ML19345G416
| ML19345G416 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07001623 |
| Issue date: | 02/23/1981 |
| From: | Book H, Grayson W, Riedlinger B, Thomas R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION V) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19345G410 | List: |
| References | |
| 70-1623-81-01, 70-1623-81-1, NUDOCS 8104070206 | |
| Download: ML19345G416 (7) | |
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U. S. NUCLEAR REGVLATORY COMt11SSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT REGION V Report No.
81-01 License No. SNM-1471 Priority 4
Category H
License No.
04-00650-07 Priority 3
Category FIA Licensee:
Regents of the University of California Berkeley, California 94720 Facility Name:
Camp Parks, California Inspection at:
Building 305 Inspection conducted:
February 2, 1981 Inspectors:
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B.A.Riedlin[dr Radiation Specialist 04te Signed
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Ylm.MarkGrayson,RadYationSpecialist Date Si'ghed We(d d
Approved by:
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- ate Sfgned R. D. Thomas, Chief, Material Radiological Pc tection Section Approved by:
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H. E. Book, Chief, Fuel Facility and Materials Date Signed Safety Branch Summary:
The licensee, after the decontamination of their facility, requested NRC to terminate license SNM-1471.
In order to terminate the license, a confirmatory survey will be conducted, after decontamination procedures are complete, to establish that the facility can be released for unrestricted use.
On November 13, 1980, two Region V inspectors conducted a survey of Building 305 at Camp Parks. That survey is documented in Report 80-01 for the Regents of the University of California.
Based upon the results of the November 13, 1980 survey, it was determined that additional decontamination would be required in some areas on the interior of Building 305.
8104070 @
4 Summary (co.it.) l In a letter dated January 16, 1981 Mr. Andris Peterson, Radiation i
Safety Officer, stated that Building 305 had been re-surveyed and decontaminated and was believed to be free of residual radioactive material.
On February 2, 1981, two Region V inspectors, expending 10 inspector i
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hours, continued this confirmatory survey.
Resul ts: This survey, conducted with two beta-gamma survey insty aments, two alpha instruments and 'seven wipes, found the contamination levels in some rooms within the interior of Building 305 at Camp Parks to be above i
the NRC guidelines.
Two rooms where work had been conducted under NRC License SNM-1471 were found to be free of contamination.
Due to the i
contamination still present inside Building 305, the NRC survey was discontinued until the licensee determines the radiation levels, performs necessary decontamination, conducts the final survey, and submits the survey results for evaluation by the NRC.
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i DETAILS Persons Contacted Andris Peterson, University of California, Berkeley, Radiation Safety Officer Joe Mackey, Department of the Army, Camp Parks, Facilities Logistics l
Service Manager i
Background
On 0ctober 13, 1980, the licensee requestt ' NRC to terminate License 3
They reparted that all specia; nuclear material had been transferred to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and that all radiation measurements taken at Cema Parks were at background levels.
1 It should be noted thet materials under NRC License 04-00650-07 had also been used at Camp Parks.
The Department of the Army requested the NRC to verify that Camp Parks is clear of all radiological contaminants (letter dated August 15,1980).
Two Region V inspectors conducted a radiological confirmatory survey of Building 305 at Camp Parks on November 13, 1980.
That turvey is documented in' Report 80-01 to the Regents of the University of California.
Based upon the results of the November 13, 1930 survey, it was determined that additional decoatamination would be required in some areas on the interior of Building 305.
In a letter dated January 16, 1981, Mr. Andris Peterson, Radiation Safety Officer, stated that Building 305 had been decontaminated and re-d survcyed. The building was believed to be free of residual radioactive ma terial.
On February 2,.1981, two Region V inspectors, expending 10 inspector hours, continued the_ radiological confirmatory survey of Building 305.
i The survey criteria were based on the NRC requirements established by the " Guideline for Decontamination of Facilities and Equipment Prior to Release for Unrestricted Use or Termination of Licenses for Byproduct,
- Source, or Special Nuclear Material, November-1976."
' Field Radiation Detection Instruments i
The field radiation detection instruments selected to perform this survey were:
1.
Eberline E-520, NRC #008251 due for recalibration on 4/7/81.
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.Eberline E-520,~ NRC #007908 due for recalibration on 2/12/81.
3.
'Ludlum'Model 12' Count Rate Meter, NRC.#003565 due for recalibration on 2/12/81.
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Alpha air proportional count rate meter NRC #000375 due for recalibration on 3/6/81.
Survey Instrument Readings and Check for Removable Contaminat1on - Rooms 24, 25, and 26 of Building 305 Rooms 24, 25, and 2f of Building 305 were used in unjunction with laboratory experiments involving the use of strontium-90.
This material was possessed and used under NRC License No. 04-00650-07.
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The acceptable conte,ination levels established by the guideline for strontium-90 f.1 the absence of more hazardous radionuclides are summrized in Table I.
TABLE I ACCEPTABLE LEVELS Maximum Average Removabl_e_
2 2
2 Contamination 1000 dpm/100 cm 3000 dpm/100 cm 200 dpm/100 cm Rooms 24, 25, and 26 were surveyed using Eberline E-520 instruments with HP-260 pancake probes. The area of the mica window of an HP-260 probe as stated by the manufacturer is 15 cm2 It was assumed that contamination was present over areas greater than 2
100 cm. Uniformity was assumed and the direct rgadings were multiplied by 6.67 to determine counts per minute per 100 cm2 Then, the readings were corrected for the efficiency of the probe, which was determined by checking its response with an NRC Region V strontium-90 source.
The source had an activity of 2,520 disintegrations per minute on Tugust 25, 1977 and about 2,300 disintegrations per minute at the time of the inspection.
The meter response was found to be 900 counts per minute.
The efficiency of the probe was therefore 39%.
Maximum contamination level readings found in three ' rooms inside Building 305 are indicated in the tables below.
I)
Room 25, Building ~ 305 - Former Sr-90 Laboratory DISINTEGRATIONS PER MINUTE PER DIRECT READINGS 100 SQUARE CENTIMETERS 1.
. Area on floor near 2
window 700 cpm (beta-gamma) 12,000 dpm/100 cm 2
2.
Area on cabinet door-1,400 cpm (beta-ganina) 23,900 dpm/100 cm
(cont.)
-S-DISINTEGRATI0'lS PER MIriUTE PER DIRECT READINGS 100 SQUARE CENTIMETERS 2
3.
Areas over cabinet 2,000 cpm (beta-gama) 34,200 dpm/100 cm doors 400 cpm (beta-gamma) 6,800 dpm/100 cm 2
4.
Areas under cabinets 900 cpm (beta-gamma) 15,400 dpm/100 cm 800 cpm (beta-gama) 13,700 dpm/100 cm2 400 cpm (beta-gama) 6,800 dpm/100 cm 2
5.
Ledge in cabinet 2,000 cpm (beta-gamma) 34,200 dpm/100 cm 2
6.
Board at window 3,000 cpm (beta-gamma) 51,300 dpm/100 cm A check for removable contamination was made on the ledge in the cabinet (reading 5). In Eberline E-520 with an HP-260 probe was used for Be check. The check indicated approximately 300 cpm /100 cm2 (direct reading) or approximately 770 dpm/100 cm2 removable contamination.
Although some of the areas indicated above were decontaminated by the Radiction Safety Officer on the day of the inspection, several remained.
Another complete survey of Room 25 will be necessary prior to its release for unrestricted use.
II) Room E4, Building 305 - Former Abwlute Filter Area DPMPER100cm[
DIRECT READING 2
1.
Shelf areas 500 cpm (beta-gamoa) 8,500 dpm/100 cm 2
2.
Areas under drawers 600 cpm (beta-gama) 10,300 dpm/100 cm 2
3..
Areas on portable 600 cpu (beta-gamma) 10,300 dpm/100 cm table 900 cpm (beta-gamma) 15,400 dpm/100 cm 2
4.
~ Area on window.
2,000 cpm (beta-gama) 34,200 dpm/100 cn Some of these areas were also decontaminated by 'the Radiation Safety Officer on the day of the inspection, but at least one remained.
Room 24 was not epletely surveyed during this inspection.- A complete survey will be necessary prior to releasing Room 24 for u? restricted use.
III) Room 26, Building 305 2
'D_IRECT READING DPM PER 100 cm 2
1.
' Area in cabinet 6,000 cpm (beta-gamma) 102,600 dpm/100 cm This area was decontaminated by the^ Radiation Safety Officer on the day of the inspection. There were no remaining areas with significant
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contamination in the room.. Room 26 was completely surveyed; and, at the time of the inspection, -it was found to be suitable for unrestricted use.
. Survey Instrument Readings and Checks for Removable Contamination - 1st and 2nd floor areas which formerly housed plant growth chambers and high-efficiency filters The first and second floor areas of Building 305 which formerly housed plant growth chambers and high-efficiency filters were completely surveyed.
These areas were used in conjunction with laboratory experiments involving the use of plutonium isotopes.
This matarial was possessed and used bader NRC License No. SNM-1471.
A cos21ete survey for alpha contamination was conder'.ed using the Ludlum Podel 12 and tne Alpha air proportional coJnt rate meters.
No activity was detected.
Another survey was made of the same areas using the E-520 instruments with HP-250 probes to check for beta-gamma contaminatjon.
One area was
'ound reading 500 counts per minute (8,500 dpm/100 cm ).
This area was decontaminated by the Radiation Safety Officer at the time of the inspection.
A."agion V inspectur verified that there was no remaining beta-gamma activity above background after decontamination.
Checks for removable radioactiva contsminaticn were taken in six locations in the former plant growth chamber and filter areas.
They were counted later on the NRC Region V NMC PC-55 gas flow proportional counter.
No significant removable attivity above background was detected.
Swipe locations are as indicated below.
Swipe Locations - F'rst Floo_r Areas 1.
Floor ledge 2.
Support strut for former growth chamber 3.
Top areas of lighteilb 4.
Shelf Swipe Locations - Second Floor Areas 1.
Window Ledge 2.
High-efficiency filter vent conclusion The first and second floor areas of Building 305 which formerly housed plant growth chambers and high-efficiency filters were found to be free of contaminatfon; and, at the time of the inspection, they were suitable for ucrastricted use.
Room 26 of Building 305 wes also found to be free of contamination and was suitable for unrestricted use.
. The contamination level readings in Rooms 24 and 25 of Building 305 are still above f1RC guidelines. The flRC survey was discontinued until the licer.ree determines the radiation levels, performs necessary decontamination, conducts the final survey, and submits the survey results for evaluation by the flRC.
fir. Andris Peterson was so informed in a conversation with a Region V representative on February 2,1981.
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