ML090280231

U.S. Geological Survey Triga Non-power Reactor Facility - 2008 Annual Report

ML090280231
Person / Time
Site:	U.S. Geological Survey
Issue date:	01/15/2009
From:	Timothy Debey US Dept of Interior, Geological Survey (USGS)
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML090280231 (7)

Text

U USGS science for a changing world Department of the Interior US Geological Survey Box 25046 MS-974 Denver CO, 80225 January 15, 2009 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Washington DC 20555

Dear NRC staff,

The 2008 annual report is herein submitted for the U.S. Geological Survey TRIGA non-power reactor facility. This report is generated in compliance with our license conditions.

The facility docket ntumber is 50-274.

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

Al Adamhs, MS 12 G13" j~~2 2

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY TRIGA REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT JANUARY 1, 2008 - DECEMBER 31, 2008 NRC LICENSE NO. R-1 13 - DOCKET NO. 50-274 I. Personnel Changes:

Dr. Tamara Dickinson became the Reactor Administrator on February 1, 2008, replacing Dr. Warren Day. At the same time, the reactor facility was administratively transferred from the USGS Central Region Geologic Discipline to the USGS National Headquarters Geologic Discipline due to restructuring within the USGS.

Alex Buehrle was transitioned from a part-time student employee to a full-time, permanent employee in June 2008.

Christopher Farwell was hired as a student employee and began working on September 29, 2008.

I1. Operating Experience The Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor (GSTR) was in normal operation for the year 2008. 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 Discipline - INAA 1070 Geologic Discipline - Geochronology 1124 Non-USGS 1551 Total 3745 A. Thermal power calibrations were performed in January and July, with minor adjustments made to the instrumentation.

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B. During the report period, 175 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.

III. Tabulation of Energy Generated MWH operated Critical hours Pulses Jan 35.437 41h 21m 0 Feb 58.090 62h 20m 0 Mar 58.086 62h 17m 0 Apr 66.172 72h 6m 4 May 50.217 51h 42m 0 June 23.800 26h 18m 0 July 43.168 49h 24m 0 27.102 30h 19m 0 Sept 25.679 29h 1m 0 Oct 113.962 117h 56m 0 Nov 70.622 76h 37m .0 Dec 33.656 37h 27m 0 Totals 605.991 656h 48m 4 IV. Unscheduled Shutdowns Number Date Cause 1030 02/11108 DAC DIS064 timeout 1031 02/27/08 NP1000 hi power during sample unloading 1032 03/27/08 DAC DIS064 timeout 1033 04/17/08 DAC DIS064 timeout 1034 05/28/08 DAC DIS064 timeout 1035 06/19/08 NPP1 000 hi power due to operator trainee error 1036 08/26/08 DAC DIS064 timeout 1037 08/28/08 DAC DIS064 timeout 1038 10/31/08 DAC DIS064 timeout 1039 11/04/08 DAC DIS064 timeout 1040 11/04/08 DAC DIS064 timeout 1041 12/16/08 DAC DIS064 timeout 1042 12/18/08 NM1 000 communication fault scram 1043 12/23/08 DAC DIS064 timeout 2

V. Significant Maintenance Operations 1/08 Shim 2 rod up position indicating relay repaired 1/08 Replaced light bulb in reactor tank light 1108 Replaced high resolution monitor power supply 3/08 Replaced NM1 000 -15 vdc power supply and fixed bad wiring connections 5/08 Cleaned Shim 1 rod drive assembly barrel and dashpot to resolve inadvertent dropping of rod problem 9/08 Performed routine DOP test of HEPA filter in reactor room 10/08 Replaced the rest of the reactor tank light bulbs 11/08 Replaced the demineralizer resin 11/08 Cleaned the reactor tank 12/08 Calibrated the conductivity instrument 12/08 Replaced cracked fan pulley on the reactor room main exhaust fan 12/08 Replaced power filter capacitors (C1-C4) and potentiometer R27 in NM1000 Campbelling module VI. Summary of 10 CFR 50.59 changes There was one 10CFR50.59 change performed this year. The chart recorder in the Continuous Air Monitor (CAM) was replaced. The original chart recorder was an ink pen and paper recorder that was part of the original equipment installed almost 40 years ago. The replacement chart recorder is a paperless, digital recorder. The new chart recorder displays approximately 6 hours6.944444e-5 days <br />0.00167 hours <br />9.920635e-6 weeks <br />2.283e-6 months <br /> of data and digitally records all data to a compact flash storage card which is periodically backed up to a computer hard drive. This change was reviewed and approved by the facility staff and the Reactor Operations Committee.

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 R-113 License Tritium (HTO) 10CFR20 Allowable Allowable (curies) (Ci) (mCi) * (mCi)

January 0.203 5.833 0.0 124 February 0.510 5.833 0.104 124 March 0.440 5.833 0.0 124 April 0.370 5.833 0.092 124 May 0.282 5.833 0.0 124 June 0.103 5.833 0.098 124 3

Month Argon-41 R-113 License Tritium (HTO) IOCFR20 Allowable Allowable (curies) (Ci) (mCi) * (mCi)

July 0.261 5.833 0.0 124 August 0.107 5.833 0.0 124 September 0.095 5.833 .0.071 124 October 0.517 5.833 0.0 124 November 0.535 5.833 0.125 124 December 0.175 5.833 0.0 124 Total 3.60 70.00 0.490 1488

% of Allowable 5.1% 1-------------------0.033%

• 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 TestAmerica Laboratories.

B. A solid low-level waste shipment of 7.5 cu.ft., part of which was reactor generated, was shipped this calendar year.

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

1. Fifteen 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 mR/hr to 50 mR/hr. High level alarms are very infrequent and due to sample movements.

2. One Continuous Air Monitor (CAM) samples the air in the reactor bay. An equilibrium concentration of about 1 x 108 jiCi/ml present for two minutes will result in an increase of about 400 cpm above background. The alarm setpoints are a low-level alarm set at 3000 cpm and the high level alarm 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 values in 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 instruments are calibrated with a 3-Curie (initial activity) Cs-1 37 source traceable to NBS, and wipes are counted on a Gamma Products G5000 low level counting system. One area was 4

equal to 42.5 pCi/100 cm 2 beta, south side of room 149, between small cave and water filter. No areas were greater than 15 pCi/100 cm 2 alpha contamination.

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 four outdoor environmental stations. Reactor facility visitors are issued self-reading dosimeters. Reactor staff personnel are issued beta, gamma, albedo neutron badges.

Table 2. Personnel Monitoring Results (111108 - 11130108)

Name Whole Body (Rem) Whole Body (Rem) Extremity (Rem)

Deep Dose Equiv. Shallow Dose Equiv. Shallow Dose Equiv.

DeBey, T 0.030 0.030 0.069 Lightner, G 0.030 0.031 0.035 Liles, D 0.046 0.046 0.066 BuehrleA 0.043 0.043 0.082 Roy. B 0.0190 0.0200 0.089 Farwell, C 0 0 0 Reactor visitors and occasional experimenters wore pocket dosimeters that resulted in no individual reading that was greater than two (2) mrem.

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 0.031 0.033 0.029 0.047 0.140 Stack Cooling 0.008 0.001 0.002 0.007 0.018 Tower Fence West Vehicle 0.017 0.008 0.020 0.023 0.068 Gate West Room 0.022 0.015 0.022 0.021 0.080 151 Gate Southwest 0.005 0.005 0.006 0.007 0.023 Light Pole Control 0.041 0.037 0.033 0.037 0.148 (background)

Southeast 0.000 0.001 0.000 0.006 0.007 Light Pole I I I _I Note: Above totals have the background subtracted (see control). Environmental TLDs were supplied and analyzed by Global Dosimetry Solutions.

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X. Environmental Monitoring 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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