ML20125D024
| ML20125D024 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | National Bureau of Standards Reactor |
| Issue date: | 11/20/1979 |
| From: | Hendrie J NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Sarbanes P SENATE |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20125D027 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8001130069 | |
| Download: ML20125D024 (1) | |
Text
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W ASHIN GTON, D.C. 20SS5 November 20, 1979 w
OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Paul S. Sarbanes United States Senate Washington, D.C.
20510
Dear Senator Sarbanes:
This is in response.to your letter of September 26, 1979 regarding the radioactive contamination at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) Research Reactor at Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Following the discovery of surface contamination near the National Bureau of Standards reactor building on August 28, 1979 by an NRC inspector, NBS iriitiated a comprehensive program of area surveys, and sampling of soil and drainage areas to identify the extent and cause of the contamination, and to implement necessary cleanup activities.
Analysis of the contamination indicates that a small amount of Cobalt-60 (about 2.3 millicuries) found at a number of locations is responsible for the contamination.
Enclosed is a report prepared by an ad_ hoc committee at NBS entitled, " Report on the Nature and Source of Radioactive Material Found at the NBS" which discusses NBS' actions regarding the Cobalt-60 contamination.
Analysis of the Cobalt-60 contamination indicates that it is in the form of particles each less than 100 microns in size and could be from the stellite embedded in stainless steel.
Stellite is a metallic material put on the surface of other metals for durability and hardness and was flame-sprayed on the wear rings of the primary system pump impellars of the NBS reactor.
The NBS ad hoc committee believes that the most likely release of the radioactive particl~es resulted when a heat exchanger was removed from the NBS reactor.
This heat exchanger has now been removed from the NBS reactor site and has been sent to a radioactive waste burial ground for disposal.
- incerely, w\\,
Joseph M. Hendrie Chairman
Enclosure:
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