IR 05000294/1979001
| ML19289D705 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000294 |
| Issue date: | 01/24/1979 |
| From: | Dubry N, Fisher W NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19289D703 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-294-79-01, 50-294-79-1, NUDOCS 7903140182 | |
| Download: ML19289D705 (7) | |
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY Com!ISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
REGION III
Report No. 50-294/79-01 License :;o. R-Il4 Docket No. 50-294 Licensce: Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48823 Facility Name:
TRIGA Reactor Inspection At:
TRIGA Reactor Site, East Lansing, MI Inspection Conducted: January 4-5, 1979 l\\
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Approved Ey:
11. L. Fisher, Chief Fuel Facility Projects and Radiation Support Section Inspection Summary 4-5, 1979 (Report No. 50-294/79-01)
Inspection on JanuarvRoutine, announced inspection of radiation protection Areas Inspected:
and radwaste management program, including:
qualification; audits; training; procedures; instruments and equipment; exposure control; posting, effluent labeling, and control; surveys; notifications and reports; effluent control instrumen-releases; records and reports of effluents; The inspection involved 11 inspector-hours tation; and solid radwaste.
on site by one NRC inspector.
or deviations were identified Results: No items of noncompliance 7903140182
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s DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted
- J.
Carrick, Reactor Supervisor B. Wilkinson, Ph.D., Faculty Advisor W. Malchman, University Radiation Safety Officer
- J. llof fman, Director of the Division of Engineering Research C. Hinds, Reactor Operator
- Denotes those present at the exit interview.
2.
Cencral This inspection, which began with a visual observation of the reactor facility and associated labs at 1:00 p.m. on January 4, 1979, was conducted to examine the radwaste management and radiation protection programs at the Michigan State University TRIGA Reactor.
A detailed tour observing facilities and equipment, posting, labeling, and material control was conducted at this time.
Additional tours were made of the facility, including the emergency re-entry procedure and a survey of decontamination efforts.
Records, logs, instrument calibrations, and area radiation monitoring tests were found to be current.
The reactor was shut down on December 28, 1978, and did not operate during the inspection.
3.
Qualification and Training All members of the reactor staff are licensed operators or senier reactor operators and have received radiation protection training and training under 10 CFR 19.12 as part of their licensing process.
Other workers or experimenters are given training that fulfills 10 CFR 19.12 requirements by the University's Radiation Safety Office.
50 items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
4.
Licensee Audits the Reactor Safety Committee (RSC) performed a semiannual audit of the TRIGA facility and operations.
The minutes of the two 1978 meetings revealed that follow-up action is being taken on items of concern identified through the audits.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
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5.
Radiation Protection Procedures Procedures required by the Technical Specifications are included in the Nuclear Reactor Operations and Training Manual or Operations Maintenance and Calibration Procedures Manual.
The campus Radiatit Saf ety Manual is also included in the Training Manual.
The Emergency Plan for the MSU TRIGA Reactor was revised June 26, 1978.
On revic.s
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the radiation protection aspects of the plan appear to be adequate.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
6.
Instruments and Equipment a.
Portable Survev Instruments The licensee maintains operable and calibrated instruments capable of detecting beta and gamma radiations.
The instruments were calibrated semiannually in 1978 by the RSO.
Additional equipment is available from the Radiation Safety Office.
The Radiation Safety Oifice stated that a neutron detector is avail-able to the reactor facility when needed.
At present the survey instruments are calibrated up to 1 R/hr.
The Radiation Safety Officer indicated he would develop procedures to calibrate beta-gamma survey instruments to greater than 1 R/hr.
b.
Area Radiation Monitors The area radiation monitor (ARM) was calibrated in 1978 per the Technical Specifications.
During periods of sporadic alarms, a portable gamma sensitive ion chamber was substituted according to Technical Specification requirements.
A review of the Daily Check List for 1978 indicates that the alarn point, corresponding 100 mR/hr, was verified daily, Continuous Air Monitor (CAM)
c.
The CAM was calibrated in May, June, and December of 1978 by the RSO to comply with the annual frequency requirement.
The inspector noted set point checks were verified daily, d.
Gaseous Effluent Monitor A review of records indicate the gaseous effluent monitor is calibrated adequately.
The licensee assumes all gaseous releases to be Ar-41.
The calibration procedure is to observe the monitor's response when exposed to a known concentration of Ar-41.
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No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
7.
Exposure Control a.
External Exposure The vendor's film badge and TLD reports for calendar year 1978 were reviewed. These equivalent NRC-5 forms include whole body, skin, and extremity dose information.
MRC-4 forms are not kept for individuals, since there is no intent to exceed 10 CFR 20.101(a) limits.
No one under the age of 18 works at the reactor facility. Whole body and extremity exposures are normally below the minimum detectable level.
The highest whole body and extremity doses were 20 mrems and 90 mrems, respectively.
These events were documented by the licensee.
The licensee also experienced intentional exposures of badges to sources with 70 mrem and 430 mren whole body and extremity dose exposures, respectively.
Spiking results of film badges and TLDs were also reviewed by the inspector.
b.
Internal Exposure The licensee has no routine bioassay program and relies on the CAM, monthly smear surveys, and bimonthly pool water sample analysis to define problem areas. No problems were noted.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
8.
Posting, Labeling, and Control The inspection revealed no problems regarding posting or labeling required by 19 CFR 19.11 and 10 CFR 20.203.
9.
Material The licensee stated that no radioactive material had been received at the facility during 1978. One of the functions of this reactor is to irradiate test material.
There were 777 samples irradiated in 1978.
Once these samples are produced, they come under the Michigan State University Broad Materials License No. 21-00021-31.
Approximately 200 of these samples were transferred from the reactor laboratory to other authorized material users on the campus.
The inspector reviewed the Irradiation Request Log and the Radioisotope Production Log for concurrence.
A review of the Radiation Safety Office material records indicate that irradiated material is being accounted for timely.
No problems were found.
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No itens of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
10.
Survevs_
Area Surveys a.
Radiation field and contamination surveys are conducted nonthly noted for 1978 were reviewed; the inspector by the RSO.
Surveys decon-that when levels of contamination were detected irrediate tamination was performed.
In addition to the above surveys, the operators monitor samples A review of the Radioisotopes removed from the reactor.
inspection.
Production Log indicated two problems since the last One, a higher than expected production of Br-82, was allowed to The other, a ruptured sanple holdtr, decay to manageable levels.
day of the had resulted in a radioactive spill on the first The spill was being decontaminated during the inspcc-inspection.
The inspector ronitored the affected areas, using an and found no dis-tien.
Eberline PRM-6 equipped with a pancake probe, crepancies in the licensee's results.
b.
Sealed Source Surveys Leak tests of the Am-Be start-up source and the Sr-90 area radiation monitor check source were perforned within the required frequency and the records indicate the renovable of 0.095 contamination to be within the required limit nicrocuries, Air Samp]cs c.
Filters from the CAM are collected and analyzed biweekly by the A Beckman Low Leta counter is used to count the RSO.
A review of the 1978 records indicate a concentra-filters.
tion of approximately 2E-13 microcuries per cubic centimeter.
No itets of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
11.
Notifications and Reports A review of records and discussions with the licensee revealed no problems of compliance with 10 CFR 19 and 10 CFR 20 notification and reporting requirenents during 1978.
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12.
Radwaste Management Liquid Radwaste a.
According to the licensee, no liquid releases have been made since the last radwaste inspection.
Records of five pool water samples taken in 1978 were reviewed.
Alpha, beta-gamra, and tritium analyses are performed on each liter sample; the approximate activites were 1.8E-10, 1.0E-8, and 1.6E-4 micro-curies per milliliter, respectively.
b.
Gaseous Radwaste Gaseous releases, primarily Ar-41, are monitored by the gaseous effluent monitor in the reactor room.
A continuous tape printout records any change in count rate.
The licensee stated that about 1400 JiCi released during 1978 resulted in a yearly average con-centration of 1.2E-10 microcuries per cubic centimeter, approxi-mately 0.31% of the 10 CFR 20 limit.
The most recent release, about 990 microcuries, occurred on December 28, 1978, during a long duration reactor full power run.
A more sensitive Ar-41 detector system is still being developed.
c.
Solid Radwaste Solid radwaste, primarily of gloves, paper, and samples, is collected by the RSO, stored in an interim facility, then transferred to a licensed commercial vendor for disposal at an approved facility.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
13.
Emergency Protection Procedures The inspector reviewed the Reactor Operations Log and noted that all persons required to complete the annual reactor re-entry drill had done so by April of 1978.
The emergency kit located at a rerote location was inspected. Adequate survey instruments, exposure monitoring devices, protective clothing, including an approved self-contained breathing apparatus, and decontamination materials were located in the kit.
The revised emergency plan procedures were reviewed and found to be adequate.
The inspector accompanied the reactor supervisor in a re-entry procedure walk through.
No problems were identified.
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1,
Exit Interview The inspector met with the licensee representatives (denoted in Paragraph 1) on January 5,1979.
The purpose, scope, and findings of the inspection were discussed.
No items of noncompliance were found.
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