ML20247N529

Forwards 1988 Annual Rept.W/O Encl

ML20247N529
Person / Time
Site:	Berkeley Research Reactor
Issue date:	03/14/1989
From:	Fowler T CALIFORNIA, UNIV. OF, BERKELEY, CA
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION V)
References
NUDOCS 8904060269
Download: ML20247N529 (1)

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U IVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY :f6. ' O '

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, l COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT OF NUCLEAR ENGINEERING BEREEIEY, CALIFORNIA 94720 TELEPlIONE: (415) 642 5010 FAX: (415) 643 9685 March 14,1989 Docket No. 50-224

' License No. R-101 Director U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region V Office of Inspection and Enforcement 1450 Maria Lane, Suite 210 Walnut Creek, California 945%

Dear Sir:

For your information, enclosed is a copy of the Berkeley Research Reactor's Annual Report for the year 1988.

The report is prepared for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as required by Technical Specifications.

Sincerely, j b T. Kenneth Fowler Reactor Administrator TKF/jmh Enclosure t

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I NUCLEAR ENGINEERING REACTOR LABORATORY TRIGA MARK III FACILITY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA i_

BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA BERKELEY RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT January 1,1988 through December 31,1988

( BRR Technical Specification 6.7.2 )

Prepared by Tek H. Lim Reactor Supervisor

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BERIGLEY RESEARCH REACTOR Backcround The Berkeley Research Reactor (BRR) is a TRIGA Mark III facility capable of producing 1 MW steady state and of pulsing to 1300 ImV peak power. The BRR was a research and an educational tool of the University of California. It is located on the Berkeley Campus and operated by the Department of Nuclear Engineering.

On December 20, 1986, the Chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley announced his decision to decommission the 21 year old BRR, citing a history of declining use and the need to erect a new computer science building over the reactor site as the main reason. The reactor was permanently shutdown on December 23,1987.

Three issues pending at the end of the present reporting period have since been resolved.

1. As a result of the intervention settlement reached between the City and the University, on January 5,1989, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board issued an Order. As a result of this Order, the hearing aspect of the Decommissioning Proceedings are concluded and the request for a Decommission Order will proceed uncontested, j 2. On February 3,1989, the NRC approved a request in the BRR Emergency Response Plan to change Herrick Hospital of Berkeley to Alta Bates Hospital of Berkeley to provide medical emergency services for contaminated patients.

3. On February 13,1989, the NRC approved Amendment #6 to the BRR Facility Operating License.

Reactor Removal The University of California Regents plan to decommission the BRR and release the facility for unrestricted use as defined by Regulating Guide 1.86.

The selected decommissioning alternative is "DECON". On January 8,1988, a license amendment application to the BRR license R-101 was submitted to the l NRC for approval. Included in the amendment application submittal is the BRR l Decommissioning Plan. On April 12,1988, the City of Berkeley filed a petition to intervene in the license amendment proceeding citing among others several, deficiencies in the reactor removal planning. On November 21, 1988, the City and University reported to the NRC that a settlement had been reached. On December 14, 1989, the NRC requested additional information and clarification that has arisen during their continued review of the BRR Decommissioning Plan. The NRC review process is still continuing.

s The University planned to return the BRR fuel to the DOE facility in Idaho Falls during the summer of 1988. Although defueling will be performed under our current operating license, the process was delayed by more than 6 months because of the City of Berkeley intervention. Approvals to use the BMI-1 cask to transport fuel to its destination and a request for an advance transportation route were obtained from the NRC on March 10, 1988 and October 18, 1988 respectively. Form Part A data of Fuel Receipt Criteria Questionnaire (FRC) was submitted to Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Co., Inc. on March 4,1988. The defueling process is still continuing.

License Amendment and 10 CFR 50.59 and 50.54 Chances Amendment #5 to the BRR Facility Operating License was approved on July 5,1988. This amendment allows surveillance requirements that involve raising the control rods to be postponed if the reactor has not been in operation for a period of time that causes the surveillance to be missed. Postponed surveillance requirements shall be verified upon reactor startup.

On October 10,1988 and supplemented on December 8,1988, Amendment

1. 6 was submitted to the NRC for approval. This amendment requests the modification of the the definition of " Reactor Secured" and adds a new definition of " Fuel Handling" in the BRR Technical Specification.

On September 23,1988, the NRC under 10 CFR 50.59 approved Revision

1. 3 to the BRR Reactor Operator and Senior Reactor Operator Requalification Training Program. This amendment limits the BRR training program to fuel' handling operation activities only.

On November 10,1988, a request was submitted to the NRC under 10 CFR li0.54 to change Herrick Hospital of Berkeley to Alta Bates Hospital of Berkeley "o provide medical emergency services for contaminated patients.

Testinc and Calibration Routine testing and calibration as required by the BRR Tech Specs were performed during 1988.

Fuel Inventory The annual fuel inventory was performed in June 1988.

3-Reaualification Trainine Procram In accordance with regulation, a requalification written examination was given in July 1988.

Exercise A routine emergency and security exercise involving the Reactor Staff and the Campus Police Department was conducted in June and September of 1988.

An expanded emergency exercise that included the participation of the Berkeley Fire Department, Alta Bates Hospital, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. he Berkeley Police Department, Campus Police Department, Campus Environmental Health and Safety Oflice and the Reactor Staff was conducted on December 14,1988.

Radioactive Efiluent Released or Shinned

a. Solid waste: A total of eight cubic feet of dry waste was released for disposal, with a total estimated activity of 1 millicurie. The waste consisted of residual activation products collected during a clean up of the sample handling area. Waste is -

also produced by research on uranium compounds not associated with reactor operation.

b. Liquid waste: None was generated by the reactor facility.

None was discharged via sewer, storm drain or other means.

c. Particulate discharge: Particulate samplers continue to operate in exhaust ducts. No particulate activity exceeding natural levels was detected.

d. Gaseous discharge: The stackgas monitor continues to operate.

Although no actual Ar-41 was released, the data collected as fluctuation in background was calculated as Ar-41. The apparent calculated release for 1988 was 2427 millicuries. Since the reactor was permanently shutdown and no Ar-41 was produced, this result is meaningless.

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4 Personnel Rad!ation Exoosure 1

a. Facility personnel exposure for 1988

- maximum individual whole body exposure 15 mrem maximum individual extremity exposure 170 mrem Note: At year end, 39 individuals had assigned dosimetry. ,

Only one individual had a recorded whole body exposure greater than 0 (15 mrem). Two individuals had extremity exposures greater than 0 (30 and 170 mrem). The latter doses were due to exposure to sealed sources while performing instrument calibration.

b. Visitor exposure Four hundred and two visitor self-reading dosimeters were assigned. Eight had exposures greater than 0, the maximum being 10 millirem.

Radiation and Contamination Levels

a. Radiation levels: Since the reactor was not operating, radiation levels in the area were in general lower than during operation. No readings exceeding 2 millirem per hour were detected. All readings higher than background were at locations near sealed source storages, not associated with reactor operation. Area dosimeters remain at 22 locations in the facility. Maximum annual result was 500 millirem in the source storage area.

Most occupied areas showed no detectable dose.

b. Contamination levels:The routine smear sampling program continues to operate. Of the approximately 1800 smear samples taken, 30 were found to be contaminated. Maximum removable i contamination was 5x104 microcuries per 100 i square centimeters. No contamination was detected in non-controlled areas. Most contamination was associated with research on uranium compounds, not associated with reactor ]

operations.

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c. Environmental levels: Dosimeters remain at the 13 designated locations outside the facility. The maximum annual

, accumulated re.ading for any location was 64 l millirem.

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