ML20129G840

Responds to Licensee 950922 Application Requesting Authority to Import 940 Cubic Feet of Radwaste from CP Clare Facility in Mexico for Disposal in Us.Request Denied

ML20129G840
Person / Time
Issue date:	10/03/1996
From:	Hauber R NRC OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS (OIP)
To:	Gallagher R NUCLEAR SOURCES & SERVICES, INC.
References
NUDOCS 9610070315
Download: ML20129G840 (2)

Text

t Mr0 Robert D. Gallagher, President NSSI/Ssurces & Services, Inc.

P.O. Box 34042 N3 S

Houston, TX 77234

Dear Mr. Gallagher:

j This refers to your license application dated September 22, 1995, NRC number IW001, requesting authority to import 940 cubic feet of radioactive waste from C.P. Clare's facility in Mexico for disposal in the U.S.

As you are aware, your application was the subject of an extensive dialogue between the NRC staff and C.P. Clare including an April 1996 meeting held at their request to clarify the NRC's requirements pertaining to waste import applications. As we have made clear throughout, under the NRC's waste-related regulations, import of radioactive waste ultimately intended for disposal can be authorized only after the NRC is satisfied that the waste will be accepted by an authorized disposal facility.

Your application reflected plans to ship the subject waste to your facility in Texas for interim storage and eventually to the Barnwell waste disposal site in South Carolina for final disposal. To date, however, you have not provided us with firm evidence that the subject waste will be l

accepted for final disposal by Barnwell or by any other domestic disposal facility. Therefore, we cannot issue the requested import license and are returning without action your September 22, 1995 import license application.

NSSI of course remains free to file a new application if in the future it can show that an appropriate facility has agreed to accept the waste for final disposal.

If you have any questions regarding this case, please call me, or Betty Wright on my staff, at (301) 415-2344.

Sincerely, 0; etd o y

.%. w ' ' h C d Ronald D. Hauber, Director Division of Nonproliferation, Exports, and Multilateral Relations Office of International Programs j

Enclosure:

Import license application dated 9/22/95 cc:

L. Hendersen, C.P. Clare R. DeLaBarre, DOS R. Goorevich, DOE C. Kincaid, DOE M. Johnson, D0D J. Chuchla, DOC M. Rosenthal, ACDA DISTRIBUTION:

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l Mr. Robert D. Gallagher, President

'% # 3 19c4 NSSI/ Sources & Services, Inc.

i P.O. Box 34042 Houston, TX 77234

Dear Mr. Gallagher:

This refers to your license application dated September 22, 1995, NRC number IW001, requesting authority to import 940 cubic feet of radioactive waste from i

C.P. Clare's facility in Mexico for disposal in the U.S.

As you are aware, your application was the subject of an extensive dialogue between the NRC staff and C.P. Clare including an April 1996 meeting held at their request to.

clarify the NRC's requirements pertaining to waste import applications. As we i

have made clear throughout, under the NRC's waste-related regulations, import of radioactive waste ultimately intended for disposal can be authorized only after the NRC is satisfied that the waste will be accepted by an authorized disposal facility. Your application reflected plans to ship the subject waste to your facility in Texas for interim storage and eventually to the Barnwell waste disposal site in South Carolina for final disposal. To date, however, you have not provided us with firm evidence that the subject waste will be j

accepted for final disposal by Barnwell or by any other domestic disposal facility. Therefore, we cannot issue the requested import license and are returning without action your September 22, 1995 import license application.

NSSI of course remains free to file a new application if in the future it can show that an appropriate facility has agreed to accept the waste for final 4

disposal.

~

If you have any questions regarding this case, please call me, or Betty Wright on my staff, at (301) 415-2344.

Sincerely, W Dl Ronald D. Hauber, Director Division of Nonproliferation, Exports, and Multilateral Relations Office of International Programs

Enclosure:

Import license application dated 9/22/95 I

cc:

L. Hendersen, C.P. Clare R. DeLaBarre, DOS R. Goorevich, DOE C. Kincaid, DOE i

M. Johnson, D0D J. Chuchia, DOC M. Rosenthal, ACDA i

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NBBl/ SQURCEB S, BERVICES, INC.

"I W P.o. Box 34042 HOUSTON. TEXAS 77234 AREA CODE 713/64161 N881 FAX 713/6416153 TLX 160810 NSSI MUT September 22, 1995 gg

//DC YESd Attn Ronald Hauber Office of International Programs Nuclear Regulatory Commission TEL 301 415-2344 Washington, DC 20555-0001 FAX 301 415-2395

Dear Mr. Hauber:

In accordance with 10 CFR Part 110, Nuclear Sources & Services, Inc., DBA NSSI/ Recovery Services Inc.(NSSI), 5711 Etheridge Street, Houston, TX 77087, wishes to make application for a specific license to import radioactive waste from Mexico for a period of 5 years. NSSI currently holds Texas License LO-1811 for the receipt, storage, processing, and transfer of radioactive wastes. A copy of the license is attached. The license is currently on timely renewal.

The waste to be imported is generated by CP Clare Mexicana, S.A. de CV., Blvd. Gral. Marcelino Garcia Barragan 1610, 44870 Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The initial shipment is scheduled for November 1, 1995 (subject to import permit issuance). Final shipment would be anticipated to occur prior to November 1,

2000. Shipments are scheduled for once each six months although the frequency of shipments will vary dependent on production schedules. The quantity of waste to be imported shall not exceed 25-55 gallon drums (188 cu ft) of waste during each calendar year. The waste is generated from gk the use of_ Nickel 63 as an ionizing material in the manufacture of electrical surge arrestors.

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The wastes consist of off-specification surge arrestors component parts, Aluminum, plastic, and paper residues from the manufacturing process, and empty transport containers which were used to ship the Ni-63 solutions from the radionuclide supplier to the surge arrestor manufacturer in Mexico.

l The surge arrestor drums weigh an average of 750# each and the debris drums weigh an average 150# each. The drusis(re'ckiN d E date have been 55 gallon specification 17H open head metal drums with bolted lock rings which meet the requirements for shipment ibf these U_/J3033 l

SHIPPING ADDRESS: 5711 ETHERIDGE / HOUSTON, TEXAS 77087

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j materials.

The proper shipping name utilized for previous l

shipments has been

" Radioactive Material Excepted Package j

Instruments and Articles", UN 2910.

Transportation at this time is scheduled via Red Transportadora from Guadalajara, Mexico to Laredo, TX, Transferring to Tristate Motor Freight for transport within the U.S.

While these are our

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l current

carriers, other permitted carriers may be used for j

subsequent shipments.

l i

The radionuclide of interest is Nickel 63 in a solid form.

j Chemically the radionuclide will be as Nickel metal and the residues of evaporated Nickel Chloride solution. Each drum may j

contain as much as 150 millicuries per 55 gallon drum. As the i

concentration is less than 3. 5 Curies per cubic meter of waste l

(10CFR 61.55), the waste will be a Class A waste.

Past shipments l

have been 10-15 drums per shipment.

l While the Barnwell waste disposal site is available to generators, all shipments will be routed to the Barnwell, SC site for burial after volume reduction at NSSI in Houston. As the availability of land disposal sites in the U.S. is tenuous from year to year, NSSI i

and the surge, arrestor manufacturer.have entered into a contract i

for storage of the waste drums at the NSSI facility during periods when U.S.

disposal sites are not available. As the Nickel 63 i

radionuclide is sold to the manufacturer by a U.S. distributor, the Mexican government requires that the Ni-63 waste residues be returned to the U.S. as a condition of issuing additional permits for the import of Ni-63 raw materials into Mexico.

In accordance with our conversation, I have, enclosed our check in the amount of $4600.00 to cover the fees due in compliance with CFR 10 170.31. If the amount is incorrect, please advise me as soon as 2

possible.

i i

i Page ',

i Your earliest response and issuance of the specific waste import permit will be appreciated. We wish to process and ship the existing waste to the Barnwell site before January 1996 when new packaging requirements and higher burial charges are instituted.

Your assistance will be appreciated.

i Sincerely, h

'I

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i il, CQ i

obert [.

allagher President i

t RDG/vw Ref. #0922515.qot rdg 09225A2.QOT cc:

William P. Sowa C.P. Clare Corp.

6108 Campus Drive Arlingten Heights, IL 60004 Margarita Ibarra C.P. Clare Mexicana S.A. deCV Blvd. Gral. Marcelino garcia Barragan No. 1610 Guadalajara, Jal. Col. Atlas 44870 Dorothy Bisbee Goodwin, Proctor, & Boar Exchange Place Boston, MA 02109