toprotect theradioactive highenriched uranium fuel fromloss or diversion, andtomaintain restrictionsto protect bothworkers andthepublic fromunplanned radiation exposures.

Because ofGA'sexperience inthis area andtheir NRCapproved security plan, thestaff considerstheir plans andprovisions to beacceptable.

Thelicensee continues tohavean NRC approved Radiological Contingency Plan inplace to respondto emergencies. Thelicensee updates theplanasneeded. Theplan was last updated on October 9,1998,under theprovisions of10 CFR50.54(q) Thestaff concludes that theRadiological Contingency Plan issufficient forresponding to emergencies that may arise during decommissioning and fuel storage.

Because thelicensee continues tohaveirradiated fuelon site, GA ismaintaining the qualificationsofNRC-licensed reactor operators. Withthe permanent shut down ofthe thelicensee reactors, amended their TRIGAReactors Facility Operator Requalification Program tofocus on fuel handling safety andactivities. TheNRC staff reviewed the changes totherequalification program andapproved thechanges on March 3, 1998.

Thelicensee prepared a quality assurance program fortheTRFdecommissioning project.

Theprogram isbasedon theGA corporate quality assurance program which meets the requirements of10 CFRPart 71,Subpart H, "Quality Assurance," andtheguidance of ASME-NQA-1-1989, "Quality Assurance Program Requirements forNuclear Facilities" and ANS-15.8,"Quality Assurance Program Requirements forResearch Reactors."The GA corporatequality assurance program was reviewed andaccepted bytheNRCSpent Fuel Office.

Project Thestaff reviewed theprogram fortheTRFdecommissioning projectand concludes that theprogram isacceptable forTRIGAreactor decommissioning activities.

2.13 m Thelicensee hasconsidered possible accidents during decommissioning that could cause radiation exposures orunplanned releases ofradioactive material. Mostoftheaccidents postulatedanddiscussed intheDPcould impact thestored fuel. These include:

1 fuel storage andhandling;

2. seismicity;

3. fire;

4. other considerations.

10 -

M Thefuel will bebothstored andmovedbyexperienced licensedreactor operators inaccordance withTSsandprocedures previously ineffect duringreactor operations. Also, emergency procedures that address postulated stored fuelaccidentswill remain ineffect. However, thelicensee hasproposed some dismantlement and removal ofcomponents, internal totheTRIGAMarkF reactor pool whilefuel isstill stored inthecanal. Thelicensee hasplanned special precautions to avoiddropping suchcomponents andotherwise damaging thefuel. Ifprecautions were notsufficient andsomefuel elements weredamaged, anyreleased fissionproducts and fissile nuclides wouldbeprimarily retained inthepool water,to bedecontaminated later.

Because thefuel hasundergone a period ofdecay ofatleast several years, many significantshort-lived fission products either no longer exist orhavehadtheir inventories decreased significantly. Dosestothe staff andmembersofthepublic fromfuel cladding failure will be within previously accepted values for failures during reactoroperation.

Seismici.ty SanDiego County isconsidered to beoneofthemoderate seismic risk regionsinsouthern California. Therefore, a seismic event ofmagnitude close to seven on theRichter scale isnotlikely during thefewyears while fuel will still bestored inthe canal. Intheeventofa damaging quake, watercould be lost fromtheTRIGAMarkF reactorpoolandthestorage canal. Thewaterisusedfor shielding, notfuel cooling, and currentlyiscirculated through cleanup systems, sotheconcentration ofradioactivity wouldfall within NRCregulations forrelease fromthefacility. The primary issue wouldbe forGA staff to shield thereactor fuel. Therefore, no significant release ofradioactive materialwouldoccurunless fuel cladding wereruptured. This would not belikely, because there islittle heavymaterial that could collapse ontothefuel with damaging effect.Inaddition, protective deckplates cover thefuel storage canal.

Fire.Thelicensee hasconsidered howfires during decommissioning couldimpact fuel integrity.However, accumulation offlammable materials will bemonitored and avoided, andaslongasthereactor poolisintact, thefuel isprotected fromthereactor room region under15 feet ofwater.

Otherconsiderations. Thelicensee hasaddressed thepossibility ofradiological accidents dueto mishandling radioactive componentsother thanfuel. TheGA staff has considerable experience withsuchactivities, andarecommitted to sufficient preplanning andprecautionary procedures to keepthelikelihood ofsucheventsacceptably low.

Thestaff considers that withthehistory ofGA'sradiological experience andproposed preplanning, there isreasonable assurance that significant radiological risk toworkers and thepublic will beacceptably low.

11 -

2.14 TheDPaddresses thevarious sources ofsolid andliquid radioactive wastes,andtheir managementand disposal. Thereisno source ofairborne wasteother thanparticulate dustresultingfrom dismantling procedures suchasmetal cutting andconcrete demolition, whichwill becontrolled by temporary barriers andlocal air handling andfilters.

Severalcomponentsfromeach ofthereactors, including thereactor tanks, weremade byneutronirradiation during reactor radioactive operations. Thesewill beremoved, segmented asnecessary, packaged, andshippedoffsite, all inaccordance withapplicable regulations.GA hasan arrangement with the Department ofEnergy (DOE) to ship thelow levelradioactivewasteto theNevada waste disposal site. Someoftheconcrete inthe shield biological isradioactive intheregion close to thereactor cores. Somedemolition andremoval willbeexpected to reduce the residual contamination downto levels that meet therelease criteria. Thisradioactive waste willalso beshipped totheDOEorother licensed disposal facility.

Thepoolwaterwill be analyzed carefullyandwhenit is sufficiently clean to comply with 10 CFRPart 20 limits, itwill bereleased into theGA sanitary waste stream.GA maintainsa radioactive waste processing facility that canbe used to decontaminate liquid radioactive materials if necessary.

Theusedreactor fuel will bereturned to DOE. Muchofthis fuelis highly radioactive with fission products, andalso many ofthe elements contain high enriched uranium. GA plans to continueadequate protective custody until DOEmakesarrangements and retrieves the fuel.Atthis writing, DOEprojects thatthis action isnotlikely to occur before 2003.

TheDP contains a discussion oftheGA radioactive material controls program to ensure thatradioactivematerial is disposed inaccordance with 10 CFR Part 2 0, Subpart K, "Waste Disposal." Thisdiscussion includes information on theradiation detection instrumentsto be usedto survey materialleaving theGA site andthesensitivity that theseinstruments will possess. Thelicensee mayalso transfer material fromthereactor to other licenses GA radioactive materials licenses foradditional processing orfor final disposal.

Consideringthediscussions intheDPandGA'sexperience wi'th managing radioactive thestaff materials, concludes that thereisreasonable assurance that t he radioactive wastesproduced by demolition, dismantlement, anddecontamination will be handled, packaged,and disposed offsite in accordance with a applicable ll regulations, andinaccord withALARA principles inprotecting thehealth andsafety ofthepublic andtheworkers.

12 -

2.15 License Conditions Thelicensee has proposed changes to thelicense conditions commensurate withfacility decommissioning. Inaddition tothechanges proposed bythelicensee, theNRCstaff has amendedseverallicense conditions commensuratewith decommissioning status. The NRCstaff discussed these changes withthelicensee whohadno objections tothe changes.

TRIGAMar.kj. Thelicensee has requested that license condition 2.B.(2) bedeleted inits entirety. This license condition authorizes possessionofspecial nuclear material. With theTRIGAMarkIreactor fuelpermanently transferred totheTRIGAMarkF license for storageintheTRIGAMarkFfuel storage canal, this license condition isno longer needed.

Thestaff hasamended license conditions 1.C., 1.D.,1.E., and2.C.(2) to change reference to possession ofthereactor todecommissioning ofthereactor. Theselicense conditions havebeenamended to read asfollows:

1.C. Thefacility willbedecommissioned in conformity withtheapplication asamended,theprovisions oftheAct,and the rules andregulations of theCommission; 1.D. There isreasonable assurance that thereactor facility canbe decommissioned (i)without endangering the health and safety ofthepublic and(ii) incompliance withtheregulations inthis chapter; 1.E. General Atomics istechnically andfinancially qualified to decommission the facility inaccordance withtheregulations inthis chapter; 2.C.(2) M TheTechnical Specifications contained inAppendix A, asrevised through Amendment No.36,arehereby incorporated inthelicense. Thelicensee shall decommission thefacility inaccordance withtheTechnical Specifications.

Because these changes tothelicense conditions reflect thechangeinstatus ofthereactor to activedecommissioning, these changes areacceptable tothestaff.

TRIGAMarlLF. Thelicensee hasrequested that license conditions 3 and4 bedeleted fromthelicense ittheir entirety. License condition 3 contained requirements forrecord retentionandlicense condition 4 contained requirements forreports. These requirements havebeenupdated to reflect thedecommissioning status ofthereactor andplaced inthe amendedTSs.

13 -

Thestaff has amended license conditions 1.B., 1.C., 1.D., 1.E.,and2.C.2 to change referenceto possession ofthereactor to decommissioning ofthereactor. Theselicense conditions have been amended toread asfollows:

1.B. Thereactor hasbeenconstructed inconformity withConstruction Permit No.. CPRR-59 andwill bedecommissionedinconformity withthe application, as amended, andinconformity withtheActandtherules and regulationsof the Commission; 1.C. Thereisreasonable assurance that thereactor canbedecommissioned at thedesignated location without endangering the health andsafety ofthe public; 1.D. General Atomics istechnically and financially qualified to decommission the reactor; 1.E. Thedecommissioning ofthereactorin the manner proposed inthe application willnotbeinimical to thecommon defense andsecurity ortothe health andsafety ofthepublic; 2 m TheTechnical Specifications contained inAppendixA, as revised through Amendment N o. 45, arehereby incorporated inthelicense. Thelicensee shall decommission thefacility inaccordance withtheTechnical Specifications.

Because these changes to thelicense relocate conditions fromthelicense tothe TSs and the reflect change i nstatuso f the reactor to active decommissioning, these changes are acceptable to thestaff.

2.16 M GA willmaintain TSsto ensure control ofimportant aspects oftheofthe decommissioning oftheTRF.Thelicensee hasproposed changes totheTS for theTRIGA MarkIandTRIGAMarkF reactor licenses. Thechanges totheTSsfall intofive major categories:

1 Editorial changes thathaveno impact onTS content orintent.

14 -

2. Changes thatdelete reference toreactor operation andconduct ofexperiments, ora reactor condition, equipmentrequirement orfuel requirement whichisno longer applicable or required forsafety related functions. FortheTRIGAMarkIreactor these changes reflect thefact that authority tooperate thereactor andpossess fuel has beenpermanently removed fromthelicense. FortheTRIGAMarkF reactor these changes reflect the fact that authority to operate thereactor andmaintain fuel on the reactor grid plate have been permanently removed fromthelicense. Because ofthe permanentchanges to the licenses, these deletions haveno impact on reactor or decommissioning safety.

3. Requirements associated with the reactor that havebeenadded orrevised to apply to thefacility instead ofthereactor to reflect thefact that thefacility, andnotjust the reactor, isbeing decommissioned.

4. New requirements that areaddedtotheTSs to capture important requirements ofthe DP.

5. Changes that areproposed to provide clarification to existing requirements toimprove consistency orclarity.

inaddition, changes weremadetotheadministrative requirements sections ofboth licenses to makethese sections oftheTSssimilar. Overtheyears, theadministrative requirements forthetwo reactors havenotbeenconsistently changed. Forexample, the TRIGAMarkITSscontains a requirement forthesubmission ofan annual report where theTRIGAMarkF TSscontains no annual reporting requirement (although the licensee has submitted an annual report fortheTRIGAMarkF voluntarily). Thelicensee has proposed similarreporting requirements forbothlicenses.

Whenthetwo reactor's operating licenses wereamendedto possession-only to remove theauthorization to operate thereactor, only minimal changes intheTSsto requirements directlyrelated to reactor operation wereproposed bythelicensee, andapproved byNRC.

Manyspecifications wereleft intheTSsthat werenotneeded for a facility inpossession-onlystatus,butbecause oftheir wording, wouldnotbeeffective again. Thelicensee now wantsto removethese meaningless TSsto createa precise setofTSs.

TRIGAMarkj.Because fuel isnotnow permitted intheMarkI,all specifications related to fuel,reactor core,reactivity, reactor safety systems, reactor operating conditions, control instrumentation, experiments, andsurveillances related tothese topics areno longer applicable. Theproposed specifications arediscussed andevaluated below.

• Coverpageandtable ofcontents Editorial changes weremadeto these sections to reflect other changes madetotheTSs.

• TS 1.0 Definitions:

Thelicensee hasproposed several new definitions related to thedecommissioning status ofthe facility.

15 -

A new definition 1 1 for"Facility" reads asfollows:

Facility means thebuilding housing thedisassembled reactor plussystems, components, etc.associatedwith possession anddecommissioning ofthe reactor.

A new definition 1.2 for "Facility Secured" readsasfollows:

Facility secured shall mean that condition whereno decommissioning activities areinprogress inthefacility.

A new definition 1.3for"Facility Operation" reads asfollows:

Facility operation shall mean any condition wherein thefacility isnot secured.

A new definition 1.4for"DecommissioningActivities" reads asfollows:

Decommissioning activities shallmeanthoseactivities requiredto remove thefacility safely fromservice andreduce residual radioactivity to a level thatpermits therelease ofthefacility tounrestricted use andtermination of thelicense. Theseactivities will involve thehandling, surveying, packaging, anddispositioning ofradioactive materials inthefacility.

A new definition 1.5for"Decommissioning Status" reads asfollows:

Decommissioning status meansthat thefacility license hasbeenamended to withdraw authorization to operate thereactor andauthorizes possession onlyofthereactor, andthat thefuel hasbeenremoved fromthereactor and ismaintained ina safe andsecure mannerinan approved location outside theMarkIfacility.

Thedefinitions of"Facility Secured" and"Facility Operation" replace similar definitions for thereactor to reflect thefact thatthescopeofdecommissioning activities involve notjust thereactor butthereactorfacility. Thenew definitions of "Facility," "Decommissioning Activities" and"Decommissioning Status" helptodefine thescopeoftheTSsto decommissioning andareusedintheTSstodetermine equipment operability requirements.

16 -

A new definition (1.7) for"operating" hasbeenaddedtotheTSsbecause some pieces of equipment must beoperating during theconduct ofdecommissioning activities. This definition usesthestandard non-power reactor wording ofthe definition. The licensee hasproposed changing thedefinition of"Reportable Occurrence"to "Abnormal Occurrence" (old definition 1 .10, n ew definition 1.8). The definition was changed torefer to facility conditions instead ofthereactor andto removeconditions that referred to fuel. Thesechanges wererequested because of thechange ofthefacility todecommissioning status.

Definitions for"Reactor Shutdown," "Reactor Secured," "Reactor Operation,"

"Standard Control Rod,""Transient Control Rod,""Cold Critical," "Experiment,"

"Experimental Facilities," "Reactor Safety Systems," "Experiment Safety Systems,"

"Standard Thermocouple," and"Standard TRIGACore" havebeen proposed for removal fromthedefinitions because they referto equipment orconditions that are meaningless fora permanently shutdown, defueled facility indecommissioning status.

Thedefinitions havebeenrenumbered appropriately to reflect thechanges proposed bythelicensee.

• TS 3.0 Reactor-Building: Thisisa new specification that provides ventilation requirements to control possible airborne radioactive materials when decommissioning activities areinprogress.

• TS 4.0 Reactor Pool: This specification isa revision oftheprevious TS 3.0, "Reactor Pool." Therevised version continues a requirement that the pool benearly full ofwateratall times until drained aspartofthedecommissioningprocess to provide shielding ofradioactive components.Thespecification also requires high pool waterquality to limit corrosion ofsubmerged radioactive materials that c ould promote thespread ofcontamination.

• TS 5.0 Reactor Fuel: This specification replaces previous TSs4.0,"Reactor Core,"

and6.0,"Fuel Storage." This specification makesexplicit that fuel possession or storage is not authorized in the TRIGA Mark I facility.

• TS 6.0 Control andSafety Systems: This specification describes non-fueled control rods that arepermitted to remain intheTRIGAMarkIfacility, andretains the requirements ofprevious specifications 5.2.3(a) and5.2.3(b) formonitors ofarea radiation andairborne radioactive material, respectively, andcalibration requirements.

Theoperability andoperating requirements ofthese monitors ischanged tofocus on facility decommissioning activities instead ofreactor operation. Requirements for reactor control andsafety systemsareremoved fromtheTS dueto thepermanent shutdownandremoval offuel fromthereactor.

17 -

a TS 7.0 -

Administrative Requirements: Thisspecification issimilar to theprevious TS 9.0, "Administrative Controls," withthefollowing exceptions: a) there are changes to the TS toaccommodate thechange fromanoperating orpossession-only reactor to a decommissioning reactor facility; b)theorganizational chart (Figure 8)is amendedtothat organization given intheDP;c) changes areproposed to TS 9.3 "Written Procedures," to delete procedures forfuel element andexperiment loading andaddprocedure requirements fordecommissioning activities andto addthe requirement that theCriticality andRadiation Safety Committee approve temporary changes to procedures; and d)changes areproposed toTS 9.6,"Reporting Requirements" (renumbered as TS 7.6), sothat reporting operating reactor related information aredeleted, andinformation related totheshutdownreactor being decommissioned isadded to the TS reporting requirements.

• TS 8.0 Facility Operations: A new section isaddedto theproposed TSsthat emphasizes that theactivities tobeconducted inthefacility include maintenance, control ofradioactive materials, protection of personnel, assurance ofsecurity, and decommissioning inaccordance withthefacility license andtheapproved DP.

• TSson reactor operations andexperiments aredeleted intheir entirety because the reactor will never operate again norwill experimentsbe conducted.

Thestaff hasreviewed allproposed deletions, additions, andother changes totheTRIGA MarkITSs.Thechanges areconsistent withthechange instatus from eitheran operating reactor ora nonoperating reactor inpossession-only toa facility in decommissioning status.Therequirements contained intheproposedTSs provide the samelevel ofmanagementcontrols andthesamequalifications fordecommissioning and radiationprotection staff as previously existed during reactor operations. The TSs also includesa requirement to follow theapproved DPduring decommissioning activities.

Basedon these considerations, thestaff concludes that theproposed TSsare commensurate withthechange infacility status to decommissioning andthatcompliance withtheproposed TSsprovides reasonable assurance that thedecommissioning activities beconducted will withdueregard to protecting theenvironment andthehealth andsafety ofworkers, contractors, andthepublic. Therefore, theproposed TSsfortheTRIGAMark Ireactorareacceptable to thestaff.

TRIGAMarkF. Because fuelstorage inthecoreoftheTRIGAMarkF reactor andreactor operation arenotauthorized, TSSrelated to thereactor core,reactor safety systems, reactoroperating conditions, experiments andsurveillances related tothese topics areno longerapplicable. However,fuel storage inthestorage canal andmanipulation offuel in thefuelstorage c anal, inthe TRIGA Mark F reactor pool, and in the reactor room are not prohibited andtheTSscontinue toreflect this fact. Theproposed TS arediscussed and evaluated below.

• Coverpageandtable ofcontents Editorial changes weremadeto these sections to reflect other changes madetotheTSs.

18 -

• TS 1.0 -

Definitions: Thelicensee hasproposed several new definitions related to thedecommissioning status ofthefacility.

A new definition 1 1 for"Facility" reads asfollows:

Facility means the building housing thedisassembled reactor plus systems, components,etc. associated withpossession anddecommissioning ofthe reactor, including fuel storage.

A new definition 1.2for"Facility Secured" reads asfollows:

Facility secured shall meanthat condition whereno decommissioning activities orhandling offuel are inprogress inthefacility.

A new definition 1.3for"Facility Operation" reads asfollows:

Facility operation shall meananycondition wherein thefacility isnot secured.

A new definition 1.4for"Decommissioning Activities" reads asfollows:

Decommissioning activities shall meanthose activities required to remove thefacility safely fromservice andreduce residual radioactivity to a level that permits therelease ofthefacility to unrestricted useand termination of thelicense. Theseactivities will involve thehandling, surveying, packaging, anddispositioning ofradioactive materials inthefacility.

A new definition 1.5for"Decommissioning Status" reads asfollows:

Decommissioning status meansthat thefacility license hasbeenamended to withdraw authorization tooperate thereactor andauthorizes possession onlyofthereactor, andthat thefuel hasbeenremoved fromthereactor and ismaintained ina safeandsecure mannerinan approved locationinthe facility.

Thedefinitions of"Facility Secured" and"Facility Operation" replace similar definitionsforthereactor to reflect thefact that thescopeofdecommissioning activitiesinvolve notjust thereactor butthereactor facility. Thenew definitions of "Facility,""Decommissioning Activities" and"Decommissioning Status" help todefine thescopeoftheTSstodecommissioning andareusedintheTSstodetermine equipment operability requirements. Thedefinitions also accountfor thecontinued storageoffuel intheTRIGAMarkF fuel storage canal.

19 -

A new definition (TS1.7) for"operating" hasbeenadded to theTSsbecause some pieces of equipment must beoperating during theconduct ofdecommissioning activities. This definition usesthestandard non-power reactor wording ofthe definition. The licensee hasproposed a new definition (TS1.8) of"Abnormal Occurrence"similar tothedefinition intheTRIGAMarkITSstoprovide a basis for reporting defined events totheNRC.Sucheventsaschanges inreactivity ofthe stored fuel andrelease offissionproducts fromfueled componentsareincluded inthe definition. Thelicensee has proposed adding definitions for"Measured Value" (TS1.9), "Measuring Channel" (TS1,10), and"Channel Calibration" (TS1 11).

Thesedefinitions matchthose existing intheTRIGAMarkITSsandareusedin connection withsystemssuch as radiation monitoring equipment. Thesechanges wererequested because of the change of the facility to decommissioning status.

Definitions for"Reactor Shutdown,""Reactor Secured," "Reactor Operation,"

"Standard Control "Transient Rod," Control Rod," "Experiment," "Reactor Safety Systems," "Experiment Safety Systems"and "Standard Thermocouple" havebeen proposed forremoval fromthedefinitions because theyrefer to equipment or conditions that aremeaningless for a permanently shut down,defueled facility in decommissioning status.

Thedefinitions havebeenrenumbered appropriately to reflect thechanges proposed bythelicensee.

• TS 3.0 Reactor Building: Thisspecification hasbeenrevised to address ventilation conditions adequate to maintain control ofairborne radioactive materials duringfuel storage anddecommissioning instead ofduring reactoroperation.

• TS 4.0 Reactor Pool: Thisspecification hasbeenrevised to address the shielding andpoolwaterquality requirements during fuel storage anddecommissioning instead ofduring reactor operations. Thelicensee hasaddeda proposed requirementto analyze thepoolwaterforradioisotope content on a quarterly basis while fuel isin thepool to detect fuel cladding failure.

• TS 5.0 Stored Fuel

Description:

This TS previously addressed theoperable reactor core.Therevised version retains specifications forfuel elements possessed under the license, butalso prohibits storage offuel elements andfueled control rods a ny place butthefuel storage areaoftheTRIGAMarkF. Thisproposed TS also prohibits fueled componentsfrombeing stored inthereactor portion ofthepool.

20 -

• TS 6.0 -

Control andSafety Systems: This specification describes thecontrol rods, either fueled ornon-fueled that arepermitted to bestored intheTRIGAMarkF storagecanal, andretains requirements forarearadiation monitors andairborne radioactivity monitors including calibration andoperability requirements. The operability and operating requirements ofthese monitors ischanged tofocus on facility decommissioning andfuel storage activities instead ofreactor operation.

Requirements forreactor control andsafety systemsareremoved fromtheTS dueto thepermanent shutdown andremovaloffuel fromthereactor.

• TS 7.0 Fuel-Storage: This specification hasbeenretained to limit conditions of fuel storage. However,it has been revised to include conditions ofstorage placed on fueled control rods, aswell asfuel elements.

• TS 8.0 Administrative Requirements: This section oftheTS fortheTRIGAMarkF was muchless comprehensive thanexisted fortheTRIGAMarkI.Thelicensee revised this section oftheTSsto beconsistent withtheadministrativerequirements section oftheTRIGAMarkITSs.This means that all management controls and requirements, reporting requirements, andretention ofrecords forbothreactor licenses wouldbethesame.This should result in uniformity inadministrative requirements related to decommissioning thetwo reactor facilites.

Thelicensee proposed changes totheTSsto accommodate the change froman operating orpossession-only reactor toa decommissioning reactor facility with fuelin storage. An organizational chart (Figure 8)identical to that inthe TRIGA MarkITSs isadded to these TSs.Organizational andCriticality andRadiation Safety Committee requirements between thetwo licenses aremadethesame.Changes are proposed in TS 8.3,"Written Procedures," toclarify requirements forfuel handlingprocedures, addprocedure requirements fordecommissioning activities andaddtherequirement that theCriticality andRadiation Safety Committee approve temporary changes to procedures. Thelicensee hasproposed adding TS 8.4, "Action to beTaken inthe Event ofan Abnormal Occurrence," TS 8.5,"Facility Records," andTS 8.6, "Reporting Requirements." These sections didnotexist intheTRIGAMarkF TSs.

Thesenew TSsaresimilar totherequirements intheTRIGAMarkITSs,with the exception ofseveral additional requirements toaccountfor thestorage offuel under theTRIGAMarkF license.

• TS 9.0 Facility Operations: A new section isadded to theproposed TSsthat emphasizes that activities t he to conducted be inthefacility include maintenance, control ofradioactive materials, protection ofpersonnel, assurance ofsecurity, safe storage andhandling offuel, anddecommissioning inaccordance withthefacility license andtheapproved DP.

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= TSs on reactor operations andexperiments aredeleted intheir entirety because the reactor will never operate again norwill experiments beconducted.

Thestaff hasreviewed all proposeddeletions, additions, andother revisions totheTRIGA MarkF TSs.Thechanges areconsistent with thechange instatus fromeither an operating reactor ora nonoperating reactor inpossession-only to a facility in decommissioning status with temporary storage ofusedfuel. Therequirements contained intheproposed TSsprovide the samelevel ofmanagementcontrols andthesame qualificationsfordecommissioning andradiation protection staff aspreviously existed duringreactor operation. TheTSs also includes a requirement to follow theapproved DP duringdecommissioning activities. Based on these considerations, thestaff concludes that theproposed TSsarecommensurate withthechange infacility status to decommissioning withfuel storage and that compliance with theproposed TSsprovides reasonable assurance that thedecommissioning andfuel storage activities will be conducted withdueregard to protecting the environment andthehealth andsafety of workers, contractors, andthepublic. Therefore, the proposed TSsfor theTRIGAMarkF reactor areacceptable to thestaff.

2.17 m In1997,10 CFRPart 20,Subpart E,"Radiological Criteriafor License Termination" becameeffective. However,10 CFR20.1401(b)(3) states that the criteria inthis subpart do not apply t o siteswhich s ubmit a sufficient decommissioning plan before August 20, 1998,andsuchdecommissioning plan isapproved bytheCommission before August 20, 1999,andinaccordance withthecriteria identified intheSDMPAction Plan. GA falls under this facet oftheregulations.

TheSDMPAction Plan contains cleanup criteria to determine whether sites have been sufficientlydecontaminated sothat theymay bereleased for unrestricted usepursuant to 10CFR50.82. Thecleanup criteria areapplied ona site-specific basis withemphasis on residualcontamination levels that areALARA.Forreactor facility structures, theSDMP Action Plan refers to Regulatory Guide 1.86,"Termination ofOperating Licenses for Nuclear Reactors," Table1,forsurface contamination ofreactor facility structures.

Reactor generated, gammaemitting isotopes that may exist inconcrete,components, and structures should be removed so theexposure rateisless than5 microroentgen perhour abovenatural background atonemeterfromthesurface ofinterest. TheDPcontains these facilityrelease criteria whichmeettheregulations.

An extensive setofradiation measurementsandanalyses will berequired to demonstrate thattheGA TRFhasbeendecontaminated sufficiently to comply withtheestablished criteria forlicense termination andrelease forunrestricted future use.TheDPdiscusses in detailthemethods,instruments, principles, andguidance documents that areplanned to beusedinacquiring anddocumenting this information. Thelicensee hasradiological characterization dataandother operating history that indicate areas andcomponentsof concern, GA hascommitted tousing thebest instruments reasonably available, andwill employ statistical sampling whenlarge areas ofconcern arebeing surveyed. Thelicensee isawarethat release criteria relate to local natural background radiation levels, so

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appropriate effort isplanned todetermine those levels. Thelicensee will compare the evaluated residual radiation levels with theaccepted release criteria inits final survey report that will be submitted to NRCtosupport termination oflicense. Thestaff finds the DPdiscussionsof the termination survey plan to beincompliance withtheregulations and aretherefore acceptable.

3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSlDERATION TheCommission hasprepared an Environmental Assessement andFinding ofNo Significant impact (EA), whichwas published intheFederaj Registeron August 5, 1999, (64FR42730),On thebasis ofthe EA andthis safety evaluation, theCommission has determined thatno environmental impact statement isrequired andthat issuance ofthis amendment approving decommissioning will have no significant adverse effect orthe quality ofthehumanenvironment.

4.0 CONCLUSION

S On thebasis ofthereview andevaluation ofGeneral Atomics' DP andproposed changes intheir TSs,thestaff concludes that thelicensee isadequately cognizant ofits continuing responsibilities to comply withapplicable regulations andto protect theenvironmentand thehealth andsafety ofits workers, contractors, andthepublic from undueradiological risk until thereactors licenses areterminated. TheDPmeetsthe requirements of10CFR 50.82(b)(4) and provides reasonable assurance that t he licensee has the resources to dismantle theTRIGAreactor facilities,dispose ofthefuel andall the reactor-related radioactive material, andtomeet criteria for termination ofthefacilitylicenses in accordance withapplicable regulations andNRCguidance. Thestaff, therefore, finds the licensee's plans andpreparations acceptable.

Thestaff hasconcluded, based on theconsiderations above that:(1) there isreasonable assurance that thehealth andsafety ofthepublic willnotbeendangered by theproposed activities; (2) suchactivities willbeconducted incompliance withtheCommission's regulations; and(3) theissuance ofthis amendment will not beinimical tothecommon defense andsecurity orthehealth andsafety ofthepublic.

Principal Contributors: R.E.Carter, INEEL A.Adams,Jr., NRC Date:August12, 1999