ML20127N054
| ML20127N054 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 06/24/1985 |
| From: | Oestmann M, Schumacher M NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20127N021 | List: |
| References | |
| CON-NRC-30-83-648 99990003-85-44, NUDOCS 8507010421 | |
| Download: ML20127N054 (7) | |
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U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION III Performance Appraisal for'the NRC/ University of Iowa, State Hygienic Laboratory Environmental Monitoring Cooperative Agreement.
Report No. 9999-0003/85044(DRSS)
Docket No. 9999-0003 Coop. Agree. No. NRC-30-83-648 Facility: University of Iowa State Hygienic Laboratory Appraisal At: Iowa City, IA Appraisal Conducted: May 28-29 and June 14, 1985 Appraisal Period July 1, 1985 through May 1985 7 // O . 8 4 4 8 1r e - /p g
. Appraiser: M. S. Oestmann Date Approved By: M. C. Schumacher, Chief Independent Measurements and k&
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Environmental Protection Section Appraisal Summary Appraisal conducted on May 28-29 and June 14, 1985 (Report No. 9999-0003/85044(DRSS))
Areas Appraised: Adherence to requirements of the cooperative agreement; organizational structure and management support; technical staffing and training; facilities, analytical equipment, and counting instrumentation; sampling and analytical procedures; laboratory performance; quality assurance; reports; and communications.
Results: The State Hygienic Laboratory's (SHL) performance related to this cooperative agreement is satisfactory. An environmental monitoring program is being implemented in the vicinity of the Duane Arnold Energy Center (OAEC).
State support for maintaining the program appears strong. Some minor weaknesses exist, however, including the absence of sampling of certain environmental media.
8507010421 IE 850625 GA999 EEIUIDWA 99990003 PDR
DETAILS I I
- 1. Persons Contacted !
University of Iowa, State Hygienic Laboratory (SHL)
- W. J. Hausler, Jr. , Director
- R. L. Cada, Assistant Director
- I. Schwabbauer, Chief, Airborne Contaminants and Radiological Health Department
- R. Cochran, Chief, Health Physics and Radiochemistry Sections T. Cain, Chemist J. Huber, Chemist D. Rodgers, Health Physics Technician
- Attended exit interview on May 29, 1985 at the SHL.
- Present during telephone conversation on June 14, 1985.
- 2. General This annual appraisal was conducted to review the performance by the SHL of the environmental monitoring program under the NRC/SHL Cooperative Agreement (No. NRC-30-83-648) initiated on July 1, 1983. Under this agreement, the SHL performs environmental monitoring and TLD exchange in the vicinity of the Duane Arnold Energy Center (DAEC). The agreement serves to compare and independently verify the results of the program conducted by the licensee (Iowa Electric Power and Light Company).
The appraisal consisted of interviews with members of the Airborne Contaminants and Radiological Health Department and with management of the SHL at their offices and laboratory facilities on the Oakdale Campus of the State University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. The review covered the period July 1984 - May 1985.
- 3. Summary and Recommendations Based on its review, the appraiser recommends continuation of the existing cooperative agreement between the NRC and the SHL. Overall, the SHL's performance has satisfied the objectives and conditions of the agreement and current performance is regarded as good.
Improvements made since the previous appraisal (June 1984) include:
(1) The preparation of analytical procedures, primarily involving the use of the Nuclear Data 680 gamma spectroscopy system in analyzing various environmental media; (2) Development of a QA/QC program for the Nuclear Data 680 gamma spectrometer; and 2
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(3) . Training of Radiochemistry Section personnel in the operation of the gamma spectrometer.
Two deficiencies were noted:
(1) Analysis of radiciodine in milk not meeting a lower limit of detection (LLD) of 1 pCi/1, and (2) Analysis'of only one food product in 1984.
- 4. Organization and Staffing The organization and staffing of personnel affecting the NRC agreement (Figure 1) were reviewed. Mr. I. Schwabbauer, Chief of the Airborne Contaminants and Radiological Health Department in the Bureau of Environmental Quality and Control, continues to provide direct administration and management of the NRC program. Mr. R. Cochran, Chief of the Health Physics and Radiochemistry Sections, is responsible for tile daily conduct of the program involving ' environmental sample analysis and TLD exchange. Three full time staff members in the Radiochemistry Section report to Mr. Cochran. They include:
- a. T. Cain, Radiochemist, who joined the SLH in November 1984, received a B.S. in Chemistry from Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa, in 1982. He is experienced in operating GM, gas flow proportional, and scintillation counters, the Np,680 gamma spectrometer, atomic absorption spectrometer and UV-Vis spectrophotometer, liquid chromatograph and other chemical instruments.
- b. J. Huber, Chemist, who joined the SLH in March 1985, received a B.S. from the University of Iowa College of Medicine and is a certified medical technologist. She is presently learning to operate the various counting equipment, and provides assistance to Mr. Cain by counting the NRC samples. She also performs strontium-89/90 and radium analyses for EPA drinking water samples.
- c. D. Rodgers, Health Physics Technician, has worked at the SHL since October 1983 preparing samples for counting and providing assistance in the laboratory. He received an Associate Degree from Scott Community College in 1971.
Staffing of the Radiochemistry and Health Physics Sections is well established. Qualifications and experience of the current SHL technical staff for the NRC/SHL agreement appears satisfactory.
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Figure 1
-l STATE HYGIENIC LABORATORY (SHL) l I .
l l W. J. HAUSLER, JR., DIRECTOR I I R. C. SPLINTER, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR I I R. L. CADA, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR l l AND QUALITY ASSURANCE OFFICER l
-l l l
l l
l l . AIRBORNE CONTAMINANTS AND RADIOLOGICAL HEALTH (ACRH) I l-
- l l I. SCHWABBAVER, CHIEF l l- 1 I
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I 1 I I I I I I I l RADI0 CHEMISTRY l l HEALTH PHYSICS l l l 1 1 I R. Cochran, Chief I l R. Cochran, Chief 1 i.T. Cain, Radiochemist l l l l-J. Huber, Chemist i I-D. Rodgers,. Health .l I- Physics Technician l '
1- I
~
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- 5. Management Support Laboratory management indicated that the annual funding for the Radiochemistry and Health Physics Sections will remain about the same as discussed in the previous appraisal.1 Staff time for the two sections also remains about the same as described in the previous appraisal.
The Radiochemistry and Health Physics Sections continue to prepare and count samples for the NRC-SHL agreement. The Health Physics section also is involved in emergency preparedness in addition to we K for the NRC agreement. The Sections also continue to analyze rad'oactivity in ground water, surface water, precipitation, milk and airborae particulates, and drinking water samples for the EPA Safe Drinking Water Act, PL93-523.
Management support and commitment to the program appear satisfactory.
- 6. Training Staff training is mainly on-the-job involving a combination of self-study and or senior staff training subordinates. The Radiochemistry and Health Physics Section Chief has spent considerable effort training his staff in the use of the counting equipment, particularly the ND680 gamma spectrometer system, during the past year. He has developed extensive operating instructions for the gamma spectrometer and the staff appears proficient in its use.
Laboratory management indicated that they would support sending two staff members to an environmental monitoring course at the NRC Reference Laboratory (RESL) in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Training of the present staff appears adequate.
- 7. Facilities and Equipment No changes in the facilities have occurred since the previous appraisal.2 Adequate space (about 1000 ft ) is devoted to sample preparation, analysis and storage performed in three laboratory rooms. The counting room is conveniently located one floor below the laboratory.
Major counting room equipment is basically unchanged since the previous appraisal.3 The major equipment currently being used for the NRC/SHL agreement is the Nuclear Data 680, a computerized gamma spectrometer with a shielded Geli detector. There are also two Ludlum 148 alpha scintillation counters, two Nuclear Chicago low background alpha / beta counters with automatic sample changers, a Beckman liquid scintillation counter, and a shielded NaI(Tl) detector used with the ND 680.
Laboratory management indicated that a new low background alpha / beta ccrater with an automatic sample changer will be obtained in the near future to replace the older gas flow proportional (alpha / beta) counters.
1 Appraisal Report No. 9999-0003/84-05 2 Ibid 3 Ibid 5
The SHL also has two Eberline air samplers for air particulate and radioiodine monitoring, one of which is located in the vicinity of Duane Arnold Energy Center plant and the second, located as a control outside the SHL building. These are calibrated and maintained by the Health Physics Section. The appraiser verified that the control sampler was operating well and was properly calibrated.
.The counting equipment including the GeLi detector were found to be properly calibrated. The Health Physics Section Chief maintains calibration,on each of a variety of geometries for the GeLi detector.
Laboratory standards used for calibration are obtained from US EPA, NBS and Analytics, Inc. The standards are suitable for instrument calibration.
Laboratory facilities and counting equipment, including the air sampling equipment, appear adequate for supporting the NRC/SHL agreement.
- 8. Quality Assurance The QA program has been modified to include periodic performance checks with control charts for the gamma spectroscopy system since the previous appraisal.4 Control charts involving performance checks are now maintained on all operating counting equipment. No problems were noted in the review of the check results or control charts.
The SHL continues to participate in the EPA cross check interlaboratory comparison and blind sample programs. The results as presented in the 1984 Annual Report were reviewed and found to be satisfactory.
SHL personnel indicated that analytical data prepared for the Annual Report are. reviewed by two management levels above the Radiochemistry and Health Physics Section before inclusion in the Annual Report. The appraiser also determined that the SHL has developed a QA Program Plan for all the varinus programs the SHL conducts, including the Radiochemistry Section. The SHL Assistant Director is the QA officer.
Implementation of this plan was found adequate to assure high quality analytical measurements.
The laboratory continues to have an effective system for identifying incoming samples and tracking them through the various analyses. ,
- 9. Communications On April 15, 1985, the SHL published an Annual Report on sample analyses covering the period January - December 1984 in accordance with the conditions of the NRC agreement. The report includes analytical results in comparison with DAEC's results, evaluation of significant differences between the two results, an explanation of all missing data, and results of the EPA cross check program. SHL personnel and the appraiser discussed inclusion of a short summary of sampling and analytical techniques and a
- Ibid 6
7;.
table showing the lower limits of detection (LLD) achieved by the SHL in its analyses, in the Annual Report.
- 10. Performance and Procedures SHL's performance of the program generally satisfied the conditions and objectives of the cooperative agreement. Two exuptions were noted:
only one sample of vegetation (corn) was collected and analyzed in 1984 and the radiciodine analyses of milk' samples did not achieve the 1 pCi/l level-indicated in the agreement. This was discussed at the exit interview.
In a telephone conversation on June 14, 1985, a laboratory representative stated an iodine separation procedure capable of meeting the 1 pCi/1 LLD had been implemented. He also indicated there would be no problem in collecting a second vegetation sample this year.
During this past year, the laboratory has prepared analytical procedures for the use of the ND 680 gamma spectrometer in analyzing samples for the NRC agreement.
Samples are mainly collected by the licensee with a split or duplicate given to the SHL. Laboratory representatives stated that SHL personnel periodically accompany the licensee's sample collector and that coordination of the collection has generally worked well.
- 11. Exit Interview The scope and findings of the appraisal were discussed with laboratory management at its conclusion on May 29, 1985. Laboratory progress regarding iodine LLD in milk and vegetation sampling was discussed with Mr. Cochran by telephone on June 14, 1985.
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