ML19290G716

IE Insp Repts 70-0925/80-03 & 70-1193/80-05 on 800930-1002. No Noncompliance Noted.Major Areas Inspected:Facility Changes & Mods,Radwaste Mgt & Licensee Actions on Previous Insp Findings

ML19290G716
Person / Time
Site:	07000925, 07001193
Issue date:	11/10/1980
From:	Fisher W, Hueter L NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:
Shared Package
ML19290G715	List: ML19290G714 ML19290G716
References
70-0925-80-03, 70-1193-80-05, 70-1193-80-5, 70-925-80-3, NUDOCS 8012180435
Download: ML19290G716 (10)

Text

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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT REGION III Reports No. 70-925/80-03; 70-1193/80-05 Docket Nos.70-925; 70-1193 Licenses No. SNM-928; SNM-1174 Licensee: Kerr McGee Nuclear Corporation Kerr McGee Center Oklahoma City, OK 73102 Facility Name:

Cimarron Facility Inspection At:

Cimarron Facility; Crescent, OK Inspection Conducted:

September 30 - October 2, 1980 Y'

l rr Inspector:

L. J. Hueter

/[-/8

,$,J Approved By:

W. L. Fisher, Chief

// -/ C -f C Fuel Facility Projects and Radiation Support Section Inspection Summary Inspection on September 30 - October 2, 1980 (Reports No. 70-925/80-03; 70-1193/80-05 Areas Inspected: Routine, unannounced safety inspection, including:

orga-nization and qualifications; facility changes and modifications; internal reviews and audits; training; procedures; instruments and equipment; exposure control; posting, labeling, and controls; surveys; notifications; and reports.

Radioactive waste management, including:

liquid effluents, airborne effluents, effluent records and reports, solid wastes, and HEPA filter testing.

Licensee actions on previous inspection findings alsc were inspected. The inspection involved 21 inspector-hours on site by one NRC inspector.

Results: No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified in the 16 areas inspected.

801 u l u uf35

DETAILS 1.

Persons Contacted

• A. W. Norwood, Cimarron Standby Operations Manager

• E. R. Goltra, M.D., Corporate Medical Director

• G. J. Sinke, Staff Health Physicist (Corporate)

• R. L. Fine, Cimarron Facility Health and Safety Supervisor

• R. C. Borgmier, Cimarron Standby Decontamination Supervisor

• V. D. Richards, Cimarron Standby Decontamination Supervisor

• Denotes those present at the exit interview.

2.

General This inspection began at 1:00 p.m. on September 30, 1980. The inspector toured the plutonium plant, the uranium plant, and outside areas to examine radiation protection practices and radioactive waste management.

Observations during the tour included the licensee's continuing efforts to decommission the uranium plant and, to modify portions of the uranium plant, the nearby warehouse, surrounding grounds, and fences to accommodate the coal liquefaction project (CLP).

The area for the CLP was released (with two restrictions) for its intended use in late spring 1980, following cleanup and surveys. One rest.riction prohibited access to the attic of the uranium plant, where some traces of contam-ination might remain in the insulation after vacuuming the attic and removing the top layer of insulation. The other restriction involved the enclosed piping area behind the fume hoods. Each access to these enclosed areas was posted regarding potential contamination, providing instructions to contact health physics before entry.

Separate laundry facilities have been provided for the CLP and the remainder of the uranium facility. Recent efforts by the licensee to improve housekeep-ing in the uranium facility were evident.

A steam cleaning tent was nearing completion in the uranium facility.

In thg interim, some items with low levels of contamination (<10,000dpm/100cm ) are being steam clear.ed in a controlled a ea outside the uranium plant, with steam and air being sampled nearby downwind.

At the plutonium plant, the progress of the solvent extraction (SX) system removal was observed. The licensee is currently removing hangers but is nearing the project of removing the stainless steel columns and hardened glass columns. The former will be cut into sections by plasma are techniques as the columns are lowered. The sections will be placed in barrels. The glass columns will be placed in long pipes, which will be sealed. Thus far, from the SX area 83 sealed drums containing a total of about 415 grams of plutonium have been removed to storage awaiting radwaste shipment when approvals are granted. The licensee plans to begin other decommissioning work at the plutonium plant this winter in the area near the SX facility.

3.

Licensee Action on Previous Inspection Findings (Closed) Deficiency (70-1193/80-02): An empty drum wrs located in room 121 contrary to requirements in Amendment No. 3 to license No. SNM-1174, which prohibits empty or partially filled drums (or other shipping con-tainers) being in room 121.

The inspector verified that the licensee had taken the corrective action stated in the response dated June 27, 1980.

This action included removal of the drum, review of the license condition with all employees, and posting of signs, which state, "No empty or parti-ally filled shipping containers allowed in room 121."

4.

Organization and Qualifications There have been no changes in the health physics organization at the Cimarron facility from that reported in 70-925/80-03 except for hiring an additional technician, bringing the total to five. This trainee has no health physics work experience but is familiar with radiation safety, due to many years experience at the plant as an operator.

At the corporate level, some recent changes in organization and per-sonnel are noted.

Gerald Sint:e, forrerly the Health and Safety coor-dinator, is now designated as Staff health Physicist, reporting to Evan Goltra, M.D., the recently employed Corporate Medical Director.

The licensee now has about 28 people at the uranium and plutonium plants (an increase of about five employees) with authorization to hire about four more.

Plans call for about 50 employees at the coal liquefaction plant, many of whom are already employed.

Most have had previous supervisory, operator, or maintcaance experience at the Cimarron facility.

No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.

5.

Training Monthly safety meetings are being conducted.

Quarterly training in health physics provided to all employees in the period from May t' rough September 1980 included:

(1) modification of Scott Air Paks, (2 demonstration of Draeger Sampler, (3) purpose and use of lapel a,

samplers, and (4) material transfer from a radiation control are:

The liransee has made available to the health physics technicians a 15-lesson (equivalent to a one week formal course) self-study course in radiation protection technology, prepared by the Energy Systems Group of Rockwell International. The package includes instructional tapes, lesson outline, written summary of taped lectures, references to supplementary reading, homework problems and solutions, quizzes, and final exam. The course is designed to prepare one for the registra-tion examination given annually by the National Registry of Radiation Protection Technologists. Each month the technicians document their progress, which ranges from essentially none to about halfway through the course.

Some seem to be having difficulty with the math portion.

No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.

6.

Reviews and Audits Monthly reports of internal audits performed by the facility Health and Safety Supervisor from April through September 1980 showed that identified items were being addressed timely.

Review of the quarterly audits for the first and second calendar quarters of 1980, conducted by the Health and Safety Coordinator from the corporate office, showed that no significant problems had been identified.,

No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.

7.

Radiation Protection and Radwaste Procedures One procedure prepared, reviewed, and approved by the licensee since the April 7-8, 1980, inspection was reviewed during this inspection.

The procedure identified as "KM-NU-10-19, Revision 0, June 18, 1980,"

and titled " Uranium Plant Radioactive Waste Packaging and Shipment" appears comprehensive and consistent with applicable DOT and 10 CFR Part 71 requirements.

8.

Survey Meters, Counting Equipment, and Effluent Monitors Weekly operability and calibration checks and calibration records for April through September 1980 appear complete. Alarm set poi its appear appropriate. Numbers of operable and calibrated survey and monitoring instruments are considered acceptable.

No items of nonccmpliance er deviations were noted.

9.

External Exposure Control A contractor provides film badge service quarterly to guard force and management personnel and monthly to other personnel. Exposure records were reviewed for the first two calendar quarters of 1980 for those badge? quarterly and for the f?rst eight months of 1980 for those badge monthly. Twenty millirem was the maximum accumulated dose received in 1980 for quarterly badged personnel. For monthly badged personnel, the two highest accumulated doses received in 1980 through August were 940 mrem and 560 mrem.

These are the two individuals primarily involved in the SX decontamination, decommirsioning, and r: moval.

No items of non ompliance or deviations were noted.

10.

Internal Exposure Control a.

Bioassay Program (1) Uranium Plant Biweekly urinalysis data for April through late September 1980 showed that alpha activity ranged from below the minimum de-tectable level of 10 dpm/l to a maximum of about 39 dpm/l, the latter being in the range of concentrations normally seen and well below the " action level" of 65 dpm/l.

(2) Plutonium Plant The licensee continuas to normally collect and analyze urine samples c'iarterly sr those routinely involved in plutonium plant work and annually for guards and administrative per-sonnel. However, the frequency of urine samples was increased for two plutonium plant workers following an indication, in late February 1980, b; label sample analysis that the two may have exceeded 40 MPC-hours during a seven-day period resulting from work on the SX system.

(Inspection report 70-1193/80-02.) However, a review of the analytical results of these special samples, as well as all routine samples, showed no concentrations abcve the detection limit of 0.1 dpm per sample. The final evaluation resulted in the two workers being assigned 52 MPC-hours during the first quarter of 1980.

The air activity resulted from two separate occurrences.

The activity was released in one case from a small hole in a glove on a box and in the other case from a window seal having a history of leakage problems. Saw vibration near this window caused old paint to crack, releasing the contamination. This window was changed out.

All other windows were inspected and surveyed for similar problems; none were found.

Glove change, glove inspection procedure review, and self-monitoring techniques were rehearsed with the personnel involved.

b.

Uranium and Plutonium Worker In-Vivo (Lung) Counts In-vivo counts by Helgeson Nuclear Service were conducted August 18-20, 1980, f ar. lung depositions of uranium-235 in uranium plant workers and for lung deposition of plutonium-239 and amer-icium-241 in plutonium plant workers.

(1) Uranium Plant Eighteen individuals were counted for uranium deposition.

Several individuals had small detectable burdens of uranium-235, the highest being 58140.ng. The licensee uses 250 eg uranium-235 as the most restrictive maximum permissible lung burden.

The recent whole body count showed no detectable uranium activity in one 1cng-term employee, who had a previously identified burden (100-180 pg uranium-235 from 1975-1979) from work conducted about ten years ago with high fired uranium.

Although a gradual decline in activity has been observed, this was the first count that was below the detec-tion limit.

(2) Plutonium Plant Eighteen individuals were counted for plutonium-239 and americium-241.

No plutonium was detected in any of the in-dividuals counted.

Potential low levels of americium-241 were detected (the highest being 0.35 0.19 nCi) in five of the eighteen individuals counted. The two workers doing most work on the SX system showed no detectable americium burden.

The licensee uses 16 nCi as the maximum permissible lung burden for both plutonium-239 ano americium-241.

c.

In plant Air Samples and Airborne Exposure Evaluation (1) Uranium Plant The inspector reviewed the records of in plant air sampling from April 1, 1980, through September 30, 1980. Air concen-trations during this period ranged from less than 0.001 to about 7.0 MPC based on area and iapel air samples. The highest concentration was indicated by a lapel sampler worn in late September by one of the workers involved with removal of electrical cables from cable trays which had previously been steam cleaned in place. This cleaning apparently was not ver3 effective at removing uranium dust in the cable bundles.

The first lapel air sample indicating a rather high airborne con-centration aas not beileved to be valid, as there appeared to be a smudge on the filter. The smudge was thought to have been made with an anti-C glove used to grab the sampler when it became un-attached during use.

When a lapel sampler (void of any smudge on the filter) showed similar concentrations a couple days later while continuing the same work, it was concluded that the earlier concentrations in-dicated by the smudged filter may have been valid. This could have resulted in two employees receiving a maximum of about 66 MPC-hours of airborne exposure during the week beginning September 21, 1980. At this point, the licensee required use of respiratory equipment for continuance of the job. Area air samples near the work did not shvw greater than 0.5 MPC over the 12-hour period of sample collection on any of the werk days involved.

Analysis of urine samples collected immediately after the occurrence shcwed that alpha activity ranged up to 39 dpm/1, which is in the range of concentrations normally seen and well below their established " action level" of 65 dpm/l.

Analyses of followup urine samples was not complete at the time of the inspection. The licensee's evaluation of the occurrence is continuing.

The licensee's final results and evaluation will be reviewed during a future inspection.

The licensee was observed steam cleaning some disassembled electricalcabletrayswhichhadpreviouslybeendecontaminateg) to low levels (not exceeding 10,000 dpm gross alpha per 100 cm before removal from the uranium plant. This steam cleaning was being conducted in the uranium plant yard (a controlled area) near the building.

Condensed steam was being collected on a large metal tray and vacuumed into a metal can.

Air samples collected downwind showed air concentrations did not exceed 10% of the applicable MPC.

This operation was discussed at the exit interview.

(2) Plutonium Plant The inspector reviewed the records of in plant air say ling from April 1, 1980, through September 30, 1980. Air concen-trations ranged from less than 0.01 to about three MPC, based on soluble plutonium. No MPC-hours of exposure were a signed, due to nonoccupancy of involved areas.

No items of noncompliance were identified.

11.

Posting, Labeling, and Control Posting required by 10 CFR 19.11 and posting of radiation and contam-ination areas in both plants appeared adequate. The licensee continucs to utilize work permits for nonroutine work for which specific procedures have not been written or for work where there may be radiation or con-tamination hazards.

N) items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.

12.

Surveys Survey data from April 1, 1980, through September 30, 1980, were re-viewed.

Routine smear surveys outside of the production areas of the uranium and plutonium plants showed no significant removable activity.

Routine airborne and contamination surveys made in the coal liquefaction plant as a matter of good practice also show no significant removable surface activity or airberne activity.

The highest removable activity found in the uranium plant process area 2

was 40,000 dpm/100 cm. Only one smear showed this magnitude of con-tamination. The area was promptly controlled and decontaminated.

Aside from this, the highest removable activity in the process area 2

was 8,000 dpm/100 cm A trend showing a modest increase in removable activity in the uranium p. ant process area in the past two months was noted and discussed with the licensee at the exit interview.

In the plutonium plant pgoduction area, removable activity is generally less than 100 dpm/100 cm No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.

13.

Radioactive Effluents a.

Liquid There have been no liquid releases offsite since the sanitary lagoon stopped flowing on January 20, 1976. Records show that four liquid batches ranging froc 6200 to 7200 gallons were released from the plutonium plant to the sanitary lagoon during the period April 1, 1980, through September 30, 1980.

These batches contained a total of about 23 pCi of gross alpha activity. The west lagoon, which has the offsite release point and which receives any overflow from the east lagoon, remains dry. The coal liquefaction process itself should not produce any liquid waste, according to licensee personnel.

During the tour of the plutonium plant, scveral 55-gallon barrels partially filled with slightly contaminated " mop water" were ob-serve! in room 128.

In the uranium plant many " milk cans" contain-ing mop water and decontamination water were observed at scattered locations.

This matter was discussed at the exit interview.

b.

Airborne Release records for the uranium plant for April through September 1980 show that about 0.28 pCi of gross alpha activity was released at an average concentration of about 3.7 E-14 pCi/ml.

Similar records for the plutonium plant for the same period show that about 1.6 pCi of gross alpha activity was released at an average concentration of about 4.0 E-15 pCi/ml.

Some minor errors previously identifici in the licensee's effluent records and offsite effluent report (dated February 7, 1980) for the last half of 1979 had been corrected in a rep'.-rt dated April 24, 1980.

No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.

14.

Radioactive Solid Waste One waste shipment from the uranium plant to a radwaste burial facility occurred since the early April 1980 inspection. The shipment contained a box and 140 drums having a total volume of 1114 cubic feet. The activity in the waste consisted of 348 grams of uranium-235 (0.020Ci).

A large number of drums at the uranium plant are ready for shipment.

No waste shipments from the plutonium plant have been made since the early April 1980 inspection.

No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.

15.

Notification and Reports Licensee statements and records indicate there have been no thefts or losses of licensed material, overexposures of personnel, or releases of radioactive material requiring a special report by the licensee.

The review included semiannual effluent reports.

No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.

16.

HEPA Filter Testing DOP testing of intermediate and final HEPA filters in the ventilation system at the plutonium plant has been conducted at the specified fre-quencies. All final filters met the criteria. One or two intermediate filters which did not meet the criteria were replaced promptly with new filters.

No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.

17.

Exit Interview The inspector met with licensee representatives denoted in Paragraph I at the conclusion of the inspection.

The following matters were dis-cussed:

Improved separation and control accomplished by providing separate a.

laundry facilities for the coal liquefaction project and the re-mainder of the uranium plant.

(Paragraph 2) b.

Improved housekeeping evident in the uranium plant as a result of recent concerted effort.

(Paragraph 2) c.

Apparent recent exposure of two employees at the uranium plant to greater than 40 MPC-hours of airborne activity and the need to continue data collection, exposure evaluation, and corrective measures to preclude recurrence.

(Paragraph 10.c. (1))

d.

Steam cleaning of some items having low levels of contamination in the uranium plant yard. The licensee stated that a facility in the uranium plant for conducting this work was nearing comple-tion and should be in use within two weeks.

(Paragraph 10.c. (1))

_g.

The trend showing a modest increase in removable activity in the e.

uranium plant process area in the past two months had also been noted by the licensee. The licensee attributes this to remcval of the electrical cables from cable trays and subsequent removal of the trays.

A decontamination effort to reduce the levels of contamination was being initiated.

(Paragraph 12) f.

The matter of containers of mop water and decontamination water at both the plutonium and uranium plants was discussed. The licensee stated that the mop water at the plutonium plant will be solidified with concrete in the near future in preparation for eventual disposal at a licensed burial site.

The licensee is evaluating alternatives for handling the mop water and decontam-ination water at the uranium plant. One method being considered is the purchase of an appropriate resin for use in an existing criticality safe tank for removal of uranium from the water.

(Paragraph 13.a.)