ML042820135

Environmental Report for the University of Missouri-Rolla Reactor.

ML042820135
Person / Time
Site:	University of Missouri-Rolla
Issue date:	08/13/2004
From:	Univ of Missouri - Rolla
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML042820135 (4)

Text

ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ROLLA REACTOR August 13, 2004

UMRR Environmental Report The University of Missouri-Rolla (UMRR) is a pool reactor operating with Materials Test Reactor (MTR) -type fuel. The fuel is enriched to just less than 20% in U-235. the maximum licensed operating power is 200 kilowatts. The UMRR is licensed by the U. S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission pursuant to 10CFR50 as a research and utilization reactor. The facility operating license number is R-79 (Docket No. 50-123).

The principle activities carried on with the reactor are instruction, training and research.

Typical experimental activities include nuclear engineering education experiments and demonstrations, basic research, neutron activation analysis, student operation training, neutron radiography, prompt gamma analysis, and spectroscopy studies.

The reactor core sits near the bottom of an approximate 30,000 gallon concrete pool. The reactor is cooled by natural convection flow of pool water and thus has no secondary cooling system or cooling tower. Heat generated by the reactor is transferred to the pool and ultimately dissipated through the pool walls and into the reactor bay.

The UMR Reactor is typically operated during normal working hours. Table 1 presents the annual operating history in MW-hrs back to 1984. On average, the reactor is operated about 10.4 MW-hrs per year. Future operations are expected to follow the historical patterns.

The facility is equipped with a ventilation system that exhaust the atmosphere in the building through vent fans located on the reactor facility roof, approximately 10 meters above grade.

The only gaseous effluent associated with normal operations is Ar-41. Air contains a small amount of Ar-40. Ar-41 is produced when dissolved air in the pool water passes through the reactor core and becomes activated. In order to minimize Ar-41 production, the rabbit facilities are operated with nitrogen gas. Annual Ar-41 releases are minimal.

Historical Ar-41 releases since 1984 are presented in Table 2. Information presented in Table 2 shows that the annual average Ar-41 release is only about 100 mCi. Future releases are expected to be similar to the historical releases.

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Table 1. UMERR Annual Operating Histrny Table 2. UAMR Annual Gaseous Releases (Ar-41)

Year MW-hours Year Activit (mCi) 1983-1984 _6.3 1983-1984 6.1 1984-1985 9.4 1984-1985 19.4 1985-1986 5 1985-1986 46.9 1986-1987 12 1986-1987 205.7 19B7-1988 26 1987-198B 404.4 1922-1989 _ 6 1988-1989 63.1 1989-1990 11.4 1989-1990 119.4 1990-1991 11.6 1990-1991 171.1 1991-1992 6.4 1991-1992 138.7 1992-1993 5.8 1992-199 38.9 1993-1994 8.6 1993-1994 60.2 1994-1995 4.6 1994-1995 60 1995-1996 8.9 1995-1996 46.1 1996-1997 5.7 1996-1997 31.7 1997-1998 61 1997-1998 - 135.6 1998-1999 10.2 1998-1999 77.3 1999-2000 7.3 1999-2000 46 2000-2001 6.1 2000-2001 37.9 2001-2002 3.8 2001-2002 45.4 2002-2003 12.9 2002-2003 3.8 2003-2004 33.6 2003-2004 81.2 Average 104 Average 91.9 Liquid radioactive waste is produced by the regeneration of the demineralizer system, lowering of the pool level for maintenance, and draining of the demnineralizer column in order to replace resins. The general philosophy of the facility administration has been to minimize liquid waste discharge. In recent years, the preference has been to replace resins as they become depleted rather than regenerating in order to minimize liquid waste.

Liquid waste are analyzed to assure compliance with regulatory requirements and then released to the sanitary sewer system. Table 3 presents the historical annual liquid releases since 1984. Future liquid releases are expected to be minimal and are not expected to exceed the historical trends.

Solid radioactive waste generated during normal reactor operations typically includes ion exchange resins, pool filters, gloves, paper, and low activity samples from laboratory experiments. Solid waste is packaged in accordance with applicable NRC and DOT regulations and is transferred to the campus Materials License and then moved to the Radiation Safety Hazardous Waste Building for future disposal in accordance with applicable regulations. Table 4 presents the historical annual solid releases since 1984.

as the data in Table 4 shows, the volume and gross activities associated with solid waste is minimal. Future solid releases are not expected to be significantly different from the historical trends.

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Table 3. UMIRR a=ual David Releases Tabl 3.UMRRannal

4. UM4RR Annual Solid Waste Releases LamdRelesesTable Year [Aciv~it (mCi) Volume (Gallons) Year Volume (ft3) Activty LC 1983-1984 0 198 8985 1983-1984 0.0 0.00 1984-1985 0.257 4650 1984-1985 37.5 1.00 985-1986 0.020 3255 1985-1986 0.0 0.00 1986-1987 0.076 3255....... 1986-1987 7.5 1.0 0 1987-1988 0.32 6310 1987-1988 0.0 0.00 1988-1989 0.369 3720 98 -1989...... 0.0 ..... . 0. 00 1989-1990 0.014 500 1989-19890 0.0 0.00

-1 99- 1991......

...... ..... ....... . . 67. 5........ . 00.

. -00...

1990-1991 1.144 38080 1989-1992 0.0 0.00 1991-1992 0.263 10678 1992-1993 0.761 11122 1994-1995 67.5 50.500 1-199.3--1994.. 0-.00-4-. ... 2-14..... 1995-1996 100 0.01 1994-1995 0.000 5 1996-1997 193 21.900 1995-1996 0.000 0 1997-1998 05.0 0.00 1996-1997 0.000 0 1998-1999 24.0 0.01 1997-1998 0.000 0 1999-2000 45.0 0.01 1998-1999 0.000 0 2000-2001 0.0 0.00 1999-2000 0.000 0 2000-2001 0.000 0 20120... 000... 0.. 2000-2002 0.0 0.00 2002-2003 0.000 0 2002-2003 0.0 0.00 2002-2004 0.000 0 2003-2004 15.0 0.11 Avrgs 0.172 4541 Average Lii2 56.50 3