ML19309C858
| ML19309C858 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of Michigan |
| Issue date: | 02/21/1980 |
| From: | Fisher W, Miller D, Paul R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19309C854 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-002-80-01, 50-2-80-1, NUDOCS 8004090327 | |
| Download: ML19309C858 (7) | |
See also: IR 05000002/1980001
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
REGION III
Report No. 50-002/80-01
Docket No.50-002
License No. R-28
Licensee:
University of Michigan
Michigan Meniorial-Phoenix Project.
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Facility Name: Ford Nuclear Reactor
Inspection At: Ford Nuclear Reactor Site
Ann Arbor, MI
Inspection Conducted: January 21-23, 1980
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Inspectors:
D. E. Miller
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IC A. Paul
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Approved By:
W. L. $'isher, Chief
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Fuel Facility Projects and
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Radiation Support Section
Inspection Summary:
Inspection on January 21-23, 1980 (Report No. 50-002/80-01)
Areas inspected: Routine, unannounced inspection of radiation protection
and radioactive waste programs, including: qualifications; audits; faci-
lities; training; procedures; instruments and equipment; exposure con-
trol; surveys; effluent releases; records and reports of effluents;
effluent control instrumentation; posting, labeling, and control; notifi-
cation and reports; licensee act. ion on previously identified enforcement
items and commitments; and IE bulletins and circulars.
The inspection
involved 34 inspector-hours on site by two NRC inspectors.
Results: No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
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DETAILS
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1.
Persons Contacted
- W.
Kerr, Director of Phoenix Project
- R. Burn, Reactor Manager
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- G. Cook, Assistant Reactor Manager
J. Jones, Radiation Laboratory Manager
- M.
Driscoll, Health Physicist
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J. Wahl, Supervisor of Reactor Operations
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- V. Rigot, Health Physics Technician
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The inspectors also contacted other members of the licensee's staff.
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- Denotes those attending the exit interview.
2.
General
This inspection, which began at 1:00 p.m. on January 21, 1980, was
conducted to examine the radiation protection and radwaste aspects
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of routine plant operations, past item of noncompliance, response to
IE Bulletins, and past commitments made by the licensee.
3.
Licensee Actions on Previous Inspection Findings
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(Closed) Noncompliance (50-002/78-03): There was no documentation to
confirm that the gamma spectrometry equipment-used to measure liquid
waste tank contents had been calibrated since March 1977. The inspec-
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tors reviewed the licensee's response dated October 24, 1978, and
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consider it to be acceptable.
(Paragraph 8)
4.
Organization
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Since the last report (78-3), the licensee has filled-the Health
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Physics Technician position. The remainder of the licensee's organi-
zation remains unchanged. No problems were identified.
5.
Training
Radiation protection instructions are provided to personnel upon
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initial entry to the Phoenix Memorial Laboratory (PML) - Ford.
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Nuclear Reactor (FNR) Facility.
Retraining requirements have been
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implemented since the last inspection. .The inspectors selectively
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reviewed the requalification retraining records of certain reactor-
operators for 1979.
No discrepancies were identified. Additional
radiation protection training provided. experimenters, reactor opera--
tors, and health physics personnel is tailored for their specific
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work. Records of this training are not maintained.
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No ' items of noncompliance or deviations _ were identified.
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6.
Review and Audit
The inspectors reviewed an audit conducted on August 24 and 25, 1978,
by a reactor manager from another research reactor facility, and an
audit conducted on July 23 and 24, 1979, by a chief reactor super-
visor from a different research reactor facility. These audits in-
cluded procedure compliance and technical review of several health
physics procedures. The 1979 audit report included several comments
concerning desirable procedure clarifications. The comments were
considered by the licensee and procedure changes made. No items
requiring corrective actions were identified by the auditors.
The Safety Review Committee minutes for the period November 1978
through December 1979 were reviewed for information related to
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health physics activities. The inspector noted that technical
specification, experiment, and health physics procedure changes are
routinely reviewed. The Director of Radiation Control Services for
the university continues to provide radiological safety experience
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to the committee.
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No problems were identified.
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7.
Procedures
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During the previous radiation protection inspection, the inspector
identified six areas which required procedure development or revision
(78-03, Paragraph 6). The following health physics procedures have
since been developed or revised by the licensee:
HP-il5
Revised 8/79
Retention' Tank Monitoring
and Dumping
HP-207
Original 8/79
Effluent Activity Calculation
HP-205
Revised 9/79
GM Monitor Operational Check
HP-203
Revised 8/78
Juno Calibrations
HP-107
Revised 11/78
Heavy Water Tritium Analysis
The above new and revised procedures were reviewed by the inspectors
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and were found to adequately address the subjects identified during
the previous inspection. The inspectors have no further questions
concerning these matters at this time.
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No items of noncompliance or. deviations were identified.
8.
Instruments and Equipment
The licensee possessed an adequate supply of alpha, beta gamma, and
neutron survey instruments. Selective review of the calibration
records for 1979 did not identify any discrepancies from the quarterly
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calibration frequency specified in the licensee's Healh Physics
Manual. Seven fixed NaI radiation detectors are utilized to provide
warning (alarm) and display (local and remote) of facility radiation
levels.
One monitor, the FNR exhaust monitor, initiates a reactor
scram and ventilation isolation when radiation levels exceed 1
mR/hr.
Selective review of the licensee's records for 1979 did not
reveal any discrepancies from the technical specification requirements
for operability, setpoints, actuating functions, or calibrations of
these monitors.
Gaseous air detectors (GAD), calibrated for argon-41, continuously
monitor the FNR ventilation exhaust and the FKR-PML stack No. 2
exhaust. Moving airborne particulate monitors (MAP) continuously
monitor the beam port and pool floors and the combined discharges of
the four FNR-PML stacks.
The licensee's calibration and operational
check records for the MAP's and GAD's were selectively reviewed for
1979.
No discrepancies from the technical specification requirements
for operability, testing, or calibrations were identified.
During the previous radiation protection inspection the inspector
noted that the licensee had failed to maintain records of calibration
for gamma spectrometry equipment, used to measure liquid waste tank
contents, for a specific period of time. The inspectors verified
that the corrective actions listed in the licensee's response dated
October 28, 1978, were instituted, and consider them to be adequate.
The inspectors have no further questions at this time.
9.
Personal Monitoring
The licensee uses film whole body and TLD ring badges for personal
monitoring. The whole body and ring badge exchange frequencies are
monthly and biweekly, respectively.
Badge records for the last
quarter 1978 and for the first nine months of 1979 were reviewed.
Monthly whole body doses were generally less than 200 mrems; no
quarterly exposures exceeded 1250 mrems.
Biweekly extremity doses
were generally less than 1000 mrems; no quarterly doses exceeded
18.75 rems.
The licensee uses the vendor's personal dosimetry reports as official
records.
NRC Form 4's are not utilized. There is no evidence to
suggest that individuals under 18 years of age have received doses
in excess of 10% of the applicable values specified in 10 CFR 20.101(a).
Area neutron and gamma film badges are located at several places
near the experimental beam ports.
Film badge records indicate gamma
radiation fields and no neutron radiation fields.
On the basis of
an experiment conducted by the licensee, which consisted of measuring
neutron fields by placing albedo neutron dosimeters at a variety of
places in the reactor building, including the beam port areas, neu-
tron radiation fields up to 2200 mrems per month were found. The
licensee will explore other neutron detection methods to determine
the best method to evaluate personal whole body exposures to workers
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in neutron radiation fields. This matter will be reviewed during a
future inspection.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
10.
Bioassay
Licensee procedures require urinalysis bioassays if the airborne
tritium concentration exceeds 1 MPC during heavy water transfers.
Review of airborne tritium survey records for the heavy water trans-
fers conducted since the previous radiation protection inspection
revealed no tritium concentrations exceeding 5% of the occupational
MPC. The licensee had, however, conducted tritium urinalysis on
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several individuals involved in heavy water transfers. The urin-
alysis records were reviewed; the highest tritium concentration was
30 pCi/ml.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
11.
Respiratory Protection
The licensee does not have an approved (10 CFR 20.103.e) respiratory
protection program and, therefore, is not authorized to take credit
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for the protection afforded by respiratory equipment in estimating
exposure of individuals to airborne concentrations of radioactive
material. Respiratory protection equipment is not used routinely
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but is available for emergency use.
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No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
12.
Surveys
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The inspectors selectively reviewed records of direct radiation, sur-
face contamination, and airborne activity surveys conducted during
1979 in accordance with licensee procedures HP-101 through 104.
No
problems with frequency or extent of surveys were identified.
13.
Airborne Effluents
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Airborne activity from the FNR is released through FNR-PML stack
No. 2 and the FNR ventilation exhaust stack.
Both release paths are
equipped with gaseous monitors and iodine and par .iculate samplers
for quantification of airborne releases. The inspectors selectively
reviewed the licensee's airborne effluent analyses and release cal-
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culations for 1979. The dilution factor allowed by the technical
specifications (400) is not necessary to satisfy the release limits
for iodines or particulates but is necessary for gaseous releases.
Using the allowable dilution factor, gaseous releases were less than
10% of.the technical specification limit.
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Since the last inspection the licensee has performed an evaluation
to determine the charcoal and particulate filter collection efficien-
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cies and the effect on sample flow as the filters load-up with use.
The results of this evaluation indicate particulate and charcoal
collection efficiencies were greater than 99 percent and 97 percent
respectively. The evaluation also showed there is no significant
effect on the sample flow rate as the filters load.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
14.
Liquid Effluents
Liquid wastes continue to be released to the sanitary sewer through
two series five-micron filters.
Collection and holdup is accomplished
in three 2800 gallon retention tanks.
Gamma isotopic, tritium, and
gross beta analyses are performed before discharge. The inspector
selectively reviewed the licensee's liquid effluent analyses and
release calculations for 1979. No discrepancies from the limits
specified in 10 CFR 20.303 or the technical specifications for sur-
veillance or release concentrations or quantities were noted.
15.
Effluent Report
The inspector reviewed the radioactive effluent releases reported in
the licensee's Report on Reactor Operations for the period January 1,
1979, to December 31, 1979.
Selective comparison of the reported
radioactive effluents with the licensee's analyses records did not
identify any discrepancies in the 1979 data.
Due to the shared rad-
waste f acilities utilized by PML and FNR, the reported ef fluents in-
clude a portion of the PML effluents in addition to those originating
from FNR.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
16.
Pool Water Chemistry and lleavy Water Reflector Tank Tritium
Review of the licensee's records for 1979 confirmed that pool water
radioactivity analyses were conducted at least biweekly and heavy
water reflector tank tritium analyses were conducted at least quar-
terly. Tritium content of heavy water reflector tank remained less
than 50 curies.
No abnormal activity or trends were noted.
No items of noncompliance or deviations were identified.
17.
Posting, Labeling, and Control
The inspectors toured the licensee's facilities in the company of
licensee representatives.
General housekeeping and control of
radiation hazards appeared adequate. Radiation caution postings and
control of high radiation areas were observed to comply with regula-
tory requirements,
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Solid Radwaste
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Radioactive waste materials generated at FNR are transferred in
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temporary packaging to the University Radiation Control Services
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Organization who packages the materials for disposal. A review of
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the licensee's response to IE Bulletin 79-19 will be performed
during a future inspection of the University broad license.
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No items of noncompliance were identified.
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19.
Radioactive Material Shipping
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The licensee plans to ship spent fuel in March 1980.
The inspectors
asked the licensee if they had submitted their Quality Assurance
program in accordance with 10 CFR 71.51.
The licensee stated that
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the required submittal was made on September 21, 1979.
No problems
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were identified.
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20.
Exit Interview
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The inspectors met with licensee representatives (denoted in Paragraph
1) at the conclusion of the inspection on January 23, 1J80.
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The following matters were discussed:
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The purpose and scope of the inspection.
a.
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b.
The previous item of noncompliance concerning records of gamma
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spectrometry equipment calibration.
The inspectors stated that
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this matter is considered closed.
(Paragraph 8)
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c.
Previous commitments to develop or revise procedures.
The in-
spectorr stated that adequate procedures had been developed
or revised covering the subjects listed in Paragraph 6 of in-
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spection report 78-03 and that the inspectors had no further
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questions at this time.
(Paragraph 7)
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d.
Previous commitment to evaluate particulate and charcoal col-
1ection efficiencies.
The inspectors stated that this matter
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is considered completed.
(Paragraph 13)
e.
Alternate methods of personal neutron dosimetry.
The licensee
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stated that they will explore currently availabic methods of
neutron dosimetry to determine the best method to evaluate
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personal whole body exposures at their facility.
(Paragraph 9)
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