ML20246L603
| ML20246L603 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000687 |
| Issue date: | 08/30/1989 |
| From: | Austin M, Bores R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20246L601 | List: |
| References | |
| 70-0687-89-03, 70-687-89-3, NUDOCS 8909070005 | |
| Download: ML20246L603 (5) | |
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l U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 7
REGION I f Report No_. 70-687/89-03 Docket No..70-687 License No, SNM-639l Priority 1 Category UHBR Licensee:
Cintichem, Incorporated
~P. 0. Box 816 Tuxedo, New York 10987 Facility Name: ilot Laboratories 1 Inspection At: Tuxedo; New York 1
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, Inspection Conducted: August 9-11, 1989 Inspector:
59 69 M. A. Austin, Radiation Specialist, Effluents
'/ Date/
Radiation' Protection Section, FRSSB, DRSS 9/J#dt "gApproved by:
R. J.- Bifres, Chief, Ef fluents Radiation Date Protection Section, FRSSB, DRSS Inspection Summary:
Inspection on January 9-12, 1989 (Inspection Report
' No. 70-687789-03)
Areas Inspected:
Routine, unannounced inspection by one region-based inspector 1. of.the status of licensee implementation of programmatic improvements in a management controls and radiation protection.
Results: The licensee has initiated administrative changes to improve
' management controls and is planning and implementing facility / equipment changes to improve contamination control.
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DETAILS 1.0 Individuals Contacted
- J. J. McGovern, Plant Manager
- L. C. Thelin, Staff Health Physicist
- J. Stewart, Supervisor, Health Physics
- T. Vaughn, Manager, Health, Safety and Environmental Affairs F. Morse, Manager, Engineering and Technology Sales E. Pajak, Project Engineer T. Rice, Health Physics Technician J. Ditton, Health Physics Technician
- denotes those present at the exit interview. The inspector also interviewed other licensee employees during the inspection.
2.0 Review of Operations The inspector examined all areas of the hot laboratory and reactor facilities to observe operations and activities in progress; to inspect the general state of housekeeping; and, to review areas in which facility / equipment modifications are planned.
2.1 Operations Review The inspector examined all areas of the hot laboratory and reactor facilities that are used for special nuclear material (SNM) operations. The inspector held discussions with various licensee representatives during the facility tour to review the entire SNM handling process, from the receipt of uranium feed material to the shipment of product, recyclable uranium, and waste. No inadequacies were' identified.
2.2 Housekeeping During examination of the storage area, above the quality control laboratory in the reactor facGity, the inspector noted that the area had been cleaned and housekeeping had improved since the previous inspection of this area. The inspector also observed that a large quantity of clean storeroom materials had been moved from an area within the Hot Laboratory to an unrestricted storage area within Building 3.
These improved conditions are a result of an ongoing licensee program to remove unnecessary equinment and stores from radiation-controlled areas. No inadequacies were identified.
2.3 Facility Modifications The inspector examined those areas for which modifications are planned to improve contamination control within the hot laboratory and reactor facilities. The major modification involves the installation of changerooms in the hot laboratory building'through
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which all personnel will be required to enter for access to the radiation-controlled areas of the reactor and hot laboratory.
Progress toward actual construction of these changerooms will be examined in a future inspection.
3.0 Management Controls l
The inspector reviewed the status of administrative changes being made by l
the licensee to improve management control of licensed activities.
3.1 Safety ComN ttees The inspector reviewed a draft document, dated August 8, 1989, which provides guidelines for preparing submissions for review by the Nuclear Safeguards Committee (NSC). The draft document identifies the type of items that must be reviewed by NSC and the criteria that must be met to obtain NSC approval. At the time of the inspection, the draft document was under review by NSC members.
Licensee implementation of the final, approved document will be 9 valuated in a future inspection.
3.2 Audit Program The inspector examined the minutes of the first meeting of the External Audit Board (EAB) held on July 27, 1989.
Licensee management established the EAB to implement a new audit program for nuclear safety'at the Cintichem facilities. The members: lip of the EAB, who performs the audits, includes individuals with recognized expertise in certain functional areas from outside of the company.
The functional areas include health physics, criticality safety, and quality assurance. The licensee intends that the EAB conduct technically-knowledgeable and independent audits of licensed activities. The EAB has been formed with the full support of the licensee's upper corporate management. The first EAB meeting was mainly organizational in nature, to make assignments and establish an audit schedule. The EAB plans to complete its first series of audits by Wovember, 1989. The final audit report will be sent to the Plant Manager who is responsible for its internal distribution. All EAB audit findings will be reviewed by the NSC for prompt followup and documented resolution. The effectiveness of this new audit program will be evaluated in a future inspection.
The inspector observed that members of the Plant Manager's staff are
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presently assigned to conduct weekly audits of the reacter and hot laboratory facilities. These audits are intended to monitor progress of planned facility changes and identify other potential improvements. The inspector reviewed records that show these audit findings are documented and addressed at the Plant Manager's staff meetings.
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4.0 Contamination Control The inspector held discussions with licensee representatives and examined various licensee documents to review the status of program and facility changes beino made to improve contamination control in the hot laboratory and. reactor facilities.
4.1 program Changes 1
The inspector' identified a number of program changes initiated by the licensee to improve contamination control. A routine preventive cleaning program has been established that focuses on areas with higher contamination potential.
For example, the area behind the Hot Cell access doors is mopped at least daily and the Hot Cell Conveyor Station area is mopped at least twice each day.
l 1he inspector reviewed the licensee's contamination control policy, written in April, 1989. This policy has been included as an appendix to the Employee's Manual which is distributed to all licensee l
personnel.
The inspector held discussions with licensee representatives to obtain a better understanding cf how certain policy requirements were implemented in the plant.
Issues and questions raised by the inspector were satisfactorily answered by the licensee during these discussions. The inspector noted that this policy may warrant further review and revision after completion of the facility changes being made to improve contamination control.
The licensee representatives acknowledged this and stated that the policy would be appropriately updated as program / facility improvements are implemented.
4,2 Facility Changes The inspector met with licensee representatives from the engineering and health physics functions to review the status of facility and equipment changes being made to improve contamination control. The inspector examined blueprint designs for a Manipulator Decontamina-tion Box. This box will be fabricated and tentatively scheduled for cold testing in November, 1989. The inspector also reviewed prelimi-nary designs for personnel monitoring stations that will be located in the radiation-controlled areas to provide proper places for personnel frisking for contamination.
In addition, the inspector reviewed preliminary designs for an area to be constructed within the hot laboratory that will consolidate several of the waste handling activities.
The inspector examined the blueprint plans for the new changeroom facilities to be constructed in the hot laboratory. Once completed, all personnel will be reouired to enter these changeroom facilities to gain access to the radiation-controlled areas of the reactor and hot laboratory buildings. The specific flow of personnel 1
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- 5 through these changerooms was reviewed by the' inspector with the
- licensee representatives. The inspector.noted that the delineation between radiation controlled and uncontrolled' areas must be clearly defined and visibly ma.ked to ensure adequate separation and control..
Licensee. representatives stated that this concern would be addressed in the design of the new change rooms.
Licensee representatives also stated that these changeroom modifications were tentatively scheduled to begin in the first calendar quarter of 1990. The progress of implementing these facility / equipment changes will be monitored in future-inspections.
5.0' Exit Interview The inspector met with licensee representatives (denoted in paragraph 1) at the conclusion of the inspection on August 11, 1989. The. inspector summarized the scope of the inspection and the findings.
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