ML050240264

Submittal of Annual Report of the Geological Survey Triga Non-Power Reactor Facility

ML050240264
Person / Time
Site:	U.S. Geological Survey
Issue date:	01/12/2005
From:	Timothy Debey US Dept of Interior, Geological Survey (USGS)
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML050240264 (6)

Text

United States Department of the Interior U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Box 25046 M.S. e1ar .

Denver Federal Center Denver, Colorado 80225 IN REI YLY REFER TO:

January 12, 2005 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Washington DC 20555

Dear NRC staff:

The attached annual report of the U.S. Geological Survey TRIGA non-power reactor facility is submitted in accordance with license conditions.

The facility docket number is 50-274.

Sincerely, Timothy M. DeBey Reactor Supervisor Enclosure Copy to:

Al Adams, MS 0-11 -D-1 9

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U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY TRIGA REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT JANUARY 1, 2004 - DECEMBER 31, 2004 NRC LICENSE NO. R-113 - DOCKET NO. 50-274

1. Personnel Changes: Two personnel changes occurred in CY 2004 with the hiring of Gregory Lightner as a health physics technician and the end of a one-year appointment for Regina Hutchings, a part-time student assistant.

II. Operating Experience The Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor (GSTR) was in normal operation for the year 2004. No major facility changes were made during the year.

A synopsis of irradiations performed during the year is given below, listed by the organization submitting the samples to the reactor staff:

Organization Number of Samples Geologic Division - INAA 1097 Geologic Division - Geochronology 1801 Non-USGS affiliated 923 3821 -

A. Thermal power calibrations were performed in May and November, with minor adjustments made to the instrumentation.

B. During the report period, 192 daily checklists and 12 monthly checklists were completed in compliance with technical specifications requirements for surveillance of the reactor facility.

C. Tours were provided to individuals and groups during the year for a total visitor count of approximately 300.

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Ill. Tabulation of Energy Generated MWH operated Critical hours Pulses Jan 26.137 28.23 0 Feb 28.233 29.59 0 Mar 27.637 29.25 0 Apr 104.770 116.48 0 May 41.291 44.73 0 June 27.469 29.83 3 July 40.389 42.93 0 Aug 102.347 105.87 1 Sept 69.900 72.25 0 Oct 30.141 31.73 0 Nov 111.000 112.68 0 Dec 79.271 84.28 0 Totals 688.585 726.82 4 IV. Unscheduled Shutdowns Number Date Cause 997 5/6/04 Building evacuation - fire drill 998 8/10104 DAC watchdog scram (root cause unknown) 999 8/20/04 Building power outage (lost underpressure) 1000 8/23/04 Building power outage (lost underpressure) 1001 8/26/04 DAC DIS064 timeout (root cause unknown) 1002 11/30/04 DAC DIS064 timeout (root cause unknown) 1003 12/1/04 Building evacuation - RAM alarm (det failure)

- 10 "-1 219/04-DAC-DIS064timeout (root cause unknown)

V. Maior Maintenance Operations

1. The CAM pump motor was changed in November, 2004.

2. The belt on the main exhaust fan was replaced in December, 2004.

VI. Summary of 10 CFR 50.59 changes No 50.59 changes were made during this year.

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VII. Radioactivity Releases A. Listed below are the total amounts of radioactive gaseous effluent released to the environment beyond the effective control of the reactor facility.

Table 1. Gaseous Effluents Released to the Environment Month Argon-41 icense Tritium (HTO) OCFR20 1

Allowable Allowable (curies) (Ci) (R-113) (mCi)* (mCi)

January 0.116 5.833 0.057 124 February 0.058 5.833 0.057 124 March 0.080 5.833 0.151 124 April 0.246 5.833 0.069 124 May 0.089 5.833 0.125 124 June 0.073 5.833 0.075 124 July 0.125 5.833 0.074 124 August 0.207 5.833 0.055 124 September 0.122 5.833 0.159 124 October 0.076 5.833 0.087 124 November 0.317 5.833 0.162 124 December 0.209 5.833 0.087 124 Total 1.718 70.00 1.158 1488

% of Allowable 2.45% 0 0.078% __ _

• Note: The tritium concentrations are estimates based on the amount of water lost by evaporation from the reactor multiplied by the concentration of tritium as HTO. Tritium sample analyses were performed by Hazen Research.

Note: The principal radioactive waste generated at the reactor facility is the demineralizer resin. Used resin with small quantities of rinse water is de-watered by

-evaporatdl~-placed-in-a.55-allon-drum-.-No waste-was.disposed-during the-calendar year'2004.

VIII. Radiation Monitorigg Our program to monitor and control radiation exposures included the four major elements below during the operating year.

1. Thirteen gamma-sensitive area monitors are located throughout the Nuclear Science Building. A remote readout panel is located in the reactor health physics office. High alarm set points range from 2 mRl/hr to 50 mR/hr. High level alarms are very infrequent and due to sample movements.

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2. One Continuous Air Monitor (CAM) samples the air in the reactor bay. An equilibrium concentration of about 1 x 14 jiCi/ml present for two minutes will result in an increase of 400 cpm above background. There are two alarm setpoints. A low-level alarm is set at 3000 cpm and the high level alarm is set at 10000 cpm.

Reactor bay air is sampled during all reactor operations. The fixed particulate air filter is changed each week and counted on a HPGE gamma spectrometer counting system. The charcoal filter, fitted behind the air filter, is also changed and counted weekly. In all instances, sample data were less than airborne concentration value (10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B, Table 2) for all particulate radioisotopes produced by the reactor.

3. Contamination wipe surveys and radiation surveys with portable survey instruments are performed at least once a month. All portable beta-gamma

--instruments-are calibratedwith-aM3Curie-(initial activity)-Cs-137-source traceable to NBS, and wipes are counted on a Gamma Products G5000 low level counting system. Five areas were identified greater than 30 pCi/1 00 cm2 beta-gamma contamination. Two of the five areas of high removable contamination were found on the inside of the shipping cask @ 10,249 pCV1 00 cm2 beta-gamma and on the top of the table in the reactor room @ 1,007 pCV1 00 cm2 beta-gamma contamination. The other three areas of removable contamination were found on the reactor bay table and the small cave with 65 pCI100 cm2 beta-gamma, 31 pCiI 00 cm2 beta-gamma contamination, and on the reactor bay floor with 35 pCi/1 00 cm2 beta-gamma contamination. All other areas were less than 30 pCi/1 00 cm2 beta-gamma and 15 pCi/1 00 cm2 alpha.

The roof area over the reactor tank is roped off and posted as a radiation area (averaging 2.5 mR/hr) during 1 MW operations.

4. LiF TLD dosimeters were used at five outdoor environmental stations.

Reactor facility visitors are issued self-reading dosimeters. Reactor staff personnel are issued albedo neutron badges.

-- Table 2._ nnel .Monitoring-Results_( 21s1103 -11130104) _

I Deep Dose Shallow Dose Equivalent Equivalent Name Whole Body (Rem) Whole Body (Rem) Extremity (Rem)

DeBey, T 0.060 0.084 0.121 Hutchings, R* 0.0 0.0 0.0 Lightner,G 0.058 0.071 0.078 Liles, D 0.018 0.018 0.040 Perryman, R 0.097 0.128 0.266

• Cancelled 8/31/2004 Note: December's personnel dosimetry results are not available at this time.

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Table 3. Environmental Dose Results Location Dose Dose Dose Dose Total Jan-Mar Apr-June July-Sept. Oct.- Dec.

(RAD) (RAD) (RAD) (RAD) (RAD)

Exhaust 0.0118 0.0041 0.0047 0.002 0.0226 Stack Cooling 0.003 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.003 Tower Fence West Vehicle 0.0106 0.00 0.0059 0.0016 0.0181 Gate West Room 0.0173 0.00 0.0023 0.00 0.0196 151 Gate Southwest 0:0131:0- - '0.0033- - 0;0048 - --0;0212 Light Pole Control 0.0249 0.0307 0.0227 0.0292 0.1075 (background)

Southeast 0.0025 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0025 Light Pole Note: Above totals have the background subtracted (see control).

X. Environmental Monitorinq There have been no uncontrolled radioactivity releases from the reactor to the present date. Thus, the data on file from past years to the present are considered to be background information.

Environmental soil and water samples were taken and analyzed. No elevated readings or reactor-produced isotopes were identified (fallout Cs-1 37 was identified).

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