ML19276E493
| ML19276E493 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000008 |
| Issue date: | 02/13/1979 |
| From: | Toy H Battelle Memorial Institute, COLUMBUS LABORATORIES |
| To: | Patterson J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7903140348 | |
| Download: ML19276E493 (4) | |
Text
.-
TE9a
~
OBattelle 4
Columbus Laboratone-503 Aing Asenue Columbus. Ohio 4 LN :
Telephone (614 424
- JJ4 Telen 24-5454 Februa ry 13, 1979 GM/'i- )
Mr. James P. Patterson U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region III Office of Inspection and Enforcement 799 Roosevelt Road Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60137
Dear Mr. Patterson:
Enclosed for your information is a copy of the annual BCL Measurement Review Audit. Sorry to have missed you and Mr. Finley during your recent inspection.
Should you require any further information regarding the annual measurement review, please call on me.
Very truly yours, n' y
,pu Harley L. Toy NRC Licensing Coordinator Enc. (1) 50 Years Of Service 1929-1979
~ 3 151979 790314O5%.
~
269-1215 Project Number ~
~
@3attelle Columbus Laboratories KCBrog
.WJMadia Date June 1, 1978 JDettorre HMFaust To F. J. Milford foy Fmm H. L. Toy J. Patterson/NRC-III (2/13/{
xt subject Measurement Review of Licensed SNM-7 In accordance with Adm. MPP-1 of License No. SNM-7 an annual review of the measurement program was conducted.
The review was conducted during May of 1978, and consisted of a review of the accounting records, visual observation of operations, and discussions with members of the Nuclear Materials Control Group.
Scope The review of the measurement program was confined to SNM-7 activities at the West Jefferson Site. At the time of the review there were no holdings of SNM-7 at the King Avenue site.
However, the measurement capabilities for nuclear materials at King Avenue were examined as part of this annual review.
The current inventory under SNM-7 consists mainly of irradiated SNM located at the Hot Cell Laboratory and a small quantity of unirradiated SNM (< 20g Pu 238) located at the Pu Lab and the CAL vault. Activities with unirradiated SNM have tailed-off in light of the decision to fully decontaminate the Pu Laboratory.
The maj or ef fort in this review centered on operations at the Hot Cell.
The accountability transfer procedures and accounting records at the Hot Cell were examined. Results of this examination are covered under the summary and conclusions.
Generic Background As noted in past annual reviews, the varied operations inherent in R&D activites precludes the use of one comprehensive measurement program.
R&D activities at BCL involve varied isotopic contents, batch sizes, and small quantities of SNM utilized on a given research program.
R&D activities at BCL are not amenable to on-line sampling such as found in fabrication plants. Measurement methods currently available for SNM operations include:
e Wet Chemistry o Spectrometry e NDA e Caloremetry e Coulmetry
F. J. Milford 2
June 1, 1978 4
All measurements are traceable to an NBS standard.
Weights and balances cali-brations are traceable to BCL Instrument Laboratory's NBS-calibrated weight.
Summary of Transactions A review of transactions over the past twelve months ending May 5, 1978, in-dicated the following SNM transactions:
~
Special Nuclear Material Transactions License SNM-7 For the Period May 6, 1977, through May 5, 1978 Receipts 235 239 Enriched U
Plutonium Plutonium Number Element, g Isotope,g Element, g Isotope, g Element, g Isotope, g (2) Irradiated Negligible Negligible Total Negligible Negligible
- Shipments (8) Irradiated 443,227 5,571 (10) Irradiated 3,421 2,591.
Burials (1) Irradiated 3
Negl-igible ~
It is important to note that the above transactions pertain only to License SNM-7 activities and do not include DOE activities.
O
~
F. J. Milford 3
June 1, 1978 Summary and Conclusions The measurement program employed for the current SNM-7 inventory is adequate in terms of the type and form of licensed materials processed.
The current state of the art precludes an economic measurement program for irradiated fuels for safeguards and nuclear materials management purposes. Chemical determination of the elemental weights and isotopic contents of irradiated fuels held at the Hot Cell is not feasible for safeguards purposes. As indicated in the SNM-7 license, irradiated fuel is exempt from measurement requirements. Accountability for the irradiated fuels is maintained through visual piece counting and a com-prehensive accounting control system.
Staff involved in the overall measurement program are professionals with long standing experience in the measurement of nuclear materials. The records associated with the measurement program were found to be consistent with the source documents.
The members of the Nuclear Materials Control Group (NMCG) are most conscientious in meeting their assigned responsibilities in utilizing the data generated in the measurement program.
The results of this review and audit indicate that the measurement program for License SNM-7 activities is adequate for the type and quantities of special nuclear material processed.
HT:lo e
...