ML20126C040
| ML20126C040 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 11/23/1992 |
| From: | Cooper R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Jacqwan Walker NAVY, DEPT. OF |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9212220332 | |
| Download: ML20126C040 (4) | |
Text
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4 D 2 31992 Rear Admiral J. Walker USN Chairman, Naval Radiation Safety Committee Chief of Naval Operations (N45)
Washington, DC 20350-2000
Dear Rear Admiral Walker:
Subject:
Veterans Administration Extended Care Center, St. Albans Queens On November 13, 1992, I spoke with Captain James Mallinowski of your staff regarding a radiological survey performed by Teledyne Isotopes, Inc. on July 19, 1992, of certain facilities at the Veterans Administration (VA) Extended Care Center in St. Albans Queens.
These facilities were previously owned by the United States Navy and operated as the St.
Albans Naval Hospital prior to the release of the facilities for unrestricted use in 1973 and transfer of the facilities to the VA Medical Center. The facilities were used by the U.S.
Navy for the performance of medical procedures involving strontium-90 (a radioactive material) under the authorization of License No. 31-00076-08 issued by the former Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).
Notwithstanding the fact that the AEC released the facility for unrestricted use in 1973 based on a CertiGcate of Disposition of Radioisotopes signed by the St. Albans Naval Hospital Radiation Safety OfRcer on November 5,1973, the survey performed by Teledyne Isotopes, Inc. on July 19,1992 indicates that strontium-90 contamination exists in the facility at a level which exceeds the NRC's current criteria for release for unrestricted use. These criteria are described in " Guidelines for Decontamination of Facilities and Equipment Prior to Release for Unrestricted Use or Termination of Licenses for Byproduct, Source, or Special Nuclear Material", dated May,1987 (copy enclosed).
Since this facility exceeds current criteria for release for unrestricted use, we request that the-VA Medicai Center in Brooklyn, New York, as current owner of the facility, and the U.S.
Navy, the licensee at the time the facility was released for unrestricted use, evaluate the site and the available information, gathcr more information if necessary, and propose actions necessary to aswre that the site is currently acceptable for release for unrestricted use.
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G:\ST2 OFFIC!AL RECORD COPY Pg 1 November 20,1992
-9212220332 921123 . j tc MISC
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Rear Admiral J. Walker 2 After you have consulted with the VA Medical Center, we request that you and the VA Medical Center provide, within 30 days of the date of this letter, a schedule and plan for evaluating and dealing with the radioactive contamination on this site. In addition, we would like to meet with representatives of the VA Medical Center and the U.S. Navy to discuss your plan, in accordance with current NRC policy, such a meeting will be open to public observation and we propose holding the meeting in New York City. We also anticipate the attendance of representatives from the City and State of New York at the meeting. We would like your cooperat i on in agreeing to meet within 60 days of the date of this letter to discuss your plans regarding this matter. Please contact Dr. Mohamed Shanbaky at (215)337-5209 to schedule this meeting or if you have any questions concerning this matter.
A similar letter is being sent to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Medical Center, ATTN:
James J. Farsetta, FACliE, Medical Center 1)irector, 800 Poly Place,11rooklyn, New York 11209.
Your cooperation with us in this matter is appreciated.
Sincerely, Ordnal Signed Et Rewrd W. Cooper, IE Richard W. Cooper, II, Director Division of Radiation Safety and Safeguards
Enclosure:
As stated cc:
Public Document Room (PDR)
Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)
State of New York City of New York G:\ST2 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY Pg 2 November 20,1992
Rear Admiral J. Walker 3 bcc:
Region I Docket Room (w/ concurrences)
R. Cunningham,NMSS R.-Ilangart, NMSS J. Glenn, NMSS T. Martin, RI W. Kane, R1 P. Stohr, RIt '
S. Shankman, RI R.13ellamy, RI D. Collins, RII M. Shanbaky, RI J. Dwyer, RI
- 1. Czerwinskyj, RI J. Pelchat, RII K. Smith, RI B. Fonner, OGC concurrences:
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Depu 3 bcc:
Region i Docket Room (w/ concurrences)
R. Cunningham,NMSS R. Bangart, NMSS J. Glenn, NMSS T. Martin, R1
'T ' Kane, RI S. Shankman, RI R. Bellamy, RI M. Shanbaky, R
'I. Czerwinskyj, RI K. Smith, RI th f QCollins, RII J. Pelchat, RII
& . % aau., c>6C-concurrences:
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^ ~ ^ M h Shanbaky gcBell y Cooper Smit 6RPrMRMA 1th7/92 11hr792 11/lV92 11/)'l/92 11' /92 u{ l94 G:\ST2 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY Pg 3 November 18, 1992
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