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Mgt Meeting Rept 50-146/88-01 on 880606.Major Areas Discussed:Deficiencies Identified During Insp 50-146/88-01 & Current Radiological Status of Saxton Site Soil & Plans for Addl Soil Characterization
	ML20151B488
Person / Time
Site:	Saxton File:GPU Nuclear icon.png
Issue date:	06/27/1988
From:	Shanbaky M, Weadock A; NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:	;
Shared Package
ML20151B484	List: ML20151B481; ML20151B488;
References
	50-146-88-01-MM, 50-146-88-1-MM, NUDOCS 8807200384
	Download: ML20151B488 (6)
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U.S. NUCLEAR' REGULATORY COMMISSION

REGION I

Meeting Report No. _50-146/88-01

Docket No.

50-146

Category

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License _No.

OPR-4

Priority

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Licensee:

Saxton Nuclear Experimental ~ Corporation /GPU Corporation -

-Facility Name:

Saxton Reactor-

Meeting At: NRC Region I, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania

Meeting Date: June 6, 1988-

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Prepared by:

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A~. Weadock, Radiation Specialist

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Approved by:

M. Shanbaky, Chief, FaM11 ties Radiation

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Protection Section

Meeting Summary:' A Management Meeting was held at the request of the NRC on

June 6 1988 at the NRC Region I office in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

Topics discussed included deficiencies identified during NRC Inspection No.

50-146/88-01 and the current radiological status of the Saxton site soil and

the' licensee's plans for additional soil characterization.

The meeting was attended by NRC Region I Management, NRC Headquarters '.taff,

and licensee management. A representative from the Pennsylvania Department of

Environmental Resources was also in attendance.

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DETAILS

1.0 Participants

1.1 General Public Utilities (GPU)

M. Roche, Saxton Vice-President

G. Baker, Saxton General Manager

R: McGoey, Manager, PWR Licensing

J. ~ Auger, PWR Licensing Engineer

T. Grace, Environmental Licensing Engineer

D. Lucas, GPU Governmental Affairs

1.2 NRC Personnel

J. Allan, Deputy Regional Administrator

R. Bellamy, Chief, Facilities Radiological Safety and

Safeguards Branch

L. Bettenhausen, Chief, Reactor Projects Branch No.1

M. Shanbaky, Chief, Facilities Radiation Protection Section

C. Cowgill, Chief, Reactor Projects Section 1A

A. Adams, Jr. , NRR Project Manager

W. Baunack, Project Engineer

M. Miller, Regional State liaison Officer

A. Weadock, Radiation Specialist

1.3 Other Attendees

M. Reilly, Bureau of Radiation Protection, Pennsylvania Department

of Environmental Resources

2.0 Background

NRC Inspection No. 50-146/88-01 identified several deficiencies associated

with the decontamination and release survey effort conducted at the Saxton

site.

Specific deficiencies included the lack of approved procedures for

instrument calibration and for conducting release surveys, the lack of a

formal, documented training program for surveyors, and overall poorly

documented surveys (see NRC Inspection Report No. 50-146/88-01). The

deficiencies identified were noted to be indicative of a lack of an appro-

priate level of managtment pre ploi..-iaa and nuersight of the Saxton site

activities.

The licens3e was requested by NRC Region I management to

formally respond to defi;iencies identified in the report in a Management

Meeting.

The licensee was also requested to provide a summary of the

radiological status of the site soil.

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3.0 Discussion

3.1 Resolution'of Management Deficiencies

The licensee stated that performance of additional facility release

-surveys at the Saxton site had been' temporarily suspended pending

the completion of specific prooram upgrades. The licensee stated

the following steps would be taken prior to the resumption of the

survey effort.

The SNEC organizational structure will be modified to provide the

Saxton Radiation Safety Officer (RS0) with a direct reporting'line -

to the Saxton Vice-President.

Currently, the Saxton RSO reports to

the Saxton General. Manager, who in turn reports to the Saxton

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Vice-President.

In the future, a qualified Radiological Controls Supervisor will be

-present at the Saxton site when final or release surveys are being

performed.

Formal procedures to control instrument calibration and direct the

performance of the release surveys will be approved prior to the

resumption of survey activities.

A formal training program, with specific performance criteria, will

be developed for personnel performing release surveys.

The licensee also stated additional efforts were being. undertaken to

improve planning and communications associated with the Saxton

site. A formal schedule is being-generated to project future site

activities.

The licensee intends to hold weekly planning review

meetings among the principals of the Saxton staff. More general

monthly meetings involving Saxton project staff and GPU licensing

and communications staff are also being planned to improve overall

communications on site activities.

3.2 Characterization of Site Soil

Residual contamination levels (primarily Cs-137) above background

levels have been identified in the soil within the Saxton site fence

and in discrete areas outside the Saxton fence but within the PENELEC

fence (see NRC Inspection Report No. 50-146/88-01). During the

current meeting, the licensee summarized radiological surveys made

to date and future plans for future characterization.

The following

points were made.

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Contamination is tightly adhered to the dark, flyash soil

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present on site.

This flyash suil is distributed in discrete

areas within the site fence and was also apparently used as a

covering on the Filled Drum Storage Bunker (FDSB).

The licensee conducted interviews of former Saxton operations

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personnel to identify possible mechanisms for the site soil

contamination. No previous practices were identified which

would have resulted in this contamination.

The licensee stated

the distribution of contamination onsite did not suggest a

meteorological dispersion method as a potential method of

contamination.

Surveys performed outside the Saxton fence but within the

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PENELEC fence in 1986 identified discrete areas with soil

activity above background concentrations.

Surveys performed

outside the PENELEC fence have identified no activity above

background concentrations.

The licensee is currently contracting to have more widespread

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radiological and geophysical characterization studies performed

on and around the site. The purpose for these studies will be

to verify the results of the licensee's previous radiological

surveys and identify potential origins of the site contamination

based on its physical and chemical characteristics.

These

studies are expected to be concluded within 4-5 months.

The representative from the State of Pennsylvania Department of

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Environmental Resources stated that radiological surveys

outside the PENELEC property would shortly be conducted by a

contractor at the request of the State.

4.0 Concluding Remarks

NRC management stated that licensee efforts in this area would be closely

monitored and that proposed licensee actions based on the results of planned

studies would be reviewed.

The agenda provided by the licensee for the June 6, 1988 meeting is

included as Attachment 1 to this report.

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Attachment 1

SAXTON (SNEC)/NRC MEETING

KING OF PRUSSI A

JUNE 6. 1988

AGENDA

I.

INTRODUCTION

II.

SNEC MANAGEMENT INVOLVEMENT

III

CHARACTERIZATION OF SITE S0IL/ MATERIALS

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HISTORY OF SURVEYS

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RADIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION

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CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION

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FUTURE EFFORTS

IV.

OTHER ITEMS

V.

SUMMARY

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