IR 05000027/1987001
| ML20237G415 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Washington State University |
| Issue date: | 08/18/1987 |
| From: | Cillis M, Yuhas G NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION V) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20237G274 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-027-87-01, 50-27-87-1, GL-86-11, IEIN-87-022, IEIN-87-22, NUDOCS 8709020240 | |
| Download: ML20237G415 (8) | |
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U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
REGION V
Report No. 50-27/87-01 Docket No. 50-27 j
License No. R-76 Licensee: Washington State University Research Reactor:
Nuclear Radiation Center
Pullman, Washington 99163
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Facility Name:
Research Reactor:
Nuclear Radiation Center Inspection at:
Pullman, Washington i
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Inspection Conducted:
July 29-31, 1987
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Inspectors:
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M. Cillis, Senior Radiation Specialist Date Signed Approved by:
(3 h kb_,
dhg/W7 G. P.
s, Chief Date Signed Facili Radiological Protection Section Summary:
i Inspection on July 29-31, 1987 (Report No. 50-27/87-01)
Areas Inspected:
Routine unannounced inspection by a regionally based inspector of reactor operations program; including organization, audits and reviews, experiments, health physics program, environmental monitoring I
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program, emergency preparedness program, procedures, reactor operator requalification program, transfer and shipment of radioactive material, a tour of the facility and open items consisting of Information Notice evaluations, Generic Letters and followup items, and a review of the annual report.
Inspection Procedures 30703, 39745, 40745, 40750, 41745, 42745, 61745, 69745, 82745, 83743, 86740, 90713, 92701, and 92702 were addressed.
Results: Of the fourteen areas inspected, no violations or deviations were identified, g902024097ogjg G
ADOCK 05000027 PDR
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DETAILS 1).
Persons Contacted
- R. Filby, Director, Nuclear Radiation Center
- W.
Wilson, Associate Director, Nuclear Radiation Center J. Heidiger, Reactor Supervisor B. Bunce, Reactor Operator Lt. R. Manning, Campus Security J. Jewel, Reactor Operator Trainee
- Denotes those individuals attending the exit-interview.
2).
Reactor Operations a.
General The inspection disclosed that reactor operations were consistent with the information provided in the licensee's annual reports of l
1985 and 1986.
The licensee's facilities continue to provide support for irradiations and teaching programs.
b.
Organization The organizational structure for operation and administration for the research reactor facility remains unchanged from that previously reported.
The organization was found to be consistent with Sections 6.2 and 6.3 of the Technical Specifications.
The licensee's staff informed the inspector that most of the health physics functions are performed by the reactor operating staff even though the University has a Radiation Safety Office which is staffed to implement the radiation protection program on the campus.
Some health physics activities that are currently performed under the cognizance of the reactor operating staff (as listed below)
appear to be a function which is typically performed by the Radiation Safety Office.
For example:
Preparation and certification of offsite shipment of irradiated samples.
Performing routine radiation, contamination and air sampling surveys.
Calibration of portable radiation detection instrum2nts.
Liquid effluent sample analysis.
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lhe Associate Director stated that there was very little interface between his staff and the R50's. staff.
i The inspector informed the Director, Nuclear Radiation Center that I
since the organization was found to be consistent with the TS there were no regulatory actions that could be taken to require the campus
j RSO group to play a more active role in. activities conducted at the reactor facility.
The Director stated that he would discuss this matter with the Reactor Safeguards Committee (RSC) and his management.
I No violations or deviations were identified.
c.
Review and Audit The licensee's review and audit activities assigned to the Reactor Safeguards Committee (RSC) pursuant to Section 6.5 of the-Technical Specifications was examined.
The examination included discussions with the licensee's staff and a review of RSC records.
The inspector concluded that the licensee's review and audit program met or exceeded the requirements specified in the TS.
No violations or deviations were identified.
d.
Procedures The inspection disclosed that the licensee's standard operating procedures (S0Ps) prescribed in Technical Specifications, Section 6.8 remain in effect.
The SOPS are kept in the control room.
Selected procedures were reviewed during the inspection.
A walk l
through af SOP-4, " Standard Procedure for Startup, Operation and Shutdown of the Reactor" and SOP-5, " Standard Procedure for Performing Preventative Maintenance on the Reactor and Associated Equipment" were witnessed by the inspector during the inspection.
The inspector noted that the procedures are reviewed on a routine schedule and whenever changes are required.
The procedures appear to provide adequate instructions.
No violations or deviations were identified.
e.
Changes Discussions with the licensee's staff disclosed that no changes were made to the facility or in procedures that would require a safety evaluation be made pursuant to 10 CFR Part 50.59.
No violations or deviations were identified.
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f.
Experiments A review of the experiments accomplished since the previous inspection was conducted.
The review discloced that no new experiments had been conducted since the previous. inspection.
Those performed were consistent with the Technical Specifications and the licensee's Standard Operating Procedures.
No violations or deviations were identified.
g.
Surveillance The inspector examined selected records associated with the performance of surveillance activities prescribed in Section 4 of the TSs.
The parameters selected included:
Rod drop times, excess reactivity, reactor pool water conductivity checks, temperature measuring calibration checks, fuel element temperature channel checks, radiation monitoring instrumentation calibration checks, power calibration checks, temperature channel calibrations, control rod inspections, scram time checks and channel checks of safety related equipment.
The inspector concluded that the licensee had complied with the applicable requirements.
No violations or deviations were identified.
h.
Annual Report
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The inspector verified the data provided in the licensee's annual
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reports for 1985 and 1986.
No violations or deviations were identified.
i.
Reactor Operator Requalification Program The implementation of the licensee's approved Reactor Operators (RO)
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and Senior Reactor Operators (SRO) requalification program, dated April 30, 1975 was examined during the inspection.
The examination included a review of the annual R0/SR0 requalification examinations that were administered by the Associate.
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Director in 1985 and 1986 and a dircussion of recent changes made to i
10 CFR Part 55 and Information Notice 87-22, " Operator Licensing l
Requalification Examination at Nonpowar Reactors" with the licensee's staff.
The Associate Director stated the IN 87-22 was received shortly before this inspection.
The examination disclosed that the Associate Director has submitted l
a revised copy of a new " Reactor Operators Requalification Program" to the NRR Project Manager pursuant to 10 CFR Part 55.59,
"Requalification" for review and approval.
In the interim period
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the licensee continued to comply with the April 30, 1975, approved requalification program.
The Associate Director stated that future examinations would be administered in accordance with the recommendations prescribed in IN 87-22.
No violations or deviations were identified.
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Radiation Protection
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General Employee Training f
The licensee's General Employee's Training (GET) program, for assuring compliance with 10 CFR Part 19.12, " Instructions to Workers," was examined.
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The examination included the review of the training lesson plans, hand-out material and attendance records.
The examination disclosed that the licensee's GET program was in compliance with 10 CFR Part 19.12.
No violations or deviations were identified.
b.
Radioactive Material Shipments and Receipt I
A review of radioactive material shipping and receiving records indicated that activities associated with the receipt and j
transportation of radioactive material were consistent with 10 CFR
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Part 20.205, 10 CFR Part 71 and Department of Transportation
regulations prescribed in 49 CFR Parts 173-178.
Transfers and/or i
shipments of radioactive materials are made through the li'ensee's
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c State of Washington radioactive material license.
i No violations or deviations were identified.
c.
Posting The inspector verified that the licensee's po' sting practices were consistent with 10 CFR Part 19.11, " Posting of Notices to Workers."
No violations or deviations were identified, i
d.
Personn.el Monitoring
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The licensee's program for assuring compliance with 10 CFR Part 20.202 was exanined and was four.d to be consistent with the i
regulatory requirements prescribed in 10 CFR Part 20.101 and 10 CFR j
Part 20.104.
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i No violations or deviations were identified.
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e.
Surveys and Effluent Releases The inspector verified that direct radiation surveys, contamination surveys, and survey for airborne par d olates, liquids and gaseous
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effluents are performed on a routine schedule by the reactor staff.
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The inspector concluded that the program was in compliance with the l
regulatory requirements prescribed in 10 CFR Part 20.201 and 10 CFR Part 20.401.
l The reactor pool water is routinely checked for temperature, water i
level, conductivity and pH as prescribed in the Technical Specifications.
The licensee also checks the pool water's radioactivity concentration, Argon-41 and liquid effluent release records for physical year 1985
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l and 1986 were reviewed.
Tl.e review disclosed:
Argon-41 releases were less than forty percent of the limit prescribed in TS, Section 3.12(4).
Liquid effluent releases were less than one percent of the limit prescribed in TS, Section 3.12(6).
The examination disclosed that radiation, airborne concentrations and contamination levels were consistent with levels identified from previous inspections.
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No violations or deviations were identified.
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f.
Solid Wastes Solid wastes generated at the facility are kept to a minimum.
Radioactive solid wastes are transferred to the University's State of Washington License for disposal.
Approximately 0.02 millicuries of radioactivity in 15 cubic feet of waste was disposed of over the
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l past two years.
.I No violations or deviations were identified.
g.
Environmental Monitoring The licensee maintains an array of 45 thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) as a means for assuring compliance with requirements prescribed in Technical Specifications, Section 3.12.
The TLD's'are.
j placed at locations of up to 15 miles away from the Nuclear l
Radiation Center.
The TLD's are changed each quarter i;) accordance with $0P-22, " Standard Operating Procedure for TLD Environmental Monitoring Program".
l Technical Specification, Section 3.12(2) states "The annual l
radiation exposure due to reactor operations, at the closest offsite point of extended occupancy shall not, on an annual basis, exceed the average local offsite background radiation by more than 20%.
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The results of TLD measurements collected since 1985 showed that'the average local background radiation at the closest offsite point of extended occupancy were well within the TS limits.
i No violations or deviations were identified.
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The licensee's capabilities for responding to emergencies as described in their Emergency Plan of September 1983 and for demonstrating compliance-with 10 CFR Part 50.54(q) were examined.
The inspector concluded through discussions, review of emergency procedures, training records, memorandums of understanding, and other related documents, that the licensee met the commitments provided in their emergency plan.
The examination revealed that evacuation drills and other full scale drills involving offsite agencies were conducted at the frequencies prescribed in the emergency plan.
No violations or deviations were identified.
5),
IE Information Notices (ins)
Licensee's evaluations of ins received between June 1985 and March 1987 l
were reviewed and discussed with the licensee's staff.
l No violations or deviations were identified.
6).
Generic Letter The information provided in Generic Letter 86-11, " Distribution of Products Irradiated in Research Reactors," was discussed with the i
Associate Director.
The inspector was informed that the licensee does not have any current
plans to irradiate any gem stones for commercial use.
The Associate Director stated that the NRC would be informed of any future decisions to irradiate gem stones for commercial and/or private use, i
l No violations or deviations were identified.
7).
Fa ility Tour l
The inspector toured the licensee's facility to check the general state
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of housekeeping and to verify that posting and labeling was consistent
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with 10 CFR Part 20.203 and that radiation monitoring instrumentation was l
in current calibration and operating properly.
Independent radiation measurements were performed using an Eberline, Model R0-2 ion chamber survey instrument, S/N 2694, due for calibration on October 21, 1987.
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'All fixed and portable radiation monitoring ' instruments were in current calibration and plant cleanliness was adequate.
The independent measurements confirmed that the licensee's postings and
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labeling practices were consistent with 10 CFR Part 20.203.
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i No violations or deviations were identified.
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Open Items
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l (Closed) Enforcement Items (85-01-01, 85-01-02, 85-01-03 and 85-01-04).
I An examination was conducted to determine if the corrective actions provided in the licensee's timely response, dated October 4, 1985 had been implemented.
l The examination include a review of appropriate records and procedures i
discussed in other portions of this report and discussions with the i
licensee's staff.
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The enforcement items were related to mainter,ance of the reactor's j
ventilation system, reactor operators requalification program,
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implementation of the Emergency Plan and review of Standard Operating Procedures.
These matters are closed (85-01-01, 85-01-02, 85-01-03 and 85-01-04).
9).
Exit Interview The inspec:.;r met with the licensee's representatives (denoted in paragraph 1) at the conclusion of the inspection on July 31, 1987.
The inspector summarized the scope and findings of the inspection.
The inspector informed the licensee that no violations or deviations were identified, i
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