ML20039A201
| ML20039A201 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000984 |
| Issue date: | 11/25/1981 |
| From: | Book H, Cooley W, Thomas R, Zurakowski P NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20039A194 | List: |
| References | |
| 70-0984-81-02, 70-984-81-2, NUDOCS 8112160350 | |
| Download: ML20039A201 (8) | |
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UNITED STATES o,,
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION t,
j REGION V 4
1450 manta LAfeE, SUITE 260
,o WALNUT CREEK CALFORMA 94596 NOV 3 01981 Docket No.70-984 Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories P. 0. Box 999 Richland, Washington 99352 Attention: Dr. J. J. Fuquay, Assistant Director for Program Support Gentlemen:
Subject:
NRC Inspection at Pacific Northwest Laboratories This refers to a routine safety inspection conducted by W. J. Cooley and P. R. Zurakowski of this office on October 22-23, 1981 of activities authorized by NRC License No. SNM-942 and to the discussion of our findings held by Messrs. Cooley and Zurakowski with members of your staff at the conclusion of the inspection.
Areas examined during this inspection are described in the enclosed inspection report. Within these areas, the inspection consisted of selective examinations of procedures and representative records, inter-views with personnel, and observations by the inspectors.
No items of noncompliance with NRC requirements were identified within the scope of this inspection.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the Commission's regulations, a copy of this letter and the enclosed inspection report will be placed in the NRC's Public Document Room.
If this report contains any information that you (or your contractors) believe ti be exempt from disclosure under 10 CFR 9.5(a)(4), it is necessary that you. (a) notify this office by telephone within ten (10) days from the date of this letter of your intention to file a request for withholding; and (b) submit within 25 days from the date of this letter a written application to this office to withhold such information.
If your receipt of this letter has been delayed such that less than seven (7) days are available for your review, please notify this office promptly so that a new due date may be 8112160 3370g
Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories established. Consistent with section 2.790(b)(1), any such application must be accompanied by an affidavit executed by the owner of the information which identifies the document or part sought to be withheld, and which contains a full statement of the basis on which it is claimed that the information should be withheld from public disclosure. This section further requires the statement to address with specificity the considerations listed in 10 CFR 2.790(b)(4). The information sought to be withheld shall be incorporated as far as possible into a scoarate part of the affidavit.
If we do not hear from you in this rep rd within the specified periods noted above, the report will be placed in the Public Document -
Room.
Should you have any questions concerni.ng this inspection, we will be glad to discuss them with you.
Sincerely,
.h.
H..E. Book, Chief Radiological Safety Branch
Enclosure:
IE Inspection Report No. 70-984/81-02 cc w! enclosure:
E. E. Oscarson, Senior Research Scientist
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-O.S.'NUCLEARfiEGULATORYCOMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION ~AND ENFORCEMENT REGION V Report No.
70-984/81-02 Docket No.
70-984-License No.
SNM-942 Safeguards Group V
Licensee:
Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories P. O. Box 999 Richland, Washington 99352 Facility _Name: Pacific Northwest Laboratories Inspection at: Richland, Washington Inspection conducted:
Octch$r 22-23, 1981
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b Inspectors:
/h&M 2 ($cd/
W. J. Cooley', Fuel acilities Inspector Date Signed
/ Q R & #A d i-n/zr/gl P. R. Zurakopski, Radiation Specialist Date Signed Approved by:
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R. D. Thoma's, Chief, Materials Radiation
'Dats Signed Pro ction Se tion Approved by:
H. E. B60k, Chief, Radiological Safety Branch Date Signed Suninary:
Inspection on October 22-23, 1981 (Report No. 70-984/81-02)
Areas Inspected: Organization; facility changes and modifications; internal audits and reviews; safety committee activities, operations review; transportation activities; radiation protection; and inventory, i
The. inspection involved 23 inspector-hours onsite by two NRC inspectors.
Results: No items of noncompliance or deviations were observed within the scope of the inspection.
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DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted
- C. R. Richey, Manager, Radiological Safety and Engineering, Occupational and Enviornmental Protection Department
- E. E. Oscarson, Senior Research. Scientist, 0&EPD D. E. Friar, Research Scientist, 0&EPD P. H. Burke, Technical Specialist, Hazardous Material Transportation Officer, O&EPD R. P.. Allen, Staff Scientist, Material Department D. C. Asmund, Building 231-Z Manager, Material Department M. W. McCoy, Technical Specialist, Material Department G. D. White, Senior Engineer,-Material Department J. E. Lester, Senior Technician, Material Department J. L. Daniel, Staff Scientist, Material Department M. T. Thomas, Staff Scientist, Material Department
- Denotes those attending the exit interview.
2.
Facilities Changes and Modifications / Operations Review Approximately one man-day was expended visiting all facilities where the licensed material is used or stored. At the time of the inspection, it was found that all licensed material was being stored.
Of the 13,254 grams of enriched uranium possessed, it was found that less than 1% was stored at the. Physical Science Laboratory, approximately 12% was stored at Building 306-W and 87% at Building 231-Z.
It was found that all licensed material was stored in a safe and secure manner. No violations of good radiation or criticality safety practices were noted during the tour.
Forms NRC-3 and Part 19 posting requirements were posted in appropriate places and in sufficient numbers at all facilities. Criticality safety limits were properly posted where required.
Building ~231-Z.
A new room to be used for the handling of contaminated material is being constructed in Building 231-Z. The room will be totally enclosed and will contair.'its own ventilation system. The room is being constructed in such a way so that in the event of a spill a rapid clean up will be possible.
The waste generated durirg the decontamination of 32,400 lbs of molybdenum metal boats has been solidified and placed in 55 gallon drums. Approximately 75 drums of contaminated waste were observed in storage. The drums. appeared to be in good condition and properly labeled. The drums are: awaiting trans-portation to a low-level disposal; site.
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> It was determined that this decontamination effort was conducted by an.outside contractor under the direct supervision of licensee personnel insofar as radiation safety was concerned.
The total inventory of licensed material stored in the building was 12,361 grams. Of this amount 12,066 grams were at an enrichment of 2.40% and 293 grams were at an enrichment 2.21%.
The total amount of U-235 possessed was 295 grams.
Building 306-W A total of 824 grams of elemental uranium varying in enrichment from 2.53% to 9% was observed in storage in Building 306-W. The material was observed to be safely stored in critically safe storage racks along with DOE owned material.
Physical Science Laboratory Only a small amount of licensed material was observed to be stored in the Physical Science Laboratory. The 69 grams of elemental uranium varied in enrichment from 2.82% to 9.00%. All specimens observed were in the form of pellets encapsulated in plastic for microscopic examination. The radiation safety problems associated with these specimens appeared to be mininal. The small amount of material precluded any criticality safety problems.
The material was observed to be stored in a safe and secure manner.
3.
Internal Review and Audit /Ci'iticality Safety This inspection included a review of-reports of criticality inspections conducted in some of the major facilities used by the licensee.
These inspections are conducted at least twice each year in each major facility, and at least once a year in Building 231-Z. During 1981, to the date of this inspection,' three criticality inspections were made in Building _306W on'3/25, 6/24, and 9/28/81. Two criticality inspections were conducted in Building 231-Z on 2/20 and 8/24/81.
The Occupational and Environmental Protection Department also conducts appraisals (in-depth reviews) of all facilities. These appraisals are a team effort. A three person' team conducted an appraisal of the licensee's efforts in Building 306-W in June,1981. The report of that appraisal was issued on September 17, 1981. The required reply from building 306-W management was dated October 2, 1981. A review of that appraisal report indicated reconinendations' for improvement in the areas of posting; the-removal of a source with a 10 mr/hr dose rate in one of the building corridors; the need for check lists to detail the handling of Type.B shipping containers; and the need to record attendance at various training sessions. The Building 306-W management reply addressed each of these matters and indicated that corrective action had been taken regarding the recommendations.
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Safety Committee Activities _.
~ A review of the licensee's Safety Review Council activities indicated that there has been no need to review new activities under the subject license. The council has on its agenda a review of the Safety Analysis Report for Building 331. That review is scheduled prior to the end of 1981.
5.
Transportation Activities The licensee's Occupational and Enviornmental Protection Department has produced a manual PNL-MA-81, Radioactfye Material Shipping Manual.
Section 2 of that manual presents the responsibilities of Department Managers, designated shipping representatives ~, and the Hazardous Materials Transportation Officer with respect to the shipment of radioactive material. The authorities'and duties of those individuals are presented in the manual. The Hazardous Material Transportation Officer's duties are spelled out in detail in the manual.
The duties include the approval of written instructions and check lists for the inspection of containers and the details of packaging radioactive material in those containers. He is also responsible for developing a training program in transportation requirements along with the responsibility for maintaining traini.ng records.
The Hazardous Materials Transportation Officer is also responsible for a program of planned and periodic audits of transportation activities. The audits are conducted as part of the routine appraisals of the transportation activities which are conducted by personnel of the Occupational and Environmental Protection Department.
The Hazardous Materials Transportation Officer acts as a consultant and final approval authority for the selection of all packagings and release of all offsite shipments of radioactive materials.
Section 3 of the manual presents the details of material characterization in terms of radioactive and other hazardous material forms, transport group for radioactive material, normal and special forms, performance tests, waste forms, exempt quantities and low specific activity material.
Section 5 of the manual details considerations in container selection and packaging requirements.
It also presents the specifications of a number of containers routinely used by Pacific Northwest Labortorie: in the shipment of radioactive materials as an NRC licensee and a DOE contractor. Type A package performance requirements are listed and the Mound Laboratory documents MLM-2228 and MLM-2229 listing D0T-7A qualified containers are referenced.
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,x 4 The present Hazardous Materials Transportation Officer has had experience and training in the field of transportation requirements.
His' training assignments included a four day session in Nuclear Energy Waste Management, packaging and transport; a two day session in Hazardous Waste Programs given by the Colorado Training Institute; the Hazardous Material Shipnnent Session offered by Consolidated Freightways (October 12,1981); and a session in the changes in D0'/ EPA regulations given in 1979 by the Office of Hazardous i
Materials Regional Work Shop. The shipping representatives assigned at each facility actually perform the loading and unloading of radioactive material shipping containers. These individuals have received 8 hours9.259259e-5 days <br />0.00222 hours <br />1.322751e-5 weeks <br />3.044e-6 months <br /> of transportation training designed for new hires. An additional four hours of retraining be. presented on an annual basis. The training is presented by the Hazardous Materials Transportation Officer and Mr. John Taylor who also possesses the approval authority for the release of all offsite shipments.
The licensee's Quality Assurance Program required by 10 CFR 71.12 and 71.51 was. approved by the NRC on May 16, 1980.
The licensee maintains copies of appropriate NRC Certificates of Compliance and the documents referenced in these certificates.
The licensee possesses a copy of the IAEA Certificate issued by D0T for the Model RA-3 shipping container.
Review of the transportation files indicated that the licensee has received the required.
authorization to ship radioactive material in NRC-certified packages.
Section 6 of the licensee's Radioactive Materials Shipping Manual gives details of radioactive material shipment preparations including the use of the various shipping forms required, required radiation monitoring, and required certifications and approvals for onsite and offsite shipments for NRC licensed and DOE contract materials. This section of the manual presents in detail the labeling, transport indexing, definitions, and special requirements associated with small quantities, low specific activity, Type A, Type B,.large quantity and fissile material categories.
The licensee has prepared instruction-checkoff lists for loading,
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unloading and inspection of each type of container which is used.
A review of the instructions for the model 6M container indicated that the instructions were detailed and complete.~ Packaging procedures for each model of container used by the licensee are available from the Hazardous Materials Transportation Officer. The procedures include precautions for the shipping of solutions.
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, Details relative to the radiation and contamination monitoring for
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shipments and receipts of radioactive materials are contained in document PNL-MA-6, Radiation Protection.
6.
Radiation Protection During the tour of the facilities using or storing licensed
. material, forms NRC-3 and Part-19 posting requirements were observed to be posted in appropriate. places and in sufficient numbers.
Criticality safety limits were properly posted where required.
In Buildings 231-Z and 306-W, properly operating hand and foot counters were observed to be in~use by licensee personnel.
No one was observed walking past a monitor'without using it properly.
In all areas visited, properly calibrated and functional portable monitoring instruments were observed. The type of instrument observed in each area was appropriate for the type of radioactive materials being used.
In the restricted areas of Building _231-Z licensee personnel were observed wearing appropriate protective clothing.
7.
Management Interview The scope and results of this inspection were discussed with representatives of licensee management at the conclusion of the inspection on October'23, 1981. Those persons were informed that no items of noncompliance and no deviations were observed within the scope of the inspection.
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