ML20246J086

Safety Insp Repts 70-0925/89-01 & 70-1193/89-01 on 890403-04.No Violations Noted.Major Areas Inspected:Mgt & Organization Controls,Radiation Protection,Operations Review & Transportation Activities

ML20246J086
Person / Time
Site:	07000925, 07001193
Issue date:	05/10/1989
From:	France G, Sreniawski D NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III)
To:
Shared Package
ML20246J074	List: ML20246J069 ML20246J086
References
70-0925-89-01, 70-1193-89-01, 70-1193-89-1, 70-925-89-1, NUDOCS 8905160286
Download: ML20246J086 (5)

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U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION III Reports No. 70-925/89001(DRSS); 70-1193/89001(DRSS)

. Docket'_ Nos. 07000925; 07001193 Licenses No. 5NM-928; SNM-1174 Licensee:

Cimarron Corporation Facility Name:

Cimarron Facility. Plutonium and Uranium Plants Inspection Conducted:

April 3-4, 1989 e 3 l))

MtJL); W Inspector:

G. M.

nce, III C5- 07 6'7 Date.

' Approved By:

D. A Sr OblC -89 Nu6ler Materials Section 2 Date Inspection Summary Inspection on~ April 3-4, 1989 (Reports No. 70-925/89001(DRSS);

3 No. 70-1193/89001(DRSS))

Areas Inspected:

Routine, unannounced safety inspection, including:

management and organization centrols (IP 88005); radiation protection (IP 83822); operations review (IP 88020); transportation activities (iP 86704); and environmental' protection (IP 88045).

Results:

The licensee was found to be in compliance with NRC requirements

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.within the~ areas examined.

However, the licensee failed.to make a timely leak test on a radioactive source.

This weakness was self-identified by the-licensee's compliance inspection program.

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DETAILS

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Persons Contacted Attendees: LNRC-Cimarro1CorporationMeeting:

Cimarron Corporation'- Roy Smith, President

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Wayne Norwood, Cimarron' Facility' Manager Ronald Fine, Supervisor, Health Physics:

and Industrial Safety KM Corporate - William Ganus, Corporate Hydrologist John Stauter, Director, Environmental Programs i

Scott Munson, Sr., Staff Environmental Specialist Ed Still, Director, Environment and Health Management Division i

State of Oklahoma - Dale McHard Department of Health - Paul-Brown 1

ORAU Jim Berger, Health Physicist Brad Cratty, Hydrologist NRC-NMSS - Lee Rouse Davis Hurt

. Jerry Swift m

NRC-Region III - George France, III Donald Sreniawski Those in attendance represent the principal managers and/or staff of the licensee and the various contractors and regulatory agencies.

2.

General This inspection of onsite activities was performed in conjunction with a meeting held by the licensee to discuss the options allowed by NRC's r

Branch Technical Position paper in disposing of contaminated soil.

The meeting was held on April 4, 1989. Those in attendance included representatives of NRC, State of Oklahoma, NRC contractor ORAU, and representatives of the Cimarron and Kerr McGee Corporation.

The inspection consisted of a review of the licensee's transportation, radiation pratection, and environmental programs.

3.

Licensee Action on Previously Identified Items The inspector reviewed the progress the licensee had made in correcting open items and or observations identified during a previous inspection.

(Closed) Open Item No. 70-1193/87001-06(DRSS):

The two underground 6,000 gallon sludge tanks have been removed and packaged for burial.

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(Closed) Open Item No. 70-1193/88001-01(DRSS):

Two underground 10,000 gallon waste tanks were removed and packaged for shipment to a l

licensed disposal site.

The level of radioactive soil contamination detected after excavation was not significantly different than radioactivity associated with background.

4.

Management Organization and Controls (IP 88005)

The inspector reviewed the licensee's management organization and j

controls for radiation protection and operations, including changes 1

in the organizational structure.

a.

Organization Cimarron Corporation now employs 39 persons in security, health and safety, and decommissioning operations.

At least 12 workers have retired, changed jobs or transferred to i

other company operations since the previous inspection.

These i

organizational changes do not appear to affect the rad #ological safety program.

No problems were noted.

b.

Internal Reviews and Audits l

The licensee's compliance inspection of Cimarron operations indicated that the licensee failed to perform a periodic leak test on a cesium-137 source.

This omission was corrected by performing a leak j

test.

The source was found to be not leaking, since the level of radioactivity detected was significantly below the manufacturers suggested limit of 0.005 uCi.

The inspector determined that corrective actions were taken and that an audit system exists l

for reporting deficiencies to management.

I c.

Special Work Permits (SWP)

Special work permits were issued to cover the following activities:

SWP No. 0092 - Prepare room exhaust duct work to remove asbestos fiber.

1 SWP No. 0191 - Remove loose asbestos above the men's change room.

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SWP No. 0504 - Cut up 24 x 24 HEPA filters that were used for asbestos fiber control.

SWP No. 0600 - Blank off filter bank No. 30 from blower and remove absolute filters.

No violations or deviations were identified.

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Radiation Protection (IP 83822) j The inspector reviewed the licensee's internal and external exposure control programs including the required records, reports, and notifications.

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a.

Internal Exposure Control The inspector interviewed the Supervisor, Health Physics, and Industrial Safety concerning whole body count results, bioassay records and air sampling data for the May 1988 through March 1989 operating period.

In vivo counts for lung depositions of uranium-235, plutonium-239, americium-241, and thorium natural were conducted by Helgeson Nuclear Service.

The results were not statistically significant.

This is mainly due to the low levels of contamination now remaining in the facility.

Bioassay records-for 31 workers disclosed that the 40 MPC-hour intake limit for uranium and plutonium had not been exceeded.

Urine voidings are conducted quarterly for plutonium plant workers und twice a month for uranium plant workers.

No airborne levels of radioactivity exceeded the 40 MPC-hour per week limit during this review period.

The highest level reported was 10 MPC-hour.

A record review also indicated that alpha detection instruments and gamma detection instruments were calibrated monthly and quarterly, respectively.

b.

External Exposure The licensee's records indicated that the remaining waste packages of thorium have been shipped to contractor for final disposition.

Radiation exposure from external penetrating radiation is near background levels.

c.

Radiological Surveys and Contamination Control Monthly surprise surveys are being conducted to detect potential contamination on employees leaving the work place.

No significant contamination was found.

Measurements were made with the wound counter to determine the level of contamination on a lacerated finger.

No contamination detected.

No violations or deviations were identified.

6.

Transportation Activities (IP 86740)

The inspector performed a review of shipping manifests and determined that there were no significant levels of removable or fixed contamination detected during preshipment surveys.

In accordance with 10 CFR 61.56 the previously classified and potentially pyrophoric thorium metal was shipped to a contractor for final disposition.

No violations or deviations were identified.

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7.

Environmental Protection (IP 88045)

In accordance with License Condition No.11 (Plutonium Plant License i

No. SNM-1174) the licensee submitted an annual environmental report for 1988 summarizing the results of soil, vegetation, and water samples that may be affected by decommissioning activities.

The sampling l

frequency was increased from annually to quarterly for one of the wells used to monitor the area north of the four burial pits.

Similar to previous data reported in the 1985'through 1987 sampling years, the 1988 data for the samples continues to show elevated levels of gross alpha and uranium concentrations.

The licensee indicated that a hydrological review of the Cimarron site is being performed by a contractor.

Sixteen new wells were installed at depths significantly greater than the wells presently sampled by the licensee.

Along with groundwater analyses through deep well sampling, the contractor is also shoring up site characterization by developing a transport model of the groundwater and a measure of the range of dissolved solids.

Results of these efforts should be available in July 1989.

No violations or deviations were identified.

8.

Operations Review (IP 88020)

The Supervisor, Health Physics discussed the status of decommissioning activities at the Cimarron site.

The major cleenup effort has been divided between the plutonium plant and the site characterization of soil for final disposition under NRC's Branch Position Paper BTP-Disposal on Onsite Storage of Thorium or Uranium Wastes From Past Operations - FR V0L 46 No. 205, October 23, 1981, Pages 52061-63.

During this inspection the licensee held a meeting with representatives from the State of Oklahoma, ORAU, NMSS, and Region III NRC to discuss the options allowed under the above NRC BTP.

NMSS indicated that the licensee should develop data to justify relocation of contaminated excavated soil, develop a summary of survey data on the plutonium building, a narrative on why the facility is clean, and a request for confirmatory measurements.

After consideration and review of the data NMSS/ Region III will discuss plans for final disposition.

9.

Exit Meeting The scope and findings of the inspection were discussed with the Supervisor, Health Physics at the close of the inspection on April 4, 1989.

The inspector stated that licensee programs in the areas of exposure control, transportation activities, decommissioning operations, and environmental protection met regulatory requirements.

The inspector also stated that while the licensee's audit system via compliance inspections reported a deficiency in testing requirements for a radioactive source it is the responsibility of operations to perform timely periodic test requirements.

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