ML19296C426
| ML19296C426 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000398 |
| Issue date: | 07/12/1979 |
| From: | Crow W, Delaney J NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19296C419 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8002260032 | |
| Download: ML19296C426 (9) | |
Text
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Safety Evaluation Report U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards (NBS)
Renewal Application for SNM-362 Dated December 18, 1975 and Supplement Dated September 19, 1978 Docket 70-398 I.
Background
NBS has been licersed under Special Nuclear Material License No. SNM-362 since April 15, 1960.
The current license was scheduled to expire June 30, 1976.
The December 18, 1975, application was a timely renewal request and the license has continued in effect on this basis.
Special nuclear materials are used at NBS for source and instrument calibration, activation and irradiation studies, beam targeting and monitoring, radioactivity counting sources, in the preparation and distribution of standard reference materials, and for miscellaneous research and development activities.
II.
Possession Limits
,F _ rial Form and Quantity A.
Uranium enriched in the U-235 Twenty-five (25) grams U-235 isotope contained in fission chambers, 250 grams U-235 in any form,4999 grams U-235 as standard reference materials (SRM), and 1000 grams U-235 as SRM in uranium enriched to less than 20%.
B.
U-233 Twenty-five (25) grams as SRM, and 10 grams in any form.
C.
Plutonium Eight hundred (800) grams as encapsulated neutron sources, 1999 grams as SRM, 10 grams in any form, and 300 grams as item count-able materials to be stored in containers,which have been deter-mined to provide satisfactory containment by the Radiation Safety Committee.
However, in addition the license retains has the following Condition No. 9:
9.
The above limits notwithstanding, the total quantity of U-235 (contained in uranium enriched to 20 percent or more in the U-235 isotope), uranium-233 or plutonium alone or in any 8002260
+
o3L
2 combination possessed at any one time shall be less than 5000 grams, computed by the formula, grams = (grams contained U-235)
+ 2.5 (grams U-233 + grams plutonium).
NBS had originally requested larger quantities of Pu and U-233 in any form.
The reduced quantities to be licensed were requested in the NBS September 19, 1978, supplement to the license renewal application.
III.
Authorized Activities The renewal license will authorize the following major operations using speciti nuclear materials.
A.
Standard Reference Materials (SRM) preparation of SRM, sample and bulk storage and SRM distribution and miscellaneous activities.
B.
Analytical Chemistry - uranium oxide SRM packaging and microchemical analyses for elemented composition.
C.
Mar Spectrometry - uranium isotopic composition determination and miscellaneous analytical procedures.
D.
Radioactivity preparation, storage, and distribution of radio-activit counting samples.
E.
Neutron Standards - source and instrument calibrations, activities, irradiations, targeting and miscellaneous research and development.
NBS also requested that certain activities such as reactor activations and irradiations be authorized.
Since use of special nuclear material in a reactor is subject to 10 CFR 50, Condition 12 as follows has been added to the license:
12.
This license does not authorize the insertion of Special Nuclear Material into any nuclear reactor.
IV.
Facilities Materials authorized under this license will be used and stored at the NBS facilities at Gaithersburg, Maryland at the following places:
A.
Room B118, Building 222 - This room is used for storage and as a distribution point for packaged SRM plutonium and uranium samples, for storage of uranium oxide quantities used for packaged stock replenishing, and for storage of miscellaneous research and develop-ment materials.
B.
Room A344, Building 222 - This room is equipped as an alpha-type radiochemistry laboratory. Work in this laboratory is intermittent in nature.
3 C.
Room B25, Building 221 - Mass spectrometric isotopic analyses are done in the complex of rooms beginning here.
No plutonium work is down here.
D.
Radiochemistry Laboratory and SRM Storage Room Building 245 - Used for preparation of counting samples and storage.
All plutonium work done in absolute filtered hoods with glove boxes in the hodd or in free standing absolute filtered glove boxes.
E.
Rooms B24 and B131-B133, Building 245 - Pu-Be neutron sources, encapsulated uranium and plutonium items, and item countable materials are stored here.
These materials are used in Building 245 for developing neutron standards, calibration of neutron source emission rates, and for miscellaneous research and development activities.
F.
Reactor, Building 235 - Item countable materials such as fission chambers, deposits on foils, and neutron filter / target assemblies are stored and used (less tnan 250 grams total) in various areas of the building.
V.
Compliance History Because of the nature of activities at NBS safety inspections have been scheduled only about once a year.
(A recent change in IE procedures may require more frequent inspections in the future.)
Inspections related to the NBS Fundamental Nuclear Material Control Plan (FNMC) are conducted more frequently.
An FN!'C inspection in November,1974, identified a number of items of noncompliance related to the FNMC and 10 CFR 70.51 and 70.53.
Since that 1974 inspection has had an excellent record regarding safeguards with no items of noncompliance noted during recent inspections on December 12-15, 1978, April 26, 1978, and June 14-16, 1977.
The most recent safety inspection was November 29-30, 1978, and no items of noncompliance were noted.
An inspection February 8-10, 1977, also showed no items of noncompliance.
An inspection September 26, 1976, revealed two items of noncompliance related to 10 CFR 19.11 and 20.401(b); these items were deficiencies and have been corrected.
I have discussed NBS with Mr. Jerry Roth, IE Region I, several times most recently on June 1, 1979, and he concurs that the operations there are above average.
During a visit to the NBS facility on May 11, 1978, accompanied by Dr. Shum, I received that same impression.
(See Trip Report dated May 23, 1978, Docket 70-398).
VI.
Organization and Administrative Procedures Attached is a chart, " Lines of Responsibility in the Radiation Safety Program at NBS".
The initiation of a project involving ionizing radiation at NBS must have prior approval form the NBS Health Physics Section.
This approval covers initial procurement, installation, location and use of radioactive material.
Any changes in a project already underway which might affect radiation safety must also have prior approval from the HP section.
Forms used at NBS to assist in the control of radioactive materials include the following:
4 Forms Used in NBS Radioactive Materials Control NBS-364 Proposal to Acquire Radiation Source NBS-365 Proposed Change in Utilization of Radiation Source NBS-366 Record of Inspection for Radiactive Material NBS-367 Proposed Removal or Transfer of Radiation Source or Irradiated Equipment NBS-368 Report of Loss, Theft or Accident Involving Radiation Source AEC-741 Nuclear Material Transfer Report, for Facility YBC All incoming shipments of SNM are addressed to the HP Section.
Upon arrival containers and contents are tested for contamination.
If contamination is found the HP Section takes care of it.
In cases where special bundling equip-ment is required that shipment may be taken to the laboratory of the user who opens the containet s so that the HP personnel can make the test.
In addition the HP Section maintains a cumulative inventory by isotope of all radionuclides received at NBS.
Prior approval must also be obtained from the HP Section for removing a radio-nuclide or equipment in the vicinity of radionuclides.
In addition to the HP Section NBS also has a Radiation Safety Committee (RSC) who reports directly to the Deputy Director of the NBS.
The membership of that committee is listed blow by title:
Chairman:
Director, Center for Radiation Research Deputy Chairman:
Deputy Director, Center for Radiation Research Radiation Safety Officer:
Chief, Health Physics Section Chief, Reactor Radiation Division Chief, Linac Radiation Division Chief, Analytical Chemistry Division Chief, Plan Division Chief, Administrative Services Division PHS Medical Officer The RSC through its Chairman advises the Associate Director for Technical Support on the scope, the ramifications, and the safety programs required for all possible or existing radiation hazards generated by NBS operations or the use of NBS equipment or facilities.
VII. A.
Nuclear Safety Except in Room B118, Building 222, NBS is limited to a maximum of 450 grams of SNM at a single location.
In fact, the quantity of SNM
5 at other locations has been and is expected to be appreciably less than 450 grams.
In addition much of the most frequently used SNM in more than gram quantities is in the fora of sealed Pu-Be neutron sources.
It has been calculated that more that 4.8 kilograms of Pu-239 in the form of 16 gram Pu-Be sources are required for criti-
- cality, t1BS has also provided calculations to justify the nuclear safety in Room B118, Building 222.
The safety of materials in this storage vault has been independently verified.
B.
Exemotien Reauest from 10 CFR 70.24 For the reasons outlined in the previous paragraph f4BS has requested an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR 70.24 for areas other than the Standard Reference Material storage room, Bil8 of Building 222.
Also, for the reasons given in the above paragraph it is hereby determined that granting such an exemption will not endanger life or property or the common defense and security, and is in the public interest.
This exemption is authorized pursuant to 10 CFR 70.14.
VIII.
Radiation Safety A.
General Policies The radiation safety organization has been previously described in general terms.
The basic policy at NBS is one of not only keeping exposures to the 10 CFR 20 limits, but also of keeping exposures to the minimum determined by existing work requirements.
In order to insure compliance with this policy Health Physics services are provided as follows through the HP Section:
a)
Personnel monitoring devices, medical exams, and bioassay services; b)
Providing environmental monitoring; c)
Making radiochemical lab inspections, radiation surveys, and performing radiation monitoring; d)
Controlling radioactive waste disposal; e)
Providing, calibrating, and repairing radiation survey instru-ments; f)
Leaking testing of radioactive sources; g)
Reviewing proposals for acquisition and use of radioactive sources;
t l
6 h)
Monitoring receipt, transfer and shipment of radioactive sources; i)
Providing radiation safety training and instruction; j)
Mailtaining records required by NRC regulations; k)
Defining working times permissible for a specific situation; 1)
Providing protective clothing and equipment; m)
Posting of radiation and contamination areas; n)
Providing assistance with contamination spills, potentially contaminated injuries, or other emergency situations; and o)
Providing advice and consultation as required.
B.
Personnel Monitoring A beta gamma sensitive film badge, a neutron sensitive film badge, and a wallet pack containing a gamma sensitive thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) are issued to all NBS personnel engaged directly in radiological work or who indirectly enter such work areas in their duties (e.g., guards, etc.).
Direct-reading pocket dosimeters are required for any work in a radiation or high radiation area.
Expo-sure to internal radiation sources are evaluated by the HP Section based on measurements such as whole body counts (Nseline measure-ments are made on all NBS employees who work with radioactive materials), bioassays, bload tests, etc.
Individuals are also given slit-eye examinations for detection of possible neutron induced corneal damage.
c.
Environmental Monitoring The perimeter of the NBS Gaithersburg site is monitored with thermo-luminescent dosimeters that are collected and evaluated monthly.
A particulate and gaseous monitor with a moving filter is located on the site in order to give a continuous record of the activity in the air.
The particulate monitor is sensitive to alpha radiation as well as beta-bamma.
Surface water passing over the site or origina-ting on the site, and water from various priute wells near the site are analyzed routinely for various radioisotopes.
Grass and soil samples from the site are also collected and analyzed periodically.
The ambient gamma and neutron background at the site is also routinely measured.
D.
Personnel Training Every employee engaged in work at the NBS radiological laboratories shall receive instruction from appropriate staff members at the
7 beginning of his assignment to the laboratory.
In addition, the HP Section shall conduct at periodic intervals, not to exceed one year, training and indoctrination courses in the fundamentals of radiation safety.
E.
Individual Operations With Unpackaged SNM As indicated in Section B, above, most of the special nuclear material at NBS is in the form of sealed sources and packaged materials.
Some work on unpackaged materials is done as follows:
1.
Mass spectrometry Mass spectrometric isotopic analysis are done in the complex of rooms beginning in Room 825, Building 221.
No plutonium work is done here.
For uranium analyses, a maximum of 10 milligrams of uranium, which could be in solutions with concentrations to 1 mg per ml, could be in the laboratory.
Hoods with absolute filters are used for depositions of the material on the mass spectrometer fila-ments.
Mounting the filaments in the required holders for transport to the mass spectrometer is also done in the hoods.
2.
Radioactivity Counting Samples The rooms involved are the radiochemistry laboratories' and the SRM storage room of the Radioactivity Section in Building 245.
A nominal 20 mg of plutonium, with enrichments in various isotopes, is used for production of radioactivity counting samples.
These samples are of the deposited, point-source type and the low-level solution type.
All radiochemistry is done in absolute filtered hoods with glove boxes in the hoods or in free standing, abolute filtered glove boxes.
After the electroplating and rinsing, the disc is fired to secure the material more tightly.
3.
Analytical Chemistry.
Room A344, Building 222, is equipped as an alpha-type radiochemistry laboratory. Glove boxes and hoods with absolute filter air exhausts are used for all coen source work.
Air velocities across tne nood faces are maintained at a nominal 30.5 linear meters per minute.
Loss of air flow is signalled by an alarm beil outside the labora-tory door. The area custodian, at this signal, calls Health Physics and Plant personnel for monitoring and for maintenance.
Work in the laboratory is intermitten in nature.
Plutonium, no more than 10 mg in solution, is separated by ion exhange from americium and uranium.
No assay radiochemistry on plutonium is performed.
Uranium assays involve no more than I g uranium as the oxide; the uranium is dissolved and standard radioassay techniques are performed.
i I
t 8
As sales of a particular uranium SRM deplete the packaged supply, the bottle of stock material is brought to the laboratory and a powder is removed.
This portion is packaged portion of the U 0p into samples wit 8 T g uranium each.
One sample is retained for elemental analysis.
The packaged samples are sent to Room 8118 for storage while the remainder of the stock is either returned to l
Room Bil8 for storage or shipped to the facility which stores it until it is needed again.
It is estimated that intervals of a minimum of five yee*s elapse between packaging operations for a particular item.
The above are the only operations under this license at NBS with a real potential for the release of radioactivity. With the precautions taken by NBS it is the judgment of the staff that this potential has been reduced to a minimum.
IX.
Conclusion Based on the above statements, the staff believes that the porposed activities can be performed without undue risk to the health and safety of the public.
It has been determined by the staff that the application fulfills the require-ments of 10 CFR 70.23(a).
Further, the issuance of this license renewal is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment and this, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.5(d)(4), no environmental impact statement, negative declaration, or environmental appraisal need be prepared.
The staff recommends approval of the renewal application with the addition of the following license conditions, and the exemption of the licensee from the requirements of 10 CFR 70.24.
X.
Conditions 9.
The total quantity of U-235 (contained in uranium enriched to 20 percent or ore in.the U-235 isotope), uranium-233 or plutonium alone or in any combination possessed at ay one time shall be less than 5000 grams, computed by the formula, grams = (grams contained U-235)
+ 2.5 (grams U-233 + grams plutonium).
10.
Authorized use:
For use in accordance with the statements, representations and conditions specified in the licensee's applications dated November 27, and December 26, 1967, November 1, 1968, Dcember 18,
~
1975, and September 19, 1978.
11.
Authorized place of use:
The licensee's facilities at Gaithersburg, Maryland as described in the aforesaid application.
- 12. This license does not authorize the insertion of Special Nuclear Material into any nuclear reactor.
- 13. The licensee is hereby exempt from the requirenants of 10 CFR 70.24 insofar as this section applies to material held under this license except that this exemption does not apply to Room Bil8 of Building 222.
9 14.
The licensee shall comply with the attached, " License Condition for Leak Testing Sealed Plutonium Sources."
15.
The licensee is authorized to manufacture calibration or reference sources containing plutonium for distribution to persons generally licensed under 10 CFR 70.19, in accordance with the soecifications of 10 CFR 70.39, and the procedures described in the licensee's applications listed in Item 10 above.
Notwithstanding 10 CFR 70.39(a)(3) a source manufactured and distributed pursuant to this authorization shall contain no more than 1.0 microcurie of plutonium.
- b tw J. C. Delaney 4
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Uranium Fuel Fabrication Section Approved:
,k I
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W. T. Crow, Section Leader Uranium Fuel Fabrication Section Fuel Processing & Fabrication Branch Division of Fuel Cycle and Material Safety
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