Regulatory Guide 4.10

Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitments of Material Resources

ML12187A693
Person / Time
Issue date:	06/30/1976
From:	Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, NRC/OSD
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References
RG-4.010, Rev 1
Download: ML12187A693 (3)

Revision 1 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

June 1976 REGULATORY GUIDE

OFFICE OF STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT

REGULATORY GUIDE 4.10

IRREVERSIBLE AND IRRETRIEVABLE COMMITMENTS OF MATERIAL RESOURCES

A. INTRODUCTION

In accordance with 10 CFR Part 51, "Licensing and Regulatory Policy and Procedures for Environmental Protection," applicants are required to discuss any irreversible and irretrievable commitments of resources that would be involved in a proposed action, should it be implemented. The construction and operation of nuclear power stations involves commitments of such resources as water, fuel, and materials. This guide identifies a report on material resources that forms a basis accept- able to the NRC staff for required discussions of irreversible and irretrievable commitments of material resources involved in the construction of a 1000 MWe pressurized water reactor.

B. DISCUSSION

A discussion of material resources acceptable to the NRC staff is presently described in Section 4.3 of Regulatory Guide 4.2, "Preparation of Environmental Reports for Nuclear Power Plants." In addition, a discussion of such commitments relating to alternative energy sources is described in Section 9.3 and to alternative plant designs in Chapter 10 of the same guide. This guide describes numerical estimates useful in all such discussions. It also provides methods of compu- tation that may be referenced in paragraph 6, "Support- ing Details," of Chapter 10 of Regulatory Guide 4.2.

This paragraph treats supporting details for the consider- ation of plant design alternatives; it does not, however, provide a basis for a discussion of resource commitments required for fossil plant alternatives.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has published a report (Ref. 1) based on work carried out under contract with the Atomic Energy Commission's Directorates of Regulatory Standards and Licensing on the problem of material resource commitment. This report gives a detailed estimate of the materials contained in a typical

1000-MWe pressurized water reactor power plant, where typical parameters are defined in terms of a referenced model plant (estimates of materials contained- in boiling water reactors, high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, and cooling towers were not discussed in the report).

Reference plant features, methods used in making the estimate, accuracy of the estimates, and the accounting system employed are discussed in the report. Estimated quantities of the composite materials and their constitu- ents are summarized and presented in detail for each portion of the power plant.

The estimates given in Tables I and 2 of Reference I

can be utilized to assess approximate maximum use (assuming no recycling) of material resources for plants of the type studied and for other sizes or types of plants by using appropriate scaling factors, where feasible, or other reasonable adjustment assumptions. For PWRs sufficiently similar to the model, a linear scale factor is acceptable.

It is desirable to augment the required discussion by comparing materials used at one station to total U.S.

consumption, U.S. reserves, and world production, as reported in standard references such as Reference 2.

C. REGULATORY POSITION

Reference 1 forms a basis acceptable to the NRC staff for required discussions of irreversible and irretrievable commitments of material resources involved in plant construction.

• Lines indicate substantive changes from previous issue.

1*

USNRC REGULATORY GUIDES

Comments should be sent to the Secretary of the Commission. U.S. Nuclear Regulato'sy Guides are issued to describe and make available to the public Regulatory Commission. Washington. D.C. 20566. Attention: Docketing end methods acceptable to the NRC staff of implementing specific parts of the Service Section.

Commission's regulations, to delineate techniques used by the staff in evalu- The guides are issued in the following ten broad divisions:

ating specific problems or postulated accidents, or to provide guidance to appli- cants. Regulatory Guides are not substitutes for regulations, and compliance

1. Power Reactors

6. Products with them is not required. Methods and solutions different from those set out in

2. Research and Test Reactors

7. Transportation the guides will be acceptable if they provide a basis for the findings requisite to

3. Fuels and Materials Facilities

8. Occupational Health the issuance or continuance of a permit or license by the Commission.

4. Environmental and Siting

9. Antitrust Review Comments and suggestions for improvements in these guides are encouraged

5. Materials and Plant Protection

10. General at all times, and guides will be revised, as appropriate, to accommodate com- ments and to reflect new information or experience. This guide was revised as a Copies of published guides may be obtained by written request indicating the result of substantive comments received from the public and additional staff divisions desired to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington. D.C.

review.

20555. Attention: Director. Office of Standards Development.

Material quantity estimates should be judged by comparison with the reference plant model described in Section 2 of Reference 1, a typical PWR power plant rated at 1000 MWe net output with once-through cooling. Not all materials connected with the construc- tion of a nuclear power station were included in the model. It should be especially noted that electric power transmission systems, switchyards, shipping casks, and fuel element and absorber materials were not included in the analysis as part of the reference plant model and may require separate discussion; a fuller description of systems excluded or included in the reference plant is given in Section 4 of Reference 1.

Appropriate modifications should be made for differ- ences between the reference plant model and the plant design proposed by the applicant. Such deviations from the model plant and site definitions should be treated in a way consistent with Section 3 of Reference 1, using the standardized accounting system described in Appen- dices A, B, and D of the report and identifying the incremental amount of materials involved. Assumed basic constituents of composite materials should be taken from Appendix C of Reference 1.

The numerical estimates of basic constituent material resource commitments given in Table 1 for the

1000-MWe PWR model plant are acceptable to the NRC

staff.

D. IMPLEMENTATION

The guidance presented herein on the discussion of irreversible and irretrievable commitments of material resources required by 10 CFR Part 51 may be used by any person submitting an application for a license to construct a nuclear power station. Other effective means of providing the required discussion of the commitment of material resources may also be used.

Table 1 Numerical Estimates of Material Resource Commitments for 1000 MWe PWR Model Plant Material Total estimated quantity (metric tons, except where noted)

Aluminum

18 Antimony Negligible Asbestos

138 Chromium

415 Copper

726 Iron

34,662 Lead

47 Manganese

467 Molybdenum

164 Nickel

484 Silver

<1 Tin

2 Titanium Negligible Zinc

2 Magnesia

783 Cement

30,133 Aggregate (coarse)

90,361 Aggregate (fine)

45,855 Wood

4.8 x 106 (board feet)

REFERENCES

1. R.H. Bryan and I.T. Dudley, "Estimated Quanti- ties of Materials Contained in a 1000-MW(e) PWR

Plant," ORNL-TM-4515, June 1974. Copies may be obtained from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory or from the ERDA Technical Information Center, P.O. Box E, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830.

2. U.S. Bureau of Mines, Mineral Facts and Problems and Minerals Yearbook; copies may be obtained from the I

Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Print- ing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 (published yearly).

4.10-2

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