IR 05000282/1998014

Insp Repts 50-282/98-14 & 50-306/98-14 on 980720-24.No Violations Noted.Major Areas Inspected:Review of Pcp,Storage & Processing of Solid Radwaste & Shipment & Disposal of Radioactive Matl

ML20237B252
Person / Time
Site:	Prairie Island
Issue date:	08/11/1998
From:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:
Shared Package
ML20237B247	List: IR 05000282/1998014 ML20237B245
References
50-282-98-14, 50-306-98-14, NUDOCS 9808180140
Download: ML20237B252 (9)

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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION lil

! Docket Nos: 50-282; 50-306 License Nos: DPR-42; DPR-60 Report Nos: 50-282/98014(DRS); 50-306/98014(DRS)

Licensee: Northem States Power Company l

l Facility: Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant

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Location: 1717 Wakonade Dr. East

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Welch, MN 55089 Dates: July 20-24,199.8 l

Inspector: R. Glinski, Radiation Specialist l

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Approved by: G. Shear, Chief, Plant Support Branch 2 Division of Reactor Safety 9808190140 980011 PDR ADOCK 05000282 G PDR +

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EXECUINE_ SUMMARY Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant NRC Inspection Reports 50-282/98014; 50-306/98014 This announced inspection included a review of the licensee's Process Control Program (PCP),

the processing and storage of solid radioactive waste, the shipment and disposal of radioactive material (RAM), and the study conducted to determine the neutron dose rate beyond the berm l

of the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI). In these areas, the following j conclusions were made:

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The overall implementation of the RAM transportation program remained effective, as !

licensee documentation and inspector observations confirmed that the licensee met station and regulatory requirements. (Section R1.1)

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Plant personnel continued to effectively implement the solid radwaste program. In particular, the dewatering equipment was highly reliable and the radwaste storage area surveillance were comprehensive. Plant personnel developed radwaste processing initiatives to improve the efficiency of resin useage and filter drum disposal. (Section R1.2)

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The licensee's program to sample and analyze waste streams for the determination of radionuclides scaling factors remained effective and enabled the staff to appropriately classify radwaste for shipment. Previously identified issues regarding scaling factor determinations and data review were adequately addressed. (Section R1.3)

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Reoort Details IV. Plant Suonort R1 Status of Radiation Protection and Chemistry (RP&C) Controls j R1.1 Transportation of Radioactive Materials Insoection Scoce (IP 86750)

The inspector reviewed the applicable procedures which governed the transportation of radioactive material (RAM), and shipping papers associated with specific RAM shipments. Interviews with plant personnel regarding the implementation of the RAM shipping program were also conducte Observations and Findings The inspector noted that the RAM shipping personnel were very knowledgeable of transportation processes and federal regulations. The licensee developed several procedures for transporting radioactive waste and materials, and these procedures were clearly written and provided comprehensive guidance to the staff regarding the proper shipment of RAM. All of the shipments reviewed by the inspector were conducted in accordance with the station procedure The inspector reviewed the preparation of shipments of radioactive materials and waste, as well as various shipping papers prepared by plant personnel. The inspector verified the calculations for determining the proper transportation designation and waste type associated with representative Type A and Type B shipments. In addition, the shipping manifests and associated paperwork contained the appropriate information regarding waste classification, reportable quantity, physical and chemical form, radiation levels, emergency response information, volume, weight, total activity, the 95% rule for listing nuclides, and were signed by authorized personnel. The inspector also noted that the appropriate radiation surveys were performed, the current scaling factors were used, and a commercial software program was utilized to accomplish the dose-to-curie determination for the applicable shipment Plant personnel listed activities of tritium (H-3), carbon-14, technetium-99, and iodine-129 for waste disposal shipments as required by 10 CFR 20, Appendix G. When appropriate, licensee staff utilized the equivalent of NRC Forms 540,540A, and 541 for the RAM shipments. The radiation protection (RP) staff maintained the current RAM licenses for waste processors and disposal facilities which received their RAM shipment Conclusions

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The implementation of the RAM transportation program remained effective, as licensee documentation and inspector observations confirmed that the licensee met station and regulatory requirement i

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R1.2 Solid Radioactive Waste Manaoement Insoection Scone (IP 86750)

The inspector reviewed the storage, processing, documentation, and implementation of the solid radwaste management program. The inspector also conducted walkdowns of the Radwaste Storage Building and the Resin Disposal Building, reviewed the Process Control Program (PCP), and interviewed various radwaste personne Observations and Findinas The RAM in the barrel yard of the Radwaste Storage Building (RSB) and in the Resin Disposal Building was appropriately stored, posted, and labeled. The inspector did not identify any housekeeping, materiel condition, or radiologicalissues. The RP staff has planned to institute a new procedure for processing certain types of liquid waste. The new process involves the evaporation of dilute aqueous solutions of soap (from iaundry and decontamination activities), wax, and solvents / cleaning agents, as well as turbine building sump sludge. The resultant solid waste could then be incorporated with other compatible solid wastes. In the past, these solutions have significantly reduced the life of various resin beds. The staff has constructed a fumehood over the evaporation area, and the associated ductwork channels the vapor past the RSB ventilation radiation monitor and through the filtered RSB ventilation system. This process has been approved and incorporated into the PCP, but the plant procedure to govern the implementation was being develope Plant personnel have also planned to reinstitute the use of the hydraulic baler to compact old filter storage drums. The baler would require preventative maintenance prior to use for this purpose. After compaction, the staff planned to dispose of these drums as low specific activity waste. Interviews with plant personnel indicated that the dewatering equipment used in both the cask decon sump pit and the barrel yard has remained reliable. A significant portion of the licensee's shipments have been to radwaste processing vendors. Through various technologies, the vendors have reduced the disposed solid radwaste volume by 80%, on averag The RP staff conducted monthly visualinspections of stored RAM, and monthly radiological surveys of the Radwaste Storage Building and the Resin Disposal Buildin The inspector interviewed staff and reviewed the applicable documentation associated with these surveillance for the past several months and noted that these actions were comprehensive. These licensee activities had not identified any problems recentl Conclusions The inspector determined that the implementation of the solid radwaste management

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program continued to be effective. In particular, the dewatering equipment was highly l reliable and the radwaste storage area surveillance were comprehensive. The staff

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has developed radwaste processing initiatives which should improve the efficiency of i resin useage and filter drum disposa i l

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R1.3 Solid Radioactive Waste Classification Insoection Scooe (IP 86750)

The inspector interviewed staff, and reviewed the procedures and documentation for the sampling and analysis of solid radwaste required by 10 CFR 61 for determining waste classification. The inspector also reviewed the PCP and the most recent 10 CFR 61 waste classification analyses for several waste stream Observations and Findings The latest round of samples collected for 10 CFR 61 waste classification analyses included high level and low level resins, dry active waste (DAW), filter media, sludge, and sand blasting grit. The various waste stream samples were taken annually, or when available, to coincide with the generation of a particular waste stream. The resin samples were collected from various batches during sluices, the filter media samples were representative sections cut from exhausted filters, sludge was collected after sump clean up, and the DAW samples consisted of smears taken from the residual heat removal pumps and hot sample chemistry sinks. These samples were then analyzed by .

a vendor laboratory to quantify the radionuclides present and generate isotopic ratios (scaling factors) for quantifying the difficult to measure isotopes such as transuranic and pure beta emitters. Reactor coolant radiological analyses were monitored by the ;

chemistry staff to ensure that the current scaling factors remained applicable. The j radwaste staff entered the radiochemistry data into a commercial software program, which incorporated the new data with past waste stream analyses to generate a ]

i combined scaling factor. The inspector concluded that the 10 CFR 61 determinations were appropriate, and the licensee had adequately addressed the scaling factor and I data review issues that were identified previously (inspection Report 97017).

The inspector reviewed the station program to determine the radioactivity content of RAM shipments. To determine the total radioactivity in spent resin for RAM shipments, samples were taken from each resin batch during sluices. The gamma spectrometry was conducted by the chemistry laboratory and the key nuclides (cobalt-60 for activation !

products, cesium-137 for fission products, and cerium-144 for transuranic) designated I to establish scaling factors for difficult to measure nuclides were used to determine the j activity of the various nuclides for each shipment. For DAW, the radwaste staff i conducted a dose-to-curie analysis using commercial software and the DAW scaling factors. The inspector concluded that the waste classification methodology was

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appropriat The inspector also reviewed the lower limits of detection for the difficult to measure nuclides and determined that the station was in compliance with the guidance in the NRC's " Final Waste Classification and Waste Form Technical Position Papers."

c. Conclusions The plant's program to sample and analyze waste streams for the determination of radionuclides scaling factors remained effective and enabled the staff to appr0priately classify radwaste for shipment. In addition, previous issues regarding scaling factor determinations and data review were adequately addresse . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ - _ ______ ___ _ _

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R8 Miscellaneous RP&C issues R ' Closed) IFl 72-10/97017-01: possibility of detectable neutron dose rates outside the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI). Preliminary licensee data indicated that measurable neutron dose rates existed outside the ISFSI. In response to j this data, the plant personnel implemented a study to measure the neutron dose rate using both personnel and environmental thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs)

calibrated for gamma and neutron radiation, with and without phantoms (to determine any albedo effects), and at various distances up to 365 meters. There were also control

TLDs about 11 miles from the ISFSI and a TLD supplied with cadmium to determine whether the incident neutrons were thermal or of higher energy. Three sets of TLDs were placed out for the last quarter of 1997, the first quarter of 1998, and for the entire six month period, respectively. The licensee employed a contractor with neutron dosimetry expertise to analyze the data and determine the neutron dose associated with the ISFSt. Although the contractor determined that the doses were higher than those listed in the ISFSI Safety Analysis Report, the contractor's analysis also concluded that the neutron dose rate to the nearest actual resident to the ISFSI was well below the direct radiatiori dose limit specified in 10 CFR 72.104(a). The licensee has planned to revise the ISFSI Safety Analysis Report to incorporate these findings. The inspector conducted independent calculations and also determined that the potential direct i radiation dose to an individual was well below the 25 mrem whole body dose limit. This item is close l X1 Exit Meeting Summary The inspector presented the inspection results to members of licensee management on July 24, 1998. The licensee did not indicate that any materials examined during the inspection should j be considered proprietar I l

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PARTIAL LIST OF PERSONS CONTACTED Licensee J. Friedrich, Production Engineer D. Shuelke, General Superintendent of Radiation Protection and Chemistry J. Sorensen, Plant Manager P. Wildenborg Health Physicist NBC P. Krohn, Resident inspector, Prairie Island S. Ray, Senior Resident inspector, Prairie Island S. Thomas, Resident inspector, Prairie Island INSPECTION PROCEDURES USED IP 86750," Solid Radioactive Waste Management and Transportation of Radioactive Materials" IP 92904, " Followup - Plant Support" LIST OF ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED Closed 72-10/97017-01 IFl Possibility of detectable neutron dose rates outside the ISFSI i

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PARTIAL LISTING OF DOCUMENTS REVIEWED Process Control Program for Solidification / Dewatering of radioactive Waste from Liquid Systems, Revision 7, DS9, dated 6/11/9 Radiation Protection implementing Procedure (RPIP) D11.4, Revision 19, " Radioactive Material Shipments Greater Than Type A Quantities in Exclusive Use Vehicles to Bamwell, SC Using SEG Cask and HIC Liner".

RPIP D11.9, Revision 7, "Radioadive Material Shipments - LSA/SCO - Not Exceeding Type A Quantities in Exclusive Use Vehicles to Bamwell, SC".

RPIP 1320, Revision 0, " Monitoring of Rad Waste in Interim Storage".

RPIP 1322, Revision 0,"Radman for Windows to Generate Scaling Factors".

Shipping Packages for shipments97-028,97-029,98-002, and 98-011 Condition Report 19980981, "TN-40 SAR neutron skyshine dose rates error; Skyshine 11 used for neutron dose rates at long distances reported air-rad, rather than tissue-rad, so it is 100-130 times lo "MCNP Calculated Near-field Neutron Doses Using a Refined Cask Model", dated 6/1/9 " Neutron Skyshine Analysis for the Northem states Power Company Prairie island independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation", dated 7/15/9 _

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LIST OF ACRONYMS USED DAW Dry Active Waste ISFSI_ Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation PCP Process Control Program RAM Radioactive Material RP' Radiation Protection RPIP Radiation Protection Implementing Procedure RSB Radwaste Storage Building TLD Thermoluminescent Dosimeter l'

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