ML20140G807
| ML20140G807 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 070*****, 07000228 |
| Issue date: | 06/12/1997 |
| From: | NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20140G800 | List: |
| References | |
| 70-0228-97-01, 70-228-97-1, NUDOCS 9706170086 | |
| Download: ML20140G807 (4) | |
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION l l
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Docket No: 070-00228 License No: SNM-00211 Licensee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company Facility: Twin Cities Arsenal Location: New Brighton, Minnesota Date: May 6,1997 Inspector: D. Nelson, Radiation Specialist Approved By: B. L. Jorgensen, Chief Decommissioning Branch l
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! PDR ADOCK 070*****
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EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company NRC Inspection Report No. 070-00228/97001(DNMS)
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The purpose of the inspection was to perform a closeout survey at the Twin Cities Arsenal i located in New Brighton, Minnesota. The former " Nuclear Materials Laboratory" in the ;
2301 Hudson Road building no longer exists, and its location could not be determined. '
Buildings 575 and 675 have been totally demolished and the building sites are now vacant lots. During and after demolition, both buildings and the grounds surrounding the buildings j were surveyed and the NHC released them for unrestricted use. Based on these results, :
the NRC has no further regulatory interest or concern with this former license.
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i DETAILS
- 1. Persons Contacted
- F. Entwistle, Manager, lonizing Radiation,3M
- 2. Backaround 3M was originally licensed on June 10,1958, by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) for the possession and use of uranium-235 contained in highly enriched uranium as uranium oxide or carbide for use in fabrication of laboratory samples of ceramic type fuel elements. That license specified that the authorized place of use l for the uranium would be the licensee's Nuclear Materials Laboratory, Central Research Department,2301 Hudson Road, St. Paul, Minnesota. The license did not give any more specific location in the Hudson Road building where the uranium would be used. On April 6,1960, the license was amended to include Building 575, Twin City Arsenal, New Brighton, Minnesota as another authorized place of use.
On July 19,1960, the license was amended to include plutonium to be used in a sealed Pu-Be neutron source. The authorized place of use was the Nuclear Materials Laboratory, Central Research Department,2301 Hudson Road, St. Paul, Minnesota. Again, no more specific location of use was identified in the license.
On November 28,1960, the license was amended to include Pu-239 as sealed pellets to be used as an alpha particle emitter. The authorized places of use were the Nuclear Materials Laboratory, Central Research Department,2301 Hudson Road, St. Paul, Minnesota and Building 575, Twin City Arsenal, New Brighton, Minnesota. The specific area of use within the buildings was not specified.
On March 1,1962, the license was amended to include Building 575, Twin City Arsenal, New Brighton, Minnesota as another authorized place of use.
On February 5,1963, the license was amended to stipulate that the uranium-235 could only be stored and used in Building 675.
There was no record in the license file indicating that the licensee requested the license be terminated. The licensee did not request that the license be renewed and it expired on May 31,1963. The file did not indicate the eventual disposition of the
! licensed material or that a closeout survey had been conducted by the licensee.
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l 3. Closeout Survey Neither the inspector nor the licensee was able to determine the specific area / areas in the Hudson Road building where the licensed materials had been stored or used.
The licensee's current records indicated that neither the Pu-Be source nor the Pu-l 239 pellets were stored in the Hudson Road building. There was no evidence in the
' records to indicate that the sealed plutonium sources had leaked or the uranium had 3
1 contaminated the Nuclear Materials Laboratory. The licensee believes that the
, plutonium sources and the uranium-235 were transferred to Buildings 575 or 675 I before the license expired in May 31,1963 and were eventually disposed of.
The Hudson Road building is a large structure with many rooms and offices. The j interior of the building has been repeatedly remodeled since licensed activities were terminated. Radiation surveys had been conducted within the Hudson Road building and none have shown tesidual contamination. Based on these findings, additional surveys / resurveys of the Hudson Road building were not warranted.
Since licensed activities stopped, in the early 1960s, Buildings 575 and 675 have been demolished. The building materials and debris were removed and all that l remains are ~ vacant lots. During and after demolition, both buildings and l surrounding grounds were surveyed by the licensee as well as the NRC. Based on those surveys, the NRC first released the buildings and later the remaining grounds for unrestricted use. The Building 675 grounds were granted a release in License Amendment #63 to 3M's NRC License 22-00057-06 and the Building 575 l grounds were released in NRC inspection reports 030-04951/92002(DRSS) and
' 030-04951/92004(DRSS),
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- 4. Conclusion The NRC has no further regulatory interest or concern with this former license.
EXIT MEETING
- At the conclusion of the onsite inspection on May 6,1997, the preliminary results of the inspection were discussed with the individual identified below.
PERSONS CONTACTED
'F. Entwhistle, Manager, lonizing Radiation,3M
- Indicates those present at the exit meeting on May 6,1997.
INSPECTION PROCEDURES USED 83890 Closecut inspection and Survey LIST OF ACRONYMS USED AEC Atomic Energy Commission 3M Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company ATTACHMENTS None
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