ML20247Q999

Provides Supplemental Info Re Insp Repts 50-020/89-01 & & 70-0938/89-01.Corrective Actions:Central Radioisotope Storage Facility & Storage Facilities at Reactor Site Reinventoried

ML20247Q999
Person / Time
Site:	07000938, MIT Nuclear Research Reactor
Issue date:	06/02/1989
From:	Bernard J, Kwok K, Mcwilliams F NAVY, DEPT. OF, NAVAL RESEARCH LAB.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NUDOCS 8906070106
Download: ML20247Q999 (3)

Text

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l NUCLEAR REACTOR LABORATORY be

' AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL CENTER OF

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MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY O.K. HARLING - 138 Albany Street. Cambridge, Mass. 02139 J.A. BERNARD JR.

Director . Telefax No. (617)253-7300 Director of Reactor Operations Telex No. 921473-MIT-CAM Tel. No. ($17)253-4202 P

June 2, 1989 l

U.S. Nuclear' Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 l-

' ATTN: Document Control Desk

' Subj ect : Further Response to Combined Inspection Numbers 50-20/89-01 and 70-938/89-01 Gentlemen:

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Reactor (MITR) submitted by its letter of May 6, 1989 the required response to Appendix A of Combined Inspection Report Numbers 50-20/89-01 and 70-938/89-01. This letter provides supplemental information.

, Subparagraph (a) of the letter dated May 6, 1989 noted that four l fission chambers were at the reactor site but not on the inventory required by 10 CFR 70.51(d). These chambers were obtained by an experimenter in 1976 from a government laboratory. Specifically, the chambers were part of r. large spectrometer that had been declared surplus. They have been in storage at MIT from 1976 to 1989 and are now being used as part of a medical research project.

Subparagraph (b) of the letter dated May 6, 1989 noted that eight pieces of uranium metal had been identified as being at the reactor site but' not on the inventory required by 10 CFR 70.51(d). These pieces of metal are depleted uranium. They have been in dead storage in a locked room since July 1969 when they were taken into custody by MIT rather than allowing them to fall into the hands of persons

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l unf amiliar with the health hazards. MIT reported receipt of these materials to the United States Atomic Energy Commission on July 15, 1969 and was issued a license (SUB-643, Arnendment No. 1) by the U.S. ,

AEC for possession of the aforesaid materials on July 23, 1969. These 1 materials have been locked in the MIT Reactor's SNM storage facility since the issuance of that license. They have now been added to the inventory required by 10 CFR 70.51(d). J i'

In summary, our response to Appendix A of Combined Inspection Report Numbers 50-20/89-01 and 70-938/89-01 is as follows:

l (1) Corrective Acticns Taken: MIT's Central Radioisotope Stor- '

age Facility and storage facilities at the reactor site were reinventoried. Lists of items stored in those facilities i but not on the inventory required by 10 CFR 70.51(d) were I prepared and the items in question added to the inventory.

(2) Corrective Actions Planned: No specific further corrective actions are planned. None are believed necessary because the material being identified as not on the inventory are items acquired by MIT decades ago prior to the establishment of the present system of accountability. It should be noted that there have been no deficiencies concerning materials acquired under the present accountability system. We do recognize that there may possibly ba additional items obtained decades ago which are in storage locations unknown to us. At present, we do not believe this to be the case.

However, ohould such items be identified, they will be sub-sequently added to the inventory.

(3) pate of Full Compliance: Compliance has been achieved effective the date of this letter.

It should be noted that 10 CFR 70 does not identify depleted uranium or natural uranium as Special Nuclear Material and these materials should not normally be subj ected to the same restrictions and requirements as SNM. However, at the request of the Commission, several licenses were consolidated and the source material license SUB-643 was eliminated. As a result, the source material in question was never picked up on the license changes and are now added to SNM-986. We are now contemplating reestablishing a source material license since the requirements of SNM-986 are unduly restrictive to materials not defined as SNM but which are incorporated into this license.

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.Page 3 Please ' contact the unde.: signed - if there are any further l questions. l Sincerely,

- - A h p % W If S i Frederick F. McWilliams MITR Radiation Protection Officer

-( d wan . wok John A. Bernard, Ph.D.

-Superintendent Director of Reactor Operations MIT Research Reactor MIT Research Reactor  ;

i JAB /gw l ces. O. Harling, Director, Nuclear Reactor Laboratory l F. Masse, MIT Radiation ?rotection Officer MITRSC USNRC'- Region I - Chief, Reactor Projects Section No. 3B ,

USNRC - Region 1 - Project Engineer, Reactor Projects Section No. 3B USNRC - Senior Resident Inspector, Pilgrim Nuclear. Station USNRC'- Region I - Chief, Facilities Radiological Safety and Safeguards Branch .

I Division of Radiation Safety and Safeguards L. .