ML20054C108
| ML20054C108 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000273 |
| Issue date: | 03/29/1982 |
| From: | Oestmann M, Paperiello C, Rozak S, Schumacher M NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20054C093 | List: |
| References | |
| 70-0273-82-01, 70-273-82-1, NUDOCS 8204200047 | |
| Download: ML20054C108 (5) | |
Text
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION III Report No. 70-273/82-01(DEPOS)
License No. SNM-252 (expired August 18, 1964)
Licensee: National Carbon Company Division of Union Carbide Corporation Town Road Fostoria, Oli 44830 Inspection At: National Carbon Company Site, Fostoria, Oli Inspection Conducted: March 3, 16, and 19, 1982 Q.l2 o L.
Inspectors:
S. Rozak 7;fj. 048tw~
%9h M.
. Destmann j f /b at4/!L0 Approved By:
M. C. Schumacher, Chief J/#'J//E Independent Measurements and Environmental Protection Section 3 ? Y l' A sc d C. U. Pape ic11o, Chief Emergency Preparedness and Program Support Branch j
Inspection Summary l
Inspection on March 3, 16, and 19, 1982 (Report No. 70-273/82-01(DEPOS))
Areas Inspect 3d: A special closcout inspection of a former licensee was conducted to determine the status of this expired license and to carry out an independent survey of the physical facilities used during the time the license was in effect prior to August 18, 1964. The inspection involved four inspector-hours onsite by two NRC inspectors.
Results: The former licensee stated that all thorium and uranium source materials and all special nuclear materials were transferred to the f acilities of the Nuclear Fuels Department of National Carbon Company in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, an authorized recipient with AEC License No. SMB-720 (Docket No. 40-7044) and License No. SNM-724 (Docket No.70-784), prior to expiration of the license at Fostoria, Ohio, on August 18, 1964. No residual l
contamination was identified in the areas surveyed during this inspection.
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DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted Arthur J. Slayton, Assistant Plant Manager, National Carbon Company, Division of Union Carbide Corporation, Fostoria, Ohio John Crawford, Foreman in Development Group, National Carbon Company, Fostoria, Ohio 2.
Sources of Information Messrs. Slayton and Crawford.
Mr. Crawford was a Foreman in the Development Group during the time the licensee was using licensed material in the 1950's and 1960's in the Fostoria plant.
3.
Scope of Program The license authorized use of 2500 grams (annual requirements) of special nuclear material (enriched in uranium-235) for activities at the Development Laboratories of National Carbon Company at Niagara Falls, New York, and at Fostoria, Ohio, for fabrication of graphite with fissile materials.
About the same time, the licensee manufac-tured carbon rods for arc lighting using core materials of rare earth compounds containing less than 0.25% of natural thorium (by weight) under AEC License R-109 (expired April 30, 1961).
In addition, the licensee produced carbon and graphite forms containing source material (uranium and thorium oxides) under AEC License No. SMB-366 (Docket No. 40-2692).
4.
Status of Program Messrs. Slayton and Crawford stated that the licensed material, (enriched uranium) was used to make combinations of graphite and fissile material and then the material was encapsulated. The licensee representatives showed the NRC inspectors where the work was performed in specific enclosed areas in Buildings 61 and 61 A, B and C of the National Carbon Company facilities in Fostoria during the last half of the 1950's and the first half of the 1960's.
All the equipment and materials used at that time were transferred to the Nuclear Fuels Department of National Carbon Company in Lawrenceburg,.
Tennessee, about 1963, which possessed AEC License No. SNM-724 (Docket No.70-784) and License No. SMB-720 (Docket No. 40-7044). The areas at the Fostoria plant are no longer used for fabricating graphite with fissile material. The former licensee does not plan to reactivate this program at the Fostoria plant.
5.
Status of Facility Contamination The inspectors performed a closeout survey on March 3, 1982, of the laboratory area, pilot plant area, and the areas where a tube furnace and incinerator were formerly located in Buildings 61 and 61 A, B and C.
The tube furnace and incinerator were transferred and/or dismantled at 2
4 4
the time of transfer of all special nuclear and source materials to the Lawrenceburg, Tennessee plant in 1963. The old laboratory and pilot plant areas are presently used to store small barrels of graphite and carbon powders and the areas where the tube furnace 1
and incinerator were formerly located are now used to store graphite bricks. The survey conducted on March 3, 1982, included visual inspection, direct radiation measurements, and evaluation of smears.
l This survey confirmed that all material previously possessed by the licensee at the Fostoria, Ohio plant had been disposed of and that there was no evidence of residual contamination. Direct radiation measurements were made of the radiation field using an Eber11ne Portable Micro "R" meter (scintillator), Model PRM-7, Serial No. 350, Tag No. NRC 010285, calibrated on January 15, 1982; Health Physics Instruments, Inc., Tissue Equivalent Survey Meter, Model 1010, Serial No. 306, Tag No. NRC 010296, calibrated on January 22, 1982; Eberline Pulse Rate Meter with alpha probe, Model PRM-5-3, Serial No. 2914, Tag No. NRC 007987; and Eberline Scintillation Alpha Counter, Model SAC-4, Serial No. 441, calibrated March 3, 1982.
No readings above background were noted for eight smears collected at various locations in the former laboratory, pilot plant, tube furnace and incinerator areas in Buildings 61, 61 A, B and C.
These were counted for gross alpha with the Eberline Scintillation Alpha Counter (Model SAC-4) in the Mobile Measurements Van on March 4, 1982, and also for gross alpha and gross beta activity in the Region III l
laboratory using a Canberra Low-Level Alpha / Beta Counting System, i
Model 2201, calibrated with a Pu-239 standard source (traceable to the National Bureau of Standards) and a Cs-137 source prepared by the NRC Reference Laboratory, on March 9, 1982.
Results of the alpha / gamma surveys and the counting data for the smears in Buildings 61 and 61 A, B, and C of the Fostoria plant are attached.
6.
Conclusion Based on visual inspection, direct radiation field measurements, evaluations of smears, and discussion with responsible licensee j
representatives, all licensed materials appear to have been disposed of from the Fostoria, Ohio facilities in an authorized manner. No contamination above NRC guidelines was detected. See attached survey results.
7.
Exit Interview The inspectors met with licensee representatives (denoted in Para-graph 1) at the conclusion of this special inspection on March 3, 1982.
The inspectors summarized the scope and preliminary findings of the inspection. The inspectors also informed the licensee by telephone on March 19, 1982, the final counting results of the smears taken on March 3, 1982 and the conclusion reached to recommend retiring AEC License No. SNM-252 to the NRC Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards in Washington, D.C.
Attachments: As stated 3
4
NATIONAL CARBON COMPANY - SMEAR RESULTS COUNTED 3/9/82 RESULTS dpm/ sample SMEAR NO.
LOCATION - IDENTIFICATION ALPHA BETA UC-1 Laboratory-Room Floor NE Corner
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<1 UC-5 Pilot Plant - Floor at Middle of N Wall
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<1 UC-6 Pilot Plant - Floor S Side
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<1 Open Area - Walkway UC-7 Tube Furnace Area - Floor
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<1 UC-8 Incinerator Area - Floor
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<1 (Near New Grinder)
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