ML20128J189
| ML20128J189 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 10/04/1996 |
| From: | Cool D NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Caniano R, Dan Collins, Costello F NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I), NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II), NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| References | |
| SSD, NUDOCS 9610100206 | |
| Download: ML20128J189 (2) | |
Text
_ _ .- _
GENERIC USE october 4, 1996 MEMORANDUM TO: Francis M. Costello, Chief Nuclear Materials Safety Branch lit, RI Douglas M. Collins, Deputy Director Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, Ril l Roy Caniano, Deputy Director Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, Rlli Linda Howel!, Chief ,
Nuclear Materials Inspection Branch, RIV D. Blair Spitzberg, Chief Nuclear Materials Licensing Branch, RIV Frank Wenslawski, Chief Materials Branch (WCFO), RIV FROM: Donald A. Cool, Director ,0riginal Signed by g/
- Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety, NMSS
SUBJECT:
INFORMATION NOTICE 96-51, RESIDUAL CONTAMINATION .
REMAINING IN KRYPTON-85 HANDLING SYSTEM AFTER VENTING 8 "' As a result of a TAR from Region lli (copy attached), the NRC has issued Information Notice
$ 96-51, Residual Contamination Remaining in Krypton-85 Handling System after Venting. A copy O'
- of the information notice is attached. Please ensure that all appropriate staff is aware of the g information it contains. Please be advised that any radioactive residue remaining in the system ru components after decommissioning should be in accordance with decommissioning guidelines OE concerning the release of equipment to unrestricted areas. Additional licensing guidance may be 5 developed as a part of the Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) initiative.
GES o-o.m If you have any questions regarding this issue, please contact Michele Burgess at (301) 415-5868.
5 8C
Attachment:
As stated DISTRIBUTION: w/ enclosures SGreene, IMAd VCampbell, RIV TDecker, Ril MMeenam, Rlli w/o encts.
JKinneman, RI CCain, RIV CPederson, Rlli GShear, Rlli IMAB r/f JM dera, Rlli CHosey, Ril JJoyner,RI MPhillips, Rlli IMNS Central JPotter, Rll MShanbaky, RI CHehl, RI CBoyle, IMAB JJohansen,RI BJHolt, Rlli SVillar, Rl BPrange,RIV WCF DCh mberlain, RIV FCombs IMNS ticket #5410 NE02-SSD-3 I SSSS Staff NMSS r/f SSSS r/f I DOCUMENT NAME: C:\SSSS\GENCOMM\KR85\KRIN.MEM
- see previous concurrence T. ,.c*. . copy of w. docum.nt, we.to b the t,or *C" = Copy without attachment / enclosure *E' - Copy with attachrpedt/ enclosure *N" = No copy OFFICE IMAB l IMAB IMAB lhD(Vf// / l NAME MBurgess/mb* SBaggett* LCamper* D dbof' Y 7/
DATE / /96 / /96 / /96 /0/ S /86 NRC F2@@@ DEB COPY
l GENERIC USE '
i MEMORANDUM TO: Francis M. Costello, Chief i Nuclear Materials Safety Branch 111, RI Douglas M. Collins, Deputy Director Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, Ril Roy Caniano, Deputy Director Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, Rlli Linda Howell, Chief Nuclear Materials inspection Branch, RIV D. Blair Spitzberg, Chief Nuclear Materials Licensing Branch, RIV Frank Wenslawski, Chief Walnut Creek Field Office, RIV FROM: Donald A. Cool, Director Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety, NMSS
SUBJECT:
INFORMATION NOTICE 96-51, RESIDUAL CONTAMINATION REMAINING IN KRYPTON-85 HANDLING SYSTEM AFTER VENTING As a result of a TAR from Region lli (copy attached), the NRC has issued Information Notice j 96-51, Residual Contamination Remaining in Krypton-85 Handling System after Venting. A copy of the information notice is attached. Please ensure that all appropriate staff is aware of the information it contains. Please be advised that any radioactive residue remaining in the system ,
components after decommissioning should be in accordance with decommissioning guidelines !
concerning the release of equipment to unrestricted areas. Additionallicensing guidance may be l developed as a part of the Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) initiative. !
If you have any questions regarding this issue, please contact Michele Burgess at (301) 415-5868.
Attachment:
As stated DISTRIBUTION: w/ enclosures !
SGreene, IMAB VCampbell, RIV TDecker, Ril MMeenam, Rlll w/o encls. !
JKinneman, RI CCain, RIV CPederson, Rill GShear, Rlli IMAB r/f JM dera, Rlli CHosey, Ril JJoyner,RI MPhillips, Rlli IMNS Central JPotter, Ril MShanbaky, RI CHehl, RI CBoyle, IMAB JJoh nsen, RI BJHolt, Rill SVillar, RI BPrange,RIV WCFO DCh:mberlain, RIV FCombs IMNS ticket #5410 NE02-SSD-3 SSSS Staff NMSS r/f SSSS r/f DOCUMENT NAME: C:\SSSS\GENCOMM\KR85\KRIN.MEM .
p\f/ p ;
To receive a copy of this document. Indicate in the box: "C" = Copy w,thout attachment /enclosur6 *E" = Copy v # attachment /enci e *N" = No copy l
OFFICE IMAB l6 IMAB ,, 4 IMAB j,fj// M IMNS l l l NAME MBurgess/mb1;ftf SBaggett' LQarfd)f " DCool DATE 07/.70/96 Y /?c /96 'l /# /96 / /96 ,
OFFICIAL RECORD COPY l
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS WASHINGTON, DC 20555 September 11,1996 NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 96-51: RESIDUAL CONTAMINATION REMAINING IN KRYPTON-85 HANDLING SYSTEM AFTER VENTING Addressees All material licensees.
Purpose The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is issuing this information notice to make licensees aware of a possible contamination problem in krypton-85 (Kr-85) handling systems. It is i expected that recif ents will review the information for applicability to their facilities, to ensure that this information is considered when decommissioning one of these systems. However, suggestions contained in this information notice are not NRC requirements; therefore, no !
specific action nor wntten response is required.
Description of Circumstances Recently, NRC was informed of several cases where a licensee found residual contamination remaining in some components of Kr-85 handling systems after the standard decommissioning process. Although these incidents only involved Kr-85, the inherent concems extend to all gas handling systems that subject a radioactive gas to vacuum / pressure cycling.
The current process for cleaning these systems during decommissioning is to flush and vent them until the readings from the exhausted air are below release limits. The readings on the outside of the components of the system are also checked to make sure that they are below acceptable limits.
During cleaning and decommissioning of some of these systems, it has been reported that a vamish-like residue has been found on the inside of some of the system components (i.e.,
storage tank and the compressors). The residue is probably the result of the oils and dust in the system plating on the inside of the components through the repeated vacuum and i
pressure cycles. This residue is not removed by the flushing process currently used to clean the systems. It has been reported that several of the commonly used solvents have been ;
I tried, but that the residue was not easily removed. The residue can be removed by exposing the intemal surfaces of the components and scraping the residue. Residues containing up to 29.6 gigabecquerels (800 millicuries) have been reported. Due to the low levels of gamma radiation emitted by Kr-85 and the robust construction of the air storage tank and other components, the presence of the residue is not detectable by measurements of the outside of ,
the components.
- 9609050281 --
Attachment
IN 96-51 l September 11,1996
- Page 2 of 2 Discussion .
There is a concern that systems released as " cleaned" under the current decommissioning procedures may still contain the residue and be released into the scrap stream for later reuse. In particular, there is a concern that the components could be later cut up, exposing ,
the Kr-85 residue or that the storage tank may be reused as a tank or pressurization i chamber. i !
i Licensees decommissioning or receiving these systems, or components from these systems, l should be aware of the potential for residual contamination, and take action appropriately, t This information notice requires no specific action nor written response. If you have any ,
questions about the information in this notice, please contact the technical contact listed below or the appropriate regional office.
(Milk o $Y m i Donald A. Cool, Director Division of Industrial and I Medical Nuclear Safety Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Technical contact: Michele Burgess, NMSS (301) 415-5868 Email: mlb5@nrc. gov ,
Attachments:
- 1. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information Notices
- 2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
Attachment 1 IN 96-51 September 11,1996 Page 1 of 1 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED NMSS INFORMATION NOTICES Information Date of Notice No. Subject Issuance issued to 96-47 Recordkeeping, Decommis- 08/19/96 All U.S. Nuclesr Regulatory sioning Notifications for Commission licensees Disposals of Radioactive Waste by Land Burial Authorized Under Former ;
10 CFR 20.304,20.302, i and Current 20.2002 l 96-35 Failure of Safety Systems 06/11/96 All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory on Self-Shielded Irradia- Commission irradiator tors Because of inadec,uate licensees and vendors Maintenance and Training 96-33 Erroneous Data from Defec- 05/224/96 All material and fuel cycle tive Thermocouple Results licensees that monitor tem-in a Fire perature with thermocouples 96-28 Suggested Guidance Relat- 05/01/96 All material and fuel cycle ing to Development and licensees implementation of Correc-tive Action !
96-21 Safety Concems Related 04/10/96 All NRC Medical Licensees to the Design of the Door authorized to use brachy- !
Interlock Circuit on therapy sources in high-Nucletron High-Dose Rate and pulsed-dose-rate remote and Pulsed Dose Rate Remote Aftertoading Brachy-therapy Devices 96-20 Demonstration of Associ- 04/04/96 All industrial radiography i ated Equipment Compliance licensees and radiography I with 10 CFR 34.20 equipment manufacturers 96-18 Compliance With 10 CFR 03/25/96 All material licensees Part 20 for Airbome authorized to possess and Thorium use thorium in unsealed form i 96-04 Incident Reporting 01/10/96 All Radiography Licensees Requirements for and Manufacturers of -
Radiography ucensees Radiography Equipment
b . ,
- Attachment 2 IN 96-51 l
September 11,1996 ,
Page 1 of 1 l
l LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED NRC INFORMATION NOTICES Information Date of Notice No. Subject issuance issued to 96-50 Problems with 09/04/96 All holders of OLs and cps Levering-In Devices for nuclear power plants in Westinghouse Circuit Breakers 96-49 Thermally Induced 08/20/96 All holders of OLs or cps pressurization of for nuclear power reactors I of Nuclear Power facility Piping 96-48 Motor-Operated Valve 08/21/96 All holders of OLs or cps Performance issues for nuclear power reactors 96-47 Recordkeeping, Decommis- 08/19/96 All U S. Nuclear Regulatory sioning Notifications for Commission licensees Disposals of Radioactive 1 Waste by Land Burial Authorized Under Former 10 CFR 20.304, 20.302, and Current 20.2002 96-46 Zinc Plating of Hardened 08/12/96 All holders of OLs or cps ,
Metal Parts and Removal for nuclear power reactors )
of Protective Coatings in Refurbished Circuit Breakers 96-45 Potential Common-Mode 8/12/96 All holders of OLs or cps Post-Accident Failure o' for nuclear power reactors Containment Coolers 96-44 Failure of Reactor 8/05/96 All holders of OLs or cps Trip Breaker from Cracking for nuclear power reactors of Phenolic Materialin )
secondary contact assembly 96-43 Failures of General 08/02/96 All holders of OLs or cps Electric Magne-Blast for nuclear power reactors Circuit Breakers OL = Operating License CP = Construction Permit