Concerning change in nuclear fuel material processing business at Tokai plant of Japan Nuclear Fuel Conversion Co., Ltd. Report to Prime Minister

The Nuclear Safety Committee of Japan on April 7, 1988, directed the Nuclear Safety Expert Group to make a study concerning the proposed changes in the nuclear fuel material processing business at the Tokai plant of Japan Nuclear Fuel Conversion Co., Ltd., and after receiving and reviewing the report from the Group, concluded that the proposed changes should be approved. The conclusions together with results of the study were reported to the Prime Minister on June 9. 1988. The proposed plan included changes in the maximum processing capacity of the No.2 processing facilities; construction of a new powder warehouse and changes in the maximum capacity of the No.3 powder storage room and No.2 powder warehouse; reuse of No.1 powder warehouse as No.3 solid waste warehouse; and abolition of UF6 dispensing equipment installed at the No.1 processing facilities and changes in procedures for criticality control of the hydrolysis facilities. The safety of these facilities were studied in terms of resistance to earthquakes, prevention of fire and explosion, criticality control, operations of waste processing, and radiation management. Exposure doses expected during normal operations were also examined to confirm that the possible exposure doses to the public would be sufficiently small. (N.K.)