IR 05000116/1979003
| ML19257A097 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of Iowa |
| Issue date: | 11/14/1979 |
| From: | Dubry N, Fisher W NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19257A093 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-116-79-03, 50-116-79-3, NUDOCS 8001020096 | |
| Download: ML19257A097 (7) | |
Text
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
REGION III
Report No. 50-116/79-03 Docket No. 50-116 License No. R-59 Licensee:
Iowa State University Department of Nuclear Engineering Ames, Iowa 50010 Facility Name:
UTR-10 Training and Research Reactor Inspection At:
Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa Inspection Conducted: October 25-26, 1979
'h. / [.(' Mk E. DuBry J f // 9/7 9 Inspector:
. blMws Approved By:
W. L. Fisher, Chief 11 / /(/,/ 7 9 Fuel Facility Projects and Radiation Support Section Inspection Summary Inspection on October 25-26, 1979 (Report No. 50-116/79-03)
Areas Inspected:
Routine, unannounced, radiation protection and radwaste management inspection, including: facilities and equipment; qualifications and training; licensee audits; radiation protection procedures; instruments and equipment; exposure control; posting, labeling, and control; surveys, notifications, and reports; radioactive effluent releases; solid radioactive waste; and IE Bulletin 79-19.
The inspection involved 14 inspector-hours on site by one NRC inspector.
Results: No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
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DETAILS
1.
Persons Contacted
- Emery E. Sobottka, Radiation Safety Officer Thomas Zimmerman, Associate Radiation Safety Officer
- Dr. Adolph F. Voight, Chairman, Radiation Safety Committee
- Dr. Richard A. Hendrickson, Reactor Supervisor James F. Hrabak, Health Physics Technician Richard W. Houser, Health Physics Technician
- Denotes those present at the exit interview 2.
General This ir.spection, which began with visual observation of the reactor facility and health physics counting room at 10:30 A.M. on October 25, 1979, was conducted to examine the radwaste management and radiation protection programs at the UTR-10 Training and Research Reactor. A tour of the facility found records and logs to be current, and survey meters and radiation area monitors to have timely calibrations, alarm tests, and functional tests as required. Housekeeping appears to be good.
3.
Facilities and Equipment Access to the Nuclear Engineering Laboratory is by entry through one of three locked doors. The inspector reviewed the dosimeter and entry log book. The Radiation Area Monitor (RAM) was found operable and with the proper alarm set points. The inspector also viewed the subcritical assembly and the emergency equipment rooms.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
4.
Organization, Qualification and Training The Department of Nuclear Engineering, Dr. George Burnet, department head, is responsible for the UTR-10 reactor program.
Dr. Richard Hendrickson is the Reactor Supervisor and Mr. Emery Sobottka is the Radiation Safety Officer.
A recent change has been the addition of Mr. Thomas Zimmerman, Associate Radiation Safety Officer.
The Radiation Safety Committee (RSC) is responsible for all use of radiation and radioactive material on campus.
Dr. Adolph Voight of the Institute for Atomic Research is the chairman of this committee.
The Radiological Services Group (RSG) is responsible for radiation protection on campus. The RSG is composed of two technicians, an associate RSO, and the University RSO.
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Those responsible for radiation safety are considered qualified by
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training and lengthy experience.
On going training for the Radiological Services Group consists primarily of informal meetings with the RSO.
The inspector reviewed the lesson plans for undergraduate and graduate students radiation safety orientation and training. They are consistent with 10CFR19.12.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
5.
License Audits Semiannual audits of the UTR-10 facility and reactor operations are performed by the Reactor Safety Subcommittee.
Review of the records showed that follow-up action is being taken on items of concern identified by the audits.
No problems were noted.
6.
Radiation Protection Procedures The licensee is not required to have formalized radiation protection procedures.
General procedures, which include areas of radiation protection, are contained in the Radiation Safety Committee's Radiation Safety Manual.
The manual provides rules for the use of radioactive materials and radiation producing machinery at ISU.
The licensee is following the current license pending the renewal by NRC licensing.
The renewal application does include reactor technical specifications, an emergency response plan, a decommissioning plan, a physical security plan, and an updated safety analysis report.
The licensee has an evaluation procedure for sample irradiatien request as part of their ALARA program.
It was u 1 se procedurealsoaddressesthe10CFR50.59 review.g7earwhetht-The RSO indicated that such a review was done at the Reactor Safety Subcomittee meeting on October 25, 1979. The inspector reviewed the drawings submitted for review at the meeting; the minutes will be reviewed during a future inspection.
7.
Instruments and Equipment The licensee has adequate numbers of cperable and calibrated survey meters and monitoring equipment.
Survey meters to measure levels of gamma and neutron radiation are calibrated quarterly.
The radiation area monitor (RAM) system, consisting of five detectors, is alarm and trip tested weekly and calibrated quarterly.
-1/ IE Report No. 50-116/79-02 r
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No problems were found in this area.
8.
Exposure Control Monthly film badge service is obtained from Health Physics Services, Inc.
Records were reviewed from November 1978 to the present.
Monthly beta gamma doses were generally less than 10 mrems. The maximum doses, according to film badge records, for individuals associated with the reactor were 45 mrem beta gamma and 56 mrem neutron.
9.
Alara To minimize personal exposure, the licensee requires a member of the Radiological Services Group to conduct surveys whenever material is inserted into or removed from the reactor. The licensee also evaluates all sample irradiation requests. No problems were found in this area.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were noted.
10.
Posting, Labeling and Control The inspection revealed no problems regarding posting or labeling required by 10 CFR 19.11 and 10 CFR 20.203.
The inspector pointed out the telephone numbers on the NRC-3 form for Region III were changed to (312) 932-2500. Surveys are required when handling fuel or when items are inserted or removed from the reactor, and a Health
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Physicist is required to be present.
11.
Materials Control and Surveys A review of the required records of receipt and disposal of radio-active material revealed no problems.
The semiannual wipe survey of the 1-curie Pu-Be UTR-10 start-up source revealed no detectable contamination (MDA was 3.0E-6 microcuries. Review of the monthly radiation and contamination surveys from November 1978 to September 1979 indicated no significant levels.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were noted.
12.
Radioactive Effluent Releases and Solid Radwaste The only gaseous waste identified by the licensee is argon-41.
Based on a time integration of reactor power, 0.27 curies of argon-41 was released in 1978 and 0.15 curies of argon-41 has been released for the first three quarters of 1979. There is no ventilation system at this facility; releases are by diffusion through the building.
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No radioactive liquid is released from this facility.
Liquid losses result from evaporation and sampling. A monthly four-liter sample of reactor coolant is evaporated to dryness and counted for gross alpha and gross alpha-beta activity. The concentration range from December 1978 to September 1979 was 5.4E-10 to 4.3E-9 pCi/ml gross alpha-beta and less than minimum detectable activity (3E-11pCi/ml)
gross alpha.
The licensee has provisions for transferring solid radwaste to Ames Laboratory for disposal.
13.
Notifications and Reports A review of the records and statements made by the licensee represen-tatives indicate that no theft or loss of material, no personal over-exposure, and no excessive levels ei radiation or concentrations of radioactive materials have occurre d.
The inspector reviewed the change to 10CFR19.13 with the licensee.
. No items of noncompliance or deviations were found.
14.
" Packaging of Low-Level Radioactive Waste for Transport and Burial" Particular emph Bulletin 79-19.giswasplacedonlicenseeactionswithregardtoIE During the inspections the items listed in the bul'.etin were reviewed and discussed in detail with the Radiation Satety Officer.
A review of DOT and NRC regulations found them up to date.
a.
(Item 1)
b.
At the present time waste is given to Ames Laboratory for processing.
ISU has a copy of the South Carolina license, the ultimate destination of the Ames Laboratory waste, and is in the process of obtaining current copies of Nevada and Washington burial firm licenses as a contingency for future shipment needs.
(Item 2)
c.
License representatives stated, during the exit interview and in a telephone conversation on October 31, 1979, that detailed operating procedures and instructions which apply to transfer, packaging, and transport of low-level radioactive material shall be written by March 1, 1980.
These proce^dures will includ. designated individuals for waste handling.
These procedures will also formalize the documentation of training and retraining in the DOT and NRC regulations, waste 2/
The licensee's response letter of October 17 and October 24, 1979 were covered in this review.
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burial license requirements, and internal instructions and guide-
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lines for radioactive waste handling.
(Items 3,4, and 5)
d.
The licensee representative indicated he has already issued directives to minimize the volume of low-level radioactive waste. Handling of liquid scintillation vials has been modi-fied at ISU to reflect current burial facility requirements.
Training and periodic retraining will be provided to appro-priate employees as needed.
(Item 6)
The licensee representative stated that the audit of radioactive e.
material transfer, packaging, and transport activities at the research reactor shall be expanded to be reviewed by the Radiation Safety Committee.
(Item 7)
f.
This inspector found that audits of items 1-6 were being performed by the Reactor Safety Subcommittee on a timely basis and no problems were noted (paragraph 5 ).
To satisfy the guidelines of the bulletin, a management-controlled audit will be addressed at the next Radiation Safety Committee meeting.
(Item 8)
g.
Iowa State University made one low-level radioactive waste shipment, in conjunction with Ames Laboratory, to a burial facilityduringtgeperiodJanuary1978toJune1979.
The volume was 244 ft, totalling 0.618 curies consisting mainly of tritium, carbon-14, and iodine-125 from the materials program.
(See paragraph 12).
Lou-level radioactive liquid is being c trated by evaporation on a ground clay or similar absorbent.gycen-(Item 9)
The licensee appears to be handling the low-level radioactive waste problem adequately. Proposed actions will be reviewed during a future inspection for their timely completion.
15.
Exit Interview The aspector met with licensee representatives (paragraph 1) at the conc l4sion of the inspection on October 26, 1979. The following items
~
were discussed:
a.
The inspertor stated that no items of noncompliance or deviations were identified b.
The inspector stated the necessity to document a 10 CFR 50.59 review during an experiment (irradiation request) evaluation.
(Paragraph 6).
c.
The inspector noted the addition of the Associate Radiation Safety Officer to the research reactor facility.
(Paragraph 4).
3/
Licensee letter to Region III dated October 24, 1979.
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d.
The inspector reviewed the licensee's actions with regard to
(Paragraph 14)
The licensee representative stated he shall have written instruc-tions and procedures, which designate responsible individuals, implement training record documentation, and define management-controlled audits, by March 1, 1980, for low-level radioactive material waste handling.
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