ML20043B152

Responds to Violations Noted in Insp Rept 50-128/90-01 on 900221-23.Corrective Actions:Program for Review of Users License Established & Responsibility for Radiation Protection Program Transferred to Licensee

ML20043B152
Person / Time
Site:	05000128
Issue date:	05/11/1990
From:	Hall K TEXAS A&M UNIV., COLLEGE STATION, TX
To:	Yandell L NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
References
NUDOCS 9005240286
Download: ML20043B152 (3)

Text

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Texas Engineering Experiment Station The Texas A&M University System College Station. Texas 77843 3577 409'8451321

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May 11,1990 ,

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g \A Mr. Larry A. -Yandell, Deputy Director Division of Radiation Safety and Safeguards

. U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region IV 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Su!!e 1000 Arlington, Texas 76011

Reference:

Docket 50 128/90 01 Facility License R 83

Dear Mr. Yandell:

With reference to the inspection of the Nuclear Science Center Reactor (NSCR) conducted by Mr. L. Ricketson of the USNRC Region IV office during the period February 21 23, 1990,I submit the following reply.

(128/9002 01) .. Identified Violation . Failure to Verify that a Reciplent of Byproduct Material was Properly Licensed to Receive Such Material Rec.conne to Violation The Licensee acknowledges that the requirements of .10CFR30.41(c) were not met regarding the transfer of byproduct material in October 1989 to Teledyne isotopes, Inc. The material transfer was made without verification that Teledyne's license had been renewed or that the licenso had been extended under a timely renewal application. This verification is a requirement of facility standard operating procedure SOP Vil C2, " Radioactive Materials Released Off Site" and is the responsibility of the NSC Health Physicist handling the release.

The responsible health physicist acknowledged that neither he nor the Manager of Technical Services, who often assists in the verification, enecked the expiration date of the Teledyne license.- Because of the long time . association and the many services provided Teledyne, each

. Individual assumed that the license had been renewed. They could not recall if the license renewal requirement had been discussed with Teledyne. A timely license renewal application had indeed been submitted by Teledyne, however, this was not verified at the time of the '

material transfer.

. Immediate Corrective Action 4

The licensee immediately contacted Teledyne isotopes, Inc. and obtained verbal verification that a timely renewal application for their USNRC Byproduct Material License No.

29-0005 06 had been submitted and acknowledged by the USNRC. Hard copy of the USNRC verification and approved extension of the license was immediately obtained from Teledyne by  ;

FAX transmittal. The licensee advised Mr. Ricketson by telephone that the Teledyne license file I l

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. ty L Mr. Larry A. Yandell May 11,1990 l Page 2 at the NSCR had been properly updated and the requirements of 10CFR30.41(c) will be met in

the future to provide full compliance. Compliance was established within 3 working days following the inspection.

L ' Future Corrective Action To prevent a teoccurrence of this violation, a program k,r the review of users material licenses has been established to provide advance notice to a user that a timely renewal of their

license is required. There is a requirement to follow up on the status of the license and obtain a copy of the renewed license or verification that the license has been extended by a timely renewal application. A program is also in place to verify that new users are licensed to receive materials before a transfer. The responsibility to verify limitations and conditions of a user's J

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material licence before the transfer of materials remains with the NSC Health Physicist handling the material release. NSCR Reactor Operations and Technical Services Staff will assist the NSC Health Physics Staff in maintaining the user's materials license verification program.

128/9002 02 Notice of Deviation Calibration of Neutron Survey Instrument Rennonse to Notice of Deviation The licensee acknowledges that the annual calibration of the Eberline portable neutron survey instrument, serial No. 2103, was not completed within an annual surveillance interval ,

of 12 months not to exceed 15 months (ANSI /ANS 15.1 1982). NSCR standard operating procedure SOP Vll B13 ' Portable Survey Instrument Calibration and Operability Check" states  ;

that the NSC Health Physics staff is responsible for the calibration of all portable survey l_ instruments. The neutron survey instrument was purchased by tne Texas A&M University l Office of Radiological Safety (ORS) in July 1988 for use in their program of providing onsite  ;

L radiological assistance and advice to the licensee. Before its use, the ORS shipped the l

Instrument to the University of Arkansas for calibration against a moderated Californium 252 standard neutron source establishing a calibration date of July 27,1988. The due date for the annual calibration of the neutron survey instrument (July 27,1989, but no later than  ;

October 27,1989) was not observed.

Immediate Corrective Action j

a On January 2,1990 the portable neutron survey instrument was shipped by the licensee to the University of Arkansas for recalibration establishing the current calibration date.of January 9,1990 for the instrument. The compliance date for correction of the stated 7 deviation was January 9,1990.

Future Corrective Action l

Responsibility for the NSCR Radiation Protection Program was transferred on January 2,1990 from the Office of Radiological Safety to the licensee, Texas Engineering Experiment i

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IA . Larry A. Yandell May 11,1990 P6ae 3

> Station / Texas A&M University System, by Amendment No.12 to the facility operating license R.

83. In the future the NSCR Radiation Protection Office Staff will be responsible for the calibration of the portable neutron survey instrument, and other instruments, as per the requirements of SOP Vil B13.

L Should there be any questions regarding this reply please contact me at 409/845 3357 or D. E. Feltz, Director, Nuclear Science Cetiter at 409/845 5907.

Respectfully submitted, YY Kenneth R. Hall Deputy Director Texas Engineering Experiment Station DEF/KRH/Ja xc: Dr. K. L Peddicord, At.sistant Director Dr. Jon A. Reuscher, Director Texas Engineering Experiment Station Nuclear Research Reactor Programs Texas A&M University Nuclear Science Center

- College Station, Texas 77843 Texas A&M University College Station, Texas 77843 Dr. John W. Poston, Head Department of Nuclear Engineering Texas A&M University College Station, Texas 777843 Dr. M. E. McLain Radiation Safety Officer Texas A&M University College Station, Texas 77843 Mr. Feenan Jennings, Chairman Reactor Safety Board Texas A&M University College Station, Texas 77843 Mr. Donald E. Feltz, Director Nuclear Science Center Texas A&M University College Station, Texas 77843 1

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