ML20082C533

Provides an Update on Incident Initially Reported Via Telcon & Fax on 950317 & Followed Up w/950323 Written Rept.After Analysis,Licensee Convinced That No Violation of 10CFR20 Release Limits Occurred

ML20082C533
Person / Time
Site:	Washington State University
Issue date:	03/23/1995
From:	Tripard G WASHINGTON STATE UNIV., PULLMAN, WA
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 9504070056
Download: ML20082C533 (1)

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] Washin' gton State University M Nuclear Radiation Center Mmn WA 9 f{

FAX 509 335-4,33 Thursday, March 23,1995  :

i Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation USNRC <

Washington, D.C. 20555 (

Ref: Docket 50-27 Facility Operating License No. R-76

DearSir:

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This letter is intended to provide an update on the incident we initially reported by telephone and "

FAX on March 17,1995 and followed up with a written report on March 23,1995. As stated in the most recent letter (Mar. 23), last week was a bad time to try to analyze the event because so many crucial people were away on the university spring break.

On March 27,1995, I was abl: to contact the City of Pullman sewage treatment plant engineer, Pat j Wiltzius, who was familiar with the volumes of water released by the City and the Washington ,

State University (WSU) campus to the sewage treatment plant. He informed me that the average daily release of water from WSU, which is the actual I icensee, is 1.5 million gallons per day. i

E The technician, who on January 11,1995 made the hold-up tank water release which we thought '

to be in violation of 10 CFR 20 release lunits, said that the release was accomplished over a 6 hour6.944444e-5 days <br />0.00167 hours <br />9.920635e-6 weeks <br />2.283e-6 months <br /> 4 period. The average water rek:ase from the campus over this 6 hour6.944444e-5 days <br />0.00167 hours <br />9.920635e-6 weeks <br />2.283e-6 months <br /> period of time is 375,000 gallons. The resulting dilution provided by this additional water brings the final concentration of 5 i

the activity released by the Licensee to 2.45 x 10-9 Ci/rul whicn is well within 10 CFR 20 release j limit of 2.0 x 104 Ci/ml.

ja A former associate director of the reactor facility said that the carapus water had never been included in the dilution calculation in order to be exceptionally conservative in the release i concentration. We are re-examining this philosophy because with the stricra 10 CFR 20 release

-j limits, we would now have to waste large quantities of domestic wwr (in short supply in this part -

of the country) tc< meet dilution requirements. We are in the procest of re-evaluating our sewage 2 release Standard Operating Procedure.

T In summary, we now are convinced that there was no violation of the 10 CFR 20 release limits 4 because the total volume of water released by the Licensee, Washington State University,  %

sufficiently diluted the activity in the water. Ji er If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Gerald Tripard, Facility Director (509) 335-0172 5,

Sincprely, f 3-Gerald E. Tripard, D; rector p

cc: Region IV NRC office A e0 i CGnne:

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