ML19347F804

Forwards Revision 22 to Safety Analysis Rept for Mit Research Reactor (MITR-II), Rept MITNE-115 (701022), Updating SAR Re Sys Utilized for Transfer of Liquid Waste from Containment to Low Level Tanks in Restricted Area

ML19347F804
Person / Time
Site:	MIT Nuclear Research Reactor
Issue date:	05/19/1981
From:	Lisa Clark MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, CAMBRIDGE
To:	John Miller Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 8105260373
Download: ML19347F804 (6)

Text

. _ - ._

' ~ ~ ~ '

yt y%

.>> ,, s

( 7 NUCLEAR REACTOR LABORATORY h

'$ .. n[

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY INN o.K. H ARLING 138 Albany Street Cambridge, Mass. 02139 L. CLARK JR.

Director ' (617)253-4 20 2 Director et Reactor operations May 19, 1981 W  %

///

Mr. James R. Miller, Chief Standardization and Special Projects Branch U *I

-3 Division of Licensing T OIAY 2 2 Jggg g -

Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 6- %%

Washington, D. C. 20555 5 %=DW 4

SUBJECT:

SAR Revision No. 22, Docket 50-20 g

'V o'

Dear Mr. Miller:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology submits herewith Revision No. 22 to the " Safety Analysis Report for the MIT Research Reactor (M.TR-lI)", Report No. MITNE-115 (October 22, 1970), as amended. The purpose of the revision is to update the SAR with regard to the system utilized for the transfer of liquid waste from the containment to low level storage tanks in the restricted area.

I The system as described on SAR pages 12.1-12.2a and Fig. 12.1.1.2-1 is changed in three respects:

1) The detector which is now used to monitor low-level waste when it is discharged from a waste tank to the sanitary sewer will also be used to monitor liquid waste being transfered from the contain-ment to the waste tanks.

2) On detecting above normal levels of radioactivity in the water being pumped to a waste tank, an interlock will activate an alarm, stop the sump pump, and close a solenoid valve that shuts' off flow of city water to sinks in the containment.

3) A pipe connecting the tops of the two waste tanks will provide an overflow from one to the other, so that the capacity to receive liquid waste is doubled from 1000 gallons to 2000 gallons. When the first tank is filled, a high level alarm is activated. When the second tank also is filled, an interlock will stop the sump pump, thereby preventing overflow in areas exterior to the containment.

The above changes will increase the safety of the waste tank system in that the radioactivity level of the water being pumped from the containment to the waste storage tanks will be continously monitt <d end the pump will be stopped on receipt of either a high radiation alu r or high level alarms from both tanks.

-810526037S p

Mr. James R. Miller, Chief May 19, 1981

~Page 2 Inasmuch as no revisions to the-Technical Specifications and no unreviewed safety questions are involved, the change will be made under

'the provisions of 10CFR50.59(a)(1).. The above discription of the change is intended to fulfill the requirements for a safety evaluation summary stated in 10CFR50.59(b).

'Please contact me'if further information should be desired'in connection with the above.

In the SAR, please replace pages 12.1-12.2a and Fig. 12.1.1.2-1 with the new pages enclosed. Changes'are indicated by lines in the margin (no changes on pages 12.1 and 12.2a, respaced only).

Sincerely,

%A Lincoln. Clark, Jr.

L/ "

LC/sbs

Enclosures:

Pages 12.1-12.2a and Fig. 12.1.1.2-1 cc: MITRSC (with enclosures)

USNRC-NRR (3 signed and 19 copies with enclosures)

USNRC-DMB k 2/24v ss N/m /1. 1981

, J )

t Subscribed and Sworn to before me this /7 day L of )1 cu ,1981 y

/ J (Signature)

U J .;

(/,, g4 h 5/ g 3 cct.i d D h - Nda Ndi; P blic

~ ma a.

My commission expires h6 [/ IONb

v. x, n ; ,1 s

. I } 't 4-)

t:

b

.* Ai SAR 12.1

12. RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND RADIATION PROTECTION 12.1 Waste Disposal and Effluent Systems Radioactive waste from the MIT Reactor is in solid,- liquid cad gaseous forms.

Spent fuel handling'is described in Section 9. Other solid waste consists mainly of contaminated paper towels and cloth gloves, small reactor components, such as control rod parts, resin from the ion columns, and experimental waste.

J' The primary components of the liquid wastes are corrosion products from the reactor systens such as 60 Co, 51Cr, 59Fe etc. Tritium may also be present as well as radioactive waste of various compositions from experiments.

The gaseous effluent is mostly 41Ar, formed from activation of air, and small amounts of tritium resulting from leakage from the D20 reflector system.

12.1.1 Systems Description 12.1.1.1 Solid Waste Disposal System Solid radioactive material is packaged in accordance with ~ Department of Transportation regulations and temporarily stored within the exclusion area at the reactor site. The material is periodically transferred to a licensed radio-active waste disposal company for shipment and permanent disposal.

12.1.1.2 Liquid Waste Disposal System l

Liquid waste from the reactor is generally only mildly active. However, some

" hot" waste may be produced from chemical or other experiments. The latter mate-rials will be stored locally in appropriate containers which will be sent off-site for final disposal in a manner similar to the solid wasre.

The waste from spills around the reactor and other mildly active waste will not require shiciding, and it is not anticipated that much of this sort of waste

~

will occur. No floor drains are provided in the reactor building so that spills will be cleaned up locally,' and the resulting liquid waste transferred to a sump SR# M-8O-1 JAN 241980

.. _ . j.

g 9 jr '.

< - SAR

32,2.

a tank in the basement . equipment room. !Non-radioactive liquid waste from sinks and-

' air conditioner condensate' tanks also discharge to this sump. The sump tank'is .

. periodically drained by an automatic sump pump that pumps tJ he. liquid through a

-waste water monitor to either of two11,000 gallon storage tanks. located outside the containment near the cooling towers. - The two storage tanks have a common overflow line so that once the on-line tank is full,J any further . discharge' of

, liquid will be channeled to the reserve tank. If the-sump pump' fails to-start at j i

the preset liquid level, or if the discharge rate of the pump- is insufficient to

- keep the-liquid level in the sump from rising, a- second position on the float.

switch will atuomatically start a second parallel pump. When the second pump starts, or when the starting circuit is energized through the act' ion of the float-controlled microswitch,. a " Leak Primary & D2 0 System" alarm will' annunciate in the control room. As a precaution, the sump tank is equipped with another probe which will close the inlet city water solenoid valve. This probe is set to trip at the 4

--j same point as the second position on the float-controlled microswitch. - The sump , l pump is interlocked to cutoff on a high radiation alarm from the vaste water moni-~

tor and also on a high liquid level alarm from the reserve storage tank. A high liquid level alarm from the on-line tank will automatically shutoff ' the supply of '

city water to the containment building. sinks via solenoid valve AV-35.

A sewer pump and associated piping allow liquid waste to be circulated fron-i

~

one tank to another or pumped out of either tank to the sewer. A diagran of.the 1

system is shown in Fig. 12.1.1.2-1. Before discharging to the sewer, the liquid waste is thoroughly mixed in order to obtain representative samples. One sample is counted for tritium, one. sample is evaporated to dryness and counted for alpha j and beta, and a gamma ray spectrum may be measured from a water sample. If the

- level of radioactivity is within 1 - missible limits, the waste can be discharged.

When dischorging to the sewer the effluent is continuously monitored by a gamma SR# M-801 JAN 241980 4

e

-r- g 3 4 - ,s.%. ,.,, . , -g-- 2.,,qq. , , p- -~ ..m- .,.*/_,.%.,--,-,,.,y .- .,---g g,~.a -,,.,.4wy, y+- w ,,

, ..;;; e SAR" p - +-

112.2a

. detector and a' permanent record is'mado by the radiation recorder.- When~the sewer pump isfin the discharge mode-of operation it.is interlocked to cutoff on a high radiation alarm from the. gamma detectors.

The area beneath the storage tanks: is designed to contain any small' leakage and will be continuously monitored!by-ailcak detector connected to an' alarm in

~

. the control- room. The waste storage tanks will be visually < inspected for leakage atIleast' monthly.

The venting system for the tanks is also shown in Fig. 12.1.1.2-1.- The_ vent is through absolute filters and is~ piped to the stack so that any~ effluent'will

~

~

be discharged out of the stack and will be monitored-by the stack radiation moni-tors.

In addition to the liquid waste from the storage tank,' continuous' disc'harge-of secondary cooling water to the sewer during reactor process system operation is required to maintain the content of solids in -the secondary coolant' below -

acceptable limits. This " blowdown" stream averages about 6 gpm,Ii s normally free from detectable activity, and the volume is continuously metered. ~ Activity could

+

be introduced if a leak developed within .the heat exchangers serviced by 'the -

secondary water system. Of particular concern.would be a leak in the D 0 ' reflector 2

, heat exchanger since tritium activity in the reflector system may be as high as 3 mci /cc af ter 10 years of operation.

A secondary water system monitor, which indicates in the control room, .will i

be in operation whenever secondary cooling SR # M-8 0 JAN 241980 we - , - --

-gy -

_._,,m__m.-----

\

' ll"4 5

~

7

+

9 Stack "-6

, ' ' \

g.ggay.w TANK _L TANK c;O'*' /

g

$51 _~ -

/ .w 25 N f X Z h,km m RTS 1  ?;M1f

/

, /W'Lb g: , , 9v-2\ !_s s I'

f' i

n+12.

X m-)T i( (

f

-b4-1

, ne20 (I C3 rge n*a ce"ne n+n

-p4-u th W"'.'se gygt t'

7 y au-23 I"ITJJ '" j RAD. K{Xj ,g X

noNITof\ '

y Fit o. acon

<m m.s m

1. = -co- 4...

m RY ?.7 (mREE WAT c VAWE) 0 N

• gy.go M 2.B gy.3 sta i W

To CWER

=_

2 FIG. 12.1.1.2-1

2:=

P RADI0 ACTIVE LIQUID WASTE SYSTEM