Reprocessing And Recycli

Design And Operationa

Requirements

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissio

Reprocessing Workshop

September 7th and 8th, 2010

Rockville, MD
NRC Regulatory Approac

• Three general areas, with ALARA

– Prescriptive requirements– Risk informed/performance based– Minimum criteria or areas for review

• Mi i it i i l d th Mi

nimum criteria inclu

de, among oth

– Design criteria, GDC/BDCs– Technical specifications– Training and qualifications of personne

• These support redundancy, diversity

defense in depth, and safety functio

September 2010 Reprocessing Workshop
What Are GDC/BDC?

The NRC establishes minimum requirements for propo

facilities or applications of licensed radioactive mateprovide:

– assurance that important to safety SSCs will have the 

reliability to perform their intended safety functions 

– assurance that uncertainties and errors, from design a

and unknowns, are adequately addressed

– adequate defense in depth adequate defense in depth– redundancy and diversity– assurances that balance of plant and unanalyzed situa

negatively impact safety

NRC regulations frequently identify these minimum req

by terminology:

– General Design Criteria (GDC) or Baseline Design Cri– Where used, GDC and BDC are essentially synonymo

although the GDC term is more prevalent in the regulatends to be more specifically stated.

September 2010

SSC = Structure, Sys

Reprocessing Workshop
Currently ...

• Reprocessing and recycling (R&R) 

facilities are production facilities

• Regulated under 10 CFR Part 50

– GDC in 50.34 and Appendix A

• Analogs might apply to R&R facilities Analogs might apply to R&R facilities

– Other sections of Part 50 imply additio

GDC (e.g., Appendix F, Appendix I, ApS)

• GDC specific to R&R are needed to 

address the large quantities and typradionuclides at these facilities 

September 2010 Reprocessing Workshop 
Part 50: 

Previously Proposed Append

• 50.34(a)(3) (i) footnote: “GDC for chem

processing facilities are being develop

• “General Design Criteria for Fuel 

Reprocessing Plants” 

– 39 Federal Register 26293, July 18th, 197

– Indefinitely deferred on April 19th, 1984 un

needed for NRC’s regulation of a reprocefacility (49 Federal Register 16699, April 1

1984). 

• 27 GDC in 7 categoriesMay 2010 
Part 50:

Previously Proposed Append

• 50.34(a)(3) (i) footnote: “GDC for chem

processing facilities are being develop

• “Design Criteria for Protection of Fuel 

Reprocessing Plants and Licensed MaTherein”

– 39 Federal Register 26296, July 18th, 197

– Indefinitely deferred on April 19th, 1984 un

needed for NRC’s regulation of a reprocefacility (49 Federal Register 16699, April 1

1984). 

• 19 GDC in 3 categoriesMay 2010 
NRC Staff Review and Sta

• Reviewed the existing GDCs/BDCs 

relevant documents

– Regulations have no thresholds for app

existing GDCs/BDCs

• Identified

– 10 potential categories of GDCs/BDCs– 77 potential areas within the ten categ

• Found significant fraction of areas co

become draft GDCs

May 2010
Ten Potential Draft 

GDC/BDC Categories

• Overall/General• Multiple Confinement 

and Containment Barriers, and Systems 

P Sft

• Physical Secu• MC&A• Fuel and Radio

Waste

•

Process 

S

a

f

e

ty 

Features

• Nuclear Criticality 

Safety 

• Radiological 

Protection

• Siting• Decommission

May 2010
Technical Specifications

• Required for reprocessing facilities

– By law – AEA – Atomic Energy Act– Part 50.36 has specifics for reprocessing

• Extensive documentation for Tech Spe

– For Part 50 and reactor facilities– FRN 10815, May 2, 1973, “Technical Spe

for Fuel Reprocessing Plants”

• No technical specifications in Part 70

– Uses ISA and IROFS

• GDPs (Part 76) have Technical Safety 

Requirements (TSRs) which are similatechnical specifications

September 2010 Reprocessing Workshop
Technical Specifications

• Derived from safety analyses to protect people 

uncontrolled releases (50.36 – 50.36a for efflu

• Five Categories

– Safety limits (event level - uncertainty allowances 

limiting control settings (alarm/correction level – malarm/response uncertainties/inaccuracies and sy

responses)

– Limiting conditions for operations (minimum equip

performance)

– Surveillance requirements (inspect, test, maintain– Design features (e.g., types of steels, geometry)– Administrative controls (e.g., minimal staffing, cal

• Include both technical (engineered) and admin

matters

September 2010 Reprocessing Workshop 
Operator Training

• AEA requires NRC to 

– Establish criteria for operators of producti

utilization facilities

– Determine the qualifications of individuals 

applying for licenses

– Issue licenses as appropriate Issue licenses, as appropriate

• Codified in 10 CFR Part 55• As with Part 50, regulations and assoc

guidance now focus more on power re

• Appropriate level for R&R facilities nee

be determined, and included in Part 55 revision or new R&R regulation

September 2010 Reprocessing Workshop 
Potential Points

For Discussion

• Do any standard criteria apply unive

(e.g., SNF burnup, time after discha

• Any thresholds for applying criteria a

re

quirements?

• Appropriate level of detail for GDC• Specific areas or categories for Tech

Specifications

• Specific training requirements, by ar

risk 

September 2010 Reprocessing Workshop