IR 05000274/2024201

United States Geological Survey U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Safety Inspection Report No. 05000274/2024201 and 05000274/2024202

ML24334A064
Person / Time
Site:	U.S. Geological Survey
Issue date:	12/13/2024
From:	Michael Brown NRC/NRR/DANU/UNPO
To:	Mahan S Denver Federal Center, US Dept of Interior, Geological Survey (USGS)
Roche K
References
IR 2024202
Download: ML24334A064 (1)

Text

SUBJECT:

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION SAFETY INSPECTION REPORT NO. 05000274/2024201 and 05000274/2024202

Dear Ms. Mahan:

From July 23-25, 2024, and November 4-7, 2024, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff conducted a routine safety inspection at U.S. Geological Survey Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics (TRIGA) Research Reactor facility. The inspection results were discussed with you and members of your staff on November 7, 2024. The enclosed report documents the inspection results.

The inspection examined activities conducted under your license as they relate to safety and compliance with the Commissions rules and regulations and with the conditions of your license.

The inspectors reviewed selected procedures and records, observed various activities, and interviewed personnel. Based on the results of this inspection, no findings of significance were identified. No response to this letter is required.

In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Section 2.390, Public inspections, exemptions, requests for withholding, a copy of this letter, its enclosure, and your response (if any) will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRCs document system (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC website at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

December 13, 2024 Should you have any questions concerning this inspection, please contact Kevin Roche at (301) 415-1554, or email at Kevin.Roche@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Tony Brown, Chief Non-Power Production and Utilization Facility Oversight Branch Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-274 License No. R-113 Enclosure:

As stated cc: w/enclosure: GovDelivery Subscribers Signed by Brown, Tony on 12/13/24

ML24334A064 NRC-002 OFFICE NRR/DANU/UAL2 NRR/DANU/UNPO NRR/DANU/UNPO/LA NRR/DANU/UNPO/BC NAME KRoche JArellano NParker TBrown DATE 12/4/2024 12/04/2024 12/06/2024 12/13/2024

Enclosure U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION Docket No.:

50-274 License No.:

R-113 Report No.:

05000274/2024201 and 05000274/2024202 Licensee:

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior Facility:

U.S. Geological Survey TRIGA Research Reactor Location:

U.S. Denver Federal Center Lakewood, Colorado Dates:

July 23-25, 2024 November 4-7, 2024 Inspectors:

Kevin M Roche Juan Arellano Approved by:

Tony Brown, Chief Non-Power Production and Utilization Facility Oversight Branch Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

SUMMARY The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) continued monitoring the licensees performance by conducting an inspection at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Department of Interiors (the licensees), in accordance with the research and test reactor inspection program.

This is the NRCs program for overseeing the safe operation of licensed research and test reactors. Refer to https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/non-power.html for more information.

List of Violations No violations of more than minor significance were identified.

Additional Tracking Items Type Issue Number Title Status URI 05000274/2024202 - 01 Unfiltered, unmonitored release Open URI 05000274/2024202 - 02 Inadequate fuel measurement Open URI 05000274/2024202 - 03 Inadequate fuel inspections Open

REPORT DETAILS Facility Status The USGS Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics (TRIGA) 1 megawatt research reactor was operated in support of USGS programs directed at improving methods and techniques to enhance scientific knowledge about water and earth materials. The reactor was also used in support of research projects from the Colorado School of Mines and other institutions. During the inspection, the reactor was shut down.

Inspection Scopes Inspections were conducted using the appropriate portions of the inspection procedures (IPs) in effect at the beginning of the inspection unless otherwise noted. Currently approved IPs with their attached revision histories are located on the public website at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/insp-manual/inspection-procedure/index.html.

Inspections were declared complete when the IP requirements most appropriate to the inspection activity were met consistent with Inspection Manual Chapter 2545, Research and Test Reactor Inspection Program. The inspectors reviewed selected procedures and records, observed activities, and interviewed personnel to assess licensee performance and compliance with Commission rules and regulations, license conditions, site procedures, and standards.

69001 - Class II Non-Power Reactors This inspection included a review of selected aspects of the research and test reactor, since the last inspection, to verify activities were conducted safely and in accordance with regulatory requirements and licensee commitments.

Organization and Staffing (IP Section 02.01)

This inspection included a review of the licensees organizational changes and shift staffing records to verify compliance with technical specification (TS) requirements and licensee commitments. Specifically, the inspection included a review of the following:

current staff qualifications

staffing requirements for safe operation of the facility

organizational structure for the USGS TRIGA Reactor (GSTR) facility Operations Logs and Records (IP Section 02.02)

This inspection included a review of the licensees operation logs and records to verify they were maintained and that significant issues were reported and resolved as required by the TSs and the licensees administrative procedures. Specifically, the inspection included a review of the following:

reactor operations logs

selected USGS TRIGA reactor facility start-up checklists

selected USGS TRIGA reactor facility shutdown checklists

Requalification Training (IP Section 02.04)

This inspection included a review of selected documents pertaining to operator requalification training to verify requirements of the licensees approved requalification plan and Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 55, Operators Licenses, were met. Specifically, the inspection included a review of the following:

operator competence evaluation and written examination records for 2020 and 2021

physical examination records documented on NRC Form 396 records

reactor operations logs

individual operator training records documented on GSTR Reactor Operator Requalification forms for the periods from January 2023-December 2024 Surveillance and Limiting Condition for Operation (IP Section 02.05)

This inspection included a review of surveillances listed in the TSs to verify requirements were met. Limiting conditions for operation were also reviewed to verify that operating conditions were maintained in accordance with the licensees procedural requirements. Specifically, the inspection included a review of the following:

maintenance log entries

selected USGS TRIGA reactor facility start-up checklists Emergency Planning (IP Section 02.10)

This inspection included a review of the licensees emergency procedures, exercises and drills, training, and equipment to verify compliance with the licensees emergency plan and applicable regulatory requirements. Specifically, the inspection included a review of the following:

training records for the past 2 years

emergency drills and critiques for 2023 and 2024 Maintenance Logs and Records (IP Section 02.11)

This inspection included a review of the licensees maintenance logs and records to verify that operational and maintenance activities were conducted and maintained in accordance with regulatory and TS requirements. Specifically, the inspection included a review of the following:

Maintenance log entries Fuel Handling Logs and Records (IP Section 02.12)

This inspection included a review of the licensees fuel handling logs and records to verify TS and procedural requirements were met. Specifically, the inspection included a review of the following:

observed licensed operators moving a practice element

reviewed console logbooks from the previous fuel inspection

reviewed electronic fuel logs

radiation safety officer quarterly reports

Inspection Results No violations of more than minor significance were identified.

Three Unresolved Items were identified.

Unresolved Item (Open)

Unfiltered, unmonitored release 05000274/2024202 - 01 IP 69001.07 Description: As part of a comprehensive facility walkdown, the licensee discovered that the weather stripping on a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter vent hood ducting on the roof was not maintained. The degraded weather stripping could have allowed an unfiltered release. The licensee also noted that the exhaust of the HEPA filter ducting was not monitored. During operations, the licensee used the vent hood located in the building to allow for Bromine-82 samples to decay prior to packaging and shipping. To prevent further unmonitored release, the licensee stated that they would not use the vent hood until they repair the ducting.

Planned Closure Actions: Although the inspectors did not perform the health physics portion of IP 69001, they noted this URI and will disposition the issue during the subsequent routine health physics portion of the upcoming routine safety inspection.

Licensee Actions: The licensee is performing calculations to determine if the effluent concentration limits of 10 CFR Part 20, Standards for Protection Against Radiation, have been exceeded. That calculation will factor into the more-than-minor and severity level determination (if applicable).

Unresolved Item (Open)

Inadequate fuel measurement 05000274/2024202 - 02 IP 69001.12 Description: USGS TRIGA Reactor TS 3.1.4.2.b requires that fuel be removed and considered damaged if its length exceeds its original length by 0.10 inch for stainless-steel clad fuel or 0.50 inch for aluminum-clad fuel. USGS staff found that the measuring adapter for the aluminum clad fuel was inaccurately measuring those aluminum elements. The licensee has redesigned the fuel element adapter and plans to remeasure the aluminum elements.

Planned Closure Actions: During the inspection, the licensee had not identified any damaged aluminum fuel elements, but had not measured all aluminum elements. Inspectors will disposition the issue after the licensee completes accurate measurements for all aluminum elements and the extent of condition.

Licensee Actions: Complete fuel element measurements and assess results.

Unresolved Item (Open)

Inadequate fuel inspections 05000274/2024202 - 03 IP 69001.12 Description: TS 4.1.8 requires that [a]ll fuel elements shall be inspected for damage or deterioration and measured for length and transverse bend at least at quinquennial intervals or if 500 pulses have been performed since the last fuel inspection.

TS 4.2.1 requires that the control rods shall be visually inspected for damage or deterioration at least biennially.

During recent fuel inspections performed with new procedures and advanced equipment, the licensee discovered multiple damaged elements that likely existed during the previous inspection. The licensee determined that the previous visual inspections were inadequate, but concluded that the damage was not significant and did not result in released fission products.

The inspectors reviewed historical radiation measurement data and confirmed that the fuel elements were not significantly damaged and did not release fission products.

Planned Closure Actions: Inspectors will disposition this issue after the licensee completes visual inspections of all elements and the extent of condition.

Licensee Actions: Complete visual inspections and assess results.

Exit Meeting and Debriefs The inspectors verified no proprietary information was retained or documented in this report.

• On November 7. 2024, the inspectors presented the NRC inspection results to you, Jonathan Wallick and other members of the licensee staff.

Documents Reviewed USGS TRIGA reactor annual report for January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022, submitted to the NRC on March 28, 2023.

USGS TRIGA reactor annual report for January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023, submitted to the NRC on March 28, 2024.

SP-21-100, Control Rod Drop Time Measurements, dated April 19, 2023.

Facility emergency plan entitled, Emergency Plan for the U.S. Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor Facility, Revision 17, dated October 2019.

GSTR Procedure #8, Procedure for Testing and Inspecting the Transient Rod and Drive Mechanism, dated October 2016.

MP-11-R00, Fuel and Control Rod Inspections, Revision 0.

MP-10-R00, Fuel and Control Rod Handling, Revision 0.