ML20135D162

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Summarizes Factors Pertinent to Radiological Status of Retired Battelle Research Reactor Facility for CY96 as Required by Battelle NRC License SNM-7
ML20135D162
Person / Time
Site: 07000008
Issue date: 02/20/1997
From: Layendecker S
Battelle Memorial Institute, COLUMBUS LABORATORIES
To: Pederson C
NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
References
NUDOCS 9703050096
Download: ML20135D162 (4)


Text

pex zo1 7mg QBattelle Putting lechnology To Work 505 King Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43201-2693 Telephone (614) 4246424

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Facsimile (614)424-5263

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February 20,1997 Ms Cynthia Pederson Director, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety i

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Region III

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801 Warrenville Road Lisle, Illinois 60532-4351 P

Dear Ms Pederson:

Radiological Status of the Battelle Research Reactor Facility for CY%

i and Request for Exemption from Annual Inspection Requirements l

This report summarizes factors pertinent to the radiological status of the Retired Battelle Research Reactor l

Facility for the calendar year 1996, as required by Battelle's NRC License SNM-7.

Facility Location The facility is located in Building JN-3, Battelle Memorial Institute, (BMI), West Jefferson North Site, about one mile south of I-70 and one-quarter mile east of State Route 142.

Retired Facility Site Representative (RFSR)

The RFSP, for calendar year 1996 continues to be Stephen J. Layendecker. The Battelle Columbus j

Laboratories Decommissioning Project (BCLDP), Radiological Field Operations maintains purview of the facility and the Radiological Safety Committee (RSC), overviews the radiological status.

I Facility Status Proposed uses of the facility must be approved by the RFSR and are subject to overview of the RSC.

Dr. Patrick J. Sabourin was the chairperson of the RSC subcommittee during FY 96. The general arrangements within the building remain essentially the same as reported for the calendar year 1995.

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i Ms Cynthia Pederson February 20,1997 Page 2 Security and Surveillance The facility remains within the confines of the fence and protected Nuclear Sciences Area.

Twenty-four-hours-a-day surveillance and area access control are maintained by remote surveillance and periodic security patrols. Unescorted area access is limited to persons approved for access by Protective 4

Services and site management. All others must be escorted by a staff member on the access list.

Environmental Survey On-site and off-site environmental monitoring is continued for the Nuclear Sciences Area according to DOE and NRC requirements. The annual Sit Environmental Report (SER), incorporates data of the radiological and non-radiological Environmental Moratoring Program. The report for calendar year 1996 l

was approved by the U.S. Department of Energy and was distributed to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatcry Commission, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The raw data compiled for the report do not indicate any unusual conditions which may be attributable to this facility.

. 1 Retired Facility Surveys Surveys are performed as part of the Battelle Columbus Laboratories Decommissioning Project (BCLDP).

The BCLDP work is authorized under an approved NRC HQ decommissioning plan.

The surveys are performed weekly as part of the BCLDP Surveillance and Maintenance Program in the occupied controlled areas of JN-3. Surveys are performed monthly of the office spaces at the east end of JN-3 and the environmental equipment storage area at the west end of JN-3.

No routine surveys are conducted inside the access controlled Retired Reactor Core Area, Fuel Pool or the Shield Tank, as the areas are posted as Confined Spaces, and High Radiation or Radiation Areas. These areas are utilized at this time to store radioactive waste, which is the source of the radiation. Surveys in these areas are conducted to support periodic personnel entry. The safety hazard associated with being a Confined Space greatly outweighs the radiological hazard thus, RFSR integrity is monitored by performing i

the weekly surveys at the boundary of the Confmed Space.

Contamincion surveys are performed by evaluating weeldy and monthly smears for alpha and beta activity, k diation levels are also documented and evaluated weekly and monthly. All contamination and radiation surveys over the year have been within the acceptable limits and no at. normal conditions were noted.

Water Monitor All water collected in the interior sump from the old hot drain system is pumped to an outside sump through a monitoring chamber. The water monitor listed in the FY 94 report was evaluated and was found to be no longer needed.

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Ms Cynthia Pederson February 20,1997 Page 3 The weekly response checks and annual calibration with a Cs-137 solution were stopped at the end of the calerdar year 1994. The past several years, environmental monitoring data have indicated no detectable activity other than background, principally K-40 from agricultural fertilizer, discharged through the monitor from the interior sump.

Facility Uses Current uses are:

Basement Area:(3100 Level)

(1) -- Old Pump Room, Northeast Basement Contains a drain sump, water monitor (not in use), and sump pump.

(2)

North Basemen' - Storage of respirator wash water tanks and packages of Pu-bsaing waste.

(3)

South Basement - Radioactive Materials Area containing contaminated D&D equipment and materials.

(4)

Southeast Basement - Storage for non-contaminated D&D equipment and materials and also contains a furnace room.

(5)

West Basement - Storage for 55 gallon drums containing soil and storage for HEPA filter housings.

Ground Floor: (3200 level)

(1)

West End - Annex for storage of archival environmental samples, non-radioactive equipment and storage area for radioactive material'in ground. cylinder wells. Area for free release of materials and equipment.

(2)

Former Shield Tank - Used as a Radioactive Materials Area for Suspect Low level TRU Waste.

(3)

North End - North rooms house a respirator issue, receipt and control shop.

(4)

East Rooms - Rooms are utilized by BCLDP Decontamination and Decommissioning personnel as office space.

(5)

Southeast End - Three rooms (3218, 3219, 3220) on the southeast side are utilized as emergency assembly areas.

(6)

South End - Utilized as an instrument counting station for Health Physics, office space, and also used as an instrument centralized issue point.

m Ms Cynthia Pederson February 20,1997 Page 4 l

Second Floor:(3300 level)

(1)

Northwest laboratory Room - No operations occur in the room.

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(2)

North Side Open Bay - Decontamination containment used for equipment disassembly and i

hazardous material identification prior to packaging for shipment.

(3)

Open Bay East - Utilized as a small law level Waste Radioactive Materials Area for

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storage of three crated used/ cleaned Pu glove boxes and, B-25 boxes and 55 gallon drums containing D&D non-compactable waste valting disposal.

(4)

South Cage Area - Radioactive Materials Area for storage of Low Level Nonhazardous Soil Waste awaiting shipment. Also, utilized for Health Physics archive storage.

(5)

Southwest Old Control Room - Utilized as a Radioactive Materials Area for laundry shipments and receipt.

(6)

Former Fuel Pool Main Area - Utilized for interim storage for packaged Suspect TRU Waste.

Occurrences There were no reportable occurrences during 1996 associated with operations conducted in the building.

Continuing Need for RFSR Report I

With the pending approval of the amendment to SNM-7 to clarify requirements, it is Battelle's understanding that a continuing facility status report is to longer required by the NRC once this amendment is granted. This will be the last RFSR status letter. If you have questions please contact G. MP e McCann at USNRC, Region 111.

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Conclusion:==

This report summarizes factors pertinent to the radiological status of the retired Battelle Research Reactor Facility for the calendar year 1996, as required by Battelle's NRC License SNM-7.

If you have any questions or require additional information regarding this facility, please contact me at (614) 424-3885.

Sincerely, 7

l Stephen J. Layendecker l

Safety Health and Environmental Support Manager / Radiation Safety Officer Lannawler-INSPI2M3.N RC