ML20133M068

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Reinspection Rept for SNM-33 on 610320-23.Violations Noted. Areas Inspected:Licensee Personnel Interviewed & Facilities & Processes
ML20133M068
Person / Time
Site: 07000036
Issue date: 04/14/1961
From: Peery W
US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC)
To:
Shared Package
ML20133G976 List: ... further results
References
FOIA-96-343 NUDOCS 9701220247
Download: ML20133M068 (14)
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' COMPLIANCE INSPECTION REPORT 1

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1. Name and address of Lcensee
2. Date of mspection i

Me111askreds W Werke March 29 23* 1961 4

sessed & leellinskredt streete St. Leute 7, Missouri

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4. to CFit Part(s) appbcable i

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3. IJcense number (s). bue and upiration dates, scope and conditions (including -h)

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Page 2 Hallinckrodt Chemical Works St. Louis, Missouri License No.

SEbbSS DETAILS s

I.

CENERAL INFORMATION 9.

The special nuclear materials processing program being con.

ducted by Hallinckrode Chemical Company at Hesatite, Missouri, under License No SNH.33, was initially inspected August 18 and 19, 1958 and no items of noncompliance were reported. This program was reinspected January 12 thru 14, 1940 with no items of noncompliance reported. The licenset's source material activities under License No. C.4495 were initially inspected January 12 thru 14,1960 and no items of noncompliance were reported. License No. C.4495 was superseded on February 9, 1960 with License No. C-5014 which in turn was superseded October 20, 1960 by License No. C.5308. All of the licensee's activities involving special nuclear and source material are being performed in his plant at Hematite, Missouri, under License Nos. SNM-33 and C.5308.

10. This reinspection of the prograem being conducted under

. License Nos. SNE.33 and C.5308 was made on March 20 3 24, 1961 by W. W. Peery, Inspection Division, OE00. Licensee per.

sonnel interviewed and furnishing information during the in.

spection include the following Mr. Frank Zeitlin, Assistant Vice President, Nuclear Division Dr. E. D. North, Manager, Hematite Plant Mr. J. W. Miller, Head of.the Industrial Hygiene Department II.

ORGANIZATION 11, The Hallinckrodt Nuclear Corporation rek ested.in a letter to the Division of Licensing and Regulation, dated September 29, 1960, that License Nos..SNN.33 and C.5014 be. reissued to the.

Mailinckrodt Chemical Works. In a letter to the licensee dated October 20, 1960 the Division of Licensing and Regulation stated that: License Nos. SNH.33 and C.5014.previously issued to the Hallinckrodt Nuclear Corporation.were revoked and License No.

SNN.33 was reissued in the name of the Hallinckrodt Chemical.

Works with an ef f ective date of October 20, 1960. License No.

- C.5308 was also issued to the Hallinckrodt Chemical Works to supersede License No. C.5014... ;rhe activities previously,au.

.thorised under C.5014 were authorised.under C-5308 which also, has an if fegtive date of October 20, 19,60.

11. MThe Jigensee's letger.of September 29,,1960 stated that the taranqfer of nuclear fuel, business from the Hallinckrodt Nucipar Cogporation to the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works inclu3es physical, 4

i ses,ats, propergies and per'sonnel. At,the time o, Ahe' last ips '

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spection, January 12 - 14, 1960, the ' licensee's program at-Hematite was being conducted by the Spepiel Metals Division under the management of Mr. F. H. Belmore who reported to Mr. J. Fistere, President of the Company.

Dr. E. D. North reported to Dr. R. W.

Shearer, Assistant Manager of the Spect,a1 Metals Division who I

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Page 3 Mallinckrodt Chemical Works St. Louis, Missouri License No.

85 33 reported to Mr. Belmore.

13. The licensee's program et the time of this inspection on March 20 - 24, 1961 was being conducted by the licensee's Nuclear Division under the directorship of Dr. C. D. Harrington who reports to Mr. H. E. Thayer, President of the Company. Mr.

Thayer succeeded Mr. J. Fistere in this capacity when Mr. Fistere retired, however, Mr. Fistere is still a member of the Board of Directors of the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works. Dr. E. D. North, Manager of Operations at the Hematite Plant reports to Mr.

Frank Zeitlin, Assistant Vice President in charge of the Cosmsercial Operations, under the Nuclear Division, which pro-cesses all nuclear materials for Hallinckrode's commercial outlets. Mr. Zeitlin reports to

r. Harrington. At the time a

of the last inspection Dr. C. W. Tompkins was Manager, Research and Development, under the Special Metals Division, however, Dr. Tompkins is now over research and development in the licensee's Industrial Division and reports to its director, Mr.

F. M. Belmore who was previously over the Special Metals Division. There is at present a research and development group at Hematite under Mr. C. W. Ihablaan who reports to Mr. Zeitlin.

Dr. North is responsible for over-all criticality problema at Hematite and he was previously assisted by Dr. Tompkins, how-ever, Mr. L. J. Swallow has succeeded Dr. Tompkins in this capacity at the Hematite Plant.

14. Mr. J. W. Miller, Head of the Industrial Hygiene Department reports to Mr. John C. Moore, Vice President in charge of the Operations Division which is involved in operations at the licensee's St. Louis f acilities. Mr. Miller has had several years of esperience in directing the licensee's health physics program at the licensee's St. Louis and Hematite facilities.

Mr.

Miller is assisted by two technicians, William McGrath at the Hematite Plant and Earl Roddy at the St. Louis facilities. Mr. McGrath has had about 3 years experience in this capacity and Mr. Roddy about 4 years experience under Mr. Miller.

15.

Supervising personnel at the licensee's Hematite Plant include two Process Engineers, Messrs. Jack Rosser and Authur Day. The total number of personnel at the Hematite Plant at the time of the last inspection was 97 as compared to a total number of 78 at the time of this inspection. Both total personnel figures include operations, maintenance, guards and analytical labora-tory personnel.

I 16 The licensee contemplates a merger with the Olin Mathieson Chemical Company and the Nuclear Research and Development Corporation. This is to result in the formation of the United Nuclear Corporation whicL will have as its President Mr. W. C.

l Foster who is presently a Vice President of the Olin Mathieson Company. There are to be three divisions of the corporations The NDA Division (Design), J. R. Henke, Vice President The i.

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Page 4 Hallinckrodt Chemical Works St. Louis, Missouri License No.

SWm38 Olin Mathieson Division (Reactor f abrication), E. Hartshorne, Vice Presidents and The Hallinckrodt Division (Nuclear fuel processing) C. D. Katrington, Vice President. The licensee's present Nuclear Division will be under the Hallinckrodt Division of the new corporation with essentially the same personnel carrying out the program at the Hematite Plant.

Dr.

R. W. Shearer, who was previously Assistant Manager of the Special Hetals Division reporting to Mr. Belmore, will be assistant to Dr. Harrington in the Hallinckrodt Division. The new United Nuclear Corporation will have a total of about 1400 employees.

III. FACILITIES AND PROCESSES 17.

The licensee's Hematite Plant is built in about the center of 4

a 150 acre tract of land which is locatedrse 40 miles south of St. Louis, Missouri near the town of Hematite, Missouri and 1s bound on the north by Missouri State Highway 21.A, on the south by Joachim Creek and on the east and west by other private property. The nearest occupied property is a fsruhouse located several hundred yards to the northwest of the plant.

18. The production facilities consist of two main buildings each with several thousand feet of floor space. Located between these two buildings are two storage buildings, one for high enriched material and one for low enriched material. A section of the south end of the high enriched storage building is a blender room which also contains some depleted material storage.

A small building west of the two main buildings is also used for storage of depleted materials. Offices and a change rcom are located in a section designated as 2401 of the west building.

The enriched store building (25016 2) is a one-story rein.

forced concrete building with a concrete floor containing no drain. The blending room (250 3) is constructed of concrete block with dimensions of ess 20' x 50'.

Blending equipment con.

sists of ten (10) equally spaced drum positions inside a dust control hood. The drum positions are separated by 1 ft. thick slabs of concrete. Since the last inspection the care weight area in the blender room has been enclosed in a hood. The low enriched storage building (251) is constructed similarly to the high enriched building. The small depleted storage building (235) located west of the two main butidings is constructed of reinforced concrete and has dimensions of es 10 ' x 20 8 All storage areas are equipped with chains and brackets for pro.

per spacing of materials. UF6 containers are stored in their individually spaced bird cases.

19.

Instrumentation for the licensee's radiation saf ety program in.

cludes the following:

2 Technical Associates Model 3 Juno (c,0,y) 3 Victoreen "Thyac" Model 389C survey meter (0,y)

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Page 5 Hallinckrodt Chemical Works St. Louis, Missouri License No.

M 3

Victoreen Model 356 survey meters (a,0,y) 2 Nuclear Measurements Corp. Model FC.3A counters 8 Air samplers (Hudson, Gast and Gelman portable samplers) 1 Eber11ne portable a proportional counter, Model PAC.3G An emergency monitoring station has been established in a building located about 200 yards from the main Hematite Plant building.

There are two Juno survey instruments available at the emergency station, one with a maximum range of 5 r/hr and the other with a range up to 50 r/hr. Both are checked periodically for operability.

Instruction and interrogation sheets are available at the emer.

gency station for preliminary investigation.

20. A Nuclear Measurements Corporation Gammelare, Model CA.2, system is installed in the licensee's Hematite Plant as required by 10 CFR 70.24. Six of the Gammelare sensing heads are installed I

I with one in each of the following locations (1) 235 (Iow enriched storage small bids. west of main plant b1dge.): (2) 240 2 (high enriched process areas) (3) 240 4 (Solvent estraction.. low en.

riched): (4) 250 2 (high enriched storage bids.): (5) 251 (low i

enriched storage bids.): (6) 255 2 (pellet plant). The main control penet is located in the northwest corner of area 240 1 of the westerly most of the two main buildings which contains Dr. North's office. The control panel shows which area has caused the alarm. The control panel contains two sets of lights.

Amber lights only indicate malfunction of the instruments while red lights actuated simultaneously with horn alarms indicate unusually high fields of radiation auch as from a nuclear ex.

cursion. This separate system actuated by separate signals assists in avoiding falso alarms and aids in locating instrument malfunction. The "Gammalers" system is calibrated at sis. month intervals with an NBS calibrated 10 ac Radium source which has an NBS calibration certificate dated February 28, 1954. The system is also routinely tested at the same time each Honday morning with a gamma source for response and as a rough calibration check. The warning system is set to alarm at a radiation level of 10 nr/hr.

Written emergency procedures have been distributed to personnel f

with written instructions from Dr. North to study and know the instructions. The procedures were furnished to the Division of Licensing and Regulation with a letter dated June 5, 1959. The l

licensee periodically changes critical vacuum tubes in the "Gammelarm" as a preventive maintenance measure.

Mr. Miller stated that there have been only two cases of false alarm. One resulted from improper mounting of the detection unit over a i

door that jarred the instrument and the cause of the other was

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l not determined except that a nuclear escursion was in no way associated with the alarm. All sensing units were observed to be mounted within 120 feet of the place of handling, use or 4

storage of the licensed special nuclear materials as required by 10 CFR 70.24.

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21. In a letter from the Division of Licensing and Regulation dated l

July 13, 1960 the licensee was informed that no further action could be taken on his application, dated April 16, 1960, dealing l

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4 Page 6 Hallinckrodt Chemical Works

$t. Louis, Missourt License No. ggggg3 4

with the inclusion under the license of a recently completed storage area (low enrichment) untti the licensee notified the Division of Licensing and Regulation that emergency power had been provided for the alarm system. In answer to the Division of Licensing and Regulation letter of July 13, 1960 the licenses stated in a July 19, 1960 letter that the economics of such a system was being studied and that in order to have the facility i

licensed the licensee stated in the letter that in the meantime he agreed not to move material in of out of the building.during a power failure. The letter further stated that the Division of Licensing and Regulation would be informed of the licensee's action on the matter. The license was amended to include the new storage as of July 27, 1960 in accordance with the licensee's proposed procedure. The emergency power supply had not been in.

stalled et the time of this inspection. Dr. North stated that there have been only three power failures at the plant in four years of operation with a minimal time of outage. The plant power is drawn from a main feeder line and Dr. North stated that the power company has just recently made extensive modification to the power line system to sinimise power failures. The in.

stallation of the suailiary power supply in the plant is still being studied with no firm conclusions at the time of this in-spection.

22.

Protective clothing including underwear, coveralls, shoes, caps, gloves and' respirators are furnished to licensee operating per.

sonnel in section 240 1 of the main west building. Two change rooms separated by a shower are provided whereby personnel can change company clothing in one room, shower and change persona) clothing in the other. Complete laundry facilities are avail-able in section 255 3 of the main east building. Clothing is pre-laundered before being sent out to a commercial laundry. The pre-laundry wash water has not significantly ef fected toe over.all plant effluent as evidenced by effluent sample results.

23. The main west building of the licensee's Hematite Plant contains processes as follows:

Sect _ ton 240 2 tknufacture of cermet type fuel elements and metal from uranium enriched in U 235 to 20% and higher.

Auxiliary Areas:

1.

Solvent extraction of enriched uranium from scrap.

2.

Soluble products area (uranyl nitrate, sulfate and flouride).

3.

Process for direct conversion of UF6 to UF.

4 4

UO2 shot production.

Section 240 3 Production of low enriched materials to 6% U 235 with end product being ceramic grade UO '

2

j, Page 7 Hallinckrode Chemical Works St. Louis, Missouri 1irinse No.

ggghgg Section 240 4 1.

Solvent extraction of low enriched cranium from scrap.

2.

Manufacture of 5 - 20% U 235 compounds.

The main east building of the plant contains the followings Section 255 1

1. ' Research and Development offices.

2.

Pilot plant.

3.

Storage.

Section 255-2 1.

U93 pellet production.

Section 25;;3 1.

Haintenance Shop.

2.

General materials supply storage.

3.

Depleted storage.

4.

Laundry.

IV. RADIATION SAFETY PROGRAM 24.

Personnel are routinely monitored with a film badge program furnished entirely by the licensee. Stainless steel badges _

with open window and shielded reading capability are used agV' the film is processed and read in facilities, including a dark room, in the Medical Department of the licensee's plant in St. Louis, Missouri. The procedures for the film badge pro-gram are stellar to those used in the film badge program at the AEC's Weldon Springs plant. Pursuant to 10 CFR 20.101(b)(3),

i as effective January 1,1961, the licenses bas completed Form AEC.4 M0ccupational External Radiation Raposure History" for all employees being monitored for radiation exposure. Forms containing the information required on Form AEC-5 " Current Occupational External Radiation Esposure" have been drawn up and are in use in the licensee's program as required by 10 CFR 20.401(a), as ef fective January 1,1961. The film are pro-ceased on a monthly frequency with adjustment in the number of days in some periods so that a quarterly record will be main.

tained. Records of film readings for 1960 show no exposures greater than the 10 CFR 20 limits prior to January 1,1961, with some few rdedings up to 100 aren/wk but the majority of the readings were near the threshold of the film or no greater than 50 mrem /wk. The records of film readings for 1961 show no ex-posures greater than the permissible 1Laits of 10 CFR 20 as, ef fective January 1,1961. The highest monthly reading observed was 350 mrem with most all other readings being near the thres-hold of the film or no greater than 50 ares / month, s

25. Licensee Hematite Plant operating personnel submitted urin.

I alysis samples on a 3 - 6 month basis, as determined by job I

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Page 8 Hallinckrodt Chemical Works

[:

St. Louis, Missouri License No. M k

i assignments, until Janu n, 1, la"

" + 19 t*m 1 -9t'ne urinalysis program was o m wnt..ed.

.f.. L i..r s6ated chac the program was discontinued because it was felt that the program had b u n in effect long enough to furnish reliable i

data for an over.all evaluation of concentrations that may be i

routinely found in urinalysis semples free personnel working l

in the licensee's Heestite plant. Other factors related by Hr. Hiller as affecting the decision to discontinue the urinalysis program included the cost of the program parti-cularly when compared to its value as a real and practical device for routinely measuring radiation esposure. Mr.

Miller stated that where desirable or necessary bio assay services will be provided as required by 10 CFR 20.108. Com.

plete records have been kept of the urinalysis results.

Mr.

Hiller stated that the American Standards Association recom-mended values of 110 d/m/ titer for 24 hour2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> sample for natural

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and depleted uranium and 75 d/m/ liter for 24 hour2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> sample for enriched uranium have been used as guide values, however, he indicated that resampling has been done when analysis results i

excuded 45 d/m/ liter for 24 hour2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> sample. The records of the urinalysis results show most readings to be negative or less than 45 d/m/11ter, however, in several cases results were in range of 75 to 150 d/a/ liter. In many of these cases the result on one resample decreased to less than 45 d/a/1 while in other cases the readings decreased to less than 45 d/a/1 in two or three resamplings. The highest bio-assay result observed was 726 d/n/1 and this decreased within three re-samplings to less than 45 d/a/1. In this case and many of the other samples that were above 45 d/m/1, Mr. Hiller in.

dicated that contamination of the samples was suspected since well controlled sampling has been a chronic and difficult pro.

blem.

26. An air sampling program is in effect at the licensee's Hematite Plant to determine personnel exposures to radioactive airborne concentrations.

Mr. Miller stated that a continuing effort is made to isolete processes or equipment that contribute ex.

cessively to airborne concentrations. In addition to general air samples. Hr. Hitler stated that individual jobs have been I

I carefully sampled with breathing sone type samples and based on these sample results a unit of exposure to airborne con.

centrations is assigned each job. The foreman is required to faithfully complete a card on each individual showing the time spent performing a given job. This data is used to establish the individuals average exposure to airborne concentrations for a 40 hour4.62963e-4 days <br />0.0111 hours <br />6.613757e-5 weeks <br />1.522e-5 months <br /> week.

27 Enclosed with a letter dated December 15, 1960 from Mr. Frank Zeitlin, Assistant Vice President, Hallinckrodt Chemical Works, the licensee furnished the Division of Licensing and Regulation tables containing data showing integrated airborne uranium dust exposures Breater than 5 x 1011 pc/mi with a high of 7.9 x 10 11 pc/ml for 1939. Tables on the same sort of data for the first three quartars of 1950 show exposures as high as i

30.8 x 10 11 sc/mt. tassrs. Zeittirt and Miller were informed that the data established noncompliance with the following Il

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Hellinckrode Chemical Works St. Louis, Missouri License No. 333,33 l

CIR 26.10.g u, uxpw.ut = c..t.wis.w. 1=.u s.)

.w restricted areas.

The Licensee records show exposures of in.

dividuals to airborne radioactive materials in excess of the limits specified in this section of the regulations.

(2) 20.403(c) Thirty. day reports.

The licensee failed to report, within thirty days, exposures of individuals to concentrations of radioactive materials in excess of the applicable limits of the regulations as required by this section of the reguistions.

A review of the licensee's airborne exposure records revealed that for the period from 8 16 60 to 12 31 60 there were about fif teen exposures recorded that slightly exceeded 5 x 10-11 being 6.5 x 10*{9 raged over a forty hour week with the highest pc/ml uranium a

  • pc/ml. Masks have been used to reduce ex.

posures to airborne radioactivities but the benefit of the use of the masks in lowering the actual intake of radioactivity is not considered in the licensee's data showing exposures to personnel in excess of permissible limits. It is apparent that if credit is given for the use of masks with respect to the slight over.esposures reported for the period 8 16 60 to 12 31 60 that actual exposures to individuals in excess of the permissible limits did not occur. As indicated in Mr. Zeitlin's letter of December 15, 1960 several corrective measures have been taken to ecntrol airborne radioactivity concentrations. A reviev.* licensee airborne radioactivity exposures from January 1,1961 to the time of this inspecggon in March 1961 i

showed four cases of exposure of 5.2 x 10" pc/mi to 7.9 x 10-11 pc/ml for forty hour week while all others reviewed v nogreaterthan5x10-11pc/mlaansellbelowthe1x10-1gre pc/ml uranium airborne concentrations being applied by the licensee as the permissible limit since the January 1, 1961 effective date of the current 10 CFR 20 regulations.

28.

Mr. Miller indicated that exposures of personne1'to airborne concentrations of radioactivity at the licensee's Hematite Plant could be kept within the permissible limit of 1 x 1010 pc/ml averaged over a forty hour week as effective January 1, 1961 in 10 CFR 20.

This must be qualified, however, because the licensee has, n. the past, taken credit for the use of full. face masks with independent air supply as used by operators while unloading frame filter presses through which ammonium diuranate is filtered inside a large walk.in type hood. Pursuant to 1& CFR 20.103(c)(3), as effective January 1, 1961, the licensee requested, in a letter dated March 14, 1961, and signed by Mr. Zeitlin, that an exemption to i

10 CFR 20.103(a) be approved to authorise use of the full face mask during the press unloading operation inside the hood. The licensee's March 14th letter furnished information f

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Page 10 Mallinckrodt Chemical Works St. Louis, Missouri License No.

gqug33 as required in 10 CFR 20.103(c)(3)(1)(ii) and (111). The physical facility and protective equipment appeared to be as described in the licensee's proposal. The rather strong odor of ammonia inside the hood gives incentive for wearing the independent air supply masks, however, Dr. North and Mr. Hiller stated that this is not considered a control measure to assure that the masks are worn as required.

Mr. hd11er stated that this press type filter is by nature very difficult to closely enclose or otherwise control airborne concentrations in close proximity to the press since considerable working space is required to open and unload the press.

Mr. Miller indicated that other type filters have been considered that could be more easily enclosed or made a part of a completely closed process system, however, this press type filter is the most efficient for the purpose.

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29. The licensee applied to the Division of Licensing and Regulation in letters dated October 6 and November 8, 1960, for approval under License No. EMM.33 to use an incinerator for contaminated trash. The use of the incinerator was authorised by direct reference, in the conditions of the license, to the licensee's proposed use of the incinerator in letters dated October 6, November 8 and 16,1960. In the licensee's letter of November 8, 1960 the licensee stated that the incinerator flue gases would be monitored continuously during the first month of operation. The monitoring of the flue has not been carried out.

Mr. Miller stated that the incinerator has been used primarily for boiling down floor mop water and the sampling equipment which he has available is not suitable for sampling air with a high moisture con-cent. He stated that appropriate sampling equipment will be procured to conduct the sampling program. Air samples at the licensee's restricted area boundry have not exceeded permissible concentrations and the use of the incinerator has not af fected the concentratione normally seen in these samples. Dr. North and Hessrs. Zeitlin and Miller were informed that the lack of the incinerator flue monitoring constitutes noncompliance with the conditions of License No. SNH-33 and all indicated that the flue would be more directly monitored as proposed in their i

j letter of November 8, 1960.

30. Complete radiation surveys are made at least monthly at the Hematite Plant with Thyac and Juno instruments and records of the survey findings are kept on drawings of the building floor plang and plant area. The records show readings ranging from

.5 to 7 mr/br y and up to 20 arep/hr S in the process areas.

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Host readings were less than 2.5 mr/hr y and 2.5 meep/hr D.

These are general area readings taken at waist level. Other surveys are made of specific nature if the need arises and records of the survey findings are kept.

31. All plant wastes are discharged through an underground process waste line which empties into a small lake on the licensee's property. The lake is located about 200 yards west of the main f

plant buildings and is f ed by a spring which is also on the licenseets property. The licensee built a concrete dem across I

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,s s-e Page 11 Hallinckrode Chemical Works St. Louis, Missouri License No. $5Eh$$

the spring stream to form the lake and installed continuous sampling equipment on the dam. The affluent from the lake flows several hundred feet into Joachim Creek which is not on licensee property. Joachim Creek empties into the Mississippi River several miles from the confluence of the licensee's waste stream and the creek. All floor drains in process areas ex.

tend about one foot above floor level and are capped so that only solutions of known content that are deliberately die.

charged to the drains will flow into the process wasta line to the lake. The plant sanitary sewer system is completelyEffluent separate and flows into Joachim Creek below the lake.

samples are counted weekly of a known proportion of the total ef fluent flow and extrapolated to concentrations in pc/ml f or the total effluent flow. Complete records kept of sample results show the following:

1960 1 7 60 to 6 21 60s Alpha 9.63 x 10 8 pc/m1 to 6.48 x 10*7 pc/m1 with most samples about 1 x 10-7 pc/m1.

Beta - 1.33 x 10'7 pc/m1 to 9.0 x 10-7 pc/ml with most semples about 1 x 10 7 pc/ml.

6 21 60 to 12 31 60:

Alpha 8 x 10-7 pc/mi to 1.9 x 10 6 eg with most samples about 1 x 10* pc/ml.

Beta 8 x 10-7 pc/mi to 1.27 x 10-5

/mi with most samples about 1 x 10* pc/ml the average concentrations for the year have not exceeded 7 x 10*6 pc/m1 uranium in the af fluent which is the value applied by the licensee from Appendix B, 10 CFR 20 since the material is identified.

1961 1 3 61 to 3 10 61:

Alpha 1.9 x 10-7 to 6.77 x 10*7 pc/ml.

Beta - 2.3 x 10 8 to 8 x 10-8 pc/m1.

a The licenses plar.e to use 2.0 x 10 3 c/mi as the permissible concentration value in effluent since Th 234 has been identified in the e. fluent and the 2.0 x 10 5 value is stipulated for this materist in Appendix B of 10 CFR 20 as effective January 1, 1961. The 2.0 x 10 5 c/mi value is the same as or lera ',han the Itmits for U 234, U 235, U 238 and I' natural.

Mr. Miller stated that he foresees no difficulty in staying well within the prescribed effluent concentrations.

Page 12 Kallinckrode Chemical Works St. Louis, Missguri License No. 85MbJ3 4

V.

POSTING

32. Plant area, buildings and rooms are posted as required by 10 CFR 20.203(e)(1) with the conventional radiation symbol in yellow on a magenta background with the wording " Caution Radioactive Materials". Containers are labeled as above with statement of the materist, amount and date as required by 10 CFR 20.203(f)(1)y (2). The press filter room which is shown 4

by licensee sample results to exceed the permissible airborne radioactivity concentrations of 10 CFR 20 is posted with con.

ventional radiation symbol in magenta on a yellow background with wording " Caution Airborne Radioactivity Area" as required by 10 CFR 20.203(d)(2). However, other areas that have ex.

coeded the permissible airborne concentrations of 10 CFR 20 have not been posted as required by 20.203(d)(2). Specifically the entrance to section 255 2 of the main east Hematite Plant building and the entrance to section 260 2 of the main west building should be posted for airborne activity as required under 20.203(d)(2). The same entrances of the east and west buildings should be posted as required by 10 CFR 20.203(b) with conventional radiation symbol and colors with wording " Caution sadiation Area" since there exists in these areas levels of radiation that could result in exposures in excess of 5 area in any one hour. (See paragraph 30 for radiation levels). The posting deficiencies were discussed with Mr. Miller and he j

stated that the areas will be posted for airborne radioactivity as required by 10 CFR 20.203(d)(2) and for radiation areas as required by 10 CFR 20.203(b). Form AEC.3 is posted as required by 20.206(c).

VI. HATERIAL ACCOUNTABILITY 33.

Dr. North continues to have primary responsibility for ma.

terial accountability. Cylinders of UF6 are weighed upon receipt and the weight recorded in a log book kept in Dr.

North's office. The materist is assigned a number which i

identifies it all the way through the process. During pro.

cess the material is weighed and records kept of the amounts on process flow sheets. Dr. North stated that he is re.

quired to compile a record of all special nuclear material for the insurance company. Dr. North also submits to the AEC periodic asterial accountability reports on AEC contract station materials on Form AEC.578. The licensee had a maximum of about 800 kg of licensed materials of all en.

richments on hand at any one time in 1960. Approximately fifty percent of the materiale during 1960 were licensed materials and about fifty percent were station materials.

Dr. North stated that most licensed material is of the higher enrichments while station materials have been of low enrich.

ment. Dr. North stated that a very limited amount of work is being done with source materials and only a small amount is kept on hand with most source material procured only as it is n=eded for special orders. The inventory of materials of all enrichments on hand at the time of this inspection was about 20 kg.

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Page' 13 Hallinckrodt Chemical Works St. ' Louis, Missouri License No. gggbgg i

VII. CRITICALITY CONTRCL

34. Although this was not a detailed inspection of criticality it was learned that Dr. North' continues to have responsi-bility for the enforcement of criticality control pro-cedures at the licensee's Rematite Plant. Dr. North is assisted by Mr. L. J. Swallow in matters of licensing and criticality. Mr. Swallow has had a two week course in criticality problems at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Mr.

Swellow is an engineer by academic background and as a re-sult of his personal interest and study he has attained con-siderable knowledge of and competence in dealing with criticality problems. Mr. Swallow makes many of the criticality esiculations on special nuclear material con-toiners. In addition, Mr. Swallow has had an opportunity to learn of the radiation safety problems associated with a processing plant at the licensee's Hematite Plant in 8t, Louis and at the AgC's Weldon Springs plant.. Dr. North stated that four methods of criticality centrol are in ef fect namely (1) geometry 3 (2) limited safe mass batchess 1

(3) administrative controls (4) combinations of these. He stated that limited mass and geometry are still the primary controls esercised. Materials appeared to be stored in orderly and predetermined spacing arrangements with no materials observed to be stored in groups of either the same or different sise containers.

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