ML20049H631
| ML20049H631 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07001308 |
| Issue date: | 02/12/1982 |
| From: | Greger L, Peck C NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20049H630 | List: |
| References | |
| 70-1308-82-01, 70-1308-82-1, NUDOCS 8203030390 | |
| Download: ML20049H631 (6) | |
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COTIISSION REGION III Report No. 70-1308/82-01 (DETI)
Docket No. 70-1308 License No. SNM-1265 Licensee: General Electric Company 175 Curtner Avenue San Jose, CA 95125 Facility Name: Morris Operation Inspection At: Morris Operation, Morris, IL Inspection Conducted: January 20-22 and 29, 1982 bb C&
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Inspector:
C. C. Peck I
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O //2/8 2-Approved By:
L. R. Gr ger, Chief Facilities Radiation Protection Section Inspection Summary:
Inspection on January 20-22, and 29, 1982 (Report No. 70-1308/82-01(DETI))
Areas Inspected: Routine, unannounced health and safety inspection, in-cluding:
fuel receipt and storage, facility changes, surveillance teste, training, radiation protection, radioactive waste management, emergency planning, and environmental monitoring. The inspection required 23 inspector-hours on site by one NRC inspector.
Results: No violations were identified.
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i 8203030390 820218 PDR ADOCK 07001308 l
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DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted
- E.
E. Vo11and, Plant Manager
- K.
J. Eger, Senior Engineer, Licensing and Radiological Safety H. R. Strickler, Operations Manager T. E. Tehan, Senior Engineer, Field Services S. P. Schmid, Field Services Specialist J. E. McGrath, Plant Safety Supervisor N. P. Shaikh, Operations Engineer
- Denotes those present at exit interview.
2.
General The inspection began at 11:00 a.m. on January 20, 1982, continued oa the following two days, and was concluded on January 29, 1982.
An Illinois law prohibiting the receipt of spent fuel from any state that could not receive spent fuel from Illinois was found to be un-constitutional in U.S. District Court decision in August 1981. Whether the decision will be appealed is not known.
3.
Fuel Receipt and Storage No fuel was received in 1981. The return of eight fuel assemblies to the Lacrosse Boiling Water Reactor was the only fuel movement during the year.
The receipt of 1056 assemblies from the Cooper Nuclear Station of the Nebraska Public Power District is planned over a period of about five years beginning in late 1982. These assemblies plus other anti-cipated receipts from the San Onofre reactor will fill the storage basin to about 80 percent of capacity.
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Facility Changes Installation of a heat pump system which indirectly uses fuel storage basin water to heat the process building was completed. The licensee l
reports that the addition has permitted a substantial energy saving, i
since use of the steam heating system has been necessary only on l
extremely cold days. Another advantage is that circulation of water through the basin water cooling system during the winter has thus far been unnecessary.
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External Exposure Control Vendor-supplied film badges, exchanged monthly, continue to be the primary means of determining employee exposure. There were no individual exposures exceeding 1250 mrems in 1981.
In addition, the i
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licensee uses thermoluminescent dosimeters and self-reading pencil dosimeters. The TLD's were read weekly until mid-1981 when a monthly i
schedule was adopted. The less frequent readings produce more accurate results at the low radiation levels normally encountered.
6.
Internal Exposure Controls I
i The licensee continues to use routine smear surveys to detect surface contamination and continuous air sampling to detect airborne radio-activity. Protective clothing is worn in areas where there is a possibility of personal contamination, and NIOSH-approved respira-tory equipment is used when there is a potential for airborne radio-activity.
Quarterly urinalyses and annual whole body counts per-formed by outside contractors are conducted to detect and evaluate internal exposures.
I Routine air samples in 1981 were all below MPC. One three day sample, taken in the basin decontamination area, was 1.6E-9 pCi/ml.
Isotopic 4
analysis disclosed the material to be cesium-137. While less than MPC, the sample was unusually high and followed the sweeping of the decon-tamination pad floor by an operations technician. The licensee evaluated the worker's exposure based on the air sample result and also on the results of urinalysis and a special whole body count using the methodo-logy of ICRP-10. The exposure based on air sampling was highest, 2.7 MPC-hours.
j Urinalyses of two maintenance technicians in May showed 730 and 450 pCi/1 of cesium-137. An investigation did not disclose the specific cause, although records showed that the two had worked together on several occasions. Estimates based on urinary excretion equations for soluble cesium in ICRP-10 indicated 7.1 and 3.5 MPC-hours. Whole body counts in September were also used to determine what the exposures l
had been, using retention equations in ICRP-10. These calculations indicated 1.1 and 0.5 MPC-hours.
1 Bioassay data in 1981, other than those described, indicated no measurable exposures.
7.
Surveillance Tests The inspector selectively examined the re3ults of routine compliance and operability tests conducted since the inspection in December 1980.
Tests have been conducted at the required frequencies. No unfavorable trends or conditions were identified.
l-l The most recent weekly basin water analysis disclosed the following:
Gross Beta Activity 3.4E-4 pCi/mi Gross Alpha Activity 3.lE-4 pCi/ml pH 5.8 Chloride <0.1 ppm 3
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6-6 Leak rate tests for the storage basin and low activity waste vault were conducted quarterly, as required, to measure the leak rate to the leak containment systems. The rates continue to be a few milli-liters per day and less than the intrusion water rates.
8.
Radioactive Waste Management Solid radioactive waste is normally packaged and shipped as low specific activity material to a licensed waste burial site. There were no shipments in 1981 because of the existing quantity limita-tions, inspection requirements, or liability uncertainties associated with the three licensed burial sites. The licensee continues to store LSA waste, packaged for eventual shipment.
Liquid radioactive wastes are generated mainly during decontamination activities in the storage basin area and from backwashing of the bcsin filters. These wastes are collected in the low activity waste and cladding vaults. The plant is designed so that there are no intentional liquid pathways to the environment.
Potentially contaminated air passes through a sand filter, then is released to the atmosphere through a 300-foot stack. The effluent is continuously sampled downstream of the filter and analyzed weekly.
Typical concentrations are 3E-14 pCi/ml gross alpha and SE-13 pCi/ml gross beta. These are far below the maximum permissible concentra-tions for any isotope for releases to an unrestricted area.
9.
Training Biennial retraining of operating technicians was completed early in 1981. Employees were trained by supervision in a rumter of subjects related to storage basin and fuel handling systems, cask receipt and handling, utilities, licensing and compliance, waste handling, security, and instrumentation. Technicians are required to pass a written test and walk-through examination to obtain certification. The training program and training records are designed to meet the regulatory re-quirements of 10 CFR Part 72.
In examining the content of the training program and training records, the inspector found no discrepancies with regulatory requirements.
10.
Transportation Activities Licensee representatives coordinated and served as shipper in the transfer of spent fuel from three different reactor sites to a research laboratory.
License SNM-1270 authorizes the licensee to act as a shipper.
The licensee plans to use two IF-300 rail casks for the shipments of spent fuel from Cooper Nuclear Station to Morris Operation (Section 3).
The casks can accomodate 18 BWR fuel assemblies. Early shipments will consist of assemblies, removed from the reactor several years ago, requiring no cask coolant.
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Emergency Planning The licensee has a Radiological Emergency Plan (NED0-21894) which is reviewed and revised annually. The inspector examined the latest revision (September 1981). The plan describes the emergency organi-zation, types of emergencies, emergency measures, facilities and equipment, and recovery from emergencies. Detailed emergency pro-cedures are contained in series 200 of Morris Operating Instructions (MOI).
In addition, the licensee maintains a General Emergency Plan (NEDO-24784) for non-radiological emergencies and a Transportation Emergency Plan (NED0-24785).
The licensee has letters of agreement with about 18 local organiza-tions who have agreed to provide assistance in the event of emer-gency.
Included are police, hospitals, and fire departments. The letters were renewed in 1981.
The licensee maintains an Emergency Brigade composed of shift opera-tions people. The organization and its responsibilities and functions are described in an Emergency Brigade Training Manual. At least two individuals on each of the four shifts have received Red Cross first aid training.
Emergency equipment is stored in two lockers located in the adminis-tration building and the process building. The equipment is inven-toried and inspected monthly and items replaced as necessary. Emer-gency lighting and fire protection equipment are also inspected monthly.
Eight emergency drills were conducted in 1981. Drills involving criticality, injury, and fire emergencies were conducted with only Emergency Brigade participation.
General drills involving critical-ity and tornado emergencies were conducted with participation by all site personnel. Drill performance is reviewed and documented.
15.
Environmental Monitoring Environmental monitoring for the licensee and the nearby Dresden Nuclear Station is performed by Hazleton Environmental Sciences Corporation.
Airborne radioactivity is released to the atmosphere from the 300 foot stack. The licensee's weekly analyses of the stack effluent disclose that gross alpha and gross beta concentrations are small (Section 8).
The environmental monitoring program indicates no measurabic airborne activity from the licensee's facility at three offsite filter stations or at eleven thermoluminescent dosimeter locations. Total radioactivity discharged to the atmosphere in 1980 was 8.0 pCi gross alpha and 38.8 pCi gross beta, according to the contractor's annual report.
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The plant is designed to contain all radioactive liquids. Liquids that are released to the offsite sanitary lagoon and evaporation pond are treated sanitary wastes, boiler condensate, and backwash from the demineralizer. The contractor's monthly samples continue to indicate that these contain no significant radioactivity.
Quarterly samples of offsite surface and well water disclose no radioactivity above natural levels.
16.
Exit Interview The inspector met with those identified in Section 1 at the conclusion of the inspection on January 29, 1982. The inspector summarized the inspection scope and findings and said no violations had been identi-fled.
Plans for future fuel receipts were discussed (Section 3).
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