ML19261C955
| ML19261C955 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 02700039 |
| Issue date: | 02/21/1979 |
| From: | Book H, Zurakowski P NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19261C944 | List: |
| References | |
| 27-0039-79-01, 27-39-79-1, NUDOCS 7904190370 | |
| Download: ML19261C955 (9) | |
Text
.J U. S. NUCLEAR REGUIATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT REGION V Report No.
27000039/79-01 License No. 13-10042-01 I
D Priority category Licensee:
Nuclear Engineering Company Richland, Washington Burial Site Facility Naue:
Richland Facility Inspection at:
Richland, Washington Inspection conducted:
January 26, 1979 Inspectors: (
'd-l I4 7 9 P. R. Zural'owski, Radiation Specialist, RV Date Signed Date Signed Si ned Dat F
d-M 1/
7[
Approved by:
e H. E. Book, Chief, Fuel Facility and Materials Date Signed /
Safety Branch g
Inspection on January 26, 1979 Areas Inspected: Organization; modifications and changes to facilities; internal review and audit; training; environmental program; radiation protection; emergency preparedness; security; transportation incidents; theft or loss of licensed material; operations review; and independent inspection effort. The inspection involved 6 inspector hours on-site by one NRC inspector.
Results:
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified within the scope of this inspection.
7904190370 Names of parties and cert-ia w r : Mifyi y details have been remond ; ' on - D crevcnt a clearly unwarranted invnio1 of ib personal privacy of the individuals invoivad.
0 t
DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted _
- Vernon Apple, Site Manager
- Robert Phalen, Site Radiation Safety Officer Wayne Clark, Yard Supervisor Sharon Hooper, Secretary
- Denotes those attending the exit interview on January 26, 1979.
2.
Organization The site is under the supervision of a manager.
In addition, there is a yard foreman, a driver, a Site Radiation Safety Officer, a Radiation Monitor and a Secretary. The Radiation Monitor is new since the last inspection.
The site RSO reports functionally to the Corporate RSO who is also newly appointed since the last inspection. However, the Site RSO reports administratively to the Site Manager.
The Radiation Monitor reports functionally to the site RSO, but reports administratively to the Site Manager.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
3.
Facilities and Site Expansion The site facilities consist of a shop building, an office building, a storage building and the burial area. Both the operational trench and proposed trench area is surrounded with an eight foot high chainlink fence. Three of the filled trenches are mounded with desert loess and sand and marked with a monument which enumerates the contents of the filled trenches.
Trench No. 4 has been filled since the last inspection and was closed in August,1978. At the time of this inspection, Trench No. 5 was the operational trench.
No. 4 has not been mounded as yet because much of the soil from No. 5 is still piled up on top of it. The mounding and monument placing operations are planned to be completed when No. 5 is nearly filled.
- if jic; Names of parties and c
- 9 ^
details have been remot i, c:d ~ to prevent a clearly unwarranted innsion of the personal privacy of the individuals involvad.
_2 All byproduct and source material disposal is authorized by a State of Washington license.
NRC License No. 13-10041-01 authorizes only operations involving SNM. The State of Washington leases 1,000 acres on the Hanford Reservation. One hundred acres on the S. E. corner of this property is utilized by Nuclear Engineering Company as a disposal site. This property is located very near the center of the Reservation, approximately 3 miles from DOE's 200E processing area.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
4.
Internal Review and Audit A new Corporate RSO has been named since the last inspection.
It is the new R50's policy to personally make quarterly inspections at the Richland Facility. These inspections are documented and the reports were available for examination by the inspector. The last inspection by the RSO was conducted in November, 1978. The RSO also conducts training during these visits.
A review of the audit reports indicated that they are being performed at the stated frequency and that the Site RSO did followup in writing on items disclosed in previous audits. The items noted in the internal audits did not constitute an immediate safety problem and they had been corrected or satisfactorily explained by the Site RSO.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
5.
Training The Site RSO has had 11 years monitoring and supervising experience in the Nuclear Navy.
The Site Manager has had operating experience in the same capacity at the licensee's Kentucky and Illinois dis-posal sites. The new Radiation Monitor has worked at similiar jobs on the Hanford Reservation since the early 1950's.
The new monitor received formal training from both the Corporate RSO and the Site RSO. This training is documented in the individuals training record.
In addition, the monitor receives on the job train-ing from the Site RSO.
The Site Manager attended a DOT sponsored one day seminar on the handling of hazardous shipments.
During his last visit, the Corp RSO administered Part II of the "RSO Exam" to the Site RSO.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
Names of parties and cerhh ctim u :,tifyin;;
details have been rer, red i" - Dr h raevent a clearly unwarranted iw m cf th2 prxnal
- d.
privacy of the individra's i' :-
6.
Environmental Program The environmental sampling program consists of a periodic collection of soil, vegetation and water samples. The RSO stated that the envi-
. ronmental samples are nomally collected quarterly unless a need arises NECO collects their own soil and vege-for more frequent collection.
tation samples and Battelle, N. W., who is responsible for water samp1-I ing on the entire Hanford Reservation, obtains the water samples from the nearest wells to the disposal site. The analysis for both cases The is performed by U. S. Testing Company of Richland, Washington.
soil and vegetation samples are counted for gross beta with a low background beta counter. The water samples are also counted for gross The licensee has 'een infomed beta and occasionally for gross alpha.
by U. S. Testing Company that this methd of detection can be effectively The sample results examined used to detect the presence of plutonium.
appear to be quite similar to those obtained during previous inspec-Aerial surveys of the area indicate low level (rather wide tions.
spread) contamination to the east of the burial site which resulted from previous Commission activities. The possibility therefore exists of wind born contamination being transported to the NECO site even Since though the prevailing winds are from the opposite direction.
the last inspection, the licensee has identified a contaminated area in the extreme southwest corner of the site approximately 1,000 feet The contaminated area has a diameter of approx-from the trench area.
The Site Manager stated imately 15 feet and a penetration of one foot.
that they have conducted no operations in that sector and the contamina-tion therefore must have resulted from previous Commission activities.
A third quarter 1978 well sample No. 699-32-62 indicated a positive 3,300 + 710 pC1/1 for tritium.
It is interesting to note result of that this was a iRfferent well from the one that showed positive results approximately one year earlier (No. 699-33-56). Well No.
does not give a positive test for tritium at this time.
699-33-56 Because both of these wells are much closer to an old Commission disposal area than to the licensee trench area, it again appears that the slight contamination was due to previous Comission activities.
All counts The soil sample results indicated that no Pu was detected.
The for gross " Beta" were at or near the limit of detectability.
highest gross beta counts were in the 25-45 pC1/g range.
The licensee utilizes a continuous air sampler near Tre:ch No. 5 The administrative action level is whose filteg is changed daily.uCi/cc beta-gamma and any positive result set for 10-No positive alpha results were noted since the last inspection.
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Most gross beta-gama results were in the 9 x 10-13 to 1 x 10-13 None were found that approached the action level. All uC1/cc range.
environmental samples appeared to show normal counts when compared to previous results. None approached the licensee's action levels.
The State of Washington post TLD badges at each corner of the site.
These badges are evaluated quarterly. Results of these surveys were not available for review at the disposal site.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
7.
Radiation protection The NECO form accompanying each shipment requires that a surface dose rate measurement be made of each package sent to the burial site. An examination of the records indicated that the survey is Most shipments are again surveyed when they arrive at perfomed.
the site. The on-site surveys are more extensive than those made by the customers. They include radiation level measurements, smears of containers and trucks when this measurement is indicated by a preliminary instrument survey, and a check for personnel contamina-tion following unloading. A truck came in during the inspection and the surveys were observed to be perfomed in accordance with the licensee's safety manual. An examination of the records of these surveys since the last inspection disclosed no significant contamination problems.
A monthly film badge service supplied and evaluated by U. S. Testing All Company of Richland, Washington, is utilized by the licensee.
employees on the site are badged. Dosimeter Corporation of America's 0-200 and 0-500 mrem pocket dosimeters are also used. An off scale dosimeter necessitates a work stoppage and sending the film badge in for evaluation. One day service from U. S. Testing Company is available for such situations.
High exposures of 2.01 and 2.68 rem were noted for the calendar year 1978. Complete NRC 4 and 5 infoma-tion was available for these individuals.
Verbal or written pemission from the Corporate RSO is required when 1.25 rem /qtr is to be exceeded by site personnel. A listing of exposures during the calendar year 1978 is shown below:
no measurable exposure - O a.
b.
less than 100 mrem
-1 c.
100 mrem to 250 mrem
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< r t0 Pf Names of 93fI details have been re ci it a F y
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privacy of the ir Lp. 4 in !p
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250 mrem to 500 mrem
-2 e.
500 mrem to 750 mrem
-O f.
750 mrem to 1.0 Rem
-O g.
-3 h.
-2 1.
-0 j.
-0 Urine samples are submitted to U. S. Testing Company twice yearly for analysis. An examination of the records disclosed no internal exposures and that the licensee had conformed to the required schedule.
Part 19 posting requirements were noted to be posted in the office trailer where all site personnel eat their lunch.
The licensee possessed two Eber11ne 500B, one 140N, one PAC 3G, one PAC 4G, one E400, one PIC 6A, one MS-1 (air sampler scaler), one RM-14 and two teletector 6112. These instruments are calibrated twice yearly by Battelle, N. W.
All instruments observed during the inspection carried current calibration stickers.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
8.
Emergency Preparedness Both the Fire and Security Departments of the Department of Energy's Hanford Reservation have agreed to support Nuclear Engineering Com-pany's Burial Site on the reservation should their services be needed.
DOE's 200E Fire Department which is manned 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> per day is only a few miles distant from the burial site.
Entrance to the 200 area requires passage through a " Guard Gate" which is also manned con-tinuously.
Because of the large amount of radiation related work performed on the reservation, both of ther Departments are highly trained in the " emergency" aspects of radiation protection problems.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
It gmes Of PDI;;g3 and CCTI]IO O~ idcntII'i '3
, 9 p cgnt details have been t a p rson31
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9.
Security The disposal site is located on a part of the Hanford Reservation that requires either a security badge for entrance or written pemission from the Site Manager in the case of truck drivers bringing waste to the NECO site. The Site Manager stated that there have been no organized demonstrations against this fom of disposal since the last inspection.
It would be very difficult for such groups to gain access to the site.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
- 10. Transportation Incidents The Site Manager stated that since the last inspection, there have been no incidents involving his truck driver on or off site and that there have been no reportable incidents involving comon carriers while on-site. A minor contamination problem involving a commercial truck was discussed with the Site RSO. He stated that several " hot spots" were discovered during a routine exit survey of a Tri State truck. All removable activity was removed by the RSO and his Moni-tor. The truck driver was checked for contamination; none was found. The truck and driver were released upon completion of the decontamination effort and final survey. The contamination problem Was not of sufficent magnitude to be Considered reportable under Part 20.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
- 11. Theft or Loss of Licensed Material The Site Manager stated that to the best of his knowledge, there has been no theft or loss of licensed material from +he Richland Burial Site since the last inspection.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
- 12. Operations Review The licensee receives most radioactive waste materials in solid or solidified form via comon carrier (commerical truck). Some local shipments are made by company truck owned by the contrators on the Hanford Reservation. A truck driver employed at the disposal site does transport some loctl waste for burial and occasionally makes trips into surrounding states.
If the truck driver is present when a load of waste arrives via common carrier, it is customary for him rt stifying Names of parties and cartain e' details have becn removM i, cr'" 9 nravent a clearly unwarranted invasion cf t!o personal privacy of the individuals invoWd.
l to drive the truck to the disposal trench and unload it while the common carrier driver remains in the office. When the licensee's driver is not present or if the truck driver objects to someone else driving his truck the usual procedure is for the conmon carrier driver to drive to the disposal pit and wait in the truck cab as the truck is unloaded. The packaged waste has been received in DOT Specification 12B fiberboard boxes.
Hov:ever, Specification 17H steel dr m and wooden boxes are most often used. These ccntainers are usually placed directly into the trench with a crane.
The trench presently used is No. 5.
Trench No. 4 was closed in August,1978. Thg total volume of waste buried in Trench No. 4 is 300,646.1 feet. Licensed material buried in this trench in-cludes 28,993.09 grams of Pu and 64,024.65 grams of U-235. The source material in the trench totals 11,233.337 Kg. Much of the source material came from the Wah Chang Company of Albany, Oregon.
Since Oregon is an agreement state, this material was held under a state license.
Shipment records of licensed material recaived in 1978 and January, 1979, were examined. Among the customers that shipped material in this time interval were:
~ Each shipment was checked against license Condition No. 3 which restricts each accumula-tion of packages to 500 grams of SIN. No shipment that exceeded this limit was found.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
Names of p-dies and certain other identifying details have been removed in order to prevent a clearly unwarranted invasion of the persona' privacy of the individuals involved.
g 13.
Independent Inspection Effort On the day of the inspection, a cask containing dewatered resins from Dairy Power Corp, BWR located near Genoa, Wisconsin, arrived at the Richland Disposal Site. The inspector elected to observe the trans-fer of the resins to Trench No. 5 and to make safety-related survey measurements.
The Site Manager and the Site RSO conducted some initial survey measurements to confirm the customers results..The inspector's readings of 10 mrem /Hr with the instrument touching the shield-ing cask agreed well with readings obtained by the licensee and his customer. The instrument used was a Minimonitor II, SN 503029 with current calibration. The cask top was then carefully lifted off by a cable attached to the licensee's crane. Readings with the licensee's teletector were as high as 3 Rem /hr. The licensee's customer had obtained readings as i.igh as 20 Rem /hr farther down on the liner containing the dewat.ered resins. Readings near where the RSO was standing peaked at 25-30 mrem /Hr. A lifting harness was attached to the inner liner and all personnel moved back from th) task to a distance of 50 to 100 feet. As the liner containing the dewatered resins Nas lifted out of the cask, the inspector obtained readings that peaked at 8-10 mrem /Hr. As the liner was lowered to the bottom of Trench No. 5, the lifting harness released prematurely an(. it fell the remaining few feet to the bottom with the liner. T he liner renained intact.
In keeping with good Health Physics Practices, no attempt was made to recover the lifting harness. Maximum dosfmeter readings for anyone in the trench area were.ipproximately 2-3 mrem.
No violation of good health physics practices were noted during the transfer. The Huttman Nuclear and Development Corp Truck used to transport the cask was propi My placarded with DOT warning signs. After the transfer, thn truck was completely surveyed in accordance with the licensee's safety manual. Each person leav-ing the trench area was also sarveyed. No contamination was found on the truck or people.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
- 14. Management Interview The scope and findings of this inspection were discussed with the licensee representative denoted in Paragraph 1 at the conclusion of the inspection on Jr.nuary 26, 1979.
Names of parties and certain details have been rerno'
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,_ g a clearlj unwarrand n,
privacy of the individ a i b
.