ML19296D578
| ML19296D578 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000077 |
| Issue date: | 09/26/1979 |
| From: | Pellegrino E CATHOLIC UNIV. OF AMERICA, WASHINGTON, DC |
| To: | Jordan E CATHOLIC UNIV. OF AMERICA, WASHINGTON, DC |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19296D569 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8003060021 | |
| Download: ML19296D578 (8) | |
Text
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g September 26, 1979 9:00 a.m.
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Dr. Edward D. Jordan g(f Q Director u Information Systems and Planning Office Executive Offices
Dear Dr. Jordan:
This morning Miss Kelly Fitzpatrick and her legal counsel visited me to register concern about certain aspects about the operation of our reactor. I am attaching the statement of the c nditions which have concerned Miss Fitzpatrick in her own hand, together with the conditiens she has demanded we comply with by Frit'y :f this :tek. E am personally con,cerned about the facts in this case and I am asking you with this letter to investigate these matters immediately
. and to have a report in my office before the end of this day. Please send a report also to Dean Frankino, our University Counsel.
Cean Frankino will represent the University's interest in all further c:nversations and discussions with Miss Fitzpatrick and her lawyer. I would appreciate your personal attention to this matter. You will notice in Miss Fitzpatrick's handwriting that number five is missing. Tnis is because Miss Fitzpatrick has decided to eliminate
'this in her list of concerns and hence. this has not been for.iarded to you.
Sincerely, ,,
/ Sa a Edmund D.
- 11egrino
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CK -10 C LNV RS Y , WAS*rUNCTON D.C. 20064 . Cmc! c7 THE CIRECTon c7 tNrcRMAT:CN SYSTD45 AND F1.ANNLNG m us-m2 ' Septe=ber 26, 1979 sumscr. Radiatien 'and Reactor Safety . 3 z y D h il ha N MEMO To: Dr. E/--md D. Pellegrino UOdu ! . E President % In response to the enclosed state =ent:
- 1. A ship =ent of five ni111 curies of radioactive (tritiu=) thy =idine was orderud o.4 June 18 by Drs. Nardene and Todhunter (Depart =ent of Biology) for research use. The =aterial was shipped by New England Nuclear Corpora:ica en June 20 and received (and receipted for) by the University Radiation Safety Officer on June 21. It was wipetested and delivered by the Radiation Safety Officer to Dr. Todhunter. Due to a error en the part of New England Nuclear Corporation. a duplicate ship =ent was sen en July 2 and received by the Radiarien Safety Officer en July 3. This ship =ent was also reutinely vipetested.
There was less thm 60 picoeurr~.es of wipable actirity on both the e.teriu at.d in cris: surf cas of
- i: package -- belew the *.izits established by Federal law. The Radiation Safety Officer adyised
- .New hglsad Nuclear Corporation'of receipt of the duplicate ship =ent.
~
New Engla .d Nuclear Co:poration requested its return by collect air freight. ne package was picked up hos the Radiatien Safety Officer by E=ery Air Freight for shipment to New England Nuclear Corporation. E=ery Air Freight subsequently returned the package to the University due to m error in the bill of lading. On this occasien, because the .b.distica Sa'f ety officer was unavailable, it was delivered to the Office of Ca= pus Security according to standard precedure. It was receipted for by Ms. S. Harris, M 4,4strative Assistant to the Directer of Security. Ms. Harris' call to the Radiatica Safety Office was taken by Dr. D. Ebert and at his request Ms. Harris prc=ptly delivered the package to hi=. He placed it in the Radiation Safety Laboratory for the Radiarien Safety Officer's. action. On July 11 it was again picked up by E=ery Air Freight and shipped to New England Nuclear Corporatien.
- 2. The University does not have a Dean of Civil Engineering nor is there a rec rd of any radioactive =aterial received by the Civil Engineering Depart =ent during the Sucmer.
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. rage u v. 6 632 g... .
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- 3. Classes are held fo'r new guards, at the request of the Director o#
Sec=ity, which include use of pocket dosi=eters. Although, there are accuracy ,.able=s with all perscnal devices for recording low level radiatien exposures, these d'evices are acceptable to the Nuclear Regatory Cw_ issics. The guards are shown that erroneously high readings can be induced by physical shock (such as drcpping) and hence, the desi=eters should be handled with care, nevertheless they are instructed to record any reading which is observed. Inst:uctions for p' cper use are also posted at the check-in desk of the Reacter Rocn. We believe that the Nuclear Regulatory co-4ssion would approve replacing .he regular (abcut 10 visits per day) guard inspecticas with an intrusien alars systen. . This would elf-4 ste frequent visits to the Reacter Roca by the guards and w=uld also be ecst-effective. I reco==end that this be dcnc as soca as possible. .
'4 An unusual oder was reported in de Reactor Rocs early in the norning of August 9. About 10:30 AM the Radiatien Safety Officer dete:=ined that the oder was due to a gasolins powered es_,ressor which had been secred over-night in the adjacent Ther=al Science Laboratory, incident to ecustructicn work being conducted by a contractor in the Ther=al Science Laboratory. The R:diatien Safety Officer requestel that the cc-pressor be stored elsewhere when not in use which was c = plied with by the centractor.
S. The approved rudwaste storage is at present in two locaticns, viz. the Reactor Rec = and the Radicche=ical Labcratory. Radwaste is not
- ' stored unsafely but a = ore suitable storage locatics shculd be fccad as secu as possible.
The university radiatien safety progran and the reactor program are regularly inspected by the Nuclear Regulatory Cc-4ssion. C< m, . %.
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Edward D. Jordan, Directer Infor=atien Syste=s 5 Planning Office cc: .th. Steven P. /rankino . Dean, Col-Ns Schcol cf Law -
. s Mr Warren E. Keene y B Radiatica Safety Officer .
\ @6 Dr. David D. Ebert Senic: Reactor Operater Dr. Mario Casarella Acting Ch=n, Mechanical Engrg -
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CK D C B VENY o=AMRCA WASHINCTON D.C. too64 pgg g n,R,- CmCI CF THE DIRECTOR OF IN70RMATION sYST1Ms AND PLANNINC
- 2 us.sn:
SUBJECT:
Radiaticn Safety Subco=ittee of the Coc=ittee en Laboratory Safety; Minutes of the Meeting of October 4,1979 Me=bers Present: Dr. Edward D. Jordan, Chai:t:an, Dr. Hall L. Crannell,
- Mr. Warren E. Keene, Dr. Leopold May, Mr. William G. Nork, Dr. John Todhunter Me=bers Absent: Dr. David D. Ebert, Col. E.. F. S=ith N Si Guests Present: Mr. Steven Frankino, Dean, Law School 6 University C" %
Mr. Richard C. Applegate, Vice President for Ad=in 6 Fi:: . . . De Chair =an called the =eeting to order at 4:50 FM in Dr. Jordan's Office of the Executive Cffice Building. The Co=ittee =et in order to analy:e certain allegations and de= ands with respect to radiatien safety at the University made to the President of the University, the news =edia and purportedly to the NRC by a Ms. Kelly Fitzpatrick, a student in the School of Arts 5 Sciences and for:er part-time e=ployee in the Office of Ca= pus Security. The Chairman provided a copy of Ms. Fit: patrick's clai=s to each member present, together with a copy of a me=orandum from President Pellegrino requesting that Dr. Jordan investigate the allegations and Dr. Jordan's response. The Fit: patrick clai=s and Dr. Jordan's response to the President setting forth his findings in the =atter were discussed. In the ccurse of this discussion the following additional infor=ation with respect to the first of Ms. Fit: patrick's allagations (the shipment of S millicuries of tritiu=) was provided:
- 1. In accordance with 10CFR20.205(bl-li) packages containing no more than 10 =illicuries of radioactive caterial consisting solely of tritiu=, need not be checked for contamination. This notwithstanding, the package was checked for contamination as are all incoming ship-ments of radioactive =aterials.
- 2. The package bore a warning label " Radioactive - h" nite I" in accordance with Depaiment of Transportation (DOT) regulations. (According to COT, "the label alerts persons handling packages that the package may require special handling. If the background color of the label is all white, the radiation is =ini=al and nothing special is required for that package". According to Title 49, CFR, part 173.399 the dose rate
a
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t li=its for a package bearing a 'Hhite - I" label are 0.5 milli-Roentgens per hour at any point on an accessible surface of the package and tero milli-Roentgens per hour at three feet from any external surface of the package. This li=it is 25% of the 2 millirem per hour exposure limit for unrestricted areas set by 10CFR20.105 (b1).)
- 3. hhile the practice of having the Office of Ca= pus Security accept incoming packages of radioactive material for placement in the Radiation Safety *.aboratory is not an ideal solution because of the limited tr=4ning of the guards (provided incident to their duties to inspect the reactor room), it is a solution acceptable to the NRC.
- 4. ne radiation e:itted by tritium consists of beta particles with a
-n h energy of 18.6 kev which is insufficient to penetrate any shipping container.
"1here was general concurrence among those present that the ideal solution to the probles of handling incoming shipments of radioactive material would be the existence of a central receiving facility on the ca= pus. It could include appropriate storage facilities for such packages and the personnel could be kept informed of approved handling instructions.
In a=plification of paragraph 5 of Dr. Jordan's response to Dr. Pellegrino, Mr. Keene noted that the need for a core suitable location for storage of radioactive waste stems not only from the li=ited potential from airborne radioactive caterial and consequent low-level conta=ination of surfaces in teaching laboratories (the reactor roes and the nuclear instruction laboratory), but also' from the presence of fu=es from volatile hydrocarbons (primarily toluene in liquid scintillation materials) which are toxic chemicals even in the absence of radioactivity. A properly ventilated, secure, sole-use facility should be provided. Mr. Nork provided the com=ittee with background infor=ation concerning the previcus part-ti=e e=ployment of Ms. Fitzpatrick in the Office of Ca= pus See:=-ity, a position she had recently resigned to take another position. Dean Frankino briefed the coc=ittee en the =eeting of Ms. Fit: patrick and her counsel with President Pellegrino and on subsequent discussions between hiss' elf and Ms. Fit = patrick's counsel. He also stated that he had contacted the NRC who, as of early afternoon, October 4, had not received a co= plaint in the =atter.
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The meeting adjourned at 5:30 FM.
/
l f 4% v . %q Warren E. Keene Radiation Safety Officer cc: To attached list
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I. W_ . . . cc: Dr. Ed=nd D. Pellegrino President
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' 0 Dr. C. Joseph Nuesse i'l]D Executive Vice President 1In J""'#
Dr. John J. it.srphy Acting Provost Mr. Richard C. Applegate Vice President for Admin & Finance Mr. Steven Frankino Dean, Law School Cu *ttee Me=bers e e}}