IR 05000151/1979002
| ML19208D657 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of Illinois, 05000356 |
| Issue date: | 08/16/1979 |
| From: | Greger L, Hiatt J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19208D656 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-151-79-02, 50-151-79-2, 50-356-79-02, 50-356-79-2, NUDOCS 7909290238 | |
| Download: ML19208D657 (8) | |
Text
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
REGION III
Report No. 50-151/79-02; 50-356/79-02 Docket No. 50-151; 50-356 License No. R-115; R-117 Licensee:
University of Illinois 214 Nuclear Engineering Laboratory Urbana, IL 61801 Facility Name:
Illinois Advanced TRIGA Reactor Low Power Reactor Assembly (LOPRA)
Inspection At: Urbana, IL Inspection Conducted: July 24-25, 1979 8//b/79 Inspector:
J. W. Hiatt f
jot.r -
Approved By: L.R.Greger,ActingCNief F//b/79 Fuel Facility Projects and Radiation Support Section
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Inspection Summary:
Inspection on July 24-25, 1979 (Report No. 50-151/79-02; 50-356/79-02)
Areas Inspected: Routine, announced inspection of radwaste management and radiation protection program, including:
qualifications; audits; training; procedures; instruments and equipment; exposure control; posting, labeling, and control; surveys; notifications and reports; effluent releases; records and reports of effluents; effluent control instrumentation, and solid radwaste. The inspection involved 14 inspector-hours onsite by one NRC inspector.
Results: No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
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DETAILS
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1.
Persons Contacted G. Beck, Reactor Supervisor R. Bohl, Associate Chairman Nuclear Engineering Program H. Mandel, Reactor Healtn Physicist C. Pohlod, Senior Reactor Operator J. Steernan, University Health Physicist 2.
General This inspection, which began with visual observation of facilities and equipment, posting, labeling, and access controls at 8:30 a.m.
on July 24, 1979, was conducted to examine the routine operational radwaste and radiation protection management program. During the initial tour, an area radiation survey was conducted at the inspector's request; no discrepancies from posted readings were noted. During additional tours, the inspector observed the reactor health physicist's removal of samples from the reactor and noted that gloves and a ring badge were used. The reactor was critical (up to 250 kW) only during the first day of the inspection.
3.
Organization The Nuclear Reactor Laboratory (NRL) staff consists of two senior reactor operators, one of whom is the Reactor Supervisor, one reactor operator, three students in training for operator licenses, and a health physicist. The health physicist reports to the campus Health Physics Office, which is independent of the reactor operations organization.
In April 1978, Mr. Hector Mandel was hired as the reactor health physicist, a position which had been vacant since October 1977.
Mr. Mandel has a M.S. degree in nuclear engineering and had served on the health physics staff of a nuclear utility. On July 20, 1979, Mr. Jerome Steerman became the reactor health physicist; Mr. Mandel will assume Mr. Steerman's former position as campus health physicist.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
4.
Licensee Audits The inspector reviewed minutes of Nuclear Reactor Committee meetings held since April 1978; membership requirements and meeting frequencies were as required in Technical Specification 6.2.
Items reviewed by the Committee included proposed experiments, NRC rule changes, and the use of the Materials Research Laboratory.
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No items of noncompliance were identified.
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5.
Training All members of the reactor staff have received both radiation pro-
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tection training and training under 10 CFR 19.12 as part of their licensing process.
Other workers or experimenters using the facility receive training required by 10 CF3 19.12 through discussions with the reactor health physicist and formal University courses. This training is documented by the reactor health physicist.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
6.
Radiation Protection Procedures There have been no changes in the licensee's radiation protection procedures since the last inspection.
Procedures required by Tech-nical Specification 6.3.f are included in the " Rules and Regulations for Operation of the NRL."
No problems were noted.
7.
Instruments and Equipment a.
Portable Survey Instruments The licensee had on hand an adequate supply of operable and calibrated survey instruments capable of measuring beta, gamma, and neutron radiation.
Calibration records were reviewed for the period since April 1978. The beta-gamma instruments were calibrated semiannually using a Ra-226 source; the neutron meter was calibrated semiannually using a PuBgj source.
In response to a previous inspection observation
, the licensee had calibrated certain instruments up to 8 R/hr.
During tours the inspector examined instruments stored in the NRL. Each had a current calibration sticker and was operable.
b.
Area Radiation Monitors On June 27, 1979, five (channels 6-10) of the licensee's ten area radiation monitors (ARM's) failed due to a power supply problem. Ore monitor was previously ok of service, so this left four ope:s51e monitors, which is still within the Technical Specification 3.4 requirement of three operable monitors. The Reactor Committee will decide whether to repair or replace the defective monitors.
No estimated completion date was available.
1/
IE Inspection Report No. 50-151/78-01.
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Routine calibrations, using Ra-226 sources in a reproducible geometry, are performed semiannually. The operability and alarm point of each monitor is checked daily. These ; hecks were confirmed by a selective review of the Daily Health Physics Checklists for the period since April 1978.
c.
Air Particulate Monitor The reactor health physicist checks the trip point of the air particulate monitor and visually verifies the diversion of normal ventilation through charcoal filters weekly by " bugging" the monitor with a Ra-226 source. A review of the Weekly Health Physics Checklists for the period since April 1978 verified the above.
The monitor's efficiency is checked monthly using a Tc-99 source. Records indicate that the efficiency has remained constant.
d.
Gaseous Effluent Monitor i calibration using a known amount of Ar-41 was performed in the mid-1960's, and the relationship of 1.2 E-9 uCi/cc of Ar-41 per count per minute was established.
Concurrently, the monitor was " bugged" with a Ra-226 source and the response noted.
Since that time the monitor's response to the same source in a reproducible geometry has been checked semiannually.
Records reviewed through June 1979 indicate that the response to the source has varied less than 10% from the original observation.
e.
NMC Counter The respons-of the NMC gas flow proportional counter, used for counting smears and evaporated pool water samples, is checked before each use with a Tc-99 source. Records show that voltage plateaus are checked semiannually.
8.
Exposure Control a.
External Exposure Film badges are used for routine personal monitoring for reactor personnel and experimenters frequenting the facility. Ring badges are also available if needed and ore used by the health physicist when removing samples from the reactor. Film badge records for CY's 1978 and 1979 to date were reviewed. The highest cumulative whole body and extremity exposures recorded-4-1055 209
for 1978 were 315 mrems and 715 mrems, respectively. For 1979 to date, 235 mrems is the greatest whole body dose received.
It should be noted that the above doses were received by the reactor health physicist, who removes irradiated samples from the reactor. The majority of annual doses to individuals were less than 100 mrems. The inspector r.oted that the licensee
" spiked" several tadges in July 1976. The vendor's reported results were comparable to the dose calculated by the liccuee.
Self reading pocket dosimeters are utilized for special jobs, visitors, and temporary employees. The licensee replaced all of the pocket dosimeters in July 1978. Calibration checkrecordsforthenewdosimeterswerereviewed.gnddrift No problems were noted.
b.
Internal The licensee has no routine bioassay program and relies on airborne particulate and gaseous effluent monitors and pool water samples (analyzed for tritium) to defingjany problems.
Pool water samples are now analyzed annually,- most recently in March 1979. The highest tritium activity from these March samples was 9.2 E-5 uCi/ml.
9.
Posting and Labeling The licensee's compliance with posting and labeling requirements specified in 10 CFR 19.11 and 10 CFR 20.203 was reviewed. No prob-lems were noted.
10.
Materials No radioactive material was received under the NRL's license in CY 1978 or 1979 to date. Samples removed from the NRL for use in laboratories on the University campus are transferred to the Byproduct Material License (12-00330-05). Records of these transfers are main-tained in the " Radioisotope Production Log," which was reviewed by the inspector for the period since May 1978.
A pneumatic tube system runs between the NRL and the Materials Research Lab (MRL) in an adjacent building. The inspector reviewed the physical layout and operating procedures for the systca; no problems were noted.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
2/
Ibid.
3/
Ibid.
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11.
Su rveys
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a.
Area Surveys No routine area surveys of the NRL are performed. Thermal column and beam port experiments are surveyed before and after major modifications. The status of experimental and irradiation facilities is checked daily as part of the Health Physics Daily Checklist. The licensee relies upon the area monitors to give indications of any unexpected radiation levels.
Contamination surveys are made about once every six weeks. Smears taken at about thirty locations are counted on the NMC proportional counter.
The inspector reviewed smear and area surveys for CY's 1978 and 1979 to date. The highest contamination was consistently found around the sample loading / unloading area; radiation levels were comparable to postings noted during tours.
No problems were noted.
b.
Air Samples The continuous air particulate monitor functions as an air sampler also. Although not routinely counted, filters are changed every second day. At the inspector's request a filter from May 14, 1979, was beca gamma counted on the NMC propor-tional counter. The counts observed were not statistically above background levels.
No problems were noted.
12.
Notifications and Reports A review of records and discussions with licensee representatives indicate that during 1978 and 1979 to date there were na problems regarding c6mpliance with 10 CFR 19 or 10 CFR 20 notification and reporting requirements. The licensee's annual report, required by Technical Specification 6.7.f, was reviewed; no problems relating to radiation protection or radwaste were noted.
13.
Radwaste Management a.
Gaseous Radwaste The licensee's method of calculating gaseous wasdetailedinapreviousinspectionreport.gJfluentreleases Using rough dats generated by the licensee, the inspector independently 4/
Ibid.
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checked calculations for selected months; no discrepancies were found. According to the licensee's calculations, the average concentrations released in CY's 1978 and 1979 (through May)
were 3 E-8 uCi/cc and 9.5 E-8 uCi/ce, respectively. This corresponds to about 2% and 5% of the annual technical specifi-cation limit.
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b.
Liquid Radwaste Water from potentially contaminated sources is collected in a 500-gallon holdup tank where it is recirculated and sampled before release to the sanitary sewer.
To calculate the activity, a 200-milliliter sample is evaporated and counted on the NMC counter. During Cy 1978 there were 25 releases totaling 8750 gallons and about two microcuries.
In 1979 to date there have been ten releases totaling 4100 gallons and about one microcurie.
Liquid samples are not analyzed for tritium.
However, con-servatively assuming that all liquid releases had the same tritium concentration as the pool water samples, less than 0.01 curies of tritium would have been released in 1978 and 1979 to date.
c.
Solid Radwaste Solid radwaste, primarily absorbent and filter paper, gloves, and activation analysis samples, is collected by the Radiation Safety Office for disposal via a licensed waste disposal facility.
DuringCY1978aboutone}5-gallondrumofwastewasgenerated.
The licensee has not submitted a description of a quality assurance prograa for shipping Type B or large quantities of radioactive materials. The inspector stated that NRC approval of a quality assurance program was a prerequisite for making shipments of the above quantities of radioactive material.
14.
Exit Interview The inspector met with Mr. Bohl and others of the University staff (denoted in Paragraph 1) on July 25, 1979.
The following items were discussed:
a.
The purpose and scope of the inspection.
b.
No items of noncompliance were found.
c.
Resolution of previous inspection findings (Paragraphs 7.a, 8.a. 8.b).
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d.
The need for an approved q ality assurance program before making shipments of Type B or large quantity materials (Paragraph 13.c).
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