ML20211Q332
| ML20211Q332 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000142 |
| Issue date: | 07/14/1986 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20211Q288 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8607250017 | |
| Download: ML20211Q332 (8) | |
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63 U D 4 UNITED STATES
[ g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION E j WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
\...../ SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION DECOMISSIONING PLAN - PHASE I THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES DOCKET NO. 50-142 1
1.0 INTRODUCTION
By a letter dated October 29, 1985 that transmitted the Decomissioning Plan dated October 1985, the University of California at Los Angeles
- (UCLA) requested authorization for Phase I dismantlement and disposition ,
- of component parts of the 100kW Argonaut reactor facility located on the UCLA campus. The reactor has not been operated since January 1984 and all fuel was shipped off-site in September 1985. By an Order issued by the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board dated November 1985, the license was terminated and dismantlement ordered to be completed by September 30,
, 1989 except for the biological shield and certain components described in i
a stipulation among the parties. Phase I of the Plan is to remove all removable components from the core which will enable access to the interior of the core for assessment of the radioactivity in the biological i shielding and the foundation. Following evaluation of the residual j activity, UCLA will provide the alternative (s) for the subsequent phase (s) ,
of the decommissioning program.
2.0 FACILITY DESCRIPTION
! The UCLA reactor is located on the first floor of Boelter Hall, an eight
. story building, located near the center of the campus. Figures 1 i and 2 indicate the campus location of Boelter Hall and the location of j the reactor facility within Boelter Hall, respectively.
The UCLA reactor was a standard Argonaut, heterogeneous, pool-type reactor, incorporating uranium aluminide fuel elements with an enrichment of more than 90% U-235. The reactor core originally consisted of 6 canisters of
' fuel elements in a two slab array on both sides of a graphite island used as the principal moderator (see Figure 3).
2.1 DESCRIPTION
OF DISMANTLEMENT PLAN 1
l UCLA proposes to dismantle the facility in two or more phases depending upon the results obtained from Phase I. Phase I will remove all of the remaining moveable components in the core, specifically (1) the reactor core-reflector, (2) the graphite thermal column, (3) the shield tank, (4) i peripheral equipment (5) fuel boxes, (6) control blade system components and (7) protruding piping. The estimated inventory of radioactive
- material in the reactor components ranges from 0.1 C1 (lead) to about
- l. 8607250017 860714
1 4.2 C1 (graphite). The total amount of radioactive waste to be removed is estimated to be about 61,600 pounds. The wastes consist of metallic components, graphite, lead bricks, lead sheet, and lead shot. .These materials will be packaged and shipped to appropriate disposal sites, (licensed or unlicensed) according to the level of activity. UCLA l estimates that the components can be removed from the reactor in about four weeks, and analyses and preparation of a final plan performed in an additional six to eight weeks, barring unforeseen delays. Following removal of internal components UCLA will conduct a radiological survey of the biological shielding. Following an analysis of this survey, UCLA will determine the course of Phase II. The alternatives considered and the accepted alternative will be identified in the Phase I final report.
3.0 EVALUATION The principal concerns raised by the dismantlement plan are (1) personnel e exposure and (2) safe handling, shipping, and disposal of radioactive materials. The staff has reviewed the UCLA Phase I plan to dismantle, decontaminate and decommission the reactor facility and dispose of its component parts and radioactive material. The review considered the management responsibilities and consnitments; the health physics program including procedures, equipment, instrumentation, survey techniques, training, and personnel dosimetry; waste disposal, and the final survey.
l These functions and activities were ongoing during operation of the i facility and will be maintained in appropriate scope during its
- dismantlement.
3.1 Organization i
The organizational chart for deconsnissioning of the UCLA reactor is shown in Figure 4. The Director of the Office of Research and Occupational Safety (OROS) will maintain all responsibility for all activities at the facility. The Director has appointed the Manager of the Nuclear Engineering Lab (NEL) to manage all dismantling, decontamination and decommissioning activities. He will report to the Director of OROS and will be responsible for daily activities and direction of the numerous crafts and crews operating on site.
3.2 Health and Safety -
3.2.1 Health Physics A full-time health physicist will be assigned to the deconsnissioning of the UCLA reactor. This person will be responsible for recommending and enforcing safety policy, both radiological and industrial. Responsi-bilities include maintenance of radioactive exposure records, implemen-tation of the environmental survey program, ensuring compliance with
- work procedures, training and, if necessary, assigning additional
! health physics technicians to specific work tasks. In addition, the
health physicist will be responsible for the development and implemen-tation of the in-plant radiation protection program, the survey instru-mentation program including calibration, bioassay of personnel, airborne radioactivity monitoring, supervision and documentation of radioactive waste packaging, and ALARA planning. The health physicist reports to the Radiation Safety Officer who is directly responsible to the OROS Director.
3.2.2 Quality Assurance Quality Assurance will be the responsibility of the Director of OROS who reports directly to the Assistant Vice Chancellor. This person will be responsible for the monitoring, auditing, and job performance records and for assuring that the established safety review procedures have been followed.
3.2.3 Health Physics Instruments Continuing evaluation of the radiological status of the facility will be carried out by health physics personnel during the dismantling and decontamination procedures. Levels of radiation will, therefore, be known at all times in areas where personnel are working. All workers will wear personnel dosimeter film badges and pocket dosimeter ionization chambers. Doses .will be recorded daily. Portable survey instruments used for health physics will include alpha, beta and gamma survey meters. Staff review indicates that instruments to be used during dismantling and decontamination are state-of-the-art. All instruments will be labeled describing their calibration status.
The staff finds that the proposed instruments, calibrations and procedures are adequate to characterize the status or the facility during Phase I.
3.2.4 " Unrestricted Use" Release Criteria l Though UCLA indicated that final decommissioning will meet the criteria of Regulatory Guide 1.86 and the staff's exposure limits of 5juR/hr at
- one meter, Phase I is intended to only remove the core contents to allow access into the c6xe to perform an in-core survey of the activity in the biological shielding and foundation. This will permit the development of alternative dismantling concepts for Phase II and Phase III, if necessary.
3.2.5 Dose Connitment UCLA estimated that the collective dose equivalent will not exceed 10 person-rem for workers for Phase I of the project. These exposure values appear to be reasonable and acceptable.
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4.0 DISPOSITION OF REMOVED RADI0 ACTIVE COMPONENTS UCLA has made tentative arrangements to ship removed graphite and lead bars to the new Texas A&M facility for utilization. All radioactive components that are removed will be shipped in accordance with NRC regulations to appropriate disposal sites.
5.0 CONCLUSION
Based on the foregoing considerations, the staff concludes that the dismantling and decontamination operations for Phase I can be conducted without undue risk to the health and safety of the public or operators, and without any significant impact on the environment.
Principal Contributors: ,
Harold Bernard Seymour Block John Minns Dated: July 14, 1986 Attachments:
Figures 1-4
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FIGURE 4 Dismantling Organi::ation
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lChancellorI l i i
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-l EDEinticing__I IVice Chanegllect I i l I l Director l l Director i 1 Ngk I i OROS ***_ _i i
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I 1_l Temporary i I Tegh3 I i
- fiaintains overall responsibility for all i
decommissioning activities at the Nuclear Engineering Laboratory (NEL).
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