ML19270H334
| ML19270H334 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07001308 |
| Issue date: | 04/20/1979 |
| From: | Fisher W, Peck C NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19270H331 | List: |
| References | |
| 70-1308-79-03, 70-1308-79-3, NUDOCS 7906260228 | |
| Download: ML19270H334 (6) | |
Text
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U. S. NUCLEAR RECULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT REGION III Report No 70-1308/79-03 Docket No..'0-1308 License No. SNM-1265 Licensee: Geneal Electric Company 175 Curtner Avenue San Jose, CA 95125 Facility Nane: Morris Operation Inspection At Morris Operation, Morris, IL Inspection Conducted: March 27 and April 2-5, 1979 Inspector:
C. C. Peck j
%[2.C77
- l/dA Approved By:
W. L. Fisher, Chief
//J4/7 #/
Fuel Facility Projects and Radiation Support Section Inspection Summary:
Inspection on March 27 and Aoril 2-5, 1979 (Report No. 70-1308/79-03)
Areas Inspected: Routine, unannounced health and safety inspection, including: organization, safety comittees, training, surveillance testing, fuel storage and handling, external exposure control, interual exposure control, surveys, posting and labeling, notifications and reports, airborne effluents, and solid wastes. The inspection involved 36 inspector-hours on site by one NRC inspector.
Results:
No items of noncompliance were found in the 12 areas inspected.
.2318 2 39 7906260724
DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted
- E.
E. Voiland, Plant Manager
- K.
J. Eger, Senior Engineer, Licensing and Radiological Safety
- H.
R. Strickler, Operations Manager J. E. McGrath, Plant Safety Supervisor A. C. Shorkey, Shif t Supervisor The inspector also interviewed several operations and safety technicians.
- Denotes those present at exit interview.
2.
General The inspection began at 2:00 p.m. on March 27, 1979 with observation of the receipt and preparations for unloading of a spent fuel assembly from the La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor. The fuel was shipped in an NFS-4 type truck cask. The receipt and unloading of the cask were accomplished without incident in accordance with the licensee's standard operating procedures.
During subsequent days of the inspection (April 2-5), portions of the receipt and storage of other fuel assemblies f rom LACBWR were ob s e rved. Eight assemblies were received.
3.
Oreanization There have been no changes in the management or supervisory organization at the Morris Operation.
4.
Safety Committees The inspector reviewed the minutes of the monthly Plant Safety Committee meetings since the previous inspection in December 1978.
An item of safety interest reviewed by the committee was plans for strengthening the low activity waste evaporator. The existing vessel support structure was discovered to be defective.
The meeting frequency for the Site Safety Survey Committee was changed from monthly to quarterly. This is a committee composed of operating technicians and members of the maintenance unit.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
2318 240 5.
Training The retraining program required biennially for all operating and safety technicians was completed in January 1979. The program includes sessions in the various operating systems and components, utility and instrument systems, and radiation safety. The completion of written quizzes is required. Written certifications were issued to each employee after completion of the training.
The inspector selectively exa=ined records indicating that employees have received respiratory protection training and have been fitted with respirators.
6.
Surveillance Testing The inspector reviewed records of the following tests required by the licensee:
Basin Water Analysis Basin Water Leak Detection Alarm Basin Cooler Leak Test Stack Sample Analysis Stack Sampler Calibration Criticality Monitor Calibration Sealed Source Leak Detection Test The records indicated that tests were made at the specified frequencies and were within specified limits.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
7.
Fuel Storage and Handling Receipt and storage of eight fuel assemblies from LACBWR was completed during the inspection. Radiation levels of the fuel were low enough to permit shipment in dry casks. Standard operating procedures were employed during receipt and unloading operation, which included radiation and contamination surveys of the cask, cask flushing and sampling, and cask decontamination and contamination surveys after fuel unloading. The licensee stated that a leaking drain valve had been detected during flushing of one of the casks. The cask owner sent a representa-tive to the site to repair the valve.
As orginally planned, there were expected to be four shipments of two assemblies each. However, it was discovered at the shipper's site that dimensions of the cask cavity would accomodate only one fuel assembly; hence, eight shipments were necessary.
Although external cask surveys showed contamination levels of less than 22,000 d/m/100 cm' before each shipment of the e=pty cask to the reactor, receiver measurements exceeded this limit on two occasions.
Similarly, contamination exceeding the limit 2318 241
was detected twice when the loaded cask was received. All these instances were reported ot NRC in accordance with 10 CFR 20.205(b)(2).
The causes appear to have been differences in survey techniques, measurement equipment, and standards used.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
8.
Radiation Protection a.
External Exposure Control Film badge records for the fourth quarter of 1978 were examined.
There was no dose to any individual in excess of 1250 mrems for the quarter. For the calendar year, the highest dose to any worker was about 1900 mrems.
b.
Internal Exposure Control Quarterly bioassay and annual whole body counting services are provided to the licensee by outside vendors.
Results of recent analyses were examined by the inspcctor.
During the inspection in December 1978 (Report 78-07), it was noted that the whole body count of one worker indicated possible exposure to cobalt-60 to more than 40 MPC-hours but less than 520 MPC-hours. Accordingly, the individual was recounted in February 1979.
The recount was lower than the original, five nanocuries versus 67 nanocuries orginally. Tae licensee calculated, based on the model in ICRP 10, that the~ original dose was equal to about five MPC-hours. The possibility also exists that the criginal high count could have been caused by external contamination.
Bioassay results for samples collected in November 1978 and March 1979 were inspected. The latter results indicated a cesium-137 concentration to one individual that could possibly represent a dose greater than 40 MPC-hours. The licensee had not yet calculated the MPC-hour equivalent. The matter will be examined during a future inspection.
Examination of personnel records disclosed that all employees who use respirators have been recently retrained in respiratory protection and fitted with respirators.
c.
Survevs Samplers for detection of airborne activity are located in many areas of the plant.
Samples tre analyzed weekly, or mere 2318 242
frequently for areas with higher potentials for airborne contamination, such as the cask decontamination area.
Records indicated no recent instances of airborne activity exceeding lE-8 pei/ml beta, the 10 CFR Part 20 limit for cesium-137 concentration in an unrestricted area. A summary record for the last quarter of 1978 showed an average concentration of about 2E-ll pei/ml in the basin decontamination area, the area of highest activity in the plant.
Direct radiation surveys are conducted routinely with frequencies ranging from daily to quarterly.
There continue to be two high radiation areas in the plant, the basin filter room and portions of the basin cooler area.
Smear surveys are made daily in such *.reas as walkways of the fuel storage area, the cask decontamination area, and the control Less frequently used plant areas are surveyed weekly, room.
monthly, or quarterly. Records for the first quarter of 1979 show no evidence of contamination proble=s.
d.
Postine, Labeling, and Control The posting or radiation and high radiation areas was observed to be in compliance with 10 CFR 20.203.
Access to high radiation areas was controlled as required by regulations.
e.
Notifications and Reports An inspection of records disclosed that the radiation exposure data and calculations of radioactive material depositions in the body are maintained for each employee. The information is reported to employees as required by 10 CFR 19.13.
No noncompliance items were identificd related to radiation protection.
9.
Radioactive Waste Manacement a.
Airborne Effluents Radioactivity released from the single plant stack is con-tinuously sampled, the samples being analyzed weekly. Records indicated that concentrations have been well within the limit of 4 x 10-8 pei/ml beta activity specified in the licensee's Consolidated Safety Analysis Report for air exiting the stack.
License Condition 21 incorporates linits and conditions of the CSAR into License SNM-1265.
2318 243 b.
Liquid Effluents Sanitary wastes and industrial waste water are released to lagoons and an evaporation pond located within the site bounda ry.
Monthly analyses indicate no detectable radio-activity. Liquids containing radioactivity are collected in the low activity waste vault.
c.
Solid Wastes Records of solid waste shipments to NRC-licensed burial sites were inspected. Concentrations of radioactivity in all shipping containers were low enough so that the contents could be classi-fled as Low Specific Activity material. The total radioactive material in each shipment and therefore in each container was within the Type A limit of three curies for Transport Group III materials.
Shipments were made in exclusive use vehicles in accordance with 40 CFR 173.392 for LSA material. Radiation and contamination survey records were adequate.
10.
Exit Inte rview The inspector met with licensee representatives denoted in Paragraph 1 at the conclusion of the inspection on April 5, 1979.
The scope of the inspection was discussed, and the licensee advised that no items of noncompliance had been detected.
The relatively high bioassay result for one e=ployee was discussed (Paragraph 8).
Licensee representatives said efforts to relate the result to a specific occurrence had thus far been unsuccessful.
2318 244,