ML20134K429
| ML20134K429 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000048 |
| Issue date: | 01/30/1997 |
| From: | Kinneman J, Mcfadden J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20134K428 | List: |
| References | |
| 70-0048-97-01, 70-48-97-1, NUDOCS 9702140007 | |
| Download: ML20134K429 (6) | |
Text
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION I INSPECTION REPORT Report No.
070-00048/97-001 Program Code 22110 Docket No.
070-00048 License No..
SNM-47 Priority 2 Category A Licensee:
Westinahouse Electric Corporation NES License Administration P.O. Box 355 Pittsburah, Pennsvivania 15230 Facility Name:
Science and Technoloav Center inspection At:
1310 Beulah Road, Churchill Borouah Pittsburah, Pennsvivania inspection Conducted:
January 13,1997 Inspector:
- /- J-y
</
JogA. McFadden date Health Physicist 4
Approved By:
/ 30!f7
. Kinrieman, Chief
/date '
ucle r Materials Safety Branch 2 n of Nuclear Materials Safety Insoection Summarv: Confirmatory Survey on January 13,1997.
(Inspection Report No. 070-00048/97-001)
Areas inspected: Announced, special inspection limited to a confirmatory survey of Buildings 501,502,601, and 602 at the facility at 1310 Beulah Road. Surveys were performed to independently evaluate the facility for residual contamination prior to release for unrestricted use. Direct radiation and radioactive contamination level surveys were performed in selected areas throughout the facility to evaluate direct radiation and radioactive contamination levels from any potential residual radioactivity.
Eighteen surface smears also were taken an'd subsequently assayed for removable contamination.
Results: No violations were identified. No residual contamination or radioactive material, other than a sealed depleted uranium flywheel (see Sections 2 and 7), was found at the facility.
RETURN ORIGIN /.L TO 9702140007 970204 PDR ADOCK 07000048 C
PDR J
DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted
' John R. Lehnhardt, Radiation Safety Officer
'A. Joseph Nardi, License Administrator
" Indicates presence at exit interview.
2.
Backaround The facilities at 1310 Beulah Road are currently authorized for use of byproduct, source, special nuclear, and transuranic materials, in the curie, thousand kilogram, millicurie, and curie ranges, respectively. The authorized uses include: research and development as defined in 10 CFR 70.4 or 10 CFR 30.4, instrument calibration, and fabrication and calibration of in-core neutron dosimeters for distribution to persons authorized to receive the licensed material pursuant to the terms and conditions of a specific license issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
In a letter dated April 30,1996 and in an application dated October 31,1996, the licensee stated that it had decided to permanently cease licensed activities at certain separate buildings (i.e., buildings 501,502,601, and 602) located on the Science and Technology Center site at 1310 Beulah Road. The Final Survey Report for Buildings 501,502,601, and 602 was received by taa NRC on i
November 29,1996. The licensee's correspondence reported that the large majority of the floor space in building 501 had no history of radioactive material use or storage. The areas in this building with a history of use or storage were identified, and the types and quantities of radioactive materials were also identified: exempt quantities of contamimated soil, contaminated samples, contammated ash, exempt quantities of uranium, and bench-scale amounts of uraniuni deposits for testing of in situ solution mining. It was stated that use in building 502 was limited to storage of packaged radioactive materials. For building 601, it was similarly reported that the large majority vi the floor space in building 601 had no history of radioactive material use or storage. The areas in this building with a history of use or storage were identified, and the types and quantities of radioactive materials were also identified: uranium dioxide pellets (storage and handling) and a sealed depleted uranium flywheel (operation and storage). Finally, for building 602, it was stated that there was no history of radioactive material use or storage.
The final survey and report for these four buildings was performed by a contractor. The design of the survey was based on Draft NUREC'CR-5849, Manual for Conducting Radiological Surveys in Support of License Termination, and on the release guidelines in the NRC's Guidelines for Decontamination of Facilities and Equipment Prior to Release for Unrestricted Use or Termination of Licenses for Byproduct, Source, or Special Nuclear Material. The final survey inspection Report No. 070-00048/97-001
I l
. report stated that, to be conservative, all direct and removable alpha survey data were compared to the most restrictive alpha limits of 100 disintegrations per minute (dpm) per 100 squared centimeters (cm ) (fixed) and 20 dpm/100 cm 2
2 (removable).
i Alllicensed materials were transferred to their other authorized places of use or to l
a licensed waste broker / facility, except for the sealed depleted uranium flywheel which is situated in the North High Bay area (601-NHB) of building 601. All licensed materials have been removed from the soil cleaning laboratory (501-3Y85) in building 501, but the licensee stated that this laboratory may be used in the future on a temporary basis for projects involving licensed materials. The j
licensee has requested that these two areas,601-NHB and 501-3Y85, be considered temporary job sites and be subject to the commitments for control of such temporary job sites made in their license application. The commitments for control of such temporary job sites made in their license application include a survey of any affected area or equipment which is to be conducted and documented upon job completien to ensure that the facilities and equipment meet the requirements and limits specified in NRC's Guidelines for Decontamination of Facilities and Equipment Prior to Release for Unrestricted Use or Termination of Licenses for Byproduct, Source, or Special Nuclear Material.
3.
Instruments Used in Survey
)
The following instrument was used during the NRC confirmatory inspection for radiation and radioactive contamination level surveys throughout the identified radioactive material use locations: a Ludlum Model 14C Survey Meter (NRC Serial No. 9659) (calibration date of 12-05-96) viith a thin, end-window, GM detector (2 milligrams per cm', mica). The background radiation level detected with this Ludlum Model 14C Survey Meter and detector was approximately 25 microrem per hour (0 - 2 milliroentgen per hour scale, X O.1 Range).
The surface smears which were taken at the licensee's facility were counted for 10 minutes on a Tennelec Model LB5100 Alpha / Beta Counting System at the Region I office for gross alpha and for gross beta emitter activity. Th a counting efficiency for natural uranium (0.209 counts per disintegration) was used to calculate radioactivity. The lower limits of detection were: gross alpha, 2 dpm; gross beta,10.7 dpm.
(
4.
Survev for Surface Contamination The Ludlum Model 14C Survey Meter with the thin, end-window, GM detection probe was used to monitor for surface contamination. In addition to surrounding l
unrestricted areas, the following areas, identified in the licensee's final radiation survey, were surveyed: rooms 3Y85 and 3W3A in building 501, rooms 502A and l
502B in building 502, NHB area and room 1 A18 in building 601, and the area inspection Report No. 070-00048/97-001
l t
l covered by cubicles 6021 through 602Y in building 602. Surface locations were selected based on highest probability of contamination: lab bench tops, floor areas in front of lab bench tops, work surfaces inside radiochemical fume hoods, floor areas in front of radiochemical fume hoods, and floor areas in door ways and i
in other high foot-traffic areas. Readings were taken in contact with the sealed depleted uranium flywheel in 601-NHB. No areas or readings registering twice instrument background were identified.
Based on the results of the surface contamination survey, no areas were identified as not meeting the NRC Guidelines for unrestricted release.
4 5.
Survey for Removable Surface Contamination i
4 The inspector took eighteen surface smears in various areas. Surface smears were taken at facility locations where radioactive material was previously stored or used. Surface locations were selected based on highest probability of l
contamination: lab bench tops, floor areas in front of lab bench tops, work j
surfaces inside radiochemical fume hoods, floor areas in front of radiochemical fume hoods, and floor areas in door ways and in other high foot-traffic areas.
Each surface smear for removable radioactive contamination was taken with a dry Whatman filter paper (42.5 millimeter, diameter) over an area of approximately 2
100 cm. Removable radioactive contamination surface smear counting results and the facility locations where the surface smears were taken are provided in Table 1 at the end of this report. The removable contamination criterion for the radionuclides involved is 20 alpha disintegrations per minute (dpm) per 100 2
squared centimeters (cm ) and 200 beta disintegrations per minute (dpm) per 100 squared centimeters (cm').
Based on the counting results of the surface contamination smears, none of the surveyed areas were identified as exceeding the NRC Guidelines for unrestricted release.
6.
Survev for Radiation Levels i
The Ludlum Model 14C Survey Meter with the thin, end-window, GM detection probe was used to monitor for radiation levels. In addition to surrounding unrestricted areas, the following areas, identified in the licensee's final radiation survey, were surveyed: rooms 3Y85 and 3W3A in building 501, rooms 502A and 502B in building 502, NHB area and room 1 A18 in building 601, and the area covered by cubicles 6021 through 602Y in building 602. Each location was surveyed over its entire area (meter distance equal or less than five feet) with the meter at waist level. Readings were taken in contact with the sealed depleted uranium flywheel in 601-NHB. No areas or readings registering twice instrument background were identified.
i Inspection Report No. 070-00048/97-001 i
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. Based on the results of the radiation level survey, no areas were identified as not meeting the NRC Guideliner for unrestricted release.
7.
Residual Radioactive Material No residual radioactive materials, containers, devices, postings, or labelling were observed at the facility other than the presence of a sealed depleted uranium flywheel which is discussed in the fourth paragraph in Section 2. The licent9" has reported that all materials, other than this flywheel, were transfered to the oh.r authorized use locations or were dispositioned as radioactive waste.
8.
Records The licensee's letter dated April 30,1996, the licensee's application dated October 31,1996, and the Final Survey Report received on November 29,1996 were reviewed. These documents were discussed with licensee representatives during the confirmatory survey.
No violations or concerns were identified.
9.
Exit Interview The preliminary results of the inspector's surveys were discussed with the individuals identified in Section 1 of this report at the conclusion of the inspection.
Inspection Report No. 070-00048/97-001
I l i TABLE 1.
Results - Surface Smears' i
i Smear Gross Alpha Gross Beta
]
Number Location (dom /100 cm )
(dom /1GO cm )
i 2
2 1
601-NHB O i O.7 0.4 2
Floor by flywheel j
2 601-NHB O.5 0.8 3
1 2 Floor by flywheel 3
601-1 A18 1
1 1 3
i 2 Floor-general area 4
601-1 A18 1
1 0.4 2
Floor-general area 5
601-1 A18 1.4 i 1.1 1
i 2 Counter Top 6
502-502A 1
1 1 0.8 i 2 Floor-general area 7
502-502B 1.4 i 1.1 5
3 Floor-general area 8
501-3Y85 0 i 0.7 O.4 2
Floor-general area 9
501-3Y85 1
1 1 3 i 2 Floor-general area 10 501-3Y85 0.5 i O.8 3 i 2 Floor-general area 11 501-3Y85 0 i O.7 0 i 2 Counter Top 12 501-3Y85 1.4 1.1 4 1 3 Working surface of hood 13 501-3W3A 2.4 1.3 3
- 2 Floor-general area 14 501-3W3A 1
1 0.4 i 2 Floor-general area 15 501-3W3 A 2.41 1.3 1
2 Floor-general area 16 501-3W3A 2.4 i 1.3 2 i 2 Floor-In front of hood 17 501-3W3A 5
0.8 3 1 2 Working surface of hood 18 501-3W3A 2.4 1.3 6 1 3 Working surface of hood I
- Random uncertainties reported are 1 standard deviation (1 a); the lower limits of detection (LLDs) were: gross alpha, 2 dpm and gross beta,10.7.
Inspection Report No. 070-00048/97-001 i
j