ML20041D472
| ML20041D472 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Wood River Junction |
| Issue date: | 02/17/1982 |
| From: | Keimig R, Roth J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20041D465 | List: |
| References | |
| 70-0820-82-01, 70-820-82-1, IEC-80-20, NUDOCS 8203050341 | |
| Download: ML20041D472 (9) | |
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT Region I Report No. 70-820/82-01 Docket No.70-820 License No. SNM-777 Priority 1
Category UR Licensee:
United t,aclear Corporation UNC Recovery Systems Wood P,1ver Junction, Rhode Island 02894 Facility Name:
Fuel Recovery Operation Inspection at: Wood River Junction Rhode Island Inspection conduct d: January 19-20, 1982 Inspectors:
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h,' Project Inspector dat( signed I
A'pproved by:
84.4 kd, b i II1It'L R. R. Keimig, Chief, Projects Branch date signed Inspection Summary:
Inspection on January 19-2, 1982 (Report No. 70-820/82-01)
Areas inspected:
Routine, unannounced inspection by a region-based inspector of:
licensee action on previously identified enforcement items; review of l
operations; licersee action on regional office circulars; transportation pro-gram; the facility decommissioning plan; and, environmental surveys and sampling.
The inspection involved 11 inspector-hours on site by one NRC region-based inspector and was initiated on the day shift.
Results:
No items of noncompliance were identified.
d 8203050341 820217 PDR ADOCK 07000820 C
i DETAILS j
1.
Person Contacted i
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- R. J. Gregg, Plant Manager K. Helgeson, Nuclear and Industrial Safety and Quality Assurance Manager j
- 0. McFadden, Operations Manager The inspector also interviewei 5 other licensee employees during l
1 the inspection.
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- Denotes individual present at the exit interview.
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2.
Licensee Action on Previously Identified Encforcement Items.
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3 (Closed) Unresolved Item (70-820/76-09-04) Procedures and schedules j
for maintenance of emergency equipment and facilities. During inspection No. 70-820/78-27 the inspector determined that the licensee had written the required procedures and had established the required schedules. However, prior to that inspection, the licensee had rescinded the procedure and failed to prepare a replacement procedure. Subsequent to inspection 70-820/78-27 the licensee l
l prepared a new procedurc to replace the one which had been rescinded.
1 As of the current inspection, the licensee is no longer required to maintain a current emergency plan or implementing procedures since the facility is no longer in operation.
i (Closed) Infraction (70-820/77-10-01) Failtre to maintain emergency equipment as required..During inspection No. 70-820/78-27, the l
j inspector determined that the licensee was maintaining " mandatory" emergency equipment at the Emergency Control Center as required, j
but had not established the rationale for the selection of equipment i
items as " mandatory" or " optional". Subsequent to that inspection, 1
the licensee re-evaluated the Emergency Trailer Checklist to ensure l
that all equipment was properly categorized as " mandatory" or
" optional". As of the current inspection, the licensee is no longer required to maintain a current emergency plan or implementing procedures since the facility is no longer.in operation. However, the licensee is maintaining emergency equipment in the site Emergency
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Control Center.
(Closed) Unresolved Item (70-820/77-10-03)' Coordination with local fire company. During inspection No. 70-820/78-27, the inspector i
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t determined that the licensee had made several offers to the Alton Fire Company to provide onsite training relative to the nature and scope of support which they expected to receive. However, the fire chief indicated that this training must be provided on weekends or during the evenings to enable his men to attend. The required training was provided during the year 1979.
Corrective actions have been completed.
(Closed) Deficiency (70-820/80-08-01) Failure to have the proper posted criticality limit in the warehouse for the storage of SNM in UNC-2600 inner containers.
The licensee discontinued processing of special nuclear material at this facility during August 1980 and transferred all significant quantities of special nuclear materials to customers or other licensees.
Special nuclear material remaining at the site is now contained, at low concentrations, in waste, and, nuclear criticality safety limits are no longer applicable in the warehouse.
(Closed) Infraction (70-820/80-14-01) Processing of slightly irradiated uranium scrap durinc 1977 through August, 1980.
The licensee
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ceased receiving and procssing special nuclear material during August 1980, removed the waste from the onsite lagoons and is currently decontaminating and decommissioning the facility. Therefore, this i
item of noncom-liance is closed.
(Closed) Violation (70-820/80-19-01) Failure to package low specific activity (LSA) radioactive material in strong, tight packages so that no leakage would occur during transport.
The inspector verified j
that the licensee has established and has been following a quality assurance program with implementing procedures to assure that all packages being used for the transport of LSA radioactive material will be strong and tight so that leakage will not occur during transport.
(Closed) Violation (70-820/80-19-02) Failure to correctly identify 8
the physical form of radioactive material on shipping papers. The material was identified as solid and liquids were present.
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licensee has established techniques and procedures to assure that l
there is no liquid present in packaged waste.
In addition the-licensee modified the lagoon waste packaging procedures to require solidif' cation of the waste as it is placed into the drums.
In this manner the licensee will be able to properly describe the physical form of the material on the shipping papers.
(Closed) Violation (70-820/80-19-03) Failure to : nark a container
" Radioactive-LSA".
The licensee has implemented the use of inspection checklists which require inspection and sign-off of each item for each container prior to loading the container on the transporting vehicle.
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3 (Closed) Violation (70-820/80-19-04) Licensee transferred liquid material to the burial site and the State of Nevada license does not allow the receipt and burial of liquid radioactive waste. As stated previously, the licensee modified lagoon waste processing procedures to require solidification of the waste as it is placed into the drums. Those drums prepared prior to the implementation of the i
solidification process are being reexamined and tested with a moisture i
dectection device to assure that liqui fication of the waste will not occur during transport to the burial site.
(Closed) Violation (70-820/80-19-05) Failure to provide tests or procedures to assure that no separation of liquid from solids would occur prior to receipt at the burial site.
The licensee modified lagoon waste packaging procedures to require solidification of the waste as it is placed into the drum.
Tests have been run on samples of the solidified waste to assure their ability to maintain integrity under conditions normally incident to transportation.
i (Closed) Violation (70-820/80-19-06) Failure to provide operating procedures for lagoon sludge filtration and packaging operations during i
the period from August 10, 1980 through October 18, 1980. -The licensee has established a Quality Assurance Plan and implementing procedures i
for the disposal and packaging of lagoon sludge waste and for the reinspection of packages prepared during the referenced time period.
i The plan and procedures were examined in detail by an inspector during inspection No. 70-820/81-03.
During the current inspection, the inspector examined licensee actions to resolve questions raised during inspection 70-820/81-03. This is discussed further in paragraph 5.
3.
Review of Operations The inspector made a physical examination of the facilities being decontaminated.
a.
Processing Building The inspector observed that all processing equipment.had been removed from the original fuel processing area.
The licensee has almost completed decontamination of the column room first, second and third floor areas.
Ceilings and walls were first cleaned with a high detergent solution using a high pressure spray. The ceilings and walls were then sand or grit blasted to remove any residual paint and/or contamination.
The floors of each level will be cleaned by removing a one-half to one. inch layer of concrete from the surface.
The floor surface will be removed with a machine called a "Scabler" which impacts the surface at high speed with i
tungsten carbide anvils.
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i The inspector observed a demonstration of this machine during which a one quarter to one-half inch layer was removed from the i
surface of the concrete floor within a 36 square foot area in i
about 10 minutes.
Radiation readings taken by the licensee indidated fixed alpha radiation was reduced by a factor of 8 and beta gamma radiation was reduced by a factor of 0.33.
Upon completion of the column room, the licensee intends to initiate decontamination of the processing building south bay area.
During examination of the mezzanine holding the plant ventilation system blowers, the inspector noted that the fire load appeared to be excessive, in that, many empty and partially full cardboard i
cartons were being stored around and under the ventilation system ductwork.
It was also observed that unprotected bottles of chemical reagents (i.e. ammonium hydroxide and several types of acids) were also being stored on the mezzanine.
This was discussed at the exit interview and the licensee representative stated that the fireload would be reduced and the chemicals will be moved to the chemistry laboratory.
All operations being conducted in the facility at the time of this examination were covered either by an operating procedure or by safety work permits (SWP's) which identified the proper protective clothing or devices to be worn and potential hazards which may be encountered during the course of this work. Only those individuals who read and signed the SWP's were authorized to perform the operation being conducted at the time.
l No items of noncompliance were identified.
b.
Warehouse The inspector noted that drums of solidified and/or pressed lagoon sludge were being stored in the warehouse. The drums were placed on pallets, banded and stacked three to four high.
The licensee was reexamining drums of sludge, which had been pqpkaged prior to implementation of the Waste Package Quality Assurance Program in the south-east corner of the warehouse. This crogram was implemented during February, 1981.
It was noted that
.i-6 drums had been_ rejected because of internal water accumulation.
The material in these drums will. be dried and repackaged.
No-items of noncompliance were identified.
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Parking Lot Drum Storage
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The inspector observed that drums of solidified lagoon waste were being stored in the facility parking lot as authorized by Amendment No.15. A " snow-fence" was erected by the licensee in front of the drums in order to restrict access to the drum storage area.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
4.
Licensee Action on Regional Office Circulars i
The inspector determined through discussions with licensee representatives that IE Circular 80-20, dated August 21, 1980 " Changes in Safe-Slab Tank Dimensions" had been received and reviewed for applicability to the facilities and activities licensed under NRC License No.
The licensee indicated that there had been no safe-slab tanks installed in the licensed facilities and all processing enuipment has been removed from this facility during current facility decommissioning activities; therefore, no further action by the licensee on this circular was required.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
5.
Waste Packaging and Transportation Quality Assurance Program
- As discussed previously in paragraph 2 the licensee's waste packaging and shipping quality assurance program was reviewed in detail during inspection 70-820/81-03. Several program weaknesses were identified during the previous inspection which were examined during the current inspection.
a.
Training Documentation of training given to facility personnel with respect to shipping requirements has been improved so that the inspector could determine which personnel were trained on what subjects and when.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
b.
Specification on Drawings The inspector determined that the licensee had not modified, as yet, the drawings submitted to vendors for the manufacture of wooden boxes to specify the caulking compound to be used.
According to license representatives-wooden boxes have not been ordered since the previous inspection. When and if additional wooden boxes are ordered, the applicable drawings will be. modified, as required.
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No items of noncompliance were identified.
c.
Procurement of Shipping Containers The licensee has modified applicable procedures to require purchasing and quality assurance personnel to review and approve purchase requisitions for shipping containers and to require receiving inspections to be conducted by quality assurance personnel upon receipt of purchased shipping containers.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
d.
Tests For Free-standing Liquids l
The licensee has modified applicable procedures to require the documentation of the results of tests conducted on loaded i
shipping containers to assure that there is no free-standing t
liquid present or that there is no significant moisture available
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in the container which may separate from the solids during i
transportation to the burial site, i
No items of noncompliance were identified.
o.
Shipping and Packaging Program Reviews
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i An audit of the facility shipping and packaging programs was j
conducted by personnel from the UNC Naval Products facility.during the week of January 11, 1982. The results of this audit will be examined during a subsequent inspection (82-01-01).
No items of noncompliance were identified.
f.
Mositure Detector Tests A procedure for the use of the moisture detector was attached to operating 'rocedure S0P X-Q Revision 2, dated December 1, p
j 1981, " Reinspection, Rework and Preparation of Lagoon Waste i
Containers."
This procedure requires that an indication of excess moisture is to be identified on red reject labels which are placed on rejected drums of waste. The inspector observed reject labels on at least 6 drums which indicated that 5 of the six drums had been rejected because of moisture content.
j No items of noncompliance were identified.
g.
Completion of the CSIR Form The inspector examined the Container Specification and Inspection l
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Report (CSIR) forms for 124 Shipping Containers (Drums Nos.
2043 to 2166) inspected between December 29, 1981 and January 13, 1982. It was noted that the CSIR forms were properly completed for each drum.
No items of noncompliance were identified.
6.
Decommissioning Plan The inspector reviewed the contents of the general decommissioning plan submitted to NRC-NMSS with a letter dated May 18, 1979. This plan was incorporated into the facility license in License Condition 21 by Amendment No. 10 dated February 28, 1980.
The general decommissioning plan specified that the licensee shall i
prepare a detailed internal decommissioning plan.
The inspector i
examined the. licensee internal Decommissioning Plan dated April 22, 1980 and determined that the plan contained detailed plans for the decontamination and decommissioning of the processing facility, lagoons, warehouse and soil within the restricted area. Also addressed were confirmatory radiation surveys to be conducted on owner controlled land, septic systems, the process and warehouse buildings and the unused lagoon spillway and pipe to the river.
1 No items of noncompliance were identified.
7.
Environmental Surveys and Samplino Discussions were held with licensee representatives concerning the conduct of environmental surveys and obtaining environmental samples (soil, etc.) prior to release of the facility and grounds for j
unrestricted use. As a result of these discussions the following areas were identified which may require discussion and agreement with NRC-NMSS.
ground water criteria must be established soil criteria with respect to radioactive isotopes present residual btilding and equipment contamination levels with respect to the individual radioactive isotopes present soil sampling techniques (i.e. is averaging allowed and, if so, how?)-
No items of noncompliance were identified.
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Exit Interview The inspector met with the licensee representative (denoted in paragraph 1) at the conclusion of the inspection. The inspector presented the scope and findings of the inspection and stated that no items of noncompliance were identified.
Comments made by the licensee representative during the exit interview have been incorporated into the applicable paragraphs of the report details.