ML20138E228

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Insp Rept 99990003/93-28 on 930914.No Violations Noted.Major Areas Inspected:Review of Activities Associated W/Decontamination & Remediation of Former Manufacturing Processing Areas
ML20138E228
Person / Time
Issue date: 10/07/1993
From: Mccann G, Wiedeman D
NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:
Shared Package
ML20136B478 List:
References
FOIA-96-314 99990003-93-28, NUDOCS 9310200084
Download: ML20138E228 (5)
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION III Report No. 99990003/93028(DRSS)

Docket No. 040-00029 (terminated) License No. STB-00049 (terminated)

License No. C-2210 (terminated) j Facility: McDonnell Aircraft Corporation

  • McDonnell Douglas Corporation Robertson and St. Louis, MO. -

Inspection At: McDonnell Douglas '

McDonnell Aircraft Company Building 32 (Robertson, Mo.) .

Buildings 102 & 27 (St. Louis,'Ho.)

Building 91 (St. Charles, Mo.). -

Hailing:

P.O. Box 516 St. Louis, Mo. 63166-0516 Inspection Conducted: September 14, 1993 -

Inspector: . 7"'" - - * - ~7 -

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D~~C'. Wiedeman t Date Se r Health Physicist - -

Approved: b e a<"f" 1 ,. +. . lor 7-N 1

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G. /1. Mcgann, Chief Yeffi- Date fuel Facilities an'd Decommissioning" .

Section Inspection Summary .

Insoection on September ;4.1993 -(Report No. 999900'03/93028(DRSS))

Areas Inspected: This wasca special inspection of McDonnell Douglas' .

Corporation a former Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Source Material licensee:

The inspection included a review of activities associated with the decontamination and remediation of former manufacturing and processing areas of 80ildings 32, 27, 91 and 102. This inspection was part of an NRC project in which an evaluation of approximately 17,000 retired licenses was conducted by an NRC contractor, Oak Ridge National Laboratories (ORNL). On the basis of the information in the retired license file. ORNL concluded that these facilities may have a potential for residual contamination. Due to the quantity of materials used and lack of decontamination and decommissioning documentation for certain buildings in the McDonnell Douglas Corporation retired license files, the NRC contractor concluded that the facilities used by McDonnell Douglas could have been left with residual contamination. It was further concluded that the AEC/NRC did not conduct a final close-out inspgglig p 3ig m so!Y Xk

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, Etiult.1: The NRC inspector did not identify any radiation levels above j- natural background in the former processing, manufacturing or research areas and outside environs of Buildings 32, 27, 91 and 102. 'However, it was detemined that during 1968, McDonnell Douglas transferred licensable quantities of stock magnesium-thorium (4% thorium) metal to Washington University. This material had been in storage for the past 25 years in a locked concrete bunker (No.35) at the Washington University, Tyson Research Center.

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1 DETAILS l

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1. Persons Contacted l J. Lindsey Chalk, Manager, Occupational Safety and Environmental Health f* M. Bien, Laser Safety Officer, Occupational Safety and Environmental J. Health-

'#* Eric Dennison, Radiation Safety, Occupational Safety and Environmental Health c

  • Vaughn Meister, Group Manager, Occupational Safety and Environmental Health Anna Chatman, Industrial Hygienist, Occupational Safety and Health i

Administration

  • Gary McNutt, Radiological' Health Analyst, Missouri State Dep'artment of Health

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' John Eichling, Ph.0,- Radiation Safety Officer, Washingtori University - '

David Schilling, Manager, Tyson Research Center,. Washington University

, *Attended'the exit' meeting / conducted .on September 14, 1993.

  • - # Telephone conversation on September.27,.1993, regarding.the ,

dispos.ition of materials' stored at Tyson Research Center. .; .

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[ ., , AEC License No. C-2210.was issued to.McDonnell: Aircraf't C~orporation ori ,,

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E' .De~cember 18,' 1956 '(see' Attachment',A),I for.rpossession'pf 2,000. pounds- of ! f., t

. source material (thorium metal aircraft ' parts)cfor.use,iin ,the. p' roduct.ioni..# i

.. of aircraft parts at their facility Tocatedrin.Roberten,'.:Hissoupi/ WMi. .

. . , This license was subsequently < superseded by .AEC Source. Mater.ial License ..e .. -

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No. SJB-00049 for possession 9and'userof' thorium 'at the'ir' f'acilit'yT' locatedfa't th'e Municipal' Airport,fSt. Touis, Missouri,. (see. Attachment .. :E'

8). During the' period that licensed activities ~were conducted (1956-1975) at both facilities,'the* maximum' quantity"of' source matbrial ' - ---*" -

v; . . . , .. authorized under the.. license was:.ll4,000 pounds..of thorium.a. Licensed.: m  :.

activiti.es included machining, milling, drilling,:.1hthe..workt,: deburring- . . .; '

l and grinding aircraft pa. ts containing thorium. At the-1icensee's

request, License No...ST8-00049 was terminated
in 1977. According to' i '

information provided to.the NRC inspector at.the time of theJinspection, licensed activities were conducted in Buildings 27, 32, 91 and 102,(see i Attachment C for building layout and survey results).

During the license file review by ORNL. they concluded that due to the former manufacturing processes, a potential for on-site building contamination existed. The NRC contractor also concluded that an inappropriate disposal or abandonment of contaminated waste material may have occurred. Further, the files did not contain a close-out survey conducted by the licensee and the AEC did not conduct a close-out survey of the facility prior to termination of the license.

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3. Facility Status currently Buildings 27, 32, 91 and 102 are being used for a combination of manufacturing, production work, research and office space. The former analytical laboratory area in Building 102 has been remodeled and is now an office area. Buildings 27, 32 and 91 are currently used as i manufacturing, machine shops and storage areas.
4. Indeoendent Measurements The NRC inspector conducted radiologic surveys, with the assistance of a representative from the Missouri Department of. Health, in and around Buildings 27, 32, 91 and 102. The argas surveyed included restrooms, hallways, offices, former manufacturing areas, parking lots, building down spouts, storm / floor drains, loading docks and adjacent property.

None of the original manufacturing. equipment remains in the buildings.

All surveys of the buildings and outside environs di.d not show any radiation levels above natural background.. . . . .. .. .

Background radiation measurements taken in the St. Louis area with the.

Victoreen, Model 190 showed 40-50 cpm and the Ludlum Model 19 mi,croR-meter indicated 7-15 microR/ hour;(pR/h).{L 5-3.7 nC/kg/h).

Radiation surveys were performed.with ca Victoreen, Model 190 portable

- survey instrument with Model-RP-1 pancake probe; NRCnTag.No. 042444, calibrated on July 28,.~1993, andca Ludlum;.Model 19 microR-meter, NRC Tag No. 011021, calibrated .ontMay .8,19931s.A;res'ponse check of the, e Victoreen, Model 190.was'made with a 7006'pCiE{222 Bq} thorium-230 check source and showed 2,900.. counts per. minute (cpm) (beta + gamma). The instrument was also checked with'a 1 pCi.'(37 kBq)ncesium-137 check. ,

source which showed.19,000 cpm { beta + gamma). frior..to the radiation surveys, all portable survey instruments Vere also checked for constancy

'with a Coleman lantern mantle which cont'ainse.0.04.-0.07 pCi {l.5-2:6 kBq}

  • of thorium-232. All pontable survey: instr'umerits .r.esponded as '.exiected.

Attachment C of this report shows locations surveyed.and measurement results. c., .t . . .

Prior to this inspection; the NRC inspector learned that in- -

approximately 1968,.McDonnell Douglas transferred approximately l.50 -

sheets (see photograph in Attachment D) of stock magnesium-thorium to Washington University tri~ St.. Louis, Missouri. This material had been in storage for the past 25 years,in a locked concrete bunker (No.35) at the Washington University, Tyson Research Center. At the time of this transfer, Washington University did not hold a valid AEC source material license. The NRC inspector concluded that this type and form of source material did not meet the license exemption criteria in 10 CFR 40.13 i (c)(4) because this material is not considered a " finished product or part" and the criteria for possession and use under a general license under 10 CFR 40.22 did not apply because the 15 pound maximum possession limit was exceeded. It was agreed that McDonnell Douglas would immediately make arrangements to properly dispose or transfer the material and would coordinate their efforts with the staff from

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l Washington University. On September 27, 1993, the NRC Region III office was notified that all remaining source material was transferred to Spectrulite Consortium, Madison, Illinois, Illinois License No. 11-01-750-01. -"

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In conclusion, the inspectors' direct radiation measurements indicate l that the former licensed facilities were decontaminated to a level consistent with the current NRC release criteria.

5. Exit Meetina The NRC inspector met with the individuals identified in Section.1 of this report and summarized the findings of the inspection. The inspector informed the fomer licensee representatives that the independent radiologic survey indicated that the facilities appear to meet the current NRC release criteria. In addition, options for transferring or disposing of the magnesium thorium sheets were discussed -

. . .with the former licensee representatives. $ - >- '

Attachments: -

A. AEC license dated 1 /18/56 B. AEC license dated 2/17/70 .

C. ' . Locations surveyed and. direct radiation measurement results . a " '.-

, ' D' . Photograph of source material sheets 9 Tyson Research Center .u e

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