ML20042C058

Forwards Eia Supporting Renewal of License R-53

ML20042C058
Person / Time
Site:	05000112
Issue date:	03/24/1982
From:	Terrell C OKLAHOMA, UNIV. OF, NORMAN, OK
To:	John Miller Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 8203300121
Download: ML20042C058 (5)

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University ofOklalioma SCHOOL OF AEROSPACE, MECHANICAL AND NUCLEAR ENGINEERING CO 865 Asp Avenue Room 212 ,\ 43 Nonnan, Oklahoma 73019 F March 24, 1982 (405) 325-50?1 Qlf A3 4 4

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_! io g r2 Mr. James R. Miller dC 6',g' /

Chief Standardization and Special Projects Branch '

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s Division of Licensing 'h'%.

Nuclear Regulatory Conmission M i i 9. . v' Washington, DC 20555

Reference:

Docket 50-112 Subj ect: Resubmission of Renewal of License R-53

Dear Mr. .'4 iller:

We are enclosing additional material (Environmental Impact Analysis) required to obtain a twenty year renewal of Reactor License R-53 for the AGN-211-P operated by the University of Oklahoma. We are in the process of finishing the Emergency Plan which will follow in the next few days.

Very truly yours, 6 h/ /

C. W. Terrell Director University of Oklahoma Nuclear Reactor CWT /tdg Enclosure cc Dr. Davis Egle, Director AMNE Dr. D. G. Lindstrom, Chairman of Reactor Safety Commission ,

Dr. M. Jischke, Dean of College of Engineering Dr. A. Elbert, V.P. Administrative Affairs f0}O ,

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e ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT APPRAISAL UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA AGN-211P LICENSE R-53 DOCKET 50-112 3/24/82

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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT APPRAISAL (EIA)

I. INTRODUCTION This section discusses the environmental effects of the operatisn of the University of Oklahoma AGN-211P, swimming pool type reactor. The reactor was originally licensed in 1958 and began operation in 1959. The core consists of a rectangular parallelepiped made up of 12 fuel elements surrounded by a graphite reflector and positioned nece the bottom of an 800 gallon pool of distilled water. The reactor has operated at a maximum licensed power 15 watts. Total fuel consumption is slightly less than 1 mg of U-235 since 1959.

The reactor operates, on average, about two to four hours per week.

The reactor serves to apport the Nuclear Engineering Program which of fers the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Nuclear Engineering. Under-graduates examine and measure the characteristics of the reactor (neutron flux, temperature coefficient, excess reactivity, control rod worths, etc.),

graduate students and faculty use the facility for research consistent with the available thermal flux.

The license renewal requests authorization to raise the power from 15 watts to 100 watts and that a flux trap core configuration also be approved.

II. FACILITY The reactor was purchased from the Aerojet General Nucleonics Corporation in 1958 and was installed by Aerojet personnel. The reactor is housed on the first floor of the Nuclear Engineering Laboratory Building (NEL), an old brick building. The second floor houses part of the University's Personnel Department. Installation of the reactor in 1958 had no obvious impact on the environment or the inmmediate terrain. No pipelines, electrical or mechanical structures or any other form of device connects the reactor the the outside environment. The reactor needs no external cooling and emits no effluents, 1

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liquids or gas. The flux is too low to produce a measurable amount of Ar-41.

Any liquid or solid wastes from experiments are appropriately packaged and disposed of through the University's regular radioactive waste program.

At a power level of 100 watts the reactor will operate exactly the same as at 15 watts. No cooling will be required. A new gas monitor has been installed to sample the air directly over the surface of the pool for Ar-41.

Estimates made indicate that 'o Ar-41 will be measurable.

Finally, no changes in the beilding or the area immediately external to the building are required or are planned as a result of the increase to 100 watts.

l III. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS FROM OPERATIONS Operation of the reactor at 15 watts in the past and at 100 watts in the l

future has no discernable impact on the environment. Radiation levels at the surface of the pool will not exceed 100 mr/hr. The reactor operator sits at a console about 15 feet from the center of the pool. At 100 watts the gamma-ray background is estimated to be.about 0.3 mr/hr at this position. All personnal in the reactor room are reguired to wear either a pocket ionization chamber (visitors, students) or a TLD (reactor staff). In 23 years of operation, no member of the staff has received a radiation dose which violates Federal Regulations. We note also that the neutron flux in water is too low to produce any trituim through neutron capture by deuterium in the water.

IV. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS DUE TO ACCIDENTS We consider two potential events to be the most serious:

a. A maniac shoots his way into the reactor room and throws a stick of dynamite into the pool. Such an event would damage the core but not necessarily release any significant amount of fission products since the fuel elements are unciad, sealed polyethylene encased U02 particles with a fission product inventory characteristic of 100 watts of power. The reactor room has a volume of about 60,000 cubic feet and a separate air handling unit. .We rely on physical security to avoid this incident.

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b. The reactor is limited to an excess reactivity of 0.6% to ensure against a prompt period. Assuming, somehow, a percent or two could be introduced, the large negative temperature coefficient would terminate the power rise near 10kw. However, radiation levels in the room immediately above (on the 2nd floor) the reactor pool could exceed occupational levels. Therefore, the room is used as storage only and is required to be locked before reactor startup.

We, therefore, see no credible, serious, impact on the environment due to normal or abnormal operations of the reactor.

V. COSTS AND BENEFITS OF,THE FACULTY Several hundred thousand dollars has been invested in the reactor and the section of the building in which the reactor is housed over a period of years.

The entire reactor and associated nuclear labs have just undergone a major renovation. There are currently no plans to move or otherwise substantively revise the reactor facility.

The University considers the benefits of the reactor facility to be numerous. Our laboratory courses are very greatly aided by the reactor.

Research is underway which could not be done without a reactor. Increased flux levels (at 100 watts) will allow a further expansion of research.

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