ML19256F731
| ML19256F731 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of Missouri-Rolla |
| Issue date: | 12/11/1979 |
| From: | MISSOURI, UNIV. OF, ROLLA, MO |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19256F726 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7912200469 | |
| Download: ML19256F731 (13) | |
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I Environmental Impact Appraisal I University of Missouri-Rolla Reactor I
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Environmental Impact Appraisal for University of Missouri - Rolla Nuclear Reactor 1628 337
Environmental Impact Appraisal This section deals with the environmental effects which can be attributed to the operation of the University of Missouri - Rolla Training Reactor since I its initial criticality on December 9,1961.
future environmental effects.
It will also address potential A. Facility, Environmental Effects of Construction The UMR Training Reactor is housed in the Nuclear Reactor Building which is located on the east side of the UMR campus. The nuclear reactor was designed to be the only equipment operated in the building since operation commenced there have been no significant affect on the terrain, vegetation, wildlife, nearby water or aquatic life due to the installation of the reactor or the construction of the Nuclear Reactor Building.
There are no exterior conduits, pipelines, electrical or mechanical structures or transmission lines attached to the nuclear reactor facility other than utility service facilities which are similar to those required in other campus facilities, especially laboratories. Heat dissapation is accomplished by evaporation and conduccion from the pool. There is no external cooling system on the UMR Training Reactor.
Make-up water for the cooling system is readily available and is obtained from the City of Rolla water supply. Radioactive gaseous effluents are normally limited to Ar41, for which the building is monitored. There are minimal radioactive liquid effluents associated with the operation of the UMR training reactor. Solid and I liquid radioactive wastes are generated through the irradiation of samples to be used primarily on campus either for neutron activiation analysis or for radio-isitopic tracer analysis. These radioactive samples are gathered, packaged and shipped off-site for storage at a Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved site by the campus Radiation Safety Office. The transportation of this waste is done in accordance with existing NRC-D0T regulations in approved shipping containers.
The sanitary waste systems associated with the Nuclear Reactor facility are similar to those at other university reactors. The design excludes the pos-sibility of discharging un-monitored liquids into the sanitary waste system.
B. Environmental Effects of Facility Operation The UMR Nuclear Reactor has a maximum power output of 200 KWt in the steady-state mode. The environmental effects of thermal effluents of this order of g _1 1628 338
I magnitude are negligible. The waste heat is rejected to the atmosphere through I the roof of the Nuclear Reactor building. The average water make up to the 4
facility has been 3.15X10 liters per year (See Table 1). This amount of waterloss
,, by evaporation has minimum effect on the environment.
The room in which the reactor is located is continuously monitored for gamma-ray fields and also for radioactive particles in the air. The gamma detector is an GM chamber mounted on the bridge which spans the pool of the reactor bay, directly above the core. The alarm set point of this monitor is normally 10.0 mr/hr. This alarm has never been unexpectedly triggered by a gamma-ray field of this magnitude since it was installed in 1961. The typical reading during full power reactor operations is in the downscale (<2 mr/hr) range. The I particulate monitor is a continuous air monitor which samples the air within the reactor pool area. Dust particles are trapped in a filter which is held in place in front of an end-window Geiger-Muller tube. The alarm setpoint of the Constant Air Monitor is 7,000 counts / minute. This alarm has never been triggered due to high concentrations of radioactive particulates in the air. The typical back-ground reading ranges from 50 to 500 counts / minute.
Film badges are located at various positions both inside and outside the reactor room. The film badges are currently placed in three locations:
- 1) one is located on the reactor bridge one meter above the surface of the pool over reactor core, 2) one is located in the control room and 3) one is located in the lower level experiment floor opposite the thermal column door.
Film badges 1 and 3 are within posted radiation areas. The records for these building film badges monitors are given in table 2. Tne noteable increase in bridge monitor reading occured when the reactor power was increased to 200 KWt During the past two years the facility has reduced it's ruearch use and I converted to training. This change in use has reduced the average power and as a result lowered the bridge film badge readings.
In addition to the locations shown on table 2, the UMR Health Physics also monitors four of the campus building adjacent to the UMR Nuclear Reactor Building. Film badge monitors are located in Fulton Hall, Old Metallurgy, Norwood I Hall and the Physics building. Since these film badges have been installed there has never been a reading greater than minimum detectable (10 mr/yr).
The radioactive waste discharged from the UMR Training Reactor for the years I
1628 339 1971 tnrough 1979 is given in table 3. The solid waste is collected by the UMR Health Physicist for disposal when quanity warrents. The solid waste consists of spent resin, (Used in the pool demineralizer pool filters, paper, rubber gloves, plastic vials and other assorted reactor physics laboratory disposables.
The liquid waste produced (as shown in table 3) by the facility is discharged during demineralizer regeneration. This water is isotopically sampled using a Ge-Li/ Multichannel Analyzer system prior to discharge. The sampling assumes compliance with 10CFR20 discharge limits. During the past nine years the discharged liquid has averaged 0.92% of the limits of 10CFR20 Table II.
The gas and portialate discharged to the air by the building ventillation system is also shown in table 3. A detailed study was made in 1978 which showed that the concentration of gas was 3.1X10-8 uci/ml (Ar41) and the concentration of particulate was 1.3X10-8 ci/ml (Rb88 & Cs138) during full power (200Kw) reactor operations. The gas and particulate then discharged to the environment amounts to 1.1X10-8 uci/nl. The discharge concentration is approximately 25%
of the allowable limits of 10CFR20 table II for the predominant isotope of Ar41.
It should be pointed out that these values occur only for full power operation and therefore represent maximum values under normal conditions. This facility is used extensively for training purposes (#95%) which do not require full power opera tion. During the past two years (1978-1979) full power operation was required for only 50 hours5.787037e-4 days <br />0.0139 hours <br />8.267196e-5 weeks <br />1.9025e-5 months <br /> or approximately 1.2% of the total operating time.
Pool water analysis is also done at regular intervals (normally once per month) by the UMR Health Physicist. The results of the sampling is shown in table 4. The rather abrupt change indicated between 1974 and 1975 occurs due a change in sample procedures. Prior to 1975 a boil off to dry sample technique with gas flow proportional counter was used and since that time a one liter liquid sample has been counted using a Ge-Li/ Multi Channel Analyzer system. The values shown in table 3 are only averages for a given year and are a function of reactor power history and waiting time after sample collection.
An independent pool water analysis was performed in 1974 by the Environmental Protection Agency and results are consistant with those obtained on the UMR campus. The results show no peaks above background and thus indicate that there are no measurable radioactive isotopes in the samples. The analysis further shows that the pool water is not only within 10CFR20 discharge limits but usually less radioactive than most city water supplies.
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Another area of concern is the generation of high and low-level radioactive wastes. The storage or reprocessing of spent fuel elements is not a major con-cern at the UMR Nuclear training reactor because our typical annual U 235 burn-up is approximately 1.1 grams per year or approximately 1.1% of our excess reactivity.
During the course of activation analysis experiments and isotope production runs, the facility generates an average of 0.2 m3 of low-level radioactive waste annually (as shown in table 3). The main constituents of this waste are short-lived isotopes such as Na 24 , A1 28 , Cl 38 , Mn56, La l40 , Eu 152 . Eu 154 , Dy 165 , Au 198 ,
These wastes are shipped to authorized disposal sites in approved containers at interval directed by the UMR Health Physcist.
C. Environmental Effects of Accidents Accidents ranging from failure of experiments to the largest core damage and fission product release considered possible result in doses of only a small fraction of 10 CFR Part 100 quidelines and are considered negligible with respect to the environment.
D. Unavoidable Effects of Facility Construction and Operation The unavoidable effects of construction and operation involves the materials used in construction that cannot be recovered and the fissionable material used in t.'1e reactor. No adverse impact on the environment is expected from either of the unavoidable effects.
E. Alternatives to Construction and Operation of the Facility There are no suitable or more economical alternatives which can accomplish both the educational and the research objectives of this facility. These objectives include the training of students in the operation of nuclear reactors, the production of radioisotopes (table 5), its use as a source of neutrons for neutron activation analysis, and also its use as a demonstration tool to fam-iliarize the gereral public with nuclear reactor operations.
F. Long-Term Effects of Facility Construction and Operation The long-term effects of a research facility such as the UMR Nuclear training reactor are considered to be beneficial as a result of the contribution to scientific knowledge and training. This is especially true in view of the I relatively low capital costs ($250,000) involved and the minimal impact on the environment associated with a facility such as the UMR Training Reactor.
I 1628 341 G. Costs and Benefits of Facility and Alternatives The annual operating cost for a facility such as the UMR Training Reactor is on the order of $130,000 with very little environmental impact. The benefits include, but are not limited to: training of Nuclear Power Plant operating personnel, conduction of activation analysis, production of short-lived radio-isotopes, and education of students and public. Some of these activities could be conducted using particle accelerators or radioactive sources, but these alternatives are at once more costly and less efficient. There is no reasonable alternative to a nuclear training reactor of the tupe presently used at the University of Missouri - Rolla Campus for conducting the broad spectrum of activities previously mentioned.
The annual cost of operating the facility are shown in table 6. These costs have been increasing over the ten years shown but are well below the economic inflation experienced by most sections of the country. This fact is demonstrated in the constant 1967 $ column. It suggest that the economic benefits of the facility are increasing with time in service.
The number of nuclear engineering students and visitors for several years is given in table 7. A direct benefit to the general public is vested in the 196 Nuclear Engineering degrees granted during the facilities operating period.
It is possible to have a Nuclear Engineering degree program without a program without a Nuclear Reactor Facility. However, past experience for most disciplines show a much better understanding when experiments and experience accompany a lecture / problem learning system.
Another example of the benefits recovered from a facility of this type is the visitors tours. Approximately 36,000 people have visited the facility and have either been shown by demonstration or by lecture / tour, the purpose of nuclear reactors in our society.
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I Table 1 Pool Water Use for UMR - Reactor [ gallons]
year Month 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 Jan 801 1184 258 685 296 620 735 387 461 Feb 922 1442 632 658 387 956 374 290 647 March 756 1114 1105 795 586 530 1090 427 332 April 1680 739 1114 1330 315 587 1173 529 301 May 621 681 1050 1360 548 574 664 560 523 Jur.e 768 1303 616 827 443 300 600 361 776 July 938 1400 910 712 538 870 947 303 357 I Aug Sept 883 693 1041 722 605 560 420 490 668 640 661 545 571 701 456 392 425 431 Oct 1007 1457 410 508 990 533 674 699 421 Nov 982 860 442 295 1486 963 515 497 551 Dec 897 310 456 627 399 837 502 522 595 Total 10948 12253 8158 8707 7296 7706 8546 5423 5820 Avera9e monthly 912.3 1021.1f679.8 725.6 608.0 642.2 712.2 451.9 485.0 I t
- Building Air Conditioner Installed 1628 A3 I
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I Table 2 Building Film Badge Records (readings in mr/ year)
Position Year 1 2 3 1961 20 40 1962 M M I 1963 1964 5
5 M
M 1965 M M 1966 M M 1967 560 80 1958 250 M 1969 110 M 1970 360 M 1971 110 M I 1972 1973 170 170 20 M
1974 280 M 1975 180 M 1976 250 M M 1977 40 M M 1978 30 M M I
Position 1 Reactor Bridge 1.5 meters above pool surface over reactor core 2 Control Room 3 Lower level experiment room opposite thermal column.
Note: 1. Reading of M means that exposure to badge was less than the lowest measurable limit (-10 mr)
- 2. Reactor re-licensed for 200 KWt in 19c7 origional license was for 10 KWt.
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I Table 3 Radioactive Waste Discharge Year Solid Liquid Gas & Particulate 1971 7.7 mci 3500 gal = 0.2 mci Not available 1972 0.0 3200 gal = 14.0 mci 10,000 mci 1973 0.0 1400 gal = 5.0 mci 6,700 mci 1974 0.0 2200 gal = 12.8 mci 9,000 mci 1975 0.0 3000 gal = 24.22 mci 900 mci 1976 1.0 mci 3450 gal = 7.7 mci 115.19 mci 1977 0.07 mci 2400 gal = 17.2 mci 100.873 mci 1978 0.01 mci 2700 gal = 0.5 mci 22.8 mci 1979 0.0 1500 gal = 0.5 mci 19.2 mci Total 8.78 mci 23450 gal = 82.12 mci 26857.99 mci I Average 0.975 mci 2605 gal = 9.12 mci 2984.2 mci Note (1) Solids consists of spent resin, filters, paper plastic with isotopes of Cr-51, Co-60, Co-58, Fe-59, Mn-54, Na-24, La-140, Ba-140, and Tritium.
(2) Liquids consists of water used for deminilizer regeneration with isotopes of Cr-51, Co-60, Co-58, Fe-59, Mn-54, Na-24, La-140, Ba-140, and Tritium.
(3) Gas and particulates are exausted by fans from the reactor building during operation with isotopes of Kr-88, Rb-88, Xe-138, Cs-138, and Ar-41.
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I Table 4 Pool Water Samples Year Activity 1971 4.0X10-6 pci/ml 1972 13.7X10- pci/ml I 1973 1974 13.4X10
-6 pci/ml 12.3X10-6 pci/ml 1975 0.20X10-6pci/ml 1976 -6 0.38X10 pci/ml 1977 0.1X10-6 pci/ml 1978 0.49X10-6pci/ml 1979 -6 0.11X10 pci/ml I
Note: The method of calculation was changed in 1975 from boil off and planchet count to a one liter liquid gross count followed by isotope analysis.
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I Table 5 By Product Release for Research Purposes Year Activity Samples on Campus Samples off Campus 1971 294.8 53 21 1972 553.0 51 19 1973 341.0 55 9 1974 145.00 40 12 1975 145.02 74 1 1976 25.89 46 0 I 1977 1978 112.8 14.3 68 26 0
0 1979 32.7 20 0 I
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I Table 6 I University Expenditures for Reactor Support Year Total Total in Salary & Wages Special Equipment 1967$
1969 $87,424 78,057 $69,544 None 1970 89,515 75,222 59,910 None 1971 83,056 65,916 60,121 None 1972 80,796 61.116 60,431 None 1973 87,343 60,153 67,380 6,587 1974 91,381 57,763 73,651 1,863 1975 90,357 54,366 73,102 None I 1976 1977 89,223 81,095 51,218 44,265 69,261 67,654 None None 1978 108,485 56,151 93,511 None 1979 130,058 63,660 108,277 4,567 I
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Table 7 Students and Visitors Utilizing the Reactor Facility Year i.!grees Granted Total Enrolled Visitors BS Grad 1962 3 2 3 Not available 1963 3 0 2 Not available 1964 1 0 5 Not available 1965 9 1 6 Not available Ne' available I 1966 1967 4
5 4
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15 Nc t available 1968 4 7 26 2500 1969 7 1 74 2650 1970 11 7 79 2100 1971 10 11 70 9300 1972 6 4 82 2400 1973 11 3 84 2300 1974 9 1 77 2000 I 1975 1976 11 20 4
2 101 104 2000 2900 1977 3 3 76 2500 1978 10 2 83 1825 1979 5 0 88 2040
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