IR 05000294/1986001
| ML20207F288 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000294 |
| Issue date: | 07/15/1986 |
| From: | Greger L, Paul R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20207F250 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-294-86-01, 50-294-86-1, NUDOCS 8607220511 | |
| Download: ML20207F288 (7) | |
Text
{{#Wiki_filter:- . U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
REGION III
Report No. 50-294/86001(DRSS) Docket No. 50-294 License No. R-114 Licensee: Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824 Facility Name: Michigan State University TRIGA Reactor Inspection At: Michigan State University TRIGA Reactor, East Lansing, MI Inspection Conducted: June 19-26, 1986 Inspector: j Mr I R. A.
aul 7 /f/[[ ' Date / Approved By: L. R. Gre er, Chief 7/6/5 Facilities Radiation Protection Date Section Inspection Summary Inspection on June 19-26, 1986 (Report No. 50-294/86001 (DRSS)) Areas Inspected: Routine unannounced inspection of records, logs, and organization; review and audit functions; requalification training; procedures; surveillance and maintenance; fuel handling activities; radiation protection; radwaste management control; transportation activities; and open inspection items.
Results: No violations or significant safety issues were identified in the areas inspected.
8607220511 860715 PDR ADOCK 05000294 G PDR
- . DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted '
- B. Wilkinson, Reactor Supervisor-Chairman, Reactor Safety Committee
- M. Mitchell, Reactor Operator
- G. Thompson, University Health Physicist, University Office of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Safety (0RCBS)
- W. Malchman, Radiation Safety Officer, ORCBS
- Indicates those present at the exit interview.
2.
General This inspection, which began at 8:00 a.m. on June 16, 1986, was conducted to examine the research reactor program at the Michigan State University.
The facility was toured shortly after arrival.
The general housekeeping of the facility remains satisfactory, as was noted in the previous inspection (Inspection Report No. 50-294/84002 (DRP)). 3.
Licensee Action on Previous Inspection Findings (92701-92702) (Closed) Open Item (50-294/84-02-01): Records of the results of on-the-job evaluations for each operator were not readily available.
The inspector verified that the licensee has prepared and maintained more detailed evaluations.
4.
Organization, Logs and Records (40750) The facility organization was reviewed and verified to be consistent with the technical specifications and/or Safety Analysis Report (SAR).
The minimum staffing requirements were verified to be present during reactor operation, and fuel handling or refueling operations.
The licensee currently has three persons licensed to operate the reactor.
The reactor logs and records were reviewed to verify that: a.
Records were available for inspection.
b.
Required entries were made, c.
Significant problems or incidents were documented.
d.
The facility was being maintained properly.
No violations or deviations were identified.
l
. . 5.
Reviews and Audits (40750) The licensee's review and audit program records were examined by the inspector to verify that: a.
Reviews of facility changes, operating and maintenance procedures, design changes, and unreviewed experiments had been conducted by a safety review committee as required by technical specifications or SAR.
b.
That the review committee and/or subcommittees were composed of qualified members and that quorum requirements and frequency of meetings had been met.
c.
Required safety audits had been conducted in accordance with Technical Specification requirements and that any identified problems were resolved.
A review of the RSC meetings indicated the committee was meeting all requirements.
Three procedures were updated for clarity by the RSC.
The procedures concerned control rod scram time measurements, area monitor - calibration, and inspection of control rods.
" No violations or deviations were identified.
6.
Requalification Training (40750) The inspector reviewed procedures, logs, and training records; and interviewed personnel to verify that the requalification training program
was being carried out in conformance with the facility's approved plan and NRC regulations.
Requalification examinations had been conducted in December 1985 for all licensed operators.
No violations or deviations were identified.
7.
Procedures (40750) The inspector reviewed the licensee's procedures to determine if procedures were issued, reviewed, changed or updated, and approved in accordance with technical specifications and SAR requirements.
This review also verified: a.
That procedure content was adequate to safely operate, refuel and maintain the facility,
b.
That responsibilities were clearly defined.
c.
That required checklists and forms were used.
The inspector determined that the required procedures were available and the contents of the procedures were adequate.
No violations or deviations were identified.
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. .. 8.
Surveillance (40750) The inspector reviewed procedures, surveillance test schedules and test records and discussed the surveillance program with responsible personnel to verify: a.
That, when necessary, procedures were available and adequate to perform tests.
b.
That tests were completed within the required time schedule.
c.
Test records were available.
The licensee's surveillance program appeared to be satisfactory.
No violations or deviations were identified.
9.
Experiments (40750) The inspector verified by reviewing experiment records and other reactor logs that: a.
Experiments were conducted using approved procedures and under approved reactor conditions.
b.
No new experiments have been initiated since the last operational inspection (September 1984) (50-294/84001).
No violations or deviations were identified.
10.
Fuel Handling (40750) The facility fuel handling program was reviewed by the inspector.
The review included the verification of approved procedures for fuel handling and their technical adequacy in the areas of radiation protection, criti-cality safety, and technical specifications.
The licensee performed fuel inspection of 68 fuel elements in June 1986 and properly documented the ' inspection results; no problems were noted.
No violations or deviations were identified.
! 11.
Transportation Activities (86740) There have been no fuel shipments since-the last operational inspection.
No violations or deviations were identified.
12.
Radiation Control (40750) The inspector reviewed the radiation protection activities since the last inspection.
Records were reviewed, personnel were interviewed, and obser-vations were made to verify that radiation controls were being carried out in accordance with licensee and NRC regulations.
The areas covered were: i
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- . a.
Posting and labeling of restricted areas and radioactive materials.
b.
Control of irradiated samples.
c.
Calibration of radiation detection instruments.
d.
Required periodic dose rate and contamination surveys.
e.
External radiation control.
f.
Posted areas of the facility.
g.
Personnel training.
h.
Air sampling program.
The results of this review indicated licensed members of the reactor staff have received adequate radiation protection training; there are sufficient operable and calibrated portable survey meters; personal whole body exposures did not exceed 50 mrem in 1985; airborne activity samples were considerably less than 10 CFR 20 MPC limits; no bioassay samples were required; posting, labelling, and radiological controls were adequate; and irradiated material is accounted for and used only by authorized persons.
In April 1986, all the portable adiation survey meters calibrated previously in 1986 were returned to ORCBS for recalibration by the reactor supervisor because of discrepancies noted in the detection efficiencies of the instruments.
The inspector reviewed the detection efficiencies of the same instruments for several previous years and noted similar discrepancies.
The licensee was requested at the exit interview to ensure that calibration and detection efficiency techniques are sufficient for instruments used at the reactor facility.
(50-294/86001-01) During the inspector's review of the results of the yearly Area Radiation Monitor (ARM) calibrations which are preformed by the ORCBS, discrepancies involving the calculated value of the cobalt-60 source, the distance at which the source was located during the calibration, and the actual reading of the ARM were noted.
For instance, the March 29, 1983 calibration record sheet shows that the cobalt-60 source used for the calibration has a calculated value of 1000 mR/hr at 14 inches and 4000 nR/hr at seven inches, with actual ARM readings of 1100 mR/hr and 4000 mR/hr respectively.
However, based on the initial source strength of the cobalt-60 source (127 millicuries on April 26,1977), the calculated values at the time of the calibration should have been nominally 600 and 2400 mR/hr, respectively.
Similar discrepancies were noted in the ARM calibration data for the years 1981, 1982, and 1984.
Calibration of the ARM for 1985 and 1986 were performed using a cesium-137 source; no problems were noted with these calibrations.
On June 24, 1986 the licensee was requested by the inspector to perform a calibration of the ARM using the cobalt-60 source.
The licensee performed the calibration, and on June 25, 1986, informed the inspector of the results, which
- . confirmed the noted discrepancies for calibrations performed during 1981-1984.
This matter was discussed with a licensee representative (see Section 15) on June 26, 1986, at which time the licensee agreed to investigate the ARM calibration discrepancies for the years 1981-1984 ' and to provide a written report of those investigation findings to NRC, Region III.
The report should address the reasons for the discrepancies and corrective actions to ensure proper calibrations in the future.
This matter is considered an uriresolved item pending review of the licensee's report.
(50-294/86001-02) 13.
Radwaste Management (40750) a.
Gaseous Radwaste According to the licensee's calculations, the facility released 24 mci of argon-41 in calendar year 1985, and the average concentration was 2E-9 microcuries per milliliter, which corresponds to approximately five percent of the technical specification limit.
The inspector noted that the argon-41 released for 1985 was approximately 10 to 50 times more than released annually over the previous six years.
According to the licensee, the increase was caused because of a worn seal in the primary recirculating water pump which allowed excessive air to be drawn into the reactor system; as a result, more argon-41 was produced and released.
The seal was replaced and the argon-41 releases during 1986 to date are considerably lower.
Calibration of the argon-41 effluent monitoring system is accomplished by irradiating a known volume of air in a sealed vial to a neutron flux for a specified time and location in the reactor core at a known reactor power level.
The argon-41 activity in the vial is then calculated based on the neutron flux and the contents of the vial are injected into the effluent monitoring system and measured.
The calculated activity in the vial is not measured with an instrument calibrated with an NBS traceable standard, nor has the licensee recently measured the neutron flux to verify that the calculated activity in the vial is correct.
The practice of calibrating the reactor effluent monitor without having verified the activity level of the calibrating source was discussed at the exit interview.
(50-294/86001-03) b.
Liquid Wastes There was no liquid radioactivity discharged in 1985.
Pool water samples are collected and analysed for alpha, beta gamma, and tritium; no problems were noted.
c.
Solid Wastes There have been no solid waste shipments, the waste is handled by the 0RCBS under the University Broad License.
No violations or deviations were identified.
.... 14.
Review of Periodic and Special Reports (90713) The inspector reviewed the following report for timeliness of submittal and adequacy of information submitted:
Annual Report, 1985.
No violations or deviations were identified.
15.
Exit Interview (30703) The inspector met with the licensee representatives (listed in Paragraph 1) at the conclusion of the inspection on April 20, 1986 and summarized the scope and findings of the inspection.
The inspector also held discussions with the reactor supervisor to obtain information concerning the calibra-tion of the ARM June 24-26, 1986.
The inspector discussed the likely informational content of the inspection report with regard to documents or processes reviewed by the inspector during the inspection.
The licensee did not identify any documents or processes as proprietary.
In response to certain matters discussed by the inspector, the licensee: a.
Agreed to review the portable instrument calibration program and strengthen any weaknesses found.
(Section 12) b.
Stated that an investigation of the ARM calibration discrepancies found during the inspection would be made; weaknesses would be corrected; and a report of the investigation findings submitted to NRC, Region III.
(Section 12) c.
Stated that the argon-41 radioactivity used for calibration of the argon-41 effluent monitor would be verified with an NBS traceable standard.
(Section 13) > l l t
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