ML20210S890
| ML20210S890 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000008 |
| Issue date: | 10/01/1986 |
| From: | France G, Greger L NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20210S781 | List: |
| References | |
| 70-0008-86-02, 70-8-86-2, NUDOCS 8610080243 | |
| Download: ML20210S890 (8) | |
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION III Report No. 70-008/86002(DRSS)
Docket No. 07000008 Li. cense No. SNM-7 Licensee: Battelle Columbus Laboratories 505 King Avenue Columbus, OH 43201 Facility Name: Battelle Columbus Laboratories Inspection At: West Jefferson Facilities Inspection Conducted: September 8-11, 1986
%0Muu, G Inspector: Geo e M. France, III
/O-1-6'6 Date v /
Approved By:
L. R.
reger, Chief
/6"/-84 Facilities Radiation Protection Section Date Inspection Summary Inspection on September 8-11, 1986 (Report No. 70-008/86002(DRSS))
Areas Inspected:
Routine unannounced health and safety inspection, including:
l nuclear criticality safety; radiation protection, including audits, training, exposure control, surveys, and reports; radioactive waste management, including transportation activities; management organization and control associated with the licensee's fuel consolidation program; and discussions with licensee representatives concerned with proposed decommission operations under DOE's Surplus Facility Management Program.
Results: No violations or deviations were identified during the course of this inspection.
8610000243 861001 PDR ADOCK 07000008 C
DETAILS c
1.
Persons Contacted T. Emswiler, Transportation Specialist
- F. P. Gillespie, Technical Programs Management
- G. Kirsch, Supervisor, Operational Health Physics
- D.'McKown, Radiological Safety Officer
- V. Pasupathi, Manager, Nuclear Technology D. Stahl, Project Manager (Fuel Consolidation)
D. Stewart, Research Technician s
E. Swindell, Master Technician P. Tomlin, Master Technician
- H. Joy, Manager, Nuclear Services The inspector also interviewed other members of the licensee's staff,I and the project manager representing US Tool and Die.
- Denotes those present at the exit meeting conducted September 11, 1986, 2.
General This inspection of onsite licensee activities, which began at 1:15 p.m.
on September 8, 1986, was conducted to examine activities involving fuel consolidation at the West Jefferson site under Materials License No. SNM-7. While touring the facility, the inspector observed personnel from US Tool and Die and Battelle demonstrating techniques in fuel consolidation. An exit meeting was conducted on September 11, 1986, at the King avenue facility.
3.
Licensee Action on Previous Inspection Findtn,jn (Closed) Open Item (70-008/86001-01): No appropriate documentation by the licensee's medical examiner to show a medical evaluation of respirator users. The inspector determined that adequate documentation was provided by the examining physician.
(Closed) Open Item (70-008/86001-02):
Provide Region III with a copy of the nuclear criticality safety analysis, the project procedure, and other safety concerns necessary to conduct fuel consolidation.
The inspector examined the above documents and observed the licensee's and representatives of US Tool and Dies' performance in the consolidation of spent fuel rods into an approved geometric configuration.
4.
Management Organization and Controls The inspector reviewed the licensee's management organization and controls for radiation protection and operations, including changes in the organizational structure.
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a.
Organization The Radiological Safety Officer (RS0) plans to retire during the 4th quarter of 1986. Effective September 1, 1986, a Health Physicist located at the licensee's West Jefferson site was transferred to the King avenue (Columbus, Ohio) office, to assume the duties of the RSO. The licensee is currently searching for a replacement for the vacated Health Physicist position. As discussed in Inspection Report No. 70-008/86001(DRSS), the licensee noted that persons serving as members of the licensee's retired staff are available to provide assistance to licensee activities.
The inspector concurred that in the interim the above adjustment in staff manpower does not appear to affect public health and safety or compromise worker safety.
b.
Procedure Revising and Updating Operational procedures were prepared by US Tool and Die representatives acting as project managers for the fuel consolidation project.
The inspector determined that the licensee prepared an independent l
nuclear criticality review and also issued a radiological work permit to caution workers performing the fuel consolidation.
No problems were identified.
No violations or deviations were identified.
5.
Radiation Protection The inspector reviewed the licensee's internal and external exposure control program, including the required records, reports and notifications, a.
Internal Exposure Control Urinalysis results for hot cell workers requiring uranium (enriched) and plutonium monitoring for the March 1986 through August 1986 operating period did not reveal any levels above the action level of 0.2 dpm/ liter. Whole body counts for hot cell workers were below the investigation level.
The inspector interviewed a worker who recently received a cobalt-60 uptake. While on assignment (off site) to provide support as a contractor for a Byproduct Materials License facility, the worker was exposed to cobalt-60 (oxide form). The source of the exposure was a trash compactor operating)in an area without adequate ventilation. The licensee (BCL initiated a monitoring program of whole body counts and bioassay determinations. The incident occurred on August 6,1986; the first indication of an exposure was determined from nasal smears taken by the worker as a precaution while at the Byproduct facility.
Subsequent whole body counts were not significantly different from instrument background response.
Fecal sampling and analysis are still ongoing. Preliminary results indicate that the exposure was within the limits prescribed by 10 CFR 20. The Region will continue to follow licensee actions. OpenItem(70-008/86002-01) 3
b.
External Exposure The licensee's film badge data for the operating period April 1986 through August 1986 were reviewed.
No doses exceeding 10 CFR 20.101 limits were noted.
The joint venture fuel consolidation project involving US Tool and Die and licensee personnel required daily and weekly dosimetry readings. The monitoring routine was performed in accordance with the licensee's minimum health physics requirements and the radiological work permit. The inspector determined that monitoring results were averaging less than 100 mrem per hour.
c.
Surveys and Containment Control The inspector reviewed the licensee's program for radiological surveys to verify compliance with the regulations and with licensee requirements, including:
schedule for periodic surveys, effectiveness of surveys, and adequacy of instrumentation.
During the course of the fuel consolidation project, baseline sample smears were performed prior to beginning pool operations. Nasal smears were required daily at the end of operations.
Step-off pads were clearly marked and additional smears were taken daily. A survey meter equipped with beta / gamma (pancake) detector was provided for final survey of personnel exiting the hot cell area. The inspector determined that the licensee's radiological work permit adequately addressed health physics concerns and the frequency of surveys enabled the licensee to control contamination levels, d.
Airborne Releases The inspector selectively reviewed licensee records of air sample analyses. During the course of the fuel consolidation project no MPC-hour assignment exceeding regulatory requirements was noted, e.
Maintaining Occupational Exposures ALARA The inspector reviewed the licensee's program for maintaining occupational exposures ALARA, including ALARA consideration and workers awareness of waste handling as a source of exposure.
In support of the ALARA policy, the licensee converted a storage location into a counting room for surveying radwaste packaged in 55-gallon drums. Shielding was provided by adding concrete blocks and lead bricks to the existing structure. The addition of shielding reduces the potential exposure levels emanating from fuel handling activities that occur in the fuel storage pool. The counting chamber, complete with an array of detectors and a turn table for rotating the drums, can all be operated from an office located in the administrative 4
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wing of the Hot Cell building. This arrangement also places
~ he collection data in the office along with cameras that view t
the counting room. The workers time of exposure is limited to 1
transferring waste drums to and from the counting room.
The inspector concurred that the engineering controls exhibited by the licensee are capable of reducing worker exposure, while defining a more sensitive counting geometry for evaluating radioactive waste.
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No violations or deviations were identified.
6.
Operations Review The inspector observed the licensee's performance of plant operations to include handling of fuel bundles during the fuel consolidation project.
In addition, the inspector reviewed with the licensee the status of operations at the West Jefferson / King avenue sites.
j US Tool and Dic is participating with Battelle in conducting the fuel consolidation project. The inspector determined that licensee and US Tool and Die personnel complied with health and safety precautions in accordance with written operating procedures provided for fue1' consolidation techniques.
The fuel consolidation project is designed to facilitate doubling the capacity of selected fuel storage containers, reduce the number of spent
' fuel shipments, and save additional storage space in a given fuel storage pool.
In other matters, the licensee is considering drafting a proposal to
'decomission the West. Jefferson site and part of the King avenue site.
4 During this inspection the inspector was informed that Battelle desires to decomission BCL facilities under DOE's Surplus and Remedial Action Program. According to licensee personnel most of the special nuclear material (SNM) presently stored at Battelle was actually acquired under i
several DOE projects, over a period of 43 years. The majority of SNM material possessed under NRC license SNM-7 will be returned to the Ginna Facility (Rochester Gas and Electric Nuclear Power Station) or to DOE's Idaho Operations. The licensee noted that DOE plans to request cognizant agency status through a memorandum of understanding with NRC. As the cognizant agency, DOE will in turn administer requirements and monitor the progress of Batte11e's decomissioning program. The decomissioning project could last 10 years; fourteen buildings would be scheduled for 4
clean up. Under DOE's Surplus Facility and Remedial Action Program, the Battelle decomissioning project would be funded by a major acquisition i
program that monitors clean up of multi use nuclear facilities.
. Region III will continue to follow licensee actions in the interim.
No violations or deviations were identified.
7.
Criticality Safety The inspector reviewed the licensee's documentation of facility changes e
requiring criticality consideration during the fuel consolidation project.
In addition, the inspector discussed the fuel consolidation project with the licensee's project managers and with the project manager from US Tool and Die.
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The nuclear criticality review discussed the limitations in fuel assemblies, location during movement, the number of fuel canisters being handled, and fuel rod storage configuration. The inspector determined that the safety committee scenarios adequately addressed concerns for off-normal conditions.
Since the last inspection (70-008/86001(DRSS)) a review of the Health Physics action file disclosed a false alarm from the criticality monitor.
The HP investigation indicated that no work was being performed in or around the pool or high energy cell. Nonetheless, the hot lab staff evacuated when the alarm was activated. The Emergency Site Unit (ESU) was sumoned and confirmed the absence of increased background radiation, including neutrons. ESU inspected the monitor and found it to be in working order. A moisture problem may have contributed to the instrument malfunction. Area and personnel dosimetry confirmed that a criticality or other event resulting in increased radiation fields had not occurred.
No violations or deviations were identified.
8.
Transportation The inspector reviewed the transportation activities to determine whether the licensee is maintaining an adequate program to assure radiological safety in the receipt, packaging, and delivery of licensed radioactive materials.
The inspector determined that two waste shipments were completed since the last inspection on May 12-16, 1986 (Inspection Report No.70-008/86001(DRSS)). Two wooden boxes (121 cubic feet per box) containing low-level material and 97 55-gallon drums of TRU waste made up the bulk of the shipments. According to HP surve.ys beta / gamma and alpha levels, as well as exposure measurements, met D0T requirements for waste disposal shipments. With each shipment, the licensee submitted a prepared return receipt for acceptable package identification by the burial licensee.
No violations or deviations were identified.
9.
Radioactive Waste Management The inspectors reviewed the licensee's records to determine whether the licensee is complying with regulations and license requirements related to the release and disposal of liquid, airborne, and solid radioactive waste.
a.
Solid Waste Two shipments have been made since the May 1986 inspection. Shipping papers, survey records, and certifications indicated there were no problems. The waste shipments contained about 390 mC1.
b.
Liquid Waste No major quantities of liquid waste were generated. A small volume, about 5 gallons, was solidified in cement.
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c.
Airborne Releases A review of this data, including exhaust ventilation to unrestricted areas, for alpha and/cr beta-gamma activity will be continued during the next inspection.
- 10. Waste Generator Requirements, 10 CFR 20 and 61 The inspector reviewed waste generation activities to determine whether the licensee is maintaining adequate, management controlled procedures which reasonably assure compliance with the requirements of 10 CFR 20 and 10 CFR 61 applicable to low-level radwaste form, waste characterization i
and classification, stabilization, and shipment manifests and tracking.
The QA Supervisor maintains procedures for adequate management control in accordance with 10 CFR 20 and 10 CFR 61. The Transportation Specialist makes periodic reviews of transportation procedures and effects investigations in any instance where receipt of shipment has not been verified within the specified period. The inspector determined that the licensee maintains records that document the waste form and classification as required under 10 CFR 20 and 10 CFR 61.
No violations or deviations were identified.
- 11. Training The inspector reviewed the licensee's provisions for training employees for work assignments in the fuel consolidation project.
Representatives from US Tool and Die conducted a vigorous training program in fuel consolidation techniques using a nonradioactive system.
The site Health Physicist developed a radiological work permit and the BCL Safety Subcommittee implemented a criticality review to provide the employees with safety training required in fuel consolidation projects.
I The inspector examined the smear survey and exposure data for personnel assigned to the fuel consolidation project and determined that the above training contributed to good work practices and that the levels of contamination and/or exposure were maintained well below regulatory limits.
No violations or deviations were identified.
- 12. Exit Meeting The inspector met with licensee representatives (denoted in Section 1) at the conclusion of the onsite inspection on September 11, 1986. The inspector surnrarized the scope and findings of the inspection.
In response to certain items discussed by the inspector, the licensee:
a.
Acknowledged the inspector's comments that he would like to be kept informed concerning any plans related to a proposal for deccmissioning.
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4 b.
Acknowledged the inspector's comments about adequate decontamination for spent fuel casks for shipments to Ginna (RG&L).
During the course of the inspection and exit meeting, the licensee and the_ inspector agreed that statements and references to specific fuel consolidation techniques may be deemed as containing proprietary information. Hence, the inspector refrained from discussing fuel consolidation ta:hniques.
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