ML20062A187

Dow Chemical Co., Submittal of Annual Report

ML20062A187
Person / Time
Site:	Dow Chemical Company
Issue date:	02/24/2020
From:	O'Connor P Dow Chemical Co
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML20062A187 (4)

Text

The Dow Chemical Company Midland, Michigan 48667 February 24, 2020 Document Control Desk United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555

Dear Sir:

Enclosed is the annual report for The Dow TRIGA Research Nuclear Reactor, Docket No. 50-264. If you have any questions, please contact me at (989) 638-6185.

Paul J. O'Connor Facility Director Dow TRIGA Research Reactor Enclosure CC: Geoff Wertz; USNRC Wayde Konze, 1897 Siaka Yusuf, 1602 Bryan Haskins, 1602 Kelly Wegener, 1803 James Weldy, 1803 Michael Bu~hmann, 1897

• Paul O'Connor, 1897

DOW TRIGA RESEARCH REACTOR

.AJ'fflUAL REPORT - 2019 There was one US NRC inspection in 2019 during which selected aspects of the Dow TRIGA Research Reactor programs were examined. There were no violations found. The annual peer review audit was conducted by Mr. Joseph Talnagi of Ohio State University (Retired) in December of 2019. The audit examined. all aspects of the Dow TRIGA nuclear reactor facility programs and there were no safety concerns or non-compliances with US NRC requirements found.

The regular in-house audits of the radiation protection program, safety and housekeeping, and records were also performed by the Dow Chemical Company Radiation Safety Officer and there were no issues found.

There were no significant changes to the facility during 20.19. There were no changes to the Reactor Operation Committee (ROC) membership during the year, 2019 as well.

A. Staff, Licenses, and Training The current reactor staff members are:

P. J. O'Connor Facility Director S. 0. Yusuf Reactor Supervisor B. D. Haskins Assistant Reactor Supervisor N. J. Goodman Trainee There are two Senior Reactor Operators and their operator licenses are current. Dr. Yusuf renewed his Senior Reactor Operator's license in 2018. Mr. Haskins also renewed his Senior Reactor Operator's license in 2018.

The annual re-qualification program was carried out according to the NRC approved program, dated September 6, 2011. All licensed operators are up-to-date in their quarterly re-qualification participations, including operating experience, participation in emergency preparedness drills, Reactor Operation Committee meetings, operating examinations, and the annual fuel inventory.

Operation of the reactor is an important part of the training program, thus, the reactor is operated on an as-needed basis w~ich results in numerous operations. Each operation involves reactivity manipulations, use of the control console, placement and retrieval of samples and handling of radioactive materials. The reactor was operated for a total of 164 hours0.0019 days <br />0.0456 hours <br />2.71164e-4 weeks <br />6.2402e-5 months <br /> during 2019 by the two

.Senior Reactor Operators.

DOW TRIGA RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT - 2019 The ROC is currently composed of the following staff members:

W. V.Konze ROC Chairman P. J. O'Connor Facility Director S. 0. Yusuf Reactor Supervisor K. A. Wegener-Gave Radiation Safety Officer J. R. Weldy EH&S Dow Michigan Operations M. E. Buchmann Process Analytical Global Leader I

Dr. Konze is the first level manager for the facility on behalf of Analytical Sciences and serves as the chairman for the ROC. Dr. O'Connor is the level 2 manager and the facility director. Dr.

Yusuf is the level 3 manager and the reactor supervisor for the facility. Yusuf is the reactor operations staff member of the ROC. Ms. Wegener-Gave is the Dow Midland location Radiation Safety Officer as well as the TRIGA Radiation Safety Officer and reports through the Dow Environmental, Health and Safety department. Mr. J. R. Weldy is the Radiation and fudustrial Hygiene Specialist for the Dow Chemical Company and reports through the fudustrial Hygiene Expertise Center of the Dow Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S). Mr. M. E. Buchmann is a Process Analytical Global Leader and reports through the Dow Global Process Analytical. Mr.

Weldy and Mr. Buchmann serve as the outside members, (neither members of reactor operations nor members of analytical sciences), of the ROC.

B. Reactor Operating Experience The reactor was operated for 0.68 Megawatt-days in 2019 (a 50% decrease from last year) for a total of 164 hours0.0019 days <br />0.0456 hours <br />2.71164e-4 weeks <br />6.2402e-5 months <br /> (also a decrease from last year). The main purpose of operations at the Dow facility is to perform neutron activation analysis. About 2,749 samples were irradiated in 2019, down by about 50% from last year, 2018 and consistent with hours of operation and focus.

C. Major Changes There were no changes made to the facility in 2019.

D. Unscheduled Shutdowns There were 11 unscheduled shutdowns (scrams) during 2019. All of these scrams were due to a computer function, specifically, ,the DIS064 device which processes the signals into the DAC computer. The number is consistent with previous years and the number of hours of operations.

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DOW TRIGA RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT - 2019 E. Major Preventive and Corrective Maintenance of Safety Significance There was no maintenance which had safety significance performed during 2019. There were however, 12 preventive and corrective maintenance items during 2019. Only one of these was related to low level noise in the NMlOOO channel, a significant decrease from last year. Others were related to the replacements of 'Yater purification cartridges (3 times), adjustments on the NPlOOO safety channel (3 times), resetting of the High Resolution Display unit. There were two minor diagnoses and routine maintenances involving the continuous air monitor. There were also a couple of Control Rod Drive controller adjustments in 2019.

F. Radioactive Effluents The only radioactive material normally released to the environment from the facility is argon-41.

This is produced from activation of the natural argon dissolved in the 'pool water and subsequently escapes from the pool into the reactor room and from there to the outside of the building. Ar-41 is also produced from the natural argon present in the air used to transport samples from a laboratory into a terminus in the core of the reactor.

Overall, any release, after dilution is estimated to be less than 25% of the allowed or recommended maximum concentration in 10CFR20.

G. Radiation Exposures Radiation exposures received by facility personnel and visitors are monitored using film badges and thermoluminescent detectors. No persons have received exposures approaching 25% of those allowed or recommended in 10CFR20.

H. Outside Sampling and Monitoring There were no incidences requiring outside sampling or monitoring during the year 2019.

Facility Director Dow TRIGA Research Reactor February 24, 2020

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