ML993360032

Amendment 62 of License SNM-696 for General Atomics.With Safety Evaluation Report

ML993360032
Person / Time
Site:	07000734
Issue date:	11/23/1999
From:	Sherr T NRC/NMSS/FCSS
To:
References
-RFPFR
Download: ML993360032 (10)

Text

Page 1 of 8

NRC FORM 374 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

MATERIALS LICENSE Pursuant to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-438), and Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Chater L Parts 30,31, 32,33,34,35,36,39,40, and 70, and in reliance on statements and representations heretofore made by the licensee, a license is hereby issued authorizing the licensee to receive, acquire, possess, and transfer byproduct, source, and special nuclear material designated below; to use such material for the purpose(s) and at the place(s) designated below; to deliver or transfer such material to persons authorized to receive it in accordance with the regulations of the applicable Part(s). This license shall be deemed to contain the conditions specified in Section 183 ofthe Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and is subject to all applicable rules, regulations, and orders of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission now or hereafter in effect and to any conditions specified below.

Licensee

1. General Atomics 3. License Number SNM-696, Amendment 62

2. P.O. Box 85608 4. Expiration Date December 31, 1989 San Diego, California 92186-9784 0. PBRE,Docket No.70-734 ence No.

6. Byproduct Source, and/or

6. Byproduct Source, and/or -.- al...- Maximum amount that Licensee Special Nuclear Material A.,ay Possess at Any One Time 4 "elder This License A. Uranium 9%A. P0 kilograms U-235

B. Uranium I.Qro f. Less than 5000 gm*

C. U-233 "?/Any C. Less than 2000 gm U-233" D. Plutonium D. Encapsulated and/or D. Less than 2000 gm sealed sources total Pu*

E. Plutonium E. Bred but unseparated E. Less than 1000 gm total Pu*

F. Plutonium F. Plated calibration F. Less than 5 grams source total Pu*

G. Plutonium G. Solutions, precipitates G. Less than 5 grams solids and total Pu*

The sum total quantity of strategic special nuclear material possessed at any one time must be less than 5,000 grams computed by the formula:

Grams = grams U-235 In uranium enriched to 20% or more plus 2.5 (grams U-233 + grams plutonium)

NRC FORM 374A US. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Page 2 of 8 License Number SNM-696 MATERIALS LICENSE Docket or Reference Number SUPPLEMENTARY SHEET 70-734 Amendment No. 62

9. Authorized place of use: The licensee's San Diego, California site as specified in the aforesaid application and supplements.

10. This license shall be deemed to contain two sections: Safety Conditions and Safeguards Conditions.

These sections are part of the license, and the licensee is subject to compliance with all listed conditions In each section.

0.- LEULATORYCOMMISSION' N-ý I-.- 2- ".

Date: Ydg '. c7 yBw Sf-n'. er ief -

-" I~Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, NMSS Washington, DC 20555

(Provided w/Amendment 31)

Enclosures:

1. License Condition for Leak Testing Sealed Plutonium Sources, dtd 4/93

2. License Condition for Plutonium Alpha Sources, dtd 4/93

3. Guidelines for Decontamination of Facilities..., dtd 4/93 NRC FORM 374A US. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Page 3 of 8 License Number SNM-696 MATERIALS LICENSE Docket or Reference Number SUPPLEMENTARY SHEET 70-734 Amendment No. 62

SAFETY CONDITIONS

S-1. Authorized use: For use in accordance with statements, representations, and conditions contained in Part II - "Ucense Specifications" dated July 24, 1981, and supplements dated March 16 and December 24, 1982; February 4, November 14, and November 15, 1983; April 10, April 12, June 28, September 4, and September 7, 1984; December 5, 1985; May 23, September 25, and December 10, 1986; December 21, 1987; March 4, March 9 (2), March 22, April 26, August 22, September 8, and November 2, 1988; May 25 and November 17, 1989; June 27, 1990; April 30 and September 27, 1991; March 5, March 18, June 24, and September 10, 1992; January 20, 1995; the "SVA Decommissioning Plan" dated April 1, 1990 (submitted by letter dated March 30, 1990); August 22, 1990 (submitted by letter dated August 24, 1990); June 5 19qe y 12 and August 23, 1994; Group 6 Laboratories unrestricted use request dated 9 Jgaf2,'9-94,TlaFch 1, 1995; Group 7 Laboratories unrestricted use request dated December 5, kT99 Group 8B Laboralorestunrestricted use request dated August 23, 1996; October 15, 1996; A jrit 30, 1997; Group 9 Labordloes unrestricted use request dated July 17, 1997; Building 30 Laborptibesjunrestricted use release datpl July 25, 1997; and January 29, 1998; Site Decommissioning ln datfctober 11 and.q nbei-.5, 1996; April 18, 1997; January 15, 1998; Hot Cell Decomrnissioningzý', datqd-Ap/1 998, (3oup 10 Labs dated August 14, Building 27 Roof releasV dated -ugs't 2,Taid ?ifng 30- Pase II dated September 4, 1998, October 1, 1998, Novqmber 2.199,90ulidWrs-Z.6.d 21), Dpcember 22, 1998 (SVB) January 12, February 8, (Buildings'.37 ar9,:'R~rt'T-iIi 23, 19-9 (TFFF), March 9, May 17, (Radioactive Waste Storage Tanks),V-ne Buip?lil 36 4restbvower Land), August 18, (Building 42),

September 3, 1999, (Gi? -p11 ?a idng t

S-2. Records of all safety-relat/db'eports and'analyses sha If retained as follows:

a. Copies of criticality and radiationAafety analýses shall be retained for at least 2 years or for 6 months after a project is terminated, wlichever is longer.

b. Copies of all other safety-related records (e.g., plant alterations and additions, abnormal occurrences associated with radioactivity releases, audits and Inspections, instrument calibrations, ALARA findings, training and retraining, personnel exposures, routine radiation and environmental surveys) shall be retained for at least 2 years or longer if required by regulations.

S-3. Notwithstanding the statements in Section 5.4.2 in the License Specification Volume (Part II), if double batching is not credible, the maximum safe batch size shall be no more than 75 percent of the minimum critical mass independent of the degree of water moderation and reflection. However, when the Th/U atomic ratio Is > 3.6 and the HIU < 20, the maximum safe batch size may be Increased to 790 g contained U-235 Independent of whether double batching is credible.

S-4. The Director QACD, upon recommendation of the appropriate manager within QACD, shall have authority to require Immediate termination of activities and/or corrective action In any situation which, In their judgment, could lead to the unnecessary exposure of personnel to Ionizing radiation, release of radioactive material, loss or damage of property, or non-compliance with the license or a regulation.

NRC FORM 374A U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Page 4 of 8 License Number SNM-696 MATERIALS LICENSE Docket or Reference Number SUPPLEMENTARY SHEET 70-734 Amendment No. 62

S-5. The Criticality and Radiation Safety Committee (CRSC), functioning as an ALARA Committee, shall meet at least annually to review (1) reports of audits and inspections performed since the last ALARA review and (2) employee exposures and effluent release data to determine (a) if there are any upward trends developing In personnel exposures for Identifiable categories of workers, types of operations, or effluent releases, (b) if exposures and releases might be lowered in accordance with the ALARA concept, and (c) If equipment for effluent and exposure control Is being properly used, maintained, and inspected.

The CRSC evaluation, recommendations, and corrective actions shall be documented and the report shall be sent to the appropriate operations managers and the Vice President, Finance and A,J.? A ? =A wmmini un., REG S-6. Radiological Work Permits (ff/S) shall be issued lor al unplanned or non-routine work with licensed material not covered by a WA. The RWP shall be signed,. Health Physics management or a senior staff member before relatedwork can commence. A senloptaff member shall be a Health Physics Technician having a mil1umr-qk§,years' expedier?c I) adiaftion safety. An evaluation of the safety effectiveness of the permit shalf)Njtade:-upn " tion o:the work.

S-7. Radiation safety trainijg, approplide "to-tie-em,-dr e sneed&;,shall be given to all new employees.

S-8. Radiation safety trainin nd'jn oc i I b corducten by the Health Physics Manager or by a similarly qualified individual. Thi?"N al, Ager..m.,y delegate training in that portion of the course to an individual who,)s uhiquely qUilified t, Qreseri-t:

'7 S-9. Continuous air sampling shall"Re c.nducted In any area where licensed material can become airborne.

S-10. The location of air samplers shall be c aecked annually and whenever any process or equipment changes are made to verify the representativeness of work area air sampling. In addition, the location of air samplers shall be checked at the commencement of operations in any area that has been shutdown for more than 6 months to verify the representativeness of air sampling.

S-11. The laboratories in which plutonium in a dispersible form may be used shall have exhaust ventilation systems separate from other building exhausts and shall provide dual HEPA filtering of the effluent air.

S-12. Sealed Plutonium sources shall be subject to the leak testing and actions specified In the attached "License Condition for Leak Testing Sealed Plutonium Sources," dated April 1993.

Plutonium alpha sources shall be subject to the actions specified in the attached "License Condition for Plutonium Alpha Sources," dated April 1993.

S-13. The licensee shall prepare and submit to the Chief, Licensing and International Safeguards Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, NMSS, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, a report whenever there is any new residential development within I mile around the site that constitutes a significant change In parameters that may be affected by the release of radioactive materials Into the environment.

NRC FORM 374A US. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Page 5 of 8 License Number SNM-696 MIATERIALS LICENSE Docket or Reference Number

SUPPLEMENTARY SHEET 70-734 Amendment No. 62

S-14 Deleted by Amendment 14 dated August 3, 1990 (originally numbered S-23 in 1990 - 1992 and renumbered to S-14 in Amendment 23 dated October 7, 1993). The information In License Condition S-23 was incorporated Into License Condition S-9 by adding the date of May 25, 1989; Ucense Condition S-9 later became S-1.

S-15. At the end of plant life, the licensee shall decontaminate the site and facilities, authorized as a place of use for special nuclear material, in accordance with the general decommissioning plan submitted by your letter dated July 25, 1986, and its supplement dated October 15, 1986, so that these facilities and grounds can be released for unrestricted use. The corporate commitment that funds will be made available for decommissioning the facility, provided by letter dated September 10, 1986, is hereby incorporated as a condition of the licnse...E

S-16. Release of equipment, facilites'6br packages to the arife~tricted area or to uncontrolled areas onsite shall be in accordance wit 'the attached "Guidelines for'Dgcontamination of Facilities and Equipment Prior to Release for Unrps-tricted Use or Termination of Licepses for Byproduct, Source, or Special Nuclear Material," date Opdi..[0'1

S-17. Deleted by Amendmeifl 37, Sepe'b4er T996. ",VA faciliV)has been decommissioned and released for general use..,

S-18. Notwithstanding the statement-Ip Seciib I11C., Pat4Fl-of the license, the trip levels will be readjusted after each monthly test e ahe point fails to activate within approximately 5 secondsrrrgore than once 'out.ot.fqVr trials?

S-19. Notwithstanding the statemernts in Section 4.2.1.4, PSaII of the license, no material handling shall be allowed in any area in which the requipdptic.lit3alarm system Is inoperative.

S-20. Deleted by Amendment 37, September 1996. The SVA facility has been decommissioned and released for general use.

S-21. Deleted by Amendment 31 dated September 1995. Fuel elements were shipped back to the licensee on October 3, 1988.

S-22. Deleted by Amendment 37, September 1996. The SVA facility has been decommissioned and released for general use.

S-23. The licensee shall maintain and execute the response measures described in the Emergency Plan dated October 10, 1997, supplemented by letter dated November 6, 1997; and Revision Date 10/98; or as further revised by the licensee consistent with the provisions of 10 CFR 70.32(l).

S-24 The licensee shall develop individual survey plans for each facility or group of laboratories and provide NRC a 30-day notification, prior to GA initiating a final survey, to allow the NRC to schedule in-process inspections/surveys if required.

NRC FORM 374A US. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Page 6 of 8 License Number MATERALS LICENSE Docket or Reference Number SNM-696

SUPPLEMENTARY SHEET 70-734 MATEIALS70-734A

Amendment No. 62

S-25 The licensee must submit for review and approval to NRC residual contamination and characterization data and planned decommissioning procedures for areas where:

1. Decommissioning procedures will be required that have not been used by the licensee In previous decommissioning activities or have not been identified in the Site Decommissioning Plan dated October 11, 1996, as amended December 5, 1996; April 18, 1997; and January 15, 1998;

2. Workers would be entering areas where surface contamination and radiation levels are significantly higher than routinely encountered during previous decommissioning operations;

3. Procedures could resu er airbome concentrations of radioactive materials m nn operations; or than have been preejt'.f previous decomi ning

4. Procedures cou,,isuit in significantly greater; 2 e ses of radioactive material to the ttlep those-,4ssociated with ifs deem operations.

environment wtit uio

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I. I NRC FORM 374A U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Page 7 of 8 License Number SNM-696 MATERIALS LICENSE Docket or Reference Number SUPPLEMENTARY SHEET 70-734 Amendment No. 62

SAFEGUARDS CONDITIONS

SG-1.0 Currently there are no Material Control and Accounting license conditions. The necessary Information has been incorporated into an approved Fundamental Nuclear Material Control Plan dated March 1999.

SECTION 1.0 - FACILITY ORGANIZATION

Deleted by Amendment 58, August 1999.

SECTION 2.0 - FACILITY OPERATION ? -9,h

SG-2.1 Deleted by Amendment.,11,S eptember 19 dapplicable under a possession only license. S~0 8G-2.2 Deleted by Amendm rit-37, September 1996. Notapp)icable under a possession only license.

SG-2.3 Deleted by Amendment 37.ptnembiepr996, ?ot applicable under a possession only license.

SG-2.4 Deleted by Amendment037,_S b-ergr-"I9 otappliable under a possession only license.

SECTION 3.0- MEASUREMENTS-Y.,_ _? I J i

SG-3.1 Deleted by Amendment37, SeptemrH99Q?ot aeplicable under a possession only license.

SG-3.2 Deleted by Amendment ?7, September 1996. Nbapplicable under a possession only license.

SG-3.3 Deleted by Amendment 37, September 1996. Not applicable under a possession only license.

SECTION 4.0 - MEASUREMENT CONTROL

SG-4.1 Deleted by Amendment 37, September 1996. Not applicable under a possession only license.

SG-4.2 Deleted by Amendment 37, September 1996. Not applicable under a possession only license.

SG-4.3 Deleted by Amendment 37, September 1996. Not applicable under a possession only license.

SG-4.4 Deleted by Amendment 37, September 1996. Not applicable under a possession only license.

SG-4.5 Deleted by Amendment 37, September 1996. Not applicable under a possession only license.

SG-4.6 Deleted by Amendment 37, September 1996. Not applicable under a possession only license.

SG-4.7 Deleted by Amendment 37, September 1996. Not applicable under a possession only license.

SG-4.8 Deleted by Amendment 37, September 1996. Not applicable under a possession only license.

NRC FORM 374A US. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Page 8 of 8 License Number SNM-696 MATERIALS LICENSE Docket or Reference Number SUPPLEMENTARY SHEET 70-734 Amendment No. 62

SECTION 5.0 - INVENTORY

SG-5.1 Deleted by Amendment 37, September 1996. Not applicable under a possession only license.

SG-5.2 Deleted by Amendment 37, September 1996. Not applicable under a possession only license.

SG-5.3 Deleted by Amendment 37, September 1996. Not applicable under a possession only license.

SECTION 6.0 - RECORDS AND REPORTS

SG-6.1 Deleted by Amendment 37, Seg?lVb ý9&6. Not applicable under a possession only license.

SECTION 7.0 - INTERNAL CONTR(6'k" SG-7.1 Deleted by Amendent-37, September 1996. Not~ppficable under a possession only license.

SECTION 8.0- MANAGEMEN ~~-4

SG-8.1 Deleted by Amerdment 37, W under a possession only license.

SECTION 9.0 - PHYSICAL PROTEC-TAON REG U IREMENTS-PFORORMULA QUANTITIES OF STRATEGIC SPECIAL NUCL?kR MATRIA-L-). & CA SG-9.1 The licensee shall folot,'he measu'eslescrbled ile physical protection plan entitled, "Fixed

Site and Transportation PJbn for the Protection oAf,*pecial Nuclear Material of Moderate and Low Strategic Significance," datedMy.-l,09,pub'mntted by letter dated July 20, 1999; and as it may be further revised in accordance with'the provisions of 10 CFR 70.32(e).

SECTION -10.0 - TEMPORARY OR ONE TIME CONDITIONS

SG-10.1 Deleted by Amendment 31, dated July 1995.

SG-10.2 Deleted by Amendment 31, dated July 1995.

SG-10.3 Deleted by Amendment 31, dated July 1995.

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 November 23, 1999

DOCKET NO: 70-734 LICENSEE: General Atomics (GA)

San Diego, California

SUBJECT:

SAFETY EVALUATION REPORT: APPLICATION DATED SEPTEMBER. 3, 1999, BUILDING 2 GROUP 11 LABORATORIES RELEASE FOR UNRESTRICTED USE BACKGROUND In accordance with application dated September 3, 1999, GA requested their license be amended to remove authorized activities at the Building 2 Laboratories - Group 11 from the license, and release the laboratories for unrestricted use. GA conducted a survey of the facilities and provided the results of that survey in their submittal.

DISCUSSION GA has completed the decontamination of the Building 2 - Group 11 laboratories. This group consists of nine laboratories numbered 216, 238, 240, 242, 325, 443, 445, 615, and 623. GA submitted a final report entitled, "Final Radiological Surveys of Selected Building 2 Laboratories for Release to Unrestricted Use Group 11," dated July 1999, and requested the laboratories be released for unrestricted use in a letter dated September 3, 1999. The methodology and decontamination techniques were the same rigorous procedure as used in the Group 6, Group 7, Group 8, Group 9, Group 10 laboratories and Building 30 phases I and II which have been previously released.

The licensee's survey data showed that any remaining residual radioactivity in the Group 11 Laboratories was well below the criteria established in "Guidelines for Decontamination of Facilities and Equipment Prior to Release for Unrestricted Use or Termination of Licenses for Byproduct, Source or Special Nuclear Material," dated April 1993, as incorporated in General Atomics Materials License SNM-696. Inspectors from Region IV performed a confirmatory survey (Inspection Report 70-734/99-01, dated October 20, 1999, Section 3.2) and determined the following:

The licensee's "Final Radiological Surveys of Selected Building 2 Laboratories for Release to Unrestricted Use," dated July 1999 was reviewed and found acceptable.

The inspectors performed a confirmatory survey of five of the nine laboratories using a gas-proportional counter and a sodium iodide micro-R meter. These five laboratories, Nos. 238, 240, 242, 443 and 445 were the most likely to be contaminated due to prior use. The beta reading ranged from 108-482 dpmr/100 cm2 above background. The alpha reading ranged from 0 to 10 dpm/100 cm2 above background. The gamma readings at one meter (were) equal to or less than background. The results were consistent with the licensee's measurements which demonstrated that the area met the criteria for unrestricted release.

I.. 11

2

The licensee has implemented a program for the conduct and documentation of final surveys that follows the guidance contained In Draft NUREG/CR-5849, "Manual for Conducting Radiological Surveys in Support of Ucense Termination."

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

Based on the Information submitted by GA, the staff has determined that the changes to the license are related to decreased operations at the facility resulting from the proposed overall decommissioning of the site. Accordingly, the staff has determined that the criteria In 10 CFR 51.22(c)(1 1) for categorically excluding an action from an environmental review have been met.

Therefore, neither an Environmental Assessment nor Environmental Impact Statement is necessary for this action.

CONCLUSION

The staff concludes that GA's request to reduce licensed activities meets regulatory requirements and that there Is reasonable assurance that the proposed action will not adversely Impact upon the health and safety of the public or the environment.

The Region IV Principal Inspector has no objection to this proposed action.

Principal Contributor Charles E. Gaskin