ML20249B002
| ML20249B002 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000893 |
| Issue date: | 06/04/1998 |
| From: | Astwood H NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| To: | Weber M NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9806190262 | |
| Download: ML20249B002 (3) | |
Text
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f~Q & UNITED STATES
,7
[ NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
- WASHINGTON, D.C. 20086 4001
- g
- June 4, 1998 MEMORANDUM TO: Michael F. Weber, Chief 7A8f7 Licensing Branch Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards 1 ~
THROUGH: Melanie Galloway, Chief -
Licensing Section 2 phgp-A Licensing Branch Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards FROM: Heather M. Astwood Licensing Section 2 6[$[44 '
Licensing Branch Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards
SUBJECT:
TRIP REPORT FOR VISIT TO FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, SNM-844, MELBOURNE, FLORIDA On December 11,1997, Thomas Pham and Heather Astwood of the Licensing Branch of the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards visited the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) to meet with Dr. Rong-Sheng Jin, Department of Physics and Space Sciences. The purpose of the meeting was to review with Dr. Jin and other appropriate FIT faculty and staff the procass for terminating the university's license SNM-844 and to take a tour of the facility.
Background
FIT was licensed to possess a subcritical assembly and a plutonium-beryllium (Pu-Be) neutron source for use in teaching and research. The license had an expiration date of September 30, 1997. By letter dated September 16,1997, FIT submitted NRC Form 314 and regoested that Materials License SNM-844 be terminated. This request was based upon FIT's statement that all licensed material had been disposed of properly and that a final radiation survey had confirmed no radioactive contamination.
However, upon review of this request, NRC determined that the final survey was not adequate to sufficiently demonstrate compliance with the pertinent regulations specified in 10 CFR 70.38(j) or to confirm the absence of potential activation products. NRC then sent a letter dated November 11,1997, outlin_ing the information which should be submitted to meet the Type I or Type ll decommissioning criteria contained in NUREG/BR-0241. Because of the complexity of the regulations outlined in 10 CFR 70.38 and the associated NUREG, Dr. Jin suggested that it would be helpful if an NRC representative visited the site to explain the regulations and to take a tour of the facility.- I Trio Summarv - h b Mr. Pham and Ms. Astwood first met with Dr. Jin and outlined the pertinent regulations
. contained in Part 70 and Part 20 as well as the guidance provided in NUREG/BR-0241. During this meeting Dr. Jin again stated that all material had been shipped offsite and that a survey of MIN' c *e Nagf g gg g g. . . . . .
Michnl F. Waber 2 l the lab did not indicate that there was any residual contamination. He also stated that he did not expect any contamination because both the subcritical assembly and the Pu-Be source had beed routinely leak tested, and there was no indication that either the assembly or the source ~ 1 had leaked. He also stated that the activated materials in tne assembly had very short half-lives (on the order of days) which reduced the amount of material that had to be controlled. Mr.
Pham and Ms. Astwood reviewed results of the leak tests which were performed by the
. university while the source was in their possession, as well as the results of tests performed by Bionomics, Inc. prior to shipping the source to Los Alamos National Laboratory. All leak test
- results indicated that neither the source nor the assembly had leaked.
Mr. Jin and Mr. Lindsey, the assistant Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) for the university, then escorted Mr. Pham and Ms. Astwood to the lab that had contained the assembly and neutron source. The lab was located in a partial basement of the Crawford Science Building (Room B-2)J lt was approximately 5 feet wide by 15 feet long and had been converted from the unused space beneath the stairwell. The room, which was locked and secure, still contained a graphite moderator, a plastic mock up of the assembly and the empty Pu-Be storage drum. It also contained sign-in sheets which indicated that the room was used very infrequently in the last few years, mainly by Dr. Jin and the RSO. Because of the location and limited size of the lab, it did not appear that there would be inadvertent intrusion into the room by other faculty or students.
The assembly was constructed of one large piece of polyethylene with uranium powder mixed directly into the polyethylene. Therefore, there was no loose uranium powder or disks which could cause residual contamination if the assembly was somehow damaged. Dr. Jin had used swipe samples to determine if there was residual alpha contamination, and all results were negative. Although he did not expect to find anything, he also used a G-M survey meter (Ludlum Model 3 calibrated June 20,1997) to look for possible beta or gamma contamination resulting from activation of other material in the room. No elevated readings were found.
During the tour of the lab, Dr. Jin used the meter to demonstrate how and where he had taken previous survey readings. Ms. Astwood then also used the meter to survey the storage drum and the floor where the assembly had been located. No elevated readings were found.
Mr. Pham and Ms. Astwood also reviewed Dr. Jin's dosimetry records and did not find any unusually high results.
Mr. Pham and Ms. Astwood then conducted an exit meeting with Dr. Jin, Mr. Robert Bowie (VP for Financial Affairs who actually signed the NRC license), Mr. Robert Heldinger (Director of Administrative Services), Dr. Richard Enstice (Assistant VP of Financial Affairs), Dr. Gary Wells (RSO), and Mr. Alex Lindsay (Assistant RSO). In this meeting, Mr. Pham reviewed the reason for the visit and outlined the information which was given to Dr. Jin conceming decommissioning options for the lab (Type I and Type 11). He also outlined the information
. which would be necessary for them to submit to NRC before the license could be terminated.
Mr. Pham and Ms. Astwood answered several questions conceming the difference between Type I and Type ll decommissioning. The NRC staff also indicated the possible schedule for completion of NRC's review and termination of the license.
Distnbuten Docket 70-893 Pu8uc NRc File Center NMSS R/F FCLB R/F FCSS R/F Region 11 (G:\fet hma)
OFc~ FCLB C FCLB .[ FCLB /[ ' FCLB (, FCLB _
C F,.QL,B g NAME- HAstwood fM N TPham 78 M PShea PS
- MGallowab MAda Mr oAre 4%
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o Michael F. Weber 2 1 ~ ".
the lab did not indicate that there was any residual contamination. He also stated that he did not expect any contamination because both the suberitical 'ssembly and the Pu-Be source had been routinely leak tested, and there was no indication that either the assembly or the source had leaked. He also stated that the activated materials in the assembly had very short half-
- lives (on the order of days) which reduced the amount of material that had to be controlled. Mr.
Pham and Ms. Astwood reviewed results of the leak tests which were performed by the
. university while the source was in their possession, as well as the results of tests performed by Bionomics, Inc. prior to shipping the source to Los Alamos National Laboratory. All leak test results indicated that neither the source nor the assembly had leaked.
Dr. Jin and Mr. Lindsey, the assistant Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) for the university, then.
' escorted Mr Pham and Ms Astwood to the lab that had contained the assembly and neutron source. The lab was located in a partial basement of the Crawford Science Building (Room B-2). It was approximately 5 feet wide by 15 feet long and had been converted from the .
unused space beneath the stairwell. The room, which was locked and secure, still contained a
~
. graphite moderator, a plastic mock up of the assembly and the empty Pu-Be storage drum, it also contained sign-in sheets which indicated that the room was used very infrequently in the last few years, mainly by Dr. Jin and the RSO. Because of the location and limited size of the lab, it did not appear that there would be inadvertent intrusion into the room by other faculty or
' students.
The assembly was constructed of one large piece of polyethylene with uranium powder mixed directly into the polyethylene. Therefore, there was no loose uranium powder or disks which could cause residual contamination if the assembly was somehow damaged. Dr. Jin had used swipe samples to determine if there was residual alpha contamination, and all results were negative. Although he did not expect to find anything, he also used a G M survey meter (Ludlum Model 3 calibrated June 20,1997) to look for possible beta or gamma contamination resulting from activation of other materialin the room. No elevated readings were found.
During the tour of the lab, Dr. Jin used the meter to demonstrate how and where he had taken previous survey readings. Ms. Astwood then also used the meter to survey the storage drum
- and the floor where the assembly had been located. No elevated readings were found. j Mr. Pham and Ms. Astwood also reviewed Dr. Jin's dosimetry records and did not find any unusually high results.
L Mr. Pham and Ms. Astwood then conducted an exit meeting with Dr. Jin, Mr. Robert Bowie (VP for Financial Affairs who actually signed the NRC license), Mr. Robert Heidinger (Director of
- Administrative Services), Dr. Richard Enstice (Assistant VP of Financial Affairs), Dr. Gary Wells (RSO), and Mr. Alex Lindsay (Assistant RSO). In this meeting, Mr. Pham reviewed the reason L for the visit and outlined the information which was given to Dr. Jin concoming L
decommissioning options for the lab (Type I and Type ll). He also outlined the information )
which would be necessary for them to submit to NRC before the license.could be terminated.
Mr. Pham and Ms. Astwood answered several questions concoming the difference between Type 1 and Type ll decommissioning. The NRC staff also indicated the possible schedule for completion of NRC's review and temiination of the license.
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