ML20237F955

Application for Amend to License R-97,changing Tech Spec 3.6.e Re D2 Concentration in Helium Sweep Sys to Concentration in Cover Gas Sweep Sys

ML20237F955
Person / Time
Site:	Neely Research Reactor
Issue date:	08/06/1987
From:	Karam R Neely Research Reactor, ATLANTA, GA
To:	NRC OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION & RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (ARM), Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Shared Package
ML20237F958	List: ML20237F955 ML20237G283
References
NUDOCS 8708130246
Download: ML20237F955 (10)

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'N Georgia Institute of Technology 5 .4 b NEELY NUCLEAR RESEARCH CENTER

( % ~"<;.) T [ 900 ATLANTIC DRIVE ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30332-0425 e,es . ,m 0[ (404)094-3000 j August 6, 1987 Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 Re: Docket No. 50-160 License No. R-97 Ati,ention: Document Control Desk Gentlemen:

On behalf of the Georgia Institute of Technology, I hereby apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Cormaission to amend Facility Operating License No. R-97 to include the following changes to the Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A.

1. Section 3.6.e " Primary Coolant System" (a) Specification 3.6.e, page 23, reads, "The D n entration in the 2

helium sweep system is less than 2% by volume." It is requested that this specification be changed to, "The D n entration in the cover 2

gas sweep system is less than 25 by volume.

(b) Under basis for specification 3.6.e, page 24, fourth paragraph, second line, the word helium in the . . . helium gas sweep system, should be changed to . . . cover gas sweep system.

Justification The helium cover gas over the D " " "# "" ""

2 is provided as a carrier to sweep dissociated D ')

""e reactor tank and into the D and 0,, recombiner.2 Th dissociation rate is estimated (FSAR) at2 0.01 l'iters of liquid D 02per :1W-h r . The gas is swept at a rate of 10 cubic feet per minute over a palladium on aluminum catalyst where D 2 nd 0 are recombined into D 0.

2 2 One problem with the helium cover gas is that, because it is light, it

$ rises and this causes a draft bringing air into the core vicinity and o, 'k

'4 thus produce Argon 41 Coo oo Nc3 In order to minimize Ar 41 production and reduce operational cost, the DO Nuclear Safeguards Committee approved a switch of cover gas from helium to N . Nitrogen is slightly heavier than air and its activity due to 2

bc$ the sn,p) reaction is calculated to be about 10 disintegrations per k

CD second at a power level of 1 MW.

g coqq Private communications with Savannah River Laboratory personnel (Dr.

Paul Monson) revealed that SRL is also switching cover gas from He to N f r the same reasons cited above, 2 g

((g Ih A Unit of the University System of Georgia An Equal Education and Employment opportunity Institution

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Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation- i Page 2'  !

August 6,-1987 2 Saction 6.1 Organization

a. It is requested that the organization for the management and operations . i of the GTRR be changed to what is shown in the attached new Figure 6.1 The upper management of Georgia Tech prefers this new organizational structure.

Justification See appended letters from Dr. Ilenry C. Bourne, Jr., Acting President of Georgia Tech. In addition, the Vice President for Research committed to hiring an Associate Director for the Neely Nuclear Research Center. The Associate Director would assist the Director in managing the affairs of the Center and the safe handling of the radioisotopes used in research on the rest of the Georgia Tech campus. The President's evaluation has determined that the reorganization will contribute directly to better nuclear safeguards conditions and more effective program management.

b. Section 6.2 Nuclear' Safeguards Committee It is requested that Section 6.2 be changed to the following in accordance with Dr. Bourne's charge to the Committee:

a. A Nuclear Safeguards Committee shall be established by the President of s the Institute and shall be responsible for maintaining health and safety-  ;

standards associated with operation of the reactor and its associated 1 facilities,

b. The Committee shall be composed of senior technical personnel who collectively provide experience in reactor engineering, reactor operations, chemistry and radiochemistry, instrumentation and control systems, radiological safety, radiation protection, and mechanical and electrical systems.

c. The Committee shall meet quarterly and as circumstances warrant.

Written records of the proceedings, including any recommendations or occurrences, shall be distributed to all Committee members and the President's office,

d. The quorum shall consist of not less than a majority of the full committee and shall include the chairman or his designated alternate,

e. The Committee shall:

1. Review and approve proposed experiments and tests utilizing the reactor facility which are significantly different from tests and experiments previously performed at the GTRR.

2. Review reportable occurrences.

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' Director _ Office of Nuclear Re8ctor-Regulation Page 3.

August 6, 1987 3.: Review and approve proposed operating procedures and proposed changes to-operating procedures. Minor modifications to operating procedures which do not change the original intent of the operating procedure.may be approved by the Director of NNRC on a temporary basis. The Committee shall consider for approval such minor modifications at its next scheduled meeting. All minor modifications must be_ approved by the Committee.

4. Review and approve proposed changes to the facility made pursuant to 10 CFR 50.59(c).

5. Review and approve proposed changes to Technical Specifications excluding organizational structure. The responsibility and authority for organizational structure resides with the President of the Institute.

6. Audit reactor operations and reactor operation records for compliance with internal rules, procedures, and regulations and with licensed provisions including Technical Specifications.

7. Audit existing operating procedures for adequacy and to assure that they achieve their intended purpose in light of any changes since their ,

implementation.

8. Audit plant equipment performance with particular attention to operating anomalies, reportable occurrences, and the steps taken to identify and correct their causes, j Justification l

The two letters from Dr. Henry C. Bourne, Acting President of Georgia Tech, (letters appended) are our justification for this change, j

3. Specification 3.5.a.5 This specification carrently reads, "During release of liquid radioactive I effluents, two independent samples of each tank shall be taken, one prior to release and one during release. An independent sample shall be taken from the discharge line during release." It is requested that this specification be changed to the following.

Before discharging any liquid waste from any of the holdup tanks, the following shall be performed:

1. Isolate the tank to be emptied so that no liquid waste' can be added during discharge.

2. Obtain a sample and analyze for content of radioactivity.

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e .4 Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Page 4 )

August 6, 1987 l If the radioactivity in that sample is within the limits of specifications j 3.5.a.1 and 3.5.a.2, release to sanitary sewerage system may begin. The I process of discharging the liquid waste from that tank shall be stopped at a point past the halfway mark, but before the tank is emptied, to analyze 4 another samplo. If results of the second analysis are within specified limits, release of the rest of the liquid waste may resume. The time for.

completing the second discharge shall be 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> after the stoppage for the second analysis.

Justification Specification 3.5.a.5, as written, is ambiguous and for years it was interpreted as a requirement for analyzing only two samples. Recently one Nh0 Region II inspector interpreted it as requiring analysis for three samples.

We believe that analyzing two samples is adequate to guarantee control over the discharge of wastewater. All samples for analysis are taken from the discharge line.

If you have any questions please let me know.

Sincerely yours, (Q .  % -- .__- ,

R.A. Karam Director RAK:jlr pc: Al Adams Dave Verrelli "No' tar'y Public, Georgia Sta4e et Larwe ray Commission fxpires March 19,1984

l' a  ; Office of the President -

Gasrgia Instituta of Tschnology.

Atlanta, Georgia 30332 ozonenneu sani +es

.(404)894 5061-June 19' 1987- ,

Dr. . Thomas- E. 'Stelson Vice President for Research Campus

Dear Dr. Stelson:

Pursuant to your request of May 27, 198'7, regarding the reorganization of the Neely Nuclear Research Center and based on, input and comments from other sources including members of the Nuclear . Safeguards and Radiation Protection !A Committees, I have concluded that effective July 1,1987:; ] 1

1. -- All nuclear research.and safety issues shall be the responsibility of' the Neely Nuclear Research Center from the standpoint of institutional administrative structure.

2. The existing Office of Radiological Safety shall be abolished and a new 1 office of Radiation Safety shall be established as a unit of. the Neely. .)

-Nuclear Research Center. The attached organizational chart delineates

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the new structure..

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3. The raembership of the Nuclear Safeguards Committee shall be enlarged and its responsibility increased to cover radiation protection to all nuclear activities on campus. i 4 The Radiation Protection Committee shall be abolished.

5. The responsibility for the safe operation of nuclear activities on a day to day basis shall rest with the Neely Nuclear Research Center.

Operation shall be governed by written procedures approved in advance by the Nuclear Safeguards Committee.

6. The responsibilities of Dr. R.A. Karam as Director of the Neely Nuclear Research Center are expanded in accordance with the new organizational-structure.

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-Dr.6 Thetas E. Stelson Page 2)

. June 19,1987 1

I agree with your evaluation that the reorganization will contribute directly to both better nuclear safeguards conditions and more effective program management. I trust that everyone involved will cooperate fully.

Sincerely,

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Henry C. Bourne, Jr.

Acting President HCB:jlr pc Neely Nuclear Research Center Staff Radiological Safety Office Staff Nuclear Safeguards Committee Radiation Protection Committee

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June 19,1987 L Dr. Bernd Kahn Nuclear Engineering and llealth Physics Campus j

Dear Dr' Kahn:

I e's pleased to appoint you Chairman of the Nuclear Safeguards Committee and i Georgia Tech's Radiation Safety Officer. As you know, the Neely Nuclear Research Center is being restructured to what is shown in the attached chart.

The Radiological Safety Officer shall henceforth be the Chairman of the Nuclear Safeguards Committee. This committee membership and responsibilities are as follows:

The Committee shall be composed of senior technical personnel who collectively provide experience in reactor engineering, reactor operations, chemistry and radiochemistry, instrumentation and contr.cl systems, radiological safety, radiation protection, and mechanical and electrical systems.

The Committee shall meet quarterly and as circumstances warrant. Written records of the proceedings, including any recommendations or occurrences, shall be distributed to all Committee members and the President's office.

The Committee shall:

Review and approve proposed experiments and tests utilizing the reactor facility which are significantly different from tests and experiments previously performed at the GTRR.

Review reportable occurrences.

Review and approve proposed operating procedures and proposed changes to operating procedures which change the original intent of the operating procedure in a non-conservative manner.

Review and approve proposed changes to the facility made pursuant to 10 CFR 50.59(c).

Audit reactor operations and reactor operational records for compliance with internal rules, procedures, and regulations and with licensed provisions including Technical Specifications.

Audit existing operating proc 0Gures for adequacy and to assure that they achieve their intended purpose in light of any changes since their implementation.

A Unit of the University Systern of Georgia An Equal Education and Employment Oppor tun:ty inst tut on

Dr. Bernd Kahn Page 2 June 19, 1987 l

Audit plant equipment performance with particular attention to operating anomalies, reportable occurrences, and the steps taken to identify and ccrrect their causes.

The Committee members I am appointing are as follows:-

1 Dr. Prateen Desai (Thermal Hydraulics) 2 Dr. Howard Edwards (Instrumentation)

3. Dr. Richard Fink (Cnemistry) 4 Dr. Waverly Graham (Nuclear Engineering)

5. Dr. Bernd Kahn, Chairman, (Nuclear Engineering) 6 Dr. Robert MacDonald (Nuclear Engineering)

7. Dr. James A. Mahaffey (Nuclear Engineering)

8. Dr. Henry Neumann (Chemistry)

9. Mr. Les Petherick (Toxic Waste) 10 Dr. JaLes R. Stevenson (Physics) 11 Mr. Jack Vickery (Security) 12 Dr. David Walker (Environment)'

I would like to take this opportunity to thank members of both the Radiation Protection Committee and the Nuclear Safeguards Committee for a Job well done.

I also extend a hearty welcome to the new members of the enlarged Nuclear Safeguards Committee.

Sincerely,

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MlV Henry C Bourne, Jr.

Acting President HCB:jlr i

pc: Nuclear Safeguards Committee Radiation Protection Committee Neely Nuclear Research Center Staff

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NEELY NUCLEAR RESEARCH CENTER REORGANIZATION CHART

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