IR 05000146/1989001

Mgt Meeting Rept 50-146/89-01 on 890227.Major Areas Inspected:General Design,Scope & Methodology to Be Used During Performance of Radiological Surveys in Areas Adjacent to Saxton Reactor Facility

ML20236A886
Person / Time
Site:	Saxton File:GPU Nuclear icon.png
Issue date:	03/07/1989
From:	Shanbaky M, Weadock A NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:
Shared Package
ML20236A861	List: IR 05000146/1989001 ML20236A858
References
50-146-89-01-MM, 50-146-89-1-MM, NUDOCS 8903200201
Download: ML20236A886 (5)

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e U.Si NUCLEAR-REGULATORY; COMMISSION

REGION I

. Meeting Report N /89-01 JDocket N License' N DPR-4 Priority- -

Category D L 3. .

Licensee: Saxton Nuclear Experimental Corporation / GPU Corporation Facility Name: Saxton Reactor Meeting At': . NRC Region I, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania '

Meeting Date: February 27,' 1989 Prepared by: N . // C 3 E7 A!Weadock, Radiation Specialist- ' d&te Approved by: =M N M.M.5hanbaky, Chief, Fh p ities Radiation 3!7

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Protection Section Meeting. Summary: A Management Meeting was held at the equest of the NRC on February 27,-1989 at.the NRC Region'I Office in King of Prussia, Pennsylvani .!

Durinc the licensee discussed the general design scope and this meeting, methodology to be used during their performance of r radiological survey,s in areas adjacent to the Saxton reactor-facilit The meeting was attended by NRC Region I management, NRC Headquarters staff, and licensee management. A representative from the Pennsylvania Department of .

l Environmental Resources was also in attendanc ,

8903200201 890309 PDR G ADOCK 05000146'1 PNU

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DETAILS 1.0 Participants 1.1 General Public Utilities (GPU)

' Auger Licensing-Engineer G. Baker SNEC General Manager 2 B. Good SNEC Radiation Safety Officer J J. Hildebrand Director,- Radiological and Environmental i Controls (GPUN)/ SNEC Vice-President ,

S. Molello Senior Environmental Consultant 1 G. Tomb Public Affairs Manager j 1.2 NRC Personnel A. Adams, J Saxton Project Manager, NRR W. Baunack Project Engineer R. Bellamy_ . Chief, Facilities Radiological Safety and i Safeguards Branch i C.'Cowgill Chief, Reactor Projects Section lA P. O'Connell Radiation Specialist M. Shanbaky- Chief, Facilities Radiation Protection Section T. Weadock Radiation Specialist 1.3 Other Attendees M. Reilly Chief, Div. of Environmental Radiation, Bureau of Radiation Protection, Pennsylvania DER

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2.0 Background During an NRC inspection performed at the Saxton reactor site in November, 1988' 146/88-02), NRC inspectors identified elevated levels of radioa(Report No.ctivity in soil located outside.the Saxton Nuclear Experimental Corporation (SNEC) and PENELEC fence In the inspection report the l licensee was asked to commit to performing a comprehensive radiological

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j survey of the unrestricted areas surrounding the SNEC and PENELEC fences to 4 identify if additional areas of elevated radioactivity were presen The !

licensee's response letter to the inspection report, dated January 18, i 1989, contained their formal commitment to perform this survey. The j purpose of this meeting was for the licensee to present information  !

concerning the scope, methodology, and timetable of the proposed survey to i the NRC staff.-

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3.0 Discussion During the meeting the licensee's technical staff presented background information describing site history and detailing the results of previous sampling and surveys completed at the site. Geologic characterization studies, performed by a contractor in 1988, identify that the upper 4-5 inches of soil in the immediate area of the site is composed primarily of coal fly ash. Deeper soil (from 6-24 inches) is typically composed of coal bottom ash or bottom ash and limestone matrix. The presence of coal bottom and fly ash is attributed to the operation of a coal fired electric plant which operated at the Saxton sit Radiological analyses of drill hole samples indicate that elevated levels of Cs-137 (the principal contaminant in the SNEC yard) are restricted h primarily to the fly ash layer. The Cs-137 levels noted in the licensee's previous site soil sampling results and in NRC inspection 88-02 are clearly above environmental background levels and do not appear attributable solely to natural radioactivity of the coal fly as The licensee's presentation included a general discussion of proposed survey scope and methodology. The following details were discusse The survey will begin, weather permitting, in late March or early April, 1989. The licensee anticipates that the survey will take approximately one month to complet The licensee has subdivided the unrestricted areas outside the PENELEC fence into separate " parcels" of land, based on presumed potential for containing radioactive material generated by Saxton operations. The licensee stated that approximately 1.3 million square feet of land will be surveyed in the overall effort. Survey efforts in each parcel will vary in scope,ls radioactive materia and the results of historical environmentalagain based on presu samples. Survey efforts will be most extensive in area C, a 100 foot wide strip of land encircling the PENELEC fence. Area C includes those areas of elevated activity identified during NRC inspection 88-0 Basic survey methodology will consist of a general area (waist level)

gamma radiation survey performed by a survey team. The team will walk at a predetermined spacing and take readings using microR meter More extensive surveying (contact soil readings, soil sampling for isotopic identification) will be performed in response to predetermined increases seen in gamma radiation level The licensee stated that specific survey procedures and training will be developed to control the performance of the above surve _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ -

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4.0 - Concluding Remarks NRC management requested that Region I be notified.at that point in time when survey procedures.have been finalized but prior to.the initiation of the survey.- NRC management-also requested that the licensee present their- i survey results to the Region I staff. in a formal meeting subsequent to the completion of the survey. The licensee agreed.to both these request The agenda provided by the licensee is included as Attachmert 1 to this repor ,

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SNEC/NRC MEETING KING.OF. PRUSSIA, P . February 27, 1989

. AGENDA .

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p I.' Introduction

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II. Background Information III.-Information on Radioactivity i Surficial Materials at Saxton ,

-IV. Proposed. Radiological Survey Plan- !

V. Questions and Answers

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