Reprocessing And Recycli

Environmental Protectio

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissio

Reprocessing Workshop

October 19th and 20th,

Albuquerque, NM
Several Aspects To

Environmental Protection

• Staff planning an Environmental Topica

Report (ETR) to assist regulatory basis development

• NEPA Requirements

– EIS required for a major Federal action EIS required for

a major Federal action

– Subsequent R&R rulemaking likely consti

major Federal action

• Effluents/Emissions (current focus)• Other aspects

– For example, confinement/containment, 

filters/types

October 2010 Reprocessing Workshop
ETR

Environmental Topical Repo

• Will likely discuss:

– Purpose and need for proposed rulemaking a– Technology/history of R&R – Description of potential facilities and interacti

the environment the environment

– Discussion of construction, operations, and 

postulated accidents

– Decommissioning

• Comparisons between open and closed nu

fuel cycles 

October 2010 Reprocessing Workshop 
U.S. Currently Uses

An “Open” Fuel Cycle

No SNDis

October 2010 Reprocessing Workshop 

CuDis2,0AnUsPe
Example Of A Closed 

Nuclear Fuel Cycle 

ReproRecyMOX RepoHLW

October 2010 Reprocessing Workshop 

CurreDisch2,000Annu
Hypothetical R&R Facility

Potential Unit Operations Include:• SNF receipt and storage• Shearing, may include disassembly and voloxida

planned)

• Dissolution• Separations• Purification/recovery of products• Manufacture of recycled fuel/materials/products Manufacture of recycled fuel/materials/products• Management of byproducts• Storage of products (fresh MOX) and any byprod

(potentially reprocessed uranium, certain fission 

[Xe, Pt series])

• Waste management – treatment and storage• Shipping/Transportation (to customers/other site

• Support facilities – maintenance, chemical stora

recovery/recycle (e.g., solvents, acids)

October 2010 Reprocessing Workshop 
Effluents And Emissions

• Limits established by the EPA in 40 CFR 190

– NRC regulates to the EPA limit via Part 20

• Dose Limits relatively low

– Based upon individual health impact– 25/75/25 mrem/yr whole body/thyroid/other organ

• 1 chest x-ray is about 10 mrem• movi t D f W hi t DC i b t 200 ing 

to 

Denver 

from 

Washing

ton DC is a

bou

t 200 

– Easily met by modern, commercial reprocessing 

• Quantity (radioactive – curie) limits more diffic

ascertain and meet

– Based upon collective exposure of populations– Very small doses to very large populations– This “microdoses to megapopulations” may overs

impacts

October 2010 Reprocessing Workshop
EPA 40 CFR 190 Limits

Apply To Entire Fuel Cycle 

And Power Reactors

Annual Dose Equivalent Limit, mrem/yr

Isotope Limit 

Essentially all of the releases would come from reprocessing operations

mrem/yrWhole body dose 25Thyroid 75Any other organ 25

Kr-85 50,000

Ci/Gwe-yr

I-129 5 milliCi/

Gwe-yr

Pu-239 and other alphaemitting TRU

0.5 milliCi/Gwe-yr

October 2010 Reprocessing Workshop
Basis For EPA Quantity

(curie) Limits

• Population (Collective) dose• 1,000 GWe nuclear power (10 times ac

value)

• 25 1, y p gp 500 MTIHM/

yr re

processin

g

plant

(actual value is zero)

• Relatively short cooling times before 

reprocessing (1-5 years; current practi5 years)

• Land-locked site (current practice is co

based) 

October 2010 Reprocessing Workshop
Analysis

• Some emission control technologies ad

potential hazards (e.g., voloxidation, krand tritium capture)

– Do benefits outweigh the risks?

• Use of old SNF reduces Kr and T sig 

nif

– Significant quantity of SNF > 30 years afte

discharge

– Reduces Kr and T by circa 90%– Loses fuel value of Pu-241 and increases 

(recycle/disposal)

• Iodine limit based upon many assumpt

some of which may not be valid today

October 2010 Reprocessing Workshop 
Any Specific Requirement

For Environmental Protectio

• Technologies

– Confinement/containment– Filtration – sand, HEPA, metal

• P f er ormance-b d ase

d

– Minimum decontamination factors

• ALARAOctober 2010 Reprocessing Workshop 
Potential Questions

For Discussion

• What should be the content and level of detail of the ETR?• What should be the basis (e.g., throughput, technology) for the h

facility? 1,000 MTIHM/yr? Purex, COEX, NUEX, Pyro?

• Where would information/data/analyses on the hypothetical facil

from?

• What are the current practices and limits for overseas facilities a

they be relevant for the U.S.?

• H ld i f iliti l ith EPA’ 40 CFR 19

How would reprocessing 

facilities comply with EPA’s 40 CFR 19

• What available technologies would be needed to meet the 40 CF

limits?

• How would the ALARA concept apply to R&R emissions?• Should the NRC develop criteria similar to Part 50 Appendix I fo

facilities? 

• Are there impacts from siting attributes (e.g., coast vs desert, hu

arid)?

• Should there be SNF burnup, aging, performance, or other requOctober 2010 Reprocessing Workshop