Regulatory Guide 4.10

Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitments of Material Resources

ML13350A244
Person / Time
Issue date:	06/30/1975
Revision:	0
From:	NRC/OSD
To:
References
RG-4.010
Download: ML13350A244 (2)

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONJune 1975REGULATORY GUIDEOFFICE OF STANDARDS DEVELOPMENTREGULATORY GUIDE 4.10IRREVERSIBLE AND IRRETRIEVABLE COMMITMENTS OF MATERIAL RESOURCESA. INTRODUCTIONIn accordance with 10 CFR Part 51, applicants arerequired to discuss any irreversible and irretrievablecommitments of resources that would be involved in aproposed action should it be implemented. The con-struction and operation of nuclear power stationsinvolves commitments of such resources as water, fuel,and materials. This guide identifies a report on materialresources that forms a basis acceptable to the NRC stafffor required discussions of irreversible and irretrievablecommitments of material resources involved in theconstruction of a 1000 MWe pressurized water reactor.B. DISCUSSIONA discussion of material resources acceptable to theNRC staff is presently described in Section 4.3 ofRegulatory Guide 4.2, "Preparation of EnvirounentalReports for Nuclear Power Plants." In addition, adiscussion of such commitments relating to alternativeenergy sources is described in Section 9.3 and toalternative plant designs in Chapter 10 of the sameguide. This guide describes numerical estimates useful inall such discussions. It also provides methods of com-putation that may be referenced in Section 10 f. ofRegulatory Guide 4.2, which treats supporting detailsfor the consideration of plant design alternatives; it doesnot, however, provide a basis for a discussion of resourcecommitments required for fossil plant alternatives.Oak Ridge National Laboratory has published areport (Ref. 1) based on work carried out undercontract with the Atomic Energy Commission's Direc-torates of Regulatory Standards and Licensing on theproblem of material resource commitment. This reportgives a detailed estimate of the' materials contained in atypical 1000-MWe pressurized water reactor powerplant, where typical parameters are defined in terms of areferenced model plant. Reference plant feawures,methods used in making the estimate, accuracy of theestimates, and the accounting system employed arediscussed in the report. Estimated quantities of thecomposite materials and their constituents are sum-marized and presented in detail for each portion of thepower plant.The estimates given in Tables I and 2 of Reference Ican be utilized to assess approximate maximum use(assuming no recycling) of material resources for plantsof the type studied, and for other sizes or types of plantsby using appropriate scaling factors, where feasible, orother reasonable adjustment assumptions. For PWRssufficiently. similar to the model, a linear scale factor isacceptable.It is desirable to augment the required disi.ussion bycomparing materials used at one station to total nationaluse and national reserves as reported in standardreferences such as Reference 2.C. REGULATORY POSITIONReference I forms a basis acceptable to the NRC stafffor required discussions of irreversible and irretrievablecommitments of material resources involved in plantconstruction.Material quantity estimates should be judged bycomparison with the reference plant model described inSection 2 of Reference 1, a typical PWR power plantrated at 1000 MWe net output with run-of-river cooling.Not all materials connected with the construction of anuclear power station were included in the model. Itshould be especially noted that electric power trans-mission systems, switchyards, shipping casks, and fuelelement and absorber materials were not included in theanalysis as part of the reference plant model and mayrequire separate discussion; a fuller description ofUSNRC REGULATORY GUIDES Comments should be sent to the Secrefa,.' of the Cotmission. U.S. Nuctelj 0Regulatory Commission. Washington. .C. 2%%.x Attention: Dacksling andRegulatory Guides ate issued to describe and make available to the public Service section.methods acceptable to the NRC staff of implementing specific parn% of theCommission's regulations. to delineate techniques used by the stalf In evllu The guides are issued in the following ten broad divisionsaling specific problems ot postulated accidents. or to provide guidance to spplicents. Regulatory Guides are not substhulas tor regulations, and compliance t. Power Reactors 6. Productswith them is .iot requited. Mathods end solutions different from those eel Out in 2. Aesearch and Test Reactors 7 Transporlettonthe guides wlli be acceptable it they provide a basis fto the findings requisite to 3. Fuels and Moterials Facilities 6. Occupational Healththe issuance or continuance of a permit or licente by the Commission. 4 Environmrtanlll and Siting 9. Antitrust ReviewComments and suggestions for improvements in these guides are encouraged 5 Materials and Plant Protection 10, GeneralIt ell times. and guides will be revised. Is epproprialt, to accommodate corn-ments and to refl ect new inform3tion or experience. However. commentri on Copies of published guides may be obtained by written request indicating thethis guide. tI ICeeved within about two months after its aesuence. will be pat divisions desired to the U S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Washington. 0 Ctitulearly useful in evaluahlnq the need lo, rn early revision .2M. Attention: Director. Office of Standards Oevitlopmln systems excluded or included in the reference plant isgiven in Section 4 of Reference 1.Appropriate modifications should be made for differ-ences between the reference plant model and the plantdesign propos.-d by the applicant. Such deviations fromthe model plant and sEe definitions should be treated ina way consistent with Section 3 of Reference 1. usingthe standardized accounting system described in Appen-dixes A. B. and D of the .report and identifying theincremental amount of materials involved. Assumedbasic constituents of composite materials should betaken from Appendix C of Reference I.The numerical estimates of basic constituent materialresource commitments given in Table I for the1000-MWe PWR model plant are acceptable to the NRCstaff.D. IMPLEMENTATIONThe guidance presented herein on the discussion ofirreversible and irretrievable commitments of materialresUces required by 10 CFR Part 51 may be used byalny person submitting an application for a license toconstruct a nuclear power station. Other effective meansof providing the required discussion of tie commitmentof material resources may also be used.rable. INumerical Estimates of Material ResourceCommitments for 1000 MWe PWR Model PlantMaterial Total estimated quantity(metric tons, except where noted)Aluminum 18Antimony NegligibleAsbestos 138Chromium 415Copper 726Iron 34,662Lead 47Manganese 467Molybdenum 164Nickel 484Silver <1Tin ITitanium NegligibleZinc 2Magnesia 783Cement 30,133Aggregate (coarse) 90.361Aggregate (fine) 45,855Wood 4.8 x. 106(board feet)REFERENCES1. R.H. Bryan and I.T. Dudley. "Estimated Quanti-ties of Materials Contained in a 1000-MW(e) PWRPlant." ORNL-TM.4515, June 1974. Copies may beobtained front the Oak Ridge National Laboratory orfrom the ERDA Technical Information Center, P.O. BoxE, Oak Ridge. Tennessee 37830.2. U.S. Bureau of Mines AMineral Yearbook; copiesmay be obtained from the Superintendent of Docu-mients, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington,D.C. 20402, (published yearly).-o4-"-S0Z~jU4-S020