ML20207S181
| ML20207S181 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000135, 07100135 |
| Issue date: | 02/24/1987 |
| From: | Culberson D BABCOCK & WILCOX CO. |
| To: | Crow W NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| References | |
| 27921, NUDOCS 8703190090 | |
| Download: ML20207S181 (9) | |
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RETJJRN IG 39H-55 N
PZW/LPDR bCOCk & WilCOX Nuclear Power Divis60n g
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MAR 31987 k k { U MUCLIAR REGULAltRY W.
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Crow, Acting Chief Uranium Fuel Licensing Branch RECE!VED
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Q U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
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Washington, DC 20555 o.
References:
1.
B&W letter D.
G.
Culber,sontto W.=T; Crow, dated October 24, 1986; Characterization Plan -
Part I.
2.
NRC letter W.
T.
Crow to D.
G.
Culberson, dated January 9, 1987; NRC Acceptance of B&W Characterization Plan - Part I.
Dear Mr. Crow:
In a
letter to you in October, 1986 (Ref.
1),
B&W submitted Part I of the Characterization Plan for the Apollo facility.
In that part we detailed our plans for sampling and surveying the areas of our site outside of the facility structures.
In a
letter from you dated January 9, 1987 (Ref.
2), we received the NRC's acceptance of that part of the Plan.
Attached herein are the results (Part III-A) of the completed surveys of outside areas described in Part I.
This information has been discussed with you in recent weeks in general terms in an effort to keep you apprised of our progress.
Systematic soil sample analysis completed to-date have revealed primarily three areas within the fenced Restricted Area which are contaminated with uranium in excess of the levels specified in Part I.
These areas are shown on Figure 1 of the Attachment.
Additionally, the data indicates that the contamination may extend to a small area of off-site property behind the laundry
- building, and to some degree in front of the Apollo plant along the fence line.
We have routinely kept the NRC Regional Office informed of our findings and of our progress, and, based on a) our evaluation of contamination which has been found in on-site
- areas, b) the nature of the contaminant (insoluble),
c) condition of the soil (wet and stable), and d) the nature of present work activities in offsite areas, have determined thatfthere11suno immediate health
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.or safety risk to the general public due to any-contamination
.which may still be present in the-soil in these off-site areas.
-It is our intention to continue assessing; potential off-site contamination by soil. sampling and direct radiation surveys utilizing' the same grid sampling techniques.as described in Part I,
for-allEoff-site areas identified as.potentially. contaminated.
Remedial action' required'for any identified off-site areas' will belpromptly initiated.
B&W' has-initiated a detailed feasibility study for-evaluating alternative remedial actions for the three onsite areas shown in ; Figure 1 where contamination ~ levels exceed.30 pico-curies per gram-r.,d for any soil removed during remedial' action of off-site l
areas.
We' will complete the evaluation and implement remedial action as required and as mutually agreed to by the'NRC and B&W.
We will continue to keep you apprised of our progress.
If I may be'of further assistance, or if.you have questions or-comments,. please~ do not hesitate to contact either me or Don Sgarlata of my staff.
Sincerely, QM4 U-L David G.
Culberson-Manager, Technical Control DGC8R1/mhb(1)
Attachments:
(1) - Part III, Survey Results Figure 1 cc:
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'THE BABCOCK & WILCOX COMPANY
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PENNSYLVANIA NUCLEAR SERVICE, OPERATIONS-APQLLQ SJIE CBfBACTEBJZ4TJQB P14N 4.
s PART III - SURVEY RESULTS P
A.
OUTSIDE AREAS (INCLUDED)
B.
IN-PLANT AREAS (LATER).
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OUTSIDE AREAS 1.0 BACKgB9pBD
'I n..'A p r i l' of 1986, Oak Ridge ' Associated Universities: (ORAU) conducted a
survey of'the Apollo parking lot areas at the fdirection of the NRC. -The ORAU. survey consisted of a walkover survey using portable gamma scintillation equipment, 'and dose?
rate measurements at one meter above the surface of the soil-using's Portable 1 Ionization Chamber.
ORAU collecte'd sollasamples at' locations of elevated' count rates' (biased soil--samples),
as well as-at randomly 1 selected locations 1 'that did'not.show elevated dose rates (systematic soil samples).
The-ORAU survey revealed-contamination in primarily three~
areas:
' west of the laundry facility, east of the laundry g
facility,'and east of the main Apollo plant.
i Based on the ORAU
- data, B&W developed a
systematic Characterization Plan to identify the full extent of the contamination outside of the plant structures.
This plan was described in detail in Part I.
The following sections summarize the results of that study.
2.0 EAMPLING QRID LAlgUT T
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The B&W-owned property outside.of the plant structures was divided into four sections (I-IV) as shown on the attached I
Figure 1.
Additionally, a
strip of property along the i
southern edge of-the adjacent Metal' Service Company
Section I
consists of the area located directly west of the laundry facility, and extends to the edge of the Kiskiminetas River along the western edge.
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.Section II^is the area'directly east of the laundry facility, extending to the1 east wall of the Metal Service building.
Section-III; is the area directly east.of the Metal Service building.. extending along the eastern edge of B&W's property to a point near the corner of the main Apollo plant structure.
-Section IV-is the' area directly east of the main' Apollo plant structure, extending
.to the edge of the B&W property on the north and: east sides.
Section V'is the area at the south end of the Metal Service
- building, surrounded by the B&W property on the south and east, the river on the west, and the Metal Service building on the north.
The entire property was divided into 50-foot grids to establish a uniform data reference system for sample results.
Metal posts were placed at the intersection of these grids for permanent reference.
These 50-foot grids were further subdivided into 25-foot sub-grids for a more precise reference for sampling and mapping of sample results.
' Sample
- numbers,
~
exact sample location within the grids, and sample results have been retained on computer data files for evaluation, record and planning purposes.
3.0-SAMPLJNG TECHNJOUES Samples were collected at intervals of 25 feet (maximum) utilizing the grid and sub-grid pattern described above.
In some
- cases, additional samples were required in areas where obstructions were encountered or where better definition of the boundary was necesary.
Samples were collected at 6-inch intervals in depth to a
minimum depth of 24 inches at all sample locations.
Some locations required sampling to depths greater than 24 inches to completely bound areas that were greater than 30 pico-curies / gram total uranium.
Samples were collected in accordance with approved procedures to assure consistent and representative samples and no cross-contamination of samples.
4.0 SAMP15-PBgPAB6 TION AND ANblYSIS All samples were screened using a
- 7 mesh screen.
The screened material was pulverized and dried in an oven. Samples were analyzed in one-liter Maranelli beakers using a
30%
Intrinsic Germanium detector and ND-6600 data acquisition system.
Soil and polymer standards, traceable to NBS, were
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- de'termine detector efficiency and :to calibrate used.
t systems, respectively.. Approved sampling and soil preparation-procedures were utilized'for soilepreparation and analysis.
5.0 'EAMPLE.RggULTE 4
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'The. mapping of the'near19.2000. separate soil sample results reveals,primarily,three areas-of;the' Apollo site contaminated-
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with ' uranium: to_ levels above 30 pico-curies per L-gram total
-uranium.
These' ' areas 'are illustrated on1the site-grid ~imap included as Figure 1.
The areas. depicted are consistent;with.
those areas identified-by ORAU in its 1986-survey.
The" t'otal surface-area of contaminated soil.(greater than--30 pico-curies per gran. total uranium) is approximately 87,800' square feet.
Utilizing the sample-results of the. individual.
soil samples at various depths as discussed in 3.0, this area equates to's calculated total. volume of approximatelp 8,150-cubic yards.
6.0 LADDITIQNAL ggIL.ANALXEES:
6.1
.Chgggetgrizgtign gnd Environmentgl Anglyses-Soil samples from the contaminated areas have been sent to the B&W Research Center in Lynchburg for analysis to determine the chemical form of the uranium and physical characteristics of the soil.
Laboratory analyses.show
'that the uranium is in an insoluble. form, and is tightly adherent to the soil particles, making it very stable in its present configuration in-the soil.
Based on these characterization
- analyses, the Environmental Analysis performed for the forthcoming. license renewal application clearly shows that the environmental ~ impact from uranium in the soil is well within' regulatory-limits.
6.2 Backgrougd goil Agalysis Approximately 22 soil samples were collected at various locations in the Apollo area extending-from 1/2 mile to 2 miles from the Apollo plant.
The samples were analyzed in an identical manner as samples analyzed from the Apollo plant parking lot to determine background activity levels for the isotopes of concern.
Background ' levels were subtracted from all sample results~in identifying total volume and areas of soil contaminated to levels above 30 pico-curies per gram.
4
7.0 SUPPLEMENTAL INF9RMATIQN Based on the 'results of this on-site sampling program indicating that some contamination may extend beyond the site
- boundary, B&W has performed detailed radiation surveys of these (see Section I and IV of Figure 1) off-site areas to determine if there is any radiation exposure concern to off-site personnel.
Radiation surveys were taken at waist height (1 meter above the ground) using a micro-R meter.
Waist high readings, which are the standard measurement technique used for regulatory limits pertaining to ground contamination, revealed no detectable radiation above the naturally occurring background level of 10 micro-R per hour for the Apollo area.
In
- addition, B&W also conducted radiation surveys on direct contact with the ground surface using a micro-R meter and a
PAC-1 SAGA.
These contact surveys revealed a few areas of elevated
- activity, averaging about 20-25 micro-R per hour above background.
The maximum level detected at any of these locations is 50 micro-R per hour above background.
B&W is continuing to conduct detailed radiation surveys and soil sample analyses of adjacent off-site
- areas, and will promptly initiate required remedial action.
8.0
SUMMARY
Systematic soil sample analyses completed to-date indicate that the. majority of the contamination above background levels is located within the fenced restricted area of the property owned and leased by B&W.
As noted on Figure 1, there are also some areas where the contamination
, appears to extend to limited off-site areas immediately adjacent to the site boundary.
B&W is continuing its investigation of these areas and will initiate required remedial action promptly.
Laboratory results of samples of contaminated soil from the areas shown on Figure 1 confirm that the chemical form of the contaminants (insoluble), the condition of the soil (wet), and the nature of work activities in these areas (minimal) pose no immediate health or safety risk to the workers or to the general public.
B.
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