ML20125D029

Responds to Re Radioactive Contamination at Research Reactor.Nbs Initiated Comprehensive Program to Identify Cause & Extent of Contamination.Small Amount of Co-60 Found at Several Locations

ML20125D029
Person / Time
Site:	National Bureau of Standards Reactor
Issue date:	11/20/1979
From:	Hendrie J NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
To:	Mathias C SENATE
Shared Package
ML20125D027	List: ML20125D024 ML20125D029 ML20125D032 ML20125D035 ML20125D040
References
NUDOCS 8001130077
Download: ML20125D029 (1)

Text

--

r. ,

&M tuq l' 7 p , t UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION f ./ W ASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 s*****/ November 20, 1979 OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN

?

The Honorable Charles McC. ibthias  ;

United States Senate i Washington,.D.C. 20510 W

Dear Senator Mathias:

}

This is in response to your letter of August 30, 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 initiated ~

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 '

contan.ination indicates that it is in the form of particles each less thun 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 i likely release of the radioactive particTes 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 i

disposal. .

Sincerely, g\ '

\

Ose'ph M. Hendrie a

Enclosure:

90018090 As Stated l 8M/J34977 i

- _ - - . - . . - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . . _ _ .