ML20246G221

Clarifies NRC Position Re Definition of Extremity for Purposes of Setting Occupational Exposure Limits,Per NRC Info Notice 81-26.Util Should Ensure That Procedures Incorporate Applicable Dose Limits in 10CFR20

ML20246G221
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee
Issue date:	08/18/1989
From:	Bellamy R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:	Murphy W VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER CORP.
References
IEIN-81-26, NUDOCS 8908310263
Download: ML20246G221 (5)

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A Docket No. 50-271 Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation ATTN: Mr. Warren P. Murphy

, Vice President and Manager

'of Operations RD 5, Box 169 Ferry Road Brattleboro, Vermont 05301 Gentlemen:

SUBJECT:

DEFINITION OF " EXTREMITY" FOR PURPOSES OF SETTING OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE LIMITS The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify the NRC's position regarding the definition of " extremity" for purposes of setting occupational exposure limits.

NRC inspections have shown that a number of licensees are using a definition of

" extremity" that is contrary to the provisions of 10 CFR Part 20.101, " Radiation Dose Standards for Individuals in Restricted Areas". This regulation specifies that " extremity" dose limits apply to the " hands and forearms; feet and ankles.*

Information provided in NRC Infomation Notice No. 81-26. Part 3, Supplement No. 1, has been misunderstood, and was.not intended to change what is censidered to be an extremity. This Information Notice discusses placement of personnel dosimeters for detemining whole body doses.

Because of this apparent misunderstanding, we plan no enforcement action if your procedures.have incorporated this misunderstanding. We have issued the enclosed memorandum to provide clarification on the intent of Information Notice No. 81-26, and what is considered to be an extremity. We request that

.you ensure your procedures incorporate tl.e applicable dose limits of 10 CFR

-Part 20.

Your cooperation with us in this matter is appreciated. Please contact me if you have any concerns or questions regarding this matter.

Sincerely.

Orig'na! Signed By:

.triald R. Belissay Ronald R. Bellamy, Chief Facilities Radiological Safety and Safeguards Branch Division of Radiation Safety and Safeguards

Enclosure:

Memorandum from LeMoine J. Cunningham to Ronald R. Bellamy, et. al., dated June 22, 1989 STO I

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J. Weigand, President and Chief Executive Officer J. Pelletier, Plant Manager J. DeVincentis,-Vice President, Yankee Atomic Electric Company R. Capstick, Licensing Engineer, Yankee Atomic Electric Company J. Gilroy, Director, Vermont Public Interest Research Group, Inc.

G. Sterzinger, Commissioner, Vermont Department of _ Public Service P. Agnes, Assistant Secretary of Public Safety, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Public Document Room (PDR)

Local Public Document Room (LPDR)

Nuclear Safety Information Center (NSIC)

NRC Resident' Inspector State of New Hampshire State of Vermont Commonwealth of Massachusetts bec: w/ enc 1:

Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)

M. Perkins, DRMA (w/o enc 1)

D. Haverkamp, DRP L. Doerflein, DRP J. Wiggins, DRP G. Grant, SRI - Vermont Yankee J. Macdonald, SRI - Yankee M. Fairtile, NRR K. Abraham, PAD (21) (SALP Reports Only)

J. Dyer, EDD F. Congel, NRR/DREP L. Cunningham, NRR/PRP8 M. Knapp, DRSS l

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1 7'S Pascink Bellamy Sherbini y///89 j,7/v/89

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ENCLOSURE:

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. UNITED STATES

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.,c,,j. NUCLE AR' R EGULATORY COMMISSION .

WASHINGTON, D. C. 20655 A., .

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y JUN 2 21989 MEMORANDUM FOR: Ronald R. Bellamy, Chief EPRPB, DRSS, Region I Douglas M. Collins, Chief EPRPB, DP,SS, Region II L. Robert Greger, Chief, RPB, DRSS, Region III

- Blaine Murray, Chief, RPSB, DRSS, Region IV Gregory P. Vishas, Chief. EPRPB, DRSS, Region V FROM:. LeMoine J. Cunningham, Chief Radiation Protection Branch Divistor of Radiatien Protection

and Emergency Preparedness.

Oiiice of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

SUBJECT:

CORRECTION OF MISUNDERSTANDING CONCERNING OCCUPATIONAL DOSE LItt1TS FOR " EXTREMITIES" The purpose of this memorandum is twofcid: (1) to document the correction of a misunderstanding concerning occupational dose limits for " extremities," and (2) to provide guidance concerning potential Enforcement action in cases in which licensees have incorporated this ndsunderstanding into their precedures.

10 CFR Part 20 provides different occupational dose limits for.(1) the "whole body; head and trunk; active blood-forming organs; lens of eyes; or gonads;"

(2) the " hands and forearms; feet and ankles"; and (3) the " skin of the whole body . " As indicated in the instructions for NRC Form 5, " Current Occupational External Radiation Exposure," the dose to the " hands anc forearms; feet and ankles" includes the dose to the skin uf these body parts. The dost to the skin is assessed at a depth of 7 ag/cm2 in tissue. Thus, the limit for the

" skin of the whole body" and the limit for the "whole body..." apply to all parts of the body except the'" hands and forearms, feet and ankles."

The term " extremities" has often been used to designate the " hands and fore-arins; feet'and ankles," although this term is not used in 10 CFR Part 20. The term " extremities" is used in the pending major revision of 10 CFR f art 20 where it has the different meaning of " hand, elbow, arm below the elbow, foot, knee, and leg below the knee."~ However, this revised definition should not be used until the effective date of the major revision.

CONTACT:

John D. Buchanan, NRR 492-1097

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IE Inforntion Notice No. 81-26, Fert 3, Supplement No.1, " Clarification of Placement of Personnel Monitoring Devices for External Radiation," was issued July 19,1982. That information notice discusses placement of personnel dosimeters for determining whole body doses in situations where the principal source of radiation is from underfoot. That information notice indicates, and our position continues to be, that, in these situations, "a reasonable placement for a whole body dosimeter would be just above the knee." That infomation notice also notes that " extremity monitoring requirements may dictate the placement of additional dosimeters in the feet and ankle area."

Information notices cannot impose or change regulatory requirements an ? Infor-mation Notice No. 81-26, Part 3, Supplement I did not change the requirements of 10 CFR Section 20.101. Nevertheless, some licensees and, in at least one instance, regional personnel heve mainteined, incorrectly, that Information Notice No. 81-26, Part 3, Supplement I defined or redefined the terms

" extremity", or " extremities" to include the knee and the lower leg between the knee and the ankle and thereby extended the applicability of the 18.75 rem dose linit for the " extremities" to the lower leg above the ankle and to the knee.

Some licensees have changed their radiation protection procedures to incorpo-rate this misunderstanding and thereby to misrepresent the dose limits of 10 CFR Part 20.

This misunderstanding of the requirements of 10 CFR Part 20 has been identified primarily in relation to potential violations of the occupational dose limits resulting from radiation exposures from hot particles on or near the skin. One example of this misunderstanding is the result cf an infomal survey taken by one licensee and reported to the NRC. In that survey, ten nuclear power stations were contactec and asked, "If one of your personnel had been exposed to a hot particle in the region of the body between the middle of the knee and ankle, would you identify the dose as being to the skin of the whole body or to the extremityP Four stations responded, correctly, that they would record the dose as the skin of the whole body. The other six stations said they would record the dose as being to the " skin of the extremity", thus indicating their misunderstandings of both 10 CFR Part 20 and Information Notice No. 81-26, Part 3, Supplement No. 1.

In sumary, for exposures of the knee and the lower leg above the ankle, the applicable occupational radiation dose limits of 10 CFR Section 20.101 are:

(1) the whole body dose limit of 1.25 rem per quarter or 3 rem per quarter, and (2) the skin of the whole body limit of 7.5 rem per quarter.

This memorandum is being placed in the NRC Public Document Room and I encourage you to make it available to licensees.

Licensees who have incorporated the misunderstanding concerning " extremity" doses into their procedures should be asked to correct those procedures; however, no enforcement action should be taken for such incorrect procedures if

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. b Multiple Addressees JUN 221989

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-the licensee corrects the procedure (s). Enforcement action should be consid- l ered for any . licensee who, after being given a copy of this memorandum, refuses 4 to correct a procedure that incorporates the misunderstanding of the dose limits of 10 CFR Part 20; however, please contact me before you initiate any

'such action. .

This memorandum has been coordinated with the Office of Enforcement. l i

Le ne J. unningham, fef Radiation Protection Branch Division of Radiation Prottction and Emergency Preparedness

< Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

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> M .? ' INDEX OPERATING REACTORS U 1 Licensee :

BWR-Pg. No. Sys. Pg. No.

Boston Edison Company DN 50-293 6 12 - 13

' Pilgrim 1 GPU Nuclear Corporation DN 50-219 4 9 Oyster Creek 1 Philadelphia Electric DNs 50-277/50-278 5 10 - 11

-Company- Peach Bottom 2/3 Power. Authority of the DN 50-333 1 3-4 State of New York James A. Fit: Patrick Niagara Mohawk Power DNs.50-220/50-410 3 7-8 Corporation Nine Mile Point 1/2 Northeast Nuclear ' ON 50-245 2 5-6 Energy Company - Millstone 1 Vermont Yankee Nuclear DN 50-271' 7 14 - 15 Power Corporation Vermont' Yankee Pennsylvania Power & DN 50-387/50-388 20 38 - 39 p Light Company Susquehanna 1/2 PhiladelphiaLElectric DN 50-352/50-353 21 40

Company Limerick 1/2 L

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L OPERATING REACTORS Licensee' PWR-f Pg. No. Sys. Pa. No.

IBaltimore Gas and DNs 50-317/50-318: 9 18 - 19

' Electric Company: Calvert Cliffs 1/2 Connecticut Yankee DN.50-213 10 20 - 21

. Atomic Power Co. Haddam Neck r

Consolidated Edison DN 50-247 12 23.- 24 Co. of.New York-Inc. Indian Point 2 Power Authority of the DN 50-286- 13 ~25 - 26 State of,New York -Indian Point 3 Duq~u'esne Light Company - DNs 50-334/50-412 8 16 - 17 Beaver Valley 1/2 Maine Yankee Atomic DN 50-309 14 27 - 28.

Power Company' Maine Yankee General Public Utilities DN 50-289. 33 - 34

(~. Nuclear Corporation- TMI 1 17 General Public Utilities DN 50-320 18 35 - 36 Nuclear Corporation TMI 2 Northeast. Nuclear . DN 50-336 15 29 - 30 L

Energy Company - Millstone 2

-Northeast Nuclear . DN 50-423 25 53' Energy Company Millstone 3

- Public Service Electric DN 50-272/50-311 16 31 - 32 and Gas Company Salem 1/2 Rochester Gas & Electric DN 50-244 11 22 Corporation Ginna

' Yankee ' Atomic Electric . DN 50-29 19 37 Company Yankee Atomic Long Island Lighting Co. DN 50-322 22 41 - 44 Shoreham

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Public Service of. DN 50-443 23 45 - 50 New Hampshire Seabrook 1

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