ML20128E165

Annual Status Rept for Nasa Plum Brook Reactor & Plum Brook Mock-Up Reactor,1992

ML20128E165
Person / Time
Site:	Plum Brook
Issue date:	12/31/1992
From:	Pfanner H, Saunders H NATIONAL AERONAUTICS & SPACE ADMINISTRATION
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NUDOCS 9302100329
Download: ML20128E165 (8)

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I National Aoronautics end

, .. Space Administration Lewis ResearchCenter Clevoland, Ohio 44135 nev io Mn o' 2870 February 5, 1993 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attn: Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555

SUBJECT:

Report of Reactor Status for the NASA Plum Brook Reactor (License No. TR-3, Docket 50-30) and the NASA plum Brook

_. Mock Up Reactor (License No. R-93, Docket 50 185)

Enclosed is the Annual Status Report dated January 1993, for the Plum Brook Reactor (License TR-3) and the Plum Brook Mock-Up Reactor (License R-93). This report is for the reporting period January 1, 1992, through December 31, 1992. Submissions of this annual report is in compliance with Section 3.31 of the current TR-3 and R-93 possess-but-not-operate licenses which became effective January 28, 1987, and January 12, 1987, respectively.

The subject reactors continue to be maintained in a protected safe storage condition.

Y Henry G. Pfanner, Engineer Approved: Id y

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Plum Brook Reactor facility 'Neal I!LSatinders /

DirectorofAeronaujj(s CC:

l' Mr. Kenneth R. Ridgeway

! U.S. ' Nuclear Regulatory Commission

' Glen Ellyn, IL Mr. Marvin Hendonca l -U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission l Washington DC 090012 g 9

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. AhkUAL STA105 REPORT j i

l Reporting Period: January 1, 1992 December 31, 1992

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l NASA, Plum Brook Reactor NASA, Plum Brook Hock +Up Reactor ,

! License No. TR 3 License No, R 93 l L Docket No. 50 30 Docket No. 50 185 i 4

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! USNRC Dismantling Order

! Dated May 26, 1981  !

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! NASA Application to USNRC  !

Dated July .6, 2 1985 Requesting Return to

" Possess-But-Not 0perate" Status

!- NASA, Plum Brook Reactor NASA, Plum Brook Hock-Up Reactor  !

ticense No. TR-3 . License No. R*93 i Amendment #8 .

Amendment #4' November 30, 1989. October 12,.1989 i

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! Janudry'1993-1 WASA Lewis Research Center

, Plum Brook Station-6100 Columbus. Avenue Sandusky. Ohio 44870 4,

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i TABLE OF CONTENIS 4

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[ 1. Introduction 1

! 2. Status of' Reactor facility 1

J 3 3. Organization j 4 Condition of Sy.tsms and Components

! 5. Security landSu'rveillanceMeasures-l 6. Facility Changes 1 7. Facility 'and Environmental--

f Radiological.

Surveys i

8. Maintenance Performed' i

9. Audits and Inspections

10. Unusual-Occurrences i

l _: 11.. License Status

. 12. Other~

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ANNUAL STATUS REPORT .

FOR THE NASA PLUM BROOK REACTOR AND PLUM BROOK HOCK UP REACTOR 1.

Introduction:

The following Annual Status Report for the period January 1, 1992, through December 31, 1992, has been prepared pursuant to Section 3.3.1 of the Plum Brook Reactor facility P8RF TR 3 License effective January 28, 1987, and Hock Up Reactor R 93 License effective January 12, 1987. Both of the above-mentioned reactors are licensed as " possess'but not-operate."

2. Status of Reactor Facility:

At the_ time NASA requested a Dismantling Order,_ funding for the reactor dismantling project was anticipated, and an active dismantling effort was planned and scheduled. However,;because of continuing federal budget restrictions, NASA has continued to find it necessary to defer funding for this project. As a result, no major dismantling activities have been performed to date, nor are any planned.

Since 1982, NASA has continued to remove various uncontaminated tools, spare parts. and experimental. hardware not required for maintaining protected safe storage or supporting future dismantling efforts, This is being done to make such items available to NASA and other Government agencies.

In its letter to NASA dated August 16, 1984, the USNRC directed NASA to either request reinstatement of'the " possess but-not operate' status for the two Plum Brook reactors or-submit a revised dismantling plan and schedule. NASA responded in a letter dated October 29, 1984, stating that it intended to formally request-return to the " possess but not-operate" licensing status. On July 26, 1985. NASA submitted to the USNRC applications and supporting documents for the " possess but not*

operate" status. The P8RF TR 3 License was issued January 28, 1987, and the MUR R-93 License was issued January 12, 1987. Both licenses are in-effect for ten (10) years.

In addition to providing adequate resources and funding for past, present, and future protected safe storage of the reactors NASA funded an engineering-study in~1984 to document the existino condit3ons at'the site. The~ study was initiated near the!end of CY84, and major field -

work began-in early_1985. . The purpose of the study-was to-gather data on the current condition of'the facilities and equipment at the site, and to reinventory the: radioactive contamination at the end of.the twelve year radiological decay period.since Reactor shutdown in January

1973.-

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3. Oraanization: )

4 During the reporting period. Mr. Henry G. Pfanner_ continued to serve J as Engineer, Plum Brook Reactor Facility (PBRF), responsible for 2 maintaining the protected safe storage mode of the reactors. The daily  :

1 security, surveillance, and maintenance activities were performed by an f j on site contractor, Sverdrup fechnology, Inc. (SVT). As before,  ;

Mr. Harry E. McCune continued to serve as first Alternate PBRF Engineer. i j Mr. Albert B. Smith, NASA Lewis Health Physicist and Radiation Officer, 1 1

remained the PBRF Radiation Safety Officer and also served as $ccond '

Alternate PBRF Engineer. Mr. Robert P. Kozar continued to serve as the l General Manager of the Plum Brook Management Office (PBM0). The PBM0 is

responsible for the day-to day level 2 management of the PBRF.  ;

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i Mr. Dean Sheibley remains as chairman of the Plum Brook Reactor Facility .

i (PBRF) Safety Committee (PSC). Mr. Sheibley has served as chairman for 4

four years and has been a member of the PSC for 13 years. In addition.

• he worked at the PBRF for 13 years during its operation. Two FSC meetings were conducted during 1992. i j i

4. Condition of Systems and Comoonents:

i The condition of all systems and components vital to maintaining safe  :

i protected storage has been carefully reviewed. All systems are performing satisfactorily.

As reported in previous years, the Containment Vessel (CV) Cathodic

. Protection System remains energized, but is providing less than~the i

recommended level of cathodic protection-fce portions of the CV wall.

Ultrasonic testing at four inspection ports in 1992 showed no measurable-change in CV wall thickness from the original material specifications.

The ultrasonic testing continues on an annual basis. In addition, NASA '

has established annual visual inspections and corrosion rate assessment 4

checks using sample coupons. No significant corrosion has been observed

] during the first seven years of data evaluation.

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5. Security and surveillance Measures:

i Security ' inspections.are conducted at the PBRF.twice daily, and each of the major buildings is inspected by a guard once each_ day. In addition.

3- .other security checks, such as inspection of fences _ and.~ locks. ,are conducted monthly. Surveillance.of operating systems =and components.

absolute filters, and radiological surveys are performed as specified.in-the PBRF Procedures Manual. . Surveillance inspections:are performed for some non operating systems and components to assure;that.the protected safe storage. conditions are maintained.- ,

All of the security _and' surveillance inspect 1ons a're accompiished by_use of Inspection and_ Test Report (ITR) checksheets to insure they are promptlyLand properly completed. Completed lTRs are reviewed and approved by the PBRF Engineer and/or~ alternates and filed in the PBRF p

Vital Records, ITRs indicating that corrective action is required are a responsibility of the PBRF Engineer and the Plum Brook Management Office.

Equipment Maintenance Records (EMRs) are utilized to document maintenance on vital components, equ:pment, systems and facilities which are not otherwise covered under the routine ITR system (See Section 8).

Personnel access to areas of the PBRF with significant known or suspected levels of radiation is controlled under a Safe Work Permit (SWP) system.

-The security and surveillance program in effect at the DBRF appears tu be adequate to maintain the facilities in a protected safe st( age mode.

A total of two SWPs were issued during 1992, and all personnel exposures were well within permissible limits of 10 CFR 20. A statistical breakdown of the exposure levels as per 10 CFR 20.407-is given below.

Estimated Whole Body Number of Individuals

-Exnosure Ranae (REMS) -in Each Ranae No Heasurable Exposure O Measurable Exposure Less than .1 5

.1 to .25 0

.25 and Above 0

6. [Acility Chances A Facility Change System is utilizedoto provide documentation and approval of changes to existing facilities and structures, new structures, a physical change'to equfpment or system, or any change which alters a defined end condition, There were three Facility Changes (FC) initiated in'1992.- A brief summary of-these FCs-is given below, s

1) FC 92 01 Support Equipment Building (SEB) Annex Crane-Electrical Disconnect installation An electrical disconnect switch was= installed in the same room and immediate vicinity of the (SEB) Annex Crane. _ This FC was_ completed in 1992.

2) FC-92 02 Reactor Building (RB) North Truck Door Electrical Disconnect Installation An electrical disconnect switch was' installed in'the same. room and immediate vicinity of the.RB North. truck. door. .This FC was completed in 1992.1 The-additional switches described in FC 92 01 and FC '2 02 were

' installed-to comply with the NASA Lewis Operational-Safety Manual, The 3

d Safety Manual requires access to-a crane electrical disconnect switch within the same room as the crane and in sight of-the crane' operator.

These switches are lockable and were installed'per National Electric Code requirements, d

3) FC-92 03 Removal of Cryogenic Piping from the Reactor Building (RB) 15' basement-(East Side)

This cryogenic piping has to be re!noved to provide adequate clearance for the removal of existing sump pumps located directly below. New replacement sump pumps and controls wilix tbn be installed. Approxi-mately ten feet of piping, including valves and fittings, are to be removed. All remaining pipe openings are to have caps installed and welded in place. This FC is currently in progress.

7. Tacility and Environmental- Radtploaical Survevs:-

The 1992 monitoring data continued to include direct radiation, surface contamination, airborne and waterborne activity, stream silt, and precipitation / fallout radioactivity. These parameters did not vary-significantly from data obtained during the previous 19 years of standby or protected safe storage of the PBRF. All~ data indicates the radioactivity within PBRF is being safely contained.-

8. Maintenance Performed:

All maintenanr:e performed- t' ring the- reporting oeriod fell under'the -

Equipment Maintenance-Record (EMR) System.

l The work covered under-the Equipment Maintenance Recort (EMR) System-

[ involved routine maintenance and other-minor repairs made to equipment i within the Reactor. complex. This work was'normally performed by the on-

, site support service contractor that conducted normal' day to-day -

maintenance and surveillance at the PBRF.-

1 There were a' total of 17 maintenance tasks completed in 1992under the EMR system described.

9. A'udits and Insoections):

Mr. Earl'Boitel remains:as chairman of the Plum. Brook-Reactor' Facility (PBRF)-Audit Team. Mr. Boitel worked at the (PBRF) for 11 years during

k. -its operation. In addition Mr. Boitel served as'(PBRF) manager from

-& 1980-to 1985. The other two. audit team members are,Mr. Michael Sudsina and. Mr. Phillip Paulsen. Mr. Sudsina has been a member of the PSC--for-twelve years and was, employed at the PBRF during its ' operation. .Mr.

Phillip Paulsen has been a member of-the audit team-for-two years and-

basill years nuclear experience including six years as a submarine nuc' ear reactor. operator. 'All three members of this committee are currently employed by NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.-.

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O i One audit of the PBRF was conducted on December 15, 1992, by the PBRF Audit Team. No items of non compliance were noted curing this audit, No on site inspections were performed by the NRC during'1992, a

10. Unusual Occurrences:

4 There were no unusual occurrences at the PBRF during 1992 which were reportable to USNRC under the criteria of 10 CFR 21.3,10 CFR 21.4 and 10 CFR 50.72, 4

I 11. License Status:

. The effective date.of the PBRF TR 3 license is January 28. 1987, and

! the effective date of the MUR R 93 License is January 12, 1987. 'Both licenses.are effective for ten years from the date of issuance.

12. Other:

i i Disposal of Excess Plum Brook Station Property GSA continues to investigate the possible transfer of 604 acres in the western area of Plum Brook Station to other government agencies. If this transfer occurs, the Station fenceline will be modified to conform to the new .

3 Station perimeter. The nearest point of property affected~1s approximately 5,000 feet from the fenced site of the PBRF. NASA will continue to control access to the total Station, as well- as inspect, maintain, and provide security surveillance for the existing or' revised Plum Brook Station perimeter fenceline, Conditions at the PBRF will be

, unaffected.

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