ML20082B079

Annual Rept,Oct 1982 - Sept 1983

ML20082B079
Person / Time
Site:	Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute
Issue date:	10/31/1983
From:	Adcock B DEFENSE, DEPT. OF, DEFENSE NUCLEAR AGENCY
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE)
References
NUDOCS 8311180347
Download: ML20082B079 (11)

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Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute \' ,'

L AFRRI R-84 Annual Report ,

l October 1983 5 4

(Report period l' October 1982 - 30 September 1983) , s

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Introduction I Although a tentative agreement has been made between AFRRI and the intervenors e in the AFRRI reactor relicensing proceeding, the situation has not been concluded. ,

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Part A - Changes to the Facilities and Procedures '

s This section specifies actions taken during the report period that r5flect changes to s ,

the existing AFRRI Reactor Final Safeguards Report (FSR) not previously reported to the USNRC. -

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i. During this report period NRC approved the AFRRI Reacter Emergency Plan, ',

submitted in November 1982. Evaluation / approval of the plan was issued as Supplement I to - NUREG 0882, " Safety Evaluation Report related to the renewal of the operating license for the research reactor at the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute", on 14 June 1983; the_ plan was in the process of being implemented at the end of this report period, with fullimplementation expected not later than 12 Oct 83.

Minor changes to the AFRRI Reactor Facility Physical Security Plan, submitted on 10' September 1982, were approved by NRC on 14 March 1983. These plan changes did not

~ decrease the effectiveness of physical security. ,

s Since the AFRRI Reactor Facility Safety Analysis Report (SAR)(submitted as part of

-the AFRRI reactor license. renewal application during a previous report period) has not been approved and, therefore, cannot be implemented; the actions taken during this report period are categorized and presented below on a' chapter basis as listed in the existing FSR.

Chapter I - Site

, During the year the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) was' redesignated as the Naval Medical Command, National Capital Region (NMC, NC.R),

Renovation of the old NMC, NCR Hospital (Building 1) and the basement of Building

. 23 (CPO Club), reported in the previous report, were still in progress at the end of the i report period.

Chapter II - Facility 7-Renovation of the AFRRI Radiochemistry Laboratery continues and it expected to be completed early in 1985.

, At the end of the report period, renovation of tae old animal facility and other rooms within the AFRRI complex were underway. None of these projects have an impact on the

- reactor facility.

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Chapter III - Reactor

. An annual reactor maintenance shutdown was performed in December .1982 and extended into January 1983.

Minor changes were made to the air supply system serving the reactor facility during this report period. Air required for. all reactor functions is now provided by a single dedicated air compressor located in Room 3158 with backup air supply provided by the AFRRI air supply system. Also a refrigerated air dryer was added to the reactor facility air supply system as an equivalent substitution to alleviate the potential problem of water collecting in the air system.

A reactivity computer was procured for use with existing reactor instrumentation.

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This reactivity computer is expected to be calibrated and made operational during 1984.

During the year, a new intercom system was installed within the reactor facility.

Only one malfunctian occurred during the reporting period. On 26 November 1982, a false fire alarm was inadvertently initiated by maintenance personnel while performing maintenance on the AFRRI building / complex fire sprinkler system. The operator

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scrammed and secured the reactor. Evacuation of the AFRRI was accomplished. When the alarm was reset and the cause of the alarm was determined, normal operations resumed. As a corrective action, AFRRI logistics personnel were reminded that maintenance operations which could cause a disruption of reactor operations must be cleared with the reactor staff prior to their commencement.

Chapter IV - Experimental Facilities

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_ A problem of groundwater leaking into Exposure Room 1 developed in November 1982.. To remedy the problem, the east' wall timbers and a portion of the ceiling was j-

removed and replaced. Because a total"fix" of the situation was not feasible at the time,

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the water was channelled to an already existing , floor warm drain and a water proof

~ , barrier was installed to prevent moisture from deteriorating the room timbers. As part of the reconstruction, the existing wood floor was removed and rebuilt. All surfaces in the

. room were then painted with gadolinium oxide paint. All wood removed from Exposure L

Room I was disposed.of as low-level solid radioactive waste in accordance with 10 CFR and AFRRI's internal procedures.

i The in pool. t'erminus poktion of the pneumatic tube system was removed during this I report period and the tube ends were sealed 'with ren.ovable disks. The removed tubing is in storage for reinstallation on an as-needed basis.-

i1 j- Chapter V - Nuclear Analysis

'No changes to the FSR nuclear analyses were involved or required during the report

. period. -

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\ Chapter VI- Hazard Analysis r

No changes to the FSR hazard analyses were involved or required during the report period.

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ty-t Chapter VII - Organization During this report period the Scientific Support Department was redesignated the Radiation Sciences Department.

Current key AFRRI personnel are:

Director - COL Bobby R. Adcock, MS, USA Deputy Director - Lt Col James 3. Conklin, MC, USAF Chairman, Radiation Sciences Department - CDR Robert T. Devine, MSC, USN Acting Chief, Radiation Sources Division - Major Joseph A. Sholtis, Jr., USAF, SRO The current reactor staff is:

Reacter Physicist-in-Charge - Major Joseph A. Sholtis, Jr., USAF, SRO Reactor Chief Supervisory Operator - Mr. Mark L. Moore, SRO Reactor Operator - CPT Charles R. Williamson, USA, SRO Reactor Operator - SFC Harry H. Spence, USA, SRO Reactor Operator - SFC William P. Menzel, USA, SRO The current membership of the Reactor and Radiation Facility Safety Committee is:

Lt Col James 3. Conklin, USAF - AFRRI - Chairman Dr. L.S. Myers, Jr. - AFRRI CDR C.B. Galley, USN - NMC, NCR CDR R.T. Devine, USN - AFRRI

' Dr. N.K. Chawla - AFRRI

' Dr. Frank J. Munno - University of Maryland LTC H. Johnson, USA - AFRRI Major 3. Sholtis, USAF - AFRRI Mr. T.G. Hobbs ~-' National Bureau'of Standards Mr. 3.N. Stone - Naval Research Laboratory Mrs. B.J. McCormick - AFRRI - Non-Voting Recorder Chapter VIII - Procedures During the report period a revision of AFRRI Instruction 3000.4H, " Reactor Operations"

- was made. A copy of this revised instruction, which pertains primarily to reactor use and scheduling, is provided as enclosure 1.

Part B - Tests and Experiments No tests or experiments were performed during this report period that exceeded the limits stated in the Technical Specifications.

All experiments conducted during the report period were performed in accordance

- with the Technical Specificatior, and were authorized as either "Routir.e" or "Special".

' The reactor was utilized at the various experimental facilities such that the total u

energy production was 5628.7 KW-br, broken down as follows:

Steady state energy: 5259.8 KW@

Pulse energy: 368.9 KW-hr Experimental workload for FY 84 is anticipated to be in the range of 10 MW-hr to 15 MW-hr of total burn-up.

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. .,fm . DEFENSE NUC:. EAR AGENCY e ARMED FORCES radio 81CLOoY RESEARCH NSTITUTE 1 BETHESDA, MARYLAND 20E14 AFRRI 3000.4 H n' RSRS:JAS:jsr 4 January 1983 AFRRIINSTRUCTION 3000.4H Subj: Reactor Operatiens Rcf: (a) DoD Directive 5105.33, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, dated 17 Ncv 1981 (b) USNRC License R-84 for AFRRI Reactor Facility (c) APRRI RSI130, Radiation Safety Committees (d) APRRIInstruction 5220.5 Series, PhysicalSecurity Plan for the AFRRI-TRIGA Reactor Facility (e) AFRRI/SAF HPP 3-1, Reactor Exposure Room Entry (f) AFRRI Instruction 7000.3 Series, AFRRI Programming, Planning and Budgeting System Enel (1) Reactor Facility Organization .

(2) Relationship of the Reactor Facility to Other Organizational /

Elements of AFRRI (3) APRRI Form 2, Reactor Use Request

1. Purnose. The purpose of this Instruction is to describe the organization of the Resetor Facility, to publish specifications for reactor operations, and to establish

, h_ procedures for entry into the Reactor Facility.

2. Cancellation. AFFRI Instruction 3000.4G, Reactor Operations, dated 12 May 80.

3. Definitiort The term " reactor use" includes use of the reactor exposure rooms (ER 1 ,

and ER 2), pneumatic transfer systems, in core experiment tube, in pool beam tube facility, Reactor Pool, or Reactor Room.

4. General

a. This Instruction covers use of the reactor by both AFRRI Staff personnel and outt.ide invdgetors,

b. Reactor use by organizations outside AFRRI must be sponsored by either an appropriate AFRRI Primary Investigator or the Reactor Facility Staff.

c. All reactor services provided to agencies and institutions outside AFRRI must be approved in accordance with reference (a).

5. Orranization

a. The organization of the Reactor Facility Staff is shown in Enclosure 1; the Reactor Facility's relationship to other organizational elements of AFRRI is shown in Enclosure 2.

y b. The Reactor Facility Staff consists of the Physicist-in-Charge (PIC) of the Reactor, a Chief Supervisory Operator (CSO), licensed Senior Reactor Operators (SRO) and Reactor Operators (RO), and RK4; tor Operator Trainees. The JTD positions of PIC and CSO will be filled at all times, and xth must hold SRO Ucenses.

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. AFRRI 3000.4H 4 January 1983 .- -

c. Each member of the Reactor Facility Staff shall possess an NRC SRO or RO license, or shall be in training for those licenses.

d. The PIC is responsible to the Chief, Radiation Sources Division (RSRS), for .

' administrative, operational, technical, and safety matters relating to the Reactor Facility.

e. When the PIC is absent from duty for more than i day, the Director shall appoint, either orally or in writing, another qualified person to act as PIC, For absences of the PIC for i day or less, the CSO shall automatically a.ct as the PIC.

6. Operaticns. The PIC and the Chief, Radiation Sources Division, shall establish standing and emergency operating precedures for the reactor (Radiation Sources Division -

Instructions), and shallinsure compliance with those procedures and with the following:

a. Title 10, CFR

b. References a thru f

c. Other applicable NRC and Federal regulations Inspection and Comollance. Inspections shall be made to verify that reactor

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operations are being conducted in a safe manner and within the rules and regulations established by the Radiation Sources Division, Radiation Safety Department (SAF), .-

Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and other agencies having authority in such matters. All inspections shall be coordinated with the .

PIC and the Director, AFRRL The following groups and persons are authorized to inspect and audit reactor operations,

a. NRC: upon request. _ _

b. Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) Inspector General (IG): upon request.

c. Reactor and Radiation Facility Safety Committee (RRFSC): at the discretion of the Chairman to analyze special problems and to review reactor operations. ..

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d. Other federal agencies such as Department of Transportation (DOT) and Depart-ment of Energy (DOE): after approval by the Director, DNA, and the Director, AFRRI.

8. Procedures for Entry into Reactor Facilities. Entry into the Reactor Facility shallbe .

governed by references (d) and (e). For. general guidance, the following paragraphs apply: -

a. Reactor Room and Reactor Control Room. To facilitate the safe and efficient operation of the reactor, entry into the Reactor Room and the Reactor Control Room .. .

shall be limited to personnel on official business requiring their presence in those areas.

Personnel sh"ll obtain clearance from the operator on' duty in the Reactor Control Room before entering the Reactor Room. Entry may be denied by any member of the Reactor Facility Staff. If no operator is on duty in the Reactor Control Room, non-Reactor Facility Staff personnelshallbe accompanied by a member of the Reactor Facility Staff 2

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. AFRRI 3000.4H 4 January 1983 l

while in either the Reactor Room or the Reactor Control Room. The escort requirement j mcy be waived for personnel, such as from Radiation Safety, who are familiar with r:tetor operations and safety,

b. Reactor Exposure Rooms. Routine entry into the exposure rooms is generally limited to AFRRI personnel whose duties require such entry. Since these rooms can be arras of hazard, safeguards (HPP's, RSI's, RSD's) have been established to control exposure room entry. Visitors must have TLD badges and the approval of SAF before Entering exposure rooms.

9. Scheduline of Reactor Use. All previously performed experiments shall be scheduled directly wnth the CSO by submitting a Reactor Use Request (RUR) as in paragraph 10 below. AH new experiments, not previously approved under any of the Routine or Special Reactor Authorizations, shan be approved by the RRFSC. Such approval requires a complete safety analysis of the experiment and its effect on reactor operations. This analysis shah be submitted to the RRPSC approximately 3 months before the anticipated irrcdiation date. Investigators are encouraged to coordinate all desired changes to experiments with the CSO at the earliest opportunity. Additionally, investigators shall coordinate new, n===1 or extensive dosimetry requirements with both the Radiologieel Physics Division and the CSO at the earnest opportunity. Although the Reactor Facility Staff win attempt to conduet experiments in the manner and at the time requested by the investigator, the final decisions as to use of exposure facilities and the safety of ,

(' experiments Chief, Radiation rest Sourcessolely with Division, the Rosetor shan resolve Facility reactor Staff. The PIC, inconfilets time-scheduling consultation that thewith the ]

CSO is unable to resolve. Numerous constraints exist as to the amount and kinds of I materials that may be irradiated using the reactor. Thus, investigators shall coordinate l with the Reactor Facility Staff, the Radiation Safety Department, and the Radiological Physics Division before designing or building any new experimental apparatus and before any changes are made to existing experimental configurations.

10. Reactor Use Reauest. All experiments, except those initiated by the Reactor FC:llity Staff, shall have an approved RUR on file before any use of Reactor Facilities.

a. Inves tors wishing to schedule use of the reactor shall submit AFRRI Form 2 (Enclosure 3); etor Use Request (RUR), to the CSO. To be properly considered, RUR's for approved experiments shall be submitted at least 10 working days before the desired irradiation time.Section I of the RUR shan be completed in its entirety and signed by the

- investigator.

o. The CSO shall forward the RUR to the PIC for approval; he/she shall forward the RUR to the Radiological Physics Division for dosimetry information and coordination.

That Division shan forward the RUR to the Radiation Safety Department (SAF) for coordination, and SAF shan return the RUR to the CSO.

c. Completed RUR's shall be retained as follows:

(1) Originalin Reactor Facility files.

w (2) Carbon kept by Radiation Safety Department at time of coordination.

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AFRRI 3000.4H

• 4 January 1983 (3) Carbon for Radiological Physics Division at completion of experiment.

(4) Carbon for investigator at completion of experiment.

d. Investigators proposing experiments that involve the production of significant quantities of radioisotopes may be required to provide calculations that indicate compil-ance with quantity limits specified in referenced authorizations (section I of RUR).

11. Investinator Assistance. At the discretion of the Reactor Facility Staff, investiga-tors may be required to assist the staff in the setup and takedown of apparatus in exposure facilities, in cleaning the experimental facilities upon completion of experi-ments, and in other tasks necessary to return the facility to its pre-experiment condition.

FOR THE DIRECTOR:

RONALD R. SMOKER MAJ, EN, USA Administrative Officer DETRIBUTION: C

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9 DEFENSE NUCLEAR AGENCY ARMED FORCES RADlo8lotoGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE BETHESDA, MARYLAND 20814 00042 RSD $lI 3 I g Office of Inspection & Enforcenent U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Ccamission 631 Park Avenue King of Prussia, PA 19406

Dear Sir:

In accordance with 10 CFR 50.59, the attached 1983 Annual Report for the AFRRIsrRIGA reactor, NRC License R-84, Docket No. 50-170, is subnitted. 'Ihis

, annual report covers the period 1 October 1982 to 30 September 1983.

Should you have any questions please contact Major Joseph A. Sholtis, Jr., the AFRRI Reactor Physicist-In-Charge at (301)295-1048.

Sincerely, 1 Enclosure as stated Colonel, MS, USA Director Cy Furn:

Director of Inspection & Enforcenent U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comnission Washington, D.C. 20555

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