IR 05000225/1988002

Insp Rept 50-225/88-02 on 880707-10.Violation Noted.Major Areas Inspected:Nuclear Matl Control,Accounting & Physical Security,Including Facility Organization & Operation, Measurement & Controls,Shipping & Receiving & Inventory

ML20151G997
Person / Time
Site:	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 07000920
Issue date:	07/13/1988
From:	Della Ratta A, Keimig R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:
Shared Package
ML20151G988	List: IR 05000225/1988002 ML20151G985 ML20151G993
References
50-225-88-02, 50-225-88-2, NUDOCS 8808010097
Download: ML20151G997 (9)

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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

REGION I

l Report Nos.

50-225/88-02 70-920/88-01 i

Docket Nos.

50-225 70-920 License Nos.

CX-22

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SNM-910 i

i Licensee:

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

l Department of Nuclear Engineering and Science

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Troy, New York 12181 I

Facility Name:

L.0 avid Walthousen Critical Experiments Facility, and Campus Facility

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Inspection At:

Schenectady and Troy, New York

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Inspection Conducted: June 7-10, 1938

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Type of Inspe tion:

Unannounced Routine Material Control, Accounting, and i

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7)/ 3 Inspector:

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A. Della~. tta, Safeguards Auditor

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R. R. Keiniig,' Chief, Safpards Section,

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inspection Summary:

Inspection on June 7-10, 1988 (Combined Report

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Nos. O-225/88-02 and'TO-920/88-01)

Area s._ In spect ed: Nuclear material control, accounting, anc physical security,

including: Tac:?ity organization and operation, measurement and controls,

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shipping and recehing, storage and internal control, inventory, record and j

reports, and physicas protection measures for special nuclear material of low i

strategic significance.

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Results:

The licensee was in compliance with NRC requirements in the areas l

i examined during this inspection with the exception of the following item:

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Failure to perform a complete test of the alarm systems (paragraph 4),

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Details 1.

Key Persons Contacted

• M. Podowski, Acting Department Head

• R. Ryan, Director, Of fice of Radiation and Nuclear Safety, Troy Campus

• F. Mastrianni, Assistant to Director, Office of Radiation and Nuclear Safety, Troy Campus

• 0. Harris, Director, Critical Facility, Schenectady

• F. Rodriquez-Vera, Supervisor, Critical Facility, Schenectady B. Drobnicki, Director of Security Operations, Campus Law Enforcement K. Seemann, Health Physicist, Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (G.E.)

• present at exit interview The inspector also interviewed other licensee employees during the inspection.

2.

Licensee Action on Previously Identified Enforcement Actions (Closed) Violation (50-225/86-01-01):

Failure to notify the NRC within two months, of changes made to the NRC-approved physical security plan.

On December 23, 1986, the licensee submitted to the NRC for approval, a complete revision of its physical security plan for the Rensselaer Poly-technic Institute (RDI) Reactor Critical Facility, for the protection of special nuclear material of low strategic significance.

The NRC approved the physical security plan on August 31, 1987.

(Closed) Violation (50-225/86-01-02):

Failure to perform the required alarm test on a security system transmitter which was being used by the G.E. watchmen.

The security functions of the G.E. watchmen are no longer included in the revised NRC-approved physical security plan.

RPI Campus Law Enforcement personnel have assumed the responsibilities of the G.E.

watchmen.

(Closed) Violation (50-225/86-01-03):

Failure to maintain a current access list of individuals authorized to enter the facility, and to main-tain a facility visitor register.

The inspector determined through a review of both the current access list and the facility visitor register, that the licensee is maintaining them and that they are current.

(Closed) Violation (50-225/86-01-04):

Issuance of keys for the critical facility to individuals not on the authorized list.

The inspector deter-mined, through a review of the names appearing on the key checkout log, that they agreed with the names appearing on the current access authori-zation list.

(Closed) Violation (50-225/86-01-05):

Failure to maintain an operable bell on the gate at the inner fence and to maintain that gate locked.

The inspector determined through observation that the lock and the bell were satisfactorily repaired and that the gate was closed and locked, as require _ _ - - _. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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(Closed) Violation (50-225/86-01-06):

Failure to establish means to demonstrate compliance with the established search policy.

The inspector determined through a review of documentation that the licensee is main-taining records of all searches performed at the RPI critical facility.

(Closed) Unresolved (50-225/86-01-07): Assure that all alarm tests, recorded by the licensee in the alarm log located at the facility, are also properly recorded in the Restricted Area Alarm Sheet maintained by the G.E. Watchmen, located at the G.E. Front Street Patrol Station.

The security functions of the G.E. watchmen are no longer included in the licensee's revised NRC-approved physical security plan.

RPI Campus Law Enforcement personnel have assumed the responsibility of performing the alarm tests and the alarm tests are now recorded electronically.

(Closed) Unresolved (50-225/86-01-08): Assure that the alarm log, which

is located at the facility and maintained by the licensee, includes doc-umentation of all maintenance and changes to the facility security system.

The alarm log is no longer required by the revised NRC-approved physical security plan.

The licensee is presently maintaining a Maintenance Log at the facility that contains documentation of all maintenance and changes to the facility security system.

3.

Material Control and Accounting a.

Organization and Operation i

The inspection included discussions with licensee management and review of the licensee's Special Nuclear Materials.'rocedure Manual, which is incorporated into the "Radiation Safety Regulations and Procedures." Custody of all special nuclear material (SNM) and the management of the nuclear material control and accountability program is the responsibility of the Director, Office of Radiation and Nuclear Safety.

b.

Measurement and Controls There was no burnup reported by the licensee for the critical facil-ity due to the losi operating power level and the limited frequency of use.

c.

Shipping and Receiving The licensee has maintained procedures to ensure that all SNM received or shipped was accurately accounted for.

The licensee had two receipts of SNM, and made two shipments of SNM during the period of October 1, 1985 to March 31, 198 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___________ _____ ____ _ ________ ________ __. - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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. Storage and,Jtiternal Control The inspector reviewed the licensee's SNM file system, which indica'.es the quantity and location of all SNM at the two facilities. A compar-ison of the SNM records was performed by the inspector, as described

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in paragraph 3.e.

No discrepancies were identified.

e.

Inventon The 13spection included un inventory verification on June 10, 1988, of the material held under License No. SNM-910 at the RPI campus.

The licensee's most recent physical inventory listing was used as the basis for the verifdcation.

Selected items on the listing were located and identified by serial number or other ic;entifying markings.

No discrapancies were identified.

The inventury verification at the critical facility was performed by the inspector on June 8, 1988.

The critical facility inventory consisted of 117 fuel rods in the storage vault and 481 fuel rods in the core.

The cor? map was visually compared to the fuel rods in the core.

No discrepancies were identified.

f.

Records and Re;, orts i

The inspector reviewed the licensee's records, reports, and source data. Material status eports (00E/NRC Form-742), submitted during

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the period of October 1,1985 through March 31, 1988, were reviswed for compliance with 10 CFR 70.53. With the exceotion of typograph-ical errors, no discrepancies were roted.

Leak test records for twelve sealed sources were reviewed for i

completeness and timeliness.

No exceptions were ideritified.

The licensee's authorized possession limits were compared with the actual holdings. No discrepancies were identified.

Exhibits I tnrough IV, attached to this report, summarize the licen-see's material activity for the period October 1,1985 through March 31, 1988.

4.

Fixed Site physical protection of Special Nuclear Material of Low Itrateate Significance

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Prior to August 31, 1987, the licensee's critical facility security plan was for protection of special nuclear material (SNM) of moderate strategic significance, specifically 177 Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU)

fuel plates, containing approximacely 4,980 grams of Uranium-235. All of these HEU fuel plates were shipped from the critical facility on December 4,1986 and documented on 00E/NRC Form-741, ZSX-FZF-2. On December 23, 1986, the licensee submitted to the NRC a revised physical security plan for the protection of SNM of low strategic significance,

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namely 592 stainless steel fuel rods, containing a total of 20,579 grams of 4.8% enriched Uranium-235.

These fuel rods were received at the crit-ical facility on January 5,1987 and documented on DOE /NRC Form-741, CZA-ZSX-2.

The licansee's physical security plan for the critical facility was approved by the NRC on August 31, 1987.

The licensee's program for the physical protection of SNM af low strategic significance was reviewed by the inspector for conformance to the NRC-approved physical security plan, by examining physical barriers and access controls, procedures, key control, and by observation of a licensee test of alarm system features.

Implementation of the physical security plan was found to conform to NRC requirements, except for the following item:

il!IS PAPACRAF.! CC:!IAINS 2.79C(d)

I:iF0;MATIO:: *:D 13 NOT FOR PJ.;LIC DICCLE.2. IT IS I:1?IiTIONALLY LEFT BLA:lK.

The inspector also reviewed the licensee's protection of special nuclear material of low strategic significance at the Rpl-Catpus, Troy, New York, for conformance to the requirements of 10 CFR 70.67 (f), by examining barriers and access controls, and by observation of a licensee test of

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alarm system features.

The Itcensee was found to meet the general performance requirements and objectives of the regulations.

5.

Eg,it Interview

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The inspector met with the licensee representatives indicated in paragraph I at the conclusion of the inspection June 10, 1988 and summarized the scope and findings of the inspection.

At no time during this inspection was written material provided to the licensee by the inspecto *

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EXHIBIT I Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Docket No.70-920 License No. SNM-910 Material Balance Period:

October 1,1985 - March 31,1988 Reporting Identification Symbol:

ZSX Reporting Units:

grams URANIUM-233 Uranium U-233 Beginning Inventory:

(October 1, 1985)

125 120 Receipts:

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-0-Material to Account For:

Q 120 Removals:

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-0-Ending Inventory:

(March 31, 1988) 1/

125 120 Material Accounted For:

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_12_0

~1/ 1 Fission Chamber

3 ZR Clad S-3 Rods

3 3 ZR Fuel Rods

98 1 Long Foil

19 125 120

• Less than 1 gram

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EXHIBIT II Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Docket No.70-920 License No. SNM-910 Docket No. 50-225 License No. CX-22 Material Balance Period: October 1, 1985 - March 31, 1988 Reporting Identification Symbol:

ZSX Reporting Units: grams ENRICHED URAN!UM U;anium U-235 Beginning Inventory:

(October 1, 1985)

6,018 5,602 Receipts:

434,480 20,855 Material To Account For:

440,498 26 457

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Removals:

Shipments:

5,611 5,289 Inventory Dif ference: (Rounding)

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Ending Inventory:

(March 31, 1988) 1/

434,887 21,169 Material Acenanted for:

440,498 26 _457 t

1/ 8 Plates 251 235 Powder and Liquid

3 577 Disc Foils

10 8 Specimens

57 33 Fission Chambers

9 592 Stainless Steel Fuel Rods 428,726 20,579 6 Stainless Steel Tube pellets Containing Misc. U0, 5 7_54 276

431887 21,169

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EXHIBIT III Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Docket No.70-920 License No. SNM-910 Material Balance Period October 1, 1985 - March 31, 1988 Reporting Identification Symbol:

ZSX Reporting Units:

grams PLUTONIUM-238 Plutonium Pu-238 Beginning Inventory:

(October 1,1985)

0.30 0.20-Receipts:

-0-

-0-Material To Account For:

0.30 0.20 Removals:

-0-

-0-Ending Inventory:

(March 31,1988) 1/

0.30 0.20 Material Accounted For:

0.30 0.20 1/ Source, Serial No, MRC-41

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EXHIBIT IV Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Docket No.70-920 License No. SNM-910 Docket No. 50-225 License No. CX-22 Material Balance Period:

October 1,1985 - March 31,1988 Reporting Identification Symbol:

ZSX Reporting Units: grams PLUTONIUM Plutonium Pu-239,241 Beginning Inventory:

October 1, 1985 493 465 Receipts-0-

-0-Material To Account For:

493 4g5 Removals:

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-0-Ending Inventory:

(March 31,1988)

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493 465 Material Accounted For:

493

{6g-1/ 1 PuBe Source No. M-734 (License No. CX-22)

74 1 PuBe Source No. MRC-330

47 1 PuBe Source No. M-89

14 1 PuBe Source No. M-90

14 1 PuBe Source No. M-91

14 1 PuBe Source No. M-96

2 1 PuBe Source No M-97

2 1 PuBe Source No. M-1149

91 1 PuBo Source No. M-963-5-55

91 1 PuBe Source No. N320C29

30 1 PuBe Source No. N320C30

30 1 PuBe Source No. N320C31

30 1 Accident Oosimeter

1 (Critical Facility)

2 Discs (Foils)

25 (License No. SNM-910)

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